Aptamer-based CRISPR-Cas12a fluorescent biosensors for serum biomarkers detection

Abstract

The CRISPR-Cas12a system enables sensitive nucleic acid detection due to its programmability, trans-cleavage activity, and biocompatibility. To expand its applications beyond nucleic acid analysis, aptamers have emerged as an ideal recognition element owing to their high specificity, design flexibility, ease of modification and low cost. The integration of Cas12a with aptamers enables the conversion of target-binding signals into nucleic acid recognition signals, thereby combining molecular recognition with signal amplification for the analysis of non-nucleic acid targets. This review begins with a concise overview of the Cas12a system's working mechanism and features, with particular emphasis on recent advances in Cas12a-aptamerbased fluorescent biosensors for serum biomarker detection. It also discusses their advantages and limitations, current challenges, and future prospects.