Aptamer-based assay for prion diseases diagnostic

Prion diseases is a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases which cause serious damages in human and animals. Prion diseases-associated isoform (PrPSc), the only marker of these diseases, is abundant in brain only at the late stage which makes the disease diagnostic at the presymptomatic stage difficult. Aptamers owing to their intrinsic advantages such as excellent stability, easy manipulation and reproducible, nontoxic and diagnostic potential, have been applied in protein detection, molecular recognition, cancer diagnostic and cell imaging. Recent years, various aptamers that bind to prion protein (PrP) with high affinity and selectivity were selected by different groups and the application of aptamers to prion diseases diagnostic is arousing more and more attentions as the intrinsic advantages of aptamers. In this context, we will introduce prion diseases, the challenges of prion diseases diagnostic at the presymptomatic stage and aptamers against PrP, and then summarize the latest progress of aptamers-based assay for prion diseases diagnostic.