Current progress of aptamer-based molecular imaging.

Aptamers, single-stranded oligonucleotides, are an important class of molecular targeting ligand. Since their discovery, aptamers have been rapidly translated into clinical practice. They have been approved as therapeutics and molecular diagnostics. Aptamers also possess several properties that make them uniquely suited to molecular imaging. This review aims to provide an overview of aptamers' advantages as targeting ligands and their application in molecular imaging.