TY - JOUR A1 - Czarnecka, Malgorzata A1 - Weichelt, Ulrike A1 - Rödiger, Stefan A1 - Hanack, Katja T1 - Novel Anti Double-Stranded Nucleic Acids Full-Length Recombinant Camelid Heavy-Chain Antibody for the Detection of miRNA JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - The discovery that certain diseases have specific miRNA signatures which correspond to disease progression opens a new biomarker category. The detection of these small non-coding RNAs is performed routinely using body fluids or tissues with real-time PCR, next-generation sequencing, or amplification-based miRNA assays. Antibody-based detection systems allow an easy onset handling compared to PCR or sequencing and can be considered as alternative methods to support miRNA diagnostic in the future. In this study, we describe the generation of a camelid heavy-chain-only antibody specifically recognizing miRNAs to establish an antibody-based detection method. The generation of nucleic acid-specific binders is a challenge. We selected camelid binders via phage display, expressed them as VHH as well as full-length antibodies, and characterized the binding to several miRNAs from a signature specific for dilated cardiomyopathy. The described workflow can be used to create miRNA-specific binders and establish antibody-based detection methods to provide an additional way to analyze disease-specific miRNA signatures. KW - antibody KW - camelid antibody KW - heavy-chain-only antibody KW - miRNA KW - nucleic acids KW - novel biomarkers Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23116275 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 23 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - MDPI CY - Basel, Schweiz ET - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Marco F. T1 - miRNA Targeting Drugs BT - the next blockbusters? JF - Drug Target miRNA: Methods and Protocols N2 - Only 20 years after the discovery of small non-coding, single-stranded ribonucleic acids, so-called microRNAs (miRNAs), as post-transcriptional gene regulators, the first miRNA-targeting drug Miravirsen for the treatment of hepatitis C has been successfully tested in clinical Phase II trials. Addressing miRNAs as drug targets may enable the cure, or at least the treatment of diseases, which presently seems impossible. However, due to miRNAs’ chemical structure, generation of potential drug molecules with necessary pharmacokinetic properties is still challenging and requires a re-thinking of the drug discovery process. Therefore, this chapter highlights the potential of miRNAs as drug targets, discusses the challenges, and tries to give a complete overview of recent strategies in miRNA drug discovery. KW - miRNA KW - Drug discovery KW - microRNA-induced silencing complex KW - Antisense agents KW - Small-molecule miRNA modulators KW - Argonaute 2 protein Y1 - 2016 SN - 978-1-4939-6563-2 SN - 978-1-4939-6561-8 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6563-2_1 SN - 1064-3745 SN - 1940-6029 VL - 1517 SP - 3 EP - 22 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Omidbakhshfard, Mohammad Amin A1 - Proost, Sebastian A1 - Fujikura, Ushio A1 - Müller-Röber, Bernd T1 - Growth-Regulating Factors (GRFs): A Small Transcription Factor Family with Important Functions in Plant Biology JF - Molecular plant N2 - Growth-regulating factors (GRFs) are plant-specific transcription factors that were originally identified for their roles in stem and leaf development, but recent studies highlight them to be similarly important for other central developmental processes including flower and seed formation, root development, and the coordination of growth processes under adverse environmental conditions. The expression of several GRFs is controlled by microRNA miR396, and the GRF-miRNA396 regulatory module appears to be central to several of these processes. In addition, transcription factors upstream of GRFs and miR396 have been discovered, and gradually downstream target genes of GRFs are being unraveled. Here, we review the current knowledge of the biological functions performed by GRFs and survey available molecular data to illustrate how they exert their roles at the cellular level. KW - abiotic stress KW - chromatin remodeling KW - flower development KW - growth regulation KW - leaf development KW - miRNA Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2015.01.013 SN - 1674-2052 SN - 1752-9867 VL - 8 IS - 7 SP - 998 EP - 1010 PB - Cell Press CY - Cambridge ER -