An RNA aptamer with potent affinity for a toxic dimer of amyloid β42 has potential utility for histochemical studies of Alzheimer's disease

Oligomers of β-amyloid 42 (Aβ42), rather than fibrils, drive the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In particular, toxic oligomeric species called protofibrils (PFs) have attracted significant attention. Herein, we report RNA aptamers with higher affinity toward PFs derived from a toxic Aβ42 dimer than toward fibrils produced from WT Aβ42 or from a toxic, conformationally constrained Aβ42 variant, E22P–Aβ42. We obtained these RNA aptamers...