Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 29 Number 3 (2025): 1443

Review Article

Applications of aptamer-gold nanoparticle conjugates in biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics

Nur Syamimi Mohamad¹, Lee Yook Heng² and Eda Yuhana Ariffin^3*

¹Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative (SEADPRI), Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, E39, Minden Heights, 11800 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang

^*Corresponding author: edayuhana@usm.my

Received: 29 December 2024; Revised: 3 June 2025; Accepted: 18 June 2025; Published: 29 June 2025

Abstract

The rapid, sensitive and selective detection of biomolecules made possible by biological sensing technology has completely changed the field of diagnostics. Recent advancements include the implementation of aptamer-gold nanoparticle (AuNP) conjugate-based biosensors, which represent a novel category of clinical diagnostic tools. This thorough study consolidates recent advancements while critically assessing the diagnostic capabilities, technological constraints, and translational preparedness of aptamer-AuNP biosensors. By systematically analysing 28 peer-reviewed studies published from 2014 to 2023, utilizing data from Web of Science and PubMed, this review highlights issues, such as instability, inadequate specificity, restricted reproducibility, and difficulties in incorporating biosensors into user-friendly diagnostic platforms. The results also demonstrate a significant increase in research activities over the past five years, with optical and electrochemical platforms identified as the predominant modalities of study. Analytical evaluations demonstrated exceptional sensitivity (as low as 0.02 pg mL⁻¹) and significant stability (up to 35 days) in actual biological specimens, including serum, urine, saliva, and food matrices. However, major gaps remain in long-term reproducibility, integration into user-friendly formats, and specificity in complex matrices. This analysis outlines the limitations and suggests alternatives to improve sensor design and implementation for practical diagnostic applications, particularly in personalized medicine and point-of-care diagnostics.

Keywords: Aptamer; gold-nanoparticles; biosensor; optical; electrochemical; systematic review

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