Highly sensitive and selective in vitro diagnostics based on DNA probes and aptamers

Medical diagnosis is very important and essential for maintaining a healthy life. In vitro diagnostics have recently been a focus of scientists and researchers because they have a number of merits over other diagnostic methods. In particular, nucleic acid-based diagnostic methods are powerful and promising techniques. In this review, various types of nucleic acid-based in vitro diagnostics are introduced. These methods can be categorized into three groups according to their analytical approaches. In addition, aptamer-based diagnostic methods are covered in greater detail because aptamers are promising materials for diverse areas, not only as alternatives to antibodies but also as the core components of analytical equipment. It is expected that in vitro diagnostics based on DNA probes and aptamers will become a valuable platform encompassing all types of diseases.