Emerging techniques employed in aptamer-based diagnostic tests

Since aptamers were reported in 1990, research into the applications of aptamers, particularly diagnostic applications, has been growing. Aptamers can act as recognition elements instead of antibodies. In this regard, aptamers have unique characteristics because they are composed of nucleic acids. Intra- and intermolecular interactions of nucleic acids can be easily tailored following straightforward hybridization rules. Nucleic acids can be enzymatically replicated and their sequences can be determined using high-throughput methods. Using these properties, ligand-induced structural change-based aptamer sensors for homogeneous assays, polymerase- and/or nuclease-combined aptamer sensors for ultrasensitive assays, and microarray/next-generation sequencing-based aptamer sensors for multiplexed assays have been developed. This article reviews these unique aptamer sensors, demonstrating their great potential for diagnostic applications.