Researchers at the University of Bonn have isolated a DNA molecule that is suitable for combating allergic contact dermatitis in mice. What is known as an aptamer binds to certain immune system messenger substances, rendering them ineffective. This even works if the active ingredient is applied to the skin in the form of an ointment.
The working groups involved hope that aptamer creams such as this could also be suitable for treating other skin conditions. The results have now been published in the journal Molecular Therapies - Nucleic Acids. DNA is a long molecule in which different elements are joined up in a row, similar to the letters in a sentence.
Just as a sentence stores information, so can DNA threads. At the same time, DNA is sticky, almost like a kind of mini Velcro fastening. It exists in the chromosomes in the form of two parallel strands whose "adhesive surfaces" face each other.
Aptamers, however, are single-stranded. This allows them to bind to other molecules and influence their function. Which molecules they bind to depends on the sequence of their elements: Different aptamers bind to different molecules in a very specific way.
And it is precisely this point that makes them interesting to active ingredient research. "Today, it is relatively easy to produce huge libraries of aptamers, the sequence of which differs at random," explains Prof. Dr.
Günter Mayer from the LIMES Institute (the acronym stands for "Life and Medical Sciences") at the University of Bo.
