Aptamer-Based DNA Materials for the Separation and Analysis of Biological Particles

DNA is a biological macromolecule that carries genetic information in organisms. It provides a series of predominant biological advantages, such as sequence programmability, high biocompatibility, and low biotoxicity. As such, it is a unique polymer material that shows great potential for application in biological and medical fields. DNA aptamers are short DNA sequences with a specific ability of molecular recognition. With its discovery, the application prospect of DNA materials has broadened, especially for the separation and analysis of biological particles. In this review, the functions and characteristics of DNA aptamers are introduced, and the applications of DNA materials in cell/exosome separation and cancer detection are summarized. The application prospect and possible challenges of DNA materials are predicted.