Analytical performances of aptamer-based sensing for thrombin detection.

Aptamer-based assays represent a modern and attractive approach in bioanalytical chemistry. The DNA thrombin aptamer has been extensively investigated, and the coupling of this aptamer to different transduction principles has demonstrated the wide applicability of aptamers as bioreceptors in bioanalytical assays. The goal of this work was to critically evaluate all the parameters that can influence the sensor performances by using the thrombin aptamer immobilized onto piezoelectric quartz crystals. The optimization of the immobilization and the binding protocol was of paramount importance, and improvements in analytical performances could be obtained by optimizing simple steps in immobilization and assay conditions. Moreover, the work demonstrated the possibility of using aptamer-based sensors in complex matrixes, opening the possibility of a real application to diagnostics or medical investigation.