ABSTRACT Since the development of in vitro selection, more than 50 nucleic acid ligands (aptamers) have been isolated. These molecules are very useful for studying molecular recognition between nucleic acid and protein/organic compounds. In vitro selection also possesses the potential to enable us to produce new drugs for the fight against disease. We focused on several aptamers that specifically bind to trypsin-like serine proteases (thrombin, human neutrophil elastase, activated protein C, and NS3 protease of human hepatitis C virus) and introduce their interactions. These aptamers interact at exosites of proteases and inhibit their function - exposing the enzyme`s Achilles heel.
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