Nucleic acid aptamer
Nucleic acids aptamers are single-stranded synthetic DNA or RNA-based oligonucleotides which form secondary or tertiary structures which specifically bind to their cellular targets like small molecule, proteins and nucleic acids.
Aptamers are essentially a chemical equivalent of antibodies which have the advantage of being highly specific, relatively small in size, and non-immunogenic.
Aptamers have various targets including lysozyme, thrombin, HIV-TAR, hemin, interferon, dopamine, and prostate specific antigens.