Clinical Translation of Aptamers for COVID-19.

The COVID-19 etiologic agent, SARS-CoV-2, continues to be one of the leading causes of death on a global scale. Although efficient methods for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 have been developed, new methods of battling SARS-CoV-2 variants and long COVID are still urgently needed. A number of aptamers have demonstrated tremendous potential to be developed into diagnostic and therapeutic agents for COVID-19. The translation of the aptamers for clinical uses, however, has been extremely slow. Overcoming the difficulties faced by aptamers would advance this technology toward clinical use for COVID-19 and other serious disorders.