enalase, a fairly new protein discovered in 2005, is secreted by the kidney (although found in other places like skeletal muscles, heart muscles and liver cells) and enters the bloodstream. This protein degrades catecholamines - hormones secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress (ex. Norepinephrine, dopamine). By doing so, renalase inadvertently regulates blood pressure by lowering the concentration of catecholamines through degradation. When high levels of catecholamines are present in the bloodstream, renalase concentration levels also increase which is otherwise inactive. However patients with hypertension and kidney problems experienced low levels of renalase causing high concentrations of catecholamines leading to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease.
Although there is already a renalase antibody, a renalase aptamer could be more beneficial in inhibiting its activity and detecting the levels of concentration of renalase. An aptamer is a specific nucleic acid sequence used to bind to a specific target molecule. It has a high specificity and can be selected to bind to any target since it can be obtained via in vitro. In contrast, an antibody requires an animal or a cell culture – making the aptamer more cost effective. Also, an aptamer can be denatured and renatured and still retain its binding ability, whereas an antibody cannot.
Specific aim 1: Selection of RNA aptamers against renalase
There are two reasons that an aptamer for renalase would be important. First off renalase is still a new protein in which further research can be done. Scientists are still proposing whether or not increased levels of renalase leads to kidney failure so by inhibiting the activity of this protein through use of an aptamer, more can be known about its functions. Secondly, a fluorescing aptamer can be beneficial by detecting the levels of renalase in the bloodstream. If levels are low, a dosage of renalase can be injected into the bloodstream which has proven to reduce blood pressure and risks of heart disease.