This edited volume describes cell-SELEX as the fundamental tool used to generate aptamer molecules for a wide range of applications in molecular medicine, bioanalysis and chemical biology. Easily integrated into the natural heterogeneous cell matrix, aptamers can be effectively used in theranostics, bioanalysis, environment detection and biomedical studies. The book gathers reviews that reflect the latest advances in the field of aptamers and consists in fourteen chapters demonstrating essential examples of these aptamers and aptamer-nanomaterial assemblies, depending on the types of applications and biological systems. It also includes a separate chapter on the utilization of aptamers in real clinics and what will be required to achieve this significant goal. The book will be both appealing and useful to a broad audience, including biologists, bioscientists, and clinicians whose interests range from chemistry and biomedical engineering to cell and molecular biology and biotechnology. Weihong Tan is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Hunan University, China and also a University of Florida Distinguished Professor and V.T. and Louis Jackson Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida, USA. Xiaohong Fang is a Professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Aptamers, often termed as ‘chemical antibodies,’ are an emerging class of synthetic ligands for efficient target-specific molecular recognition. The objective of this book is to highlight recent advances and potential of aptamers in various disease conditions. . This book focuses on the applications of aptamers in targeted nanotherapy, detection, and in molecular imaging in various disease conditions such as cancer, neurological diseases and infectious diseases.

This book outlines comprehensively the main medical uses of aptamers, from diagnosis to therapeutics in fourteen chapters. Pioneering topics covered include aptamer pharmaceuticals, aptamers for malign tumors, aptamers for personalized therapeutics and aptamers for point-of-care testing. The book offers an essential guide for medical scientists interested in developing aptamer-based schemes for better theranostics. It is therefore of interest for not only academic researchers, but also practitioners and medical researchers in various fields of medical science, medical research and bio-analytical chemistry.

In recent years, due to advancing technology and diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, medicine and health care have become more patient-oriented. This concept of personalized medicine or theranostics can be traced back to the beginnings of nuclear medicine when radioisotopes were uncovered as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Nowadays, the field of theranostics is in flux, as new techniques and materials allow a growing range of applications beneficial for patients. This book examines new developments in theranostics and provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in this exciting discipline.

This volume provides protocol references covering recent developments in the aptamer field. Within the last decade, aptamers have become more and more popular, and their sophisticated biophysical properties together with their ability to be easily modified and, thus, adapted to various regimens makes them a very promising class of compounds. Divided into three sections, the book covers selection, a series of analytical methods to assess biophysical properties of aptamer-target interactions, as well as various applications of aptamers. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and easy to follow, Nucleic Acid Aptamers: Selection, Characterization, and Application provides a state-of-the-art summary of recent developments in the aptamer field and will be a helpful resource for scientists in the life sciences working with aptamers as tools to elucidate biological systems.

Handbook of Nanomaterials for Intelligent Sensing Applications provides insights into the production of nanosensors and their applications. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach, showing how nano-enhanced sensing technology is being used in a variety of industry sectors and addressing related challenges surrounding the production, fabrication and application of nanomaterials-based sensors at both experimental and theoretical levels. This book is an important reference source for materials scientists and engineers who want to learn more about how nanomaterials are being used to enhance sensing products and devices for a variety of industry sectors. The pof miniaturized device components and engineering systems of micro- and nanoscale is beyond the capability of conventional machine tools. The production of intelligent sensors at nanometer scale presents great challenges to engineers in design and manufacture. The manufacturing of nano-scaled devices and components involves isolation, transportation and re-assembly of atoms and molecules. This nanomachining technology involves not only physical-chemical processes as in the case of microfabrication, but it also involves application and integration of the principles of molecular biology. Explains how the functionalization of nanomaterials is being used to create more effective sensors Explores the major challenges of using nanoscale sensors for industrial applications on a broad scale Assesses which classes of nanomaterial should best be used for sensing applications