Advances in aptamer-based electrochemical biosensors for disease diagnosis: integration of DNA and nanomaterials

Aptamer-based electrochemical biosensors (AEBs) have emerged as a highly promising platform for disease diagnostics, offering high specificity, sensitivity, and real-time detection capabilities. These biosensors leverage the unique molecular recognition properties of aptamers and the efficient electrochemical transduction mechanisms to detect various disease biomarkers, including those associated with cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. A key advancement in this field is the integration of DNA aptamers with functional nanomaterials such as gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which significantly enhance sensor performance by improving electron transfer, signal amplification, and biocompatibility. This review comprehensively discusses the fundamental principles of electrochemical biosensors, recent advances in aptamer-based biosensing, and strategies for enhancing sensitivity and stability, particularly through signal amplification techniques and nanomaterial engineering. Furthermore, the challenges related to real-world applicability, including sample matrix effects, sensor miniaturization, and clinical validation, are critically examined. Finally, future perspectives on the development of portable, multiplexed, and point-of-care (POC) biosensors are provided, emphasizing their potential to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical diagnostics. The continuous evolution of AEBs, driven by innovations in nanotechnology and bioengineering, is expected to revolutionize disease diagnostics, facilitating early detection and personalized medicine.