The nucleic acid-sensing inflammasomes

Nucleic acid fluorescent probes for biological sensing.

Nucleic acid fluorescent probes are playing increasingly important roles in biological sensing in recent years. In addition to the conventional functions of single-stranded DNA/RNA to hybridize with their complementary strands, affinity nucleic acids (aptamers) with specific target binding properties have also been developed, which has greatly broadened the application of nucleic acid fluoresc...

The nucleic acid of African Horse-Sickness Virus

A nanomembrane-based nucleic acid sensing platform for portable diagnostics.

In this perspective article, we introduce a potentially transformative DNA/RNA detection technology that promises to replace DNA microarray and real-time PCR for field applications. It represents a new microfluidic technology that fully exploits the small spatial dimensions of a biochip and some new phenomena unique to the micro- and nanoscales. More specifically, it satisfies all the requisite...

Targeting Cytosolic Nucleic Acid-Sensing Pathways for Cancer Immunotherapies

The innate immune system provides the first line of defense against pathogen infection though also influences pathways involved in cancer immunosurveillance. The innate immune system relies on a limited set of germ line-encoded sensors termed pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), signaling proteins and immune response factors. Cytosolic receptors mediate recognition of danger damage-associated ...

Nucleic Acid-Sensing Receptors: Rheostats of Autoimmunity and Autoinflammation.

Distinct families of germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors can sense both microbial and endogenous nucleic acids. These DNA and RNA sensors include endosomal TLRs and cytosolic sensors upstream of stimulator of type I IFN genes (STING) and MAVS. The existence of overlapping specificities for both foreign and self nucleic acids suggests that, under optimal conditions, the activity of th...