Recent advances in aptamer-based nanosystems and microfluidics devices for the detection of ovarian cancer biomarkers

Cost-efficient sensitive detection of solid tumor markers in patients’ serums with high accuracy and specificity has been a striking challenge. The early detection of ovarian cancer (OC) can significantly increase the survival rate of patients. Additional to the aptamer (Ap)-based electrochemical and optical sensors, microfabricated microfluidic-based biosensing systems continue to substantially advance the quantitative detection of molecular biomarkers of various detrimental diseases such as OC and other types of solid tumors. The use of advanced nanobiomaterials has resulted in the development of sophisticated smart sensors that have been employed for the detection of OC molecular markers, including several cancer antigens (e.g., CA-125, CA-15), exosomes, and even blood circulating tumor cells. In this review, we impart on the use of aptamers in designing highly sensitive nanobiosensors, elaborate on the microfabrication of various microfluidic-based analytical systems, and articulate the recent advances in OC markers diagnosis using aptasensors.