Advances in Molecular Recognition of Exosomes Based on Aptamers

Exosomes are globular bodies with lipid bilayer membrane structure secreted by living cells. Since researchers have confirmed that the exosomes undertake the function of extracellular RNA transportation, the research on ihe origin and function of exosomes is in the ascendant. In recent years, exosomes have been found to have the potential to be disease biomarkers, which makes exosomes with specific surface proteins and specific carriers become valuable detection objects in biomedical science. From the perspective of chemical essence, the acquisition and analysis of exosomes need to rely on specific molecular recognition process. Aptamers, as molecular recognition units, are characterized by high specificity, high affinity, steady bioactivity, easy synthesis and preservation, as well as facile design and modification. Aptamers have been successfully applied in biosensors for exosomes. In this review, based on the chemical composition of exosomes and their components with physiological and pathological significance, we introduce representative work in the field of extracellular vesicle analysis using aptamers as molecular recognition units, and summarize the existing aptamer sequence information and application scenarios targeting exosomes. In particular, the latest progress of chemical regulation methods to enhance the recognition performance of aptamers is surveyed. We expect that the future progress in the selection and modification of aptamers will open up new and exciting avenues for molecular recognition of exosomes.