Research Advances in the Application of Aptamers for Hematologic Malignancies

Hematologic malignancies, including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma (MM), often present with nonspecific early symptoms that lead to misdiagnosis and delays in initiating treatment. These diseases pose substantial challenges to targeted therapy and prognostic monitoring. Compared with conventional antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors, aptamers offer several distinct advantages, including high binding affinity, low immunogenicity, and facile chemical modification. These properties make aptamers particularly well-suited to the clinical needs of hematologic oncology and highlight their promise for improving diagnosis and precision therapeutics. Since the first selection of aptamers targeting malignant hematologic cells two decades ago, the field has achieved remarkable progress. Aptamers have demonstrated considerable potential across key stages of cancer management, from biomarker discovery and tumor detection to targeted therapeutic intervention. This review presents a comprehensive overview of recent advances and provides an in-depth discussion of future directions and remaining challenges.