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A gFET-based Sensor Equipped with a Focused Post-SELEX Aptamer Library for Specific Quantification of the Hormone-like Anti-Aging Protein Klotho in Human Serum
Li R, He S, Gruber D, Krämer M, Stürmer A, Hasler R, Kleber C, Knoll W et al.. Research Square, 2026-08-25
Topic: Disease mechanisms in lab and animal studies
The Klotho (KL) gene encodes a single-pass transmembrane protein that functions as a potent suppressor of aging. In humans, reduced Klotho expression is associated with aging, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related disorders, correlating with increased all-cause mortality. The full-length α-Klotho protein consists of two extracellular domains, KL1 and KL2, which are proteolytically cleaved to generate the soluble form – the predominant species in circulation, which is difficult to detect in plasma. Among these, KL1 is the key functional domain, mediating most of Klotho’s enzymatic and signaling activities, including the modulation of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathways and glycan processing, making it a critical target for biomarker development. In this study, using FluMag-SELEX we selected an aptamer library specifically recognizing α-Klotho and its KL1 domain in human serum. After nine rounds of enrichment, followed by qPCR, fluorescence microscopy and fluorometric microtiter plate assays, the aptamer pool exhibited high affinity and specificity towards α-Klotho. We then developed an Aptamer-Linked Fluorescence Assay (ALFA) that enabled selective detection of α-Klotho in human serum, effectively distinguishing it from β-Klotho and homologous proteins. Finally, integration of the aptamers into a graphene field-effect transistor (gFET) achieved label-free, specific and fast quantification with high sensitivity in complex biological matrices. Together, these complementary aptamer-based technologies establish a stable, antibody-free strategy for quantifying Klotho isoforms and particularly KL1, providing a promising platform for longevity and age-related biomarker detection.
Key findings
- In humans, reduced Klotho expression is associated with aging, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related disorders, correlating with increased all-cause mortality.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 21 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 13 of the 62 points we could judge it on, which is 21 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (Research Square) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 13 / 62 | Scored on 12 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 13 of the 62 points we could judge it on is 21 out of 100. |
| Total | 21 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Li, R., He, S., Gruber, D., Krämer, M., Stürmer, A., Hasler, R., et al. (2026). A gFET-based Sensor Equipped with a Focused Post-SELEX Aptamer Library for Specific Quantification of the Hormone-like Anti-Aging Protein Klotho in Human Serum. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10661096/v1
Vancouver
Li R, He S, Gruber D, Krämer M, Stürmer A, Hasler R, et al. A gFET-based Sensor Equipped with a Focused Post-SELEX Aptamer Library for Specific Quantification of the Hormone-like Anti-Aging Protein Klotho in Human Serum. Research Square. 2026. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10661096/v1.
BibTeX
@article{li2026-42c376bd,
author = {Li, R. and He, S. and Gruber, D. and Krämer, M. and Stürmer, A. and Hasler, R. and Kleber, C. and Knoll, W. and others},
title = {{A gFET-based Sensor Equipped with a Focused Post-SELEX Aptamer Library for Specific Quantification of the Hormone-like Anti-Aging Protein Klotho in Human Serum}},
journal = {Research Square},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-10661096/v1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10661096/v1}
}
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