Development of an aptamer-conjugated fluorescent nanoprobe for MMP2

Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) plays critical roles in various diseases, such as atherosclerosis and cancer, and has been suggested to contribute to the instability of atherosclerotic plaque. To visualize MMP2 in pathologic tissues, we developed an aptamer targeting MMP2 protein by performing eight rounds of modified DNA systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). The aptamer showed high affinity for MMP2 (Kd = 5.59 nM), precipitated MMP2, and detected MMP2 protein in pathological tissues such as atherosclerotic plaque and gastric cancer tissues. Furthermore, a MMP2 aptamer-conjugated fluorescent nanoprobe successfully visualized atherosclerotic plaques in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice. These results suggest that the devised MMP2 aptamer could be useful for the development of various diagnostic tools.