Abstract:

Parasitic infections pose a significant global health burden, necessitating the development of accurate and efficient diagnostic assays for timely detection and effective management. In recent years, aptamers have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional diagnostic tools in parasitology due to their high affinity and specificity for target molecules. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current developments in diagnostic parasitology assays based on aptamers, highlighting their advantages, challenges, and potential applications. The review begins by introducing the concept of aptamers and their unique properties, including their selection methodologies and structural characteristics. The advantages of aptamers over conventional diagnostic methods, such as antibodies, are discussed, emphasizing their cost-effectiveness, stability, and ease of synthesis. Next, the review focuses on the application of aptamers in the diagnosis of various parasitic infections. It covers a wide range of parasitic pathogens, including protozoa, helminths, and arthropods, and describes the specific aptamer-based assays developed for their detection.

Description:

parasitology, aptamers, diagnostic assays, protozoa, helminths, arthropods, pointof-care devices, therapeutics, molecular diagnostics