Aptasensors in colorectal Cancer: Emerging tools for precision diagnostics

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Aptasensors are crucial for colorectal cancer (CRC) biomarker detection.
• Nanomaterials significantly improve aptasensor sensitivity, stability, and signal transduction.
• Existing aptasensors face challenges in clinical translation and standardization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of various nanomaterials in CRC aptasensor development.
• To analyze the advantages and limitations of different nanomaterial classes.
• To identify future directions for clinical application of aptasensors.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of nanomaterial integration in CRC aptasensors.
• Analysis of nanomaterial properties (AuNPs, carbon-based, MOFs, COFs, etc.) for biosensing.
• Evaluation of DNA amplification techniques (HCR, enzymatic recycling) for enhanced detection.

Main Results:

• Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) offer versatile platforms but have variability issues.
• Carbon nanomaterials provide excellent conductivity for detecting CRC markers like CEA and CA19-9.
• MOFs and COFs enable multiplexing but face stability challenges.
• DNA amplification techniques achieve high sensitivity but are complex for point-of-care use.

Conclusions:

• Nanomaterial-enhanced aptasensors show promise for early CRC diagnosis.
• Critical gaps exist in standardization, scalability, and clinical validation.
• Future work should focus on simplified, reproducible designs for real-world applications.