Aptasensors vs. Immunosensors: A Comparison

Since the invention of the first biosensor 70 years ago, these devices have become invaluable and versatile tools, applicable in various fields from disease diagnostics to environmental monitoring. Traditionally, antibodies have served as the capture probes in most biosensors due to their inherent ability to bind targets with high affinity and specificity, and they are still considered the gold standard. However, the resulting immunosensors often face considerable limitations, primarily stemming from antibody size, coupling chemistry, stability, and cost.

Over the past decade, aptamers have emerged as promising alternative capture probes, offering several advantages over the existing limitations of immunosensors and enabling novel biosensing concepts. This literature review examines the applicability of both antibodies and aptamers as capture probes in biosensing platforms, presenting key insights into biosensor design and mechanisms, and comparing the two types of capture probes from both theoretical and experimental perspectives.

This review aims to highlight that the comparison between these two types of capture probes is not straightforward, and they should ultimately be viewed not as competitive but rather as complementary applications. Therefore, we elaborate on the advantages of their combined use in biosensing schemes that leverage the benefits of each biorecognition element, particularly in hybrid probe designs.

Reference：

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35382545/