Advances in Nucleic Acid Aptamer Sensors in Cancer Research

Cancer is a serious threat to human health, and early diagnosis and treatment are the key to increasing the survival rate and improving the prognosis of cancer patients. Nucleic acid aptamer sensors demonstrate considerable potential for cancer applications owing to their exceptional specificity and strong binding affinity. This paper reviews the optimization of nucleic acid aptamer screening processes, the discovery of commonly used nucleic acid aptamers, and the recent research progress on nucleic acid aptamer sensors in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Furthermore, this review emphasizes the promising applications of nucleic acid aptamer sensors in multi-target high-sensitivity detection, real-time dynamic monitoring, and personalized precision medicine. This review systematically summarizes current advances in nucleic acid aptamer sensors, emphasizing their pivotal role in advancing non-invasive, intelligent, and precise cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, while proposing novel strategies for early intervention and efficient cancer management.