AI and chemical engineering accelerate aptamer development for diagnostics and therapeutics
This review outlines the evolution of aptamer technology from basic biochemical tools to programmable molecular interfaces for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Investigators describe how SELEX, combined with chemical modifications, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence, has improved target recognition and accelerated clinical translation. The authors note that aptamers are increasingly positioned as alternatives to antibodies, with emerging capabilities in biosensing and molecular computation. These developments may expand the toolkit for laboratory directors seeking stable, synthetic alternatives to protein-based reagents.
The original study
Innovations in Aptamer Technology: SELEX To Intelligent Molecular Engineering and Clinical Translation.
- Authors
- Mehmood A, Din MU, Shah SK, Munawer MF, Marryum M, Jiang H, et al.
- Journal
- FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
- Type
- Journal Article, Review
- PMID
- 42623114
Original abstract
Aptamers-short, single-stranded nucleic acids capable of folding into complex three-dimensional structures-have evolved from biochemical curiosities into programmable molecular interfaces with expanding diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. Through systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), aptamers exploit the structural plasticity of nucleic acids to achieve high-affinity and high-specificity target recognition. Innovations in chemical modification, high-throughput sequencing, microfluidics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI) have redefined aptamer discovery and translational potential. Aptamers transition from antibody alternatives to programmable molecular systems capable of sensing, computation, and controlled actuation in biological environments.