Hanne Moerman
Doctoral researcher – Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group – Ghent University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry
Principal investigator: prof. Annemieke Madder (PhD)
Research focus
My research project is focused on enhancing stability of aptamers to improve their therapeutic potential. Aptamers are short single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules that fold into unique 3D-structures, such as G-quadruplexes (G4), allowing them to bind to specific targets with high precision – similar to monoclonal antibodies. Compared to monoclonal antibodies, they offer advantages such as deeper tissue penetration, cost-effectiveness, reproducible synthesis, ease of chemical modification, and improved stability. They are widely used in cancer research for development of new biomarker detection strategies, targeted therapy, and drug delivery. However, clinical translation is hindered by issues like thermal instability, rapid nuclease degradation and fast renal clearance. This project aims to improve aptamer stability by introducing chemical modifications that stabilize their correctly folded structure, to help aptamers resist degradation, clearance and increase stability while maintaining the biologic effect. Enhancing these properties of aptamers could bring them closer to real-world medical applications, making them a promising tool for future treatments.
Biography
I studied Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ghent University and obtained my master degree in Drug Development in 2024. During my master I performed my thesis in the lab of Professor A. Madder, where I developed a method for selective isolation of G4 forming DNA with a subsequent quantification based on the DNAzyme capacity of the G4-hemin complex. After graduating I returned to the lab as a doctoral fellow to do research on G-quadruplex forming aptamers.
Key publications
- ‘Development of a His-Tag-mediated pull-down and quantification assay for G-quadruplex containing DNA sequences.’ RSC Chem Biol (2024) (PMID: 39634055)