Aptamers and New Bioreceptors for the Electrochemical Detection of Biomarkers Expressed in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignancy associated with high mortality and increasing incidence. Early detection of this disease could help increase survival and overall patient benefit. Non-invasive strategies for the diagnosis of this medical condition are of utmost importance. In this scope, the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma biomarkers can provide a useful diagnostic tool. Aptamers are short, single-stranded DNAs or RNAs that can specifically bind selected analytes and act as pseudo-biorecognition elements that can be employed for electrode functionalization. Also, other types of DNA sequences can be used to construct DNA-based biosensors applied for the quantification of hepatocellular carcinoma biomarkers. Herein, we analyze recent examples of aptasensors and DNA biosensors for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma biomarkers, like micro-RNAs, long non-coding RNAs, exosomes, circulating tumor cells, and proteins. The literature data are discussed comparatively in a critical manner, highlighting the advantages of using electrochemical biosensors in diagnosis, as well as the use of nanomaterials and biocomponents in the functionalization of electrodes for improved sensitivity and selectivity.