Review of aptamer platforms for human aging biomarkers: proteomics, biosensors and translation
This review of 42 original studies from 2020–2026 describes aptamer-based measurement of aging-related biomarkers in human samples, notes low-to-moderate agreement between aptamer and antibody platforms, and lists barriers to translation. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The review summarizes 42 original research articles from 2020 through 2026 on aptamers or aptamer-derived biosensors used to characterize aging-related biomarkers in human samples or clinically relevant human-disease contexts. [1]
Only a small number of studies compared aptamer- and antibody-based platforms in the same specimens, and median between-platform agreement was low to moderate. [1]
Named translation barriers include cross-platform discordance, limited replication across ancestries, under-reported pre-analytical variability, cost and research-use-only status; de novo SELEX campaigns against aging-specific epitopes and longitudinal human validation of wearable aptasensors were not identified. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Review (abstract)
- Population / context
- Human samples and clinically relevant human-disease contexts in 42 original research articles published 2020–2026
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 24, 2026
42 studies on aptamer aging biomarkers
The review summarizes 42 original research articles published from 2020 through 2026 in which aptamers or aptamer-derived biosensors were used to characterize aging-related biomarkers in human samples or clinically relevant human-disease contexts. The literature is grouped into whole-plasma and organ-specific proteomic aging clocks; inflammaging and senescence-associated secretory phenotype markers; biomarker panels for cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, hepatic, musculoskeletal and neurodegenerative areas; and aptasensor platforms for single analytes.
Supporting source [1]
Low agreement between aptamer and antibody platforms
Only a small number of studies compared aptamer- and antibody-based platforms in the same specimens. The review tabulates these and reports that median between-platform agreement is low to moderate, which constrains pooling of findings across technologies. It also states that proteomic clocks are trained against chronological age, so their correlation with chronological age reflects fit to the training target rather than biological validity; the informative quantity is the residual age gap. SomaScan-based studies cluster in cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, frailty and proteomic aging-clock research.
Supporting source [1]
Translation barriers and gaps in the reviewed literature
The main barriers to translation named in the review are cross-platform discordance, limited replication across ancestries, under-reported pre-analytical variability, cost, and the research-use-only status of most assays. The review also reports that de novo SELEX campaigns targeting aging-specific epitopes and longitudinal human validation of wearable aptasensors were not identified in the reviewed literature.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
This is an abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports no sample sizes, follow-up durations or effect estimates for individual studies, and the review's statements describe the reviewed literature rather than new experiments.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Guvatova Z, Kobelyatskaya A, Gorbunov A, Pudova E, Moskalev A. · europepmc.org · August 24, 2026