Peptide Aptamers: Innovative Design and Applications in Pathogen Detection

Peptide aptamers are short synthetic peptides that recognize targets with high affinity and specificity, offering advantages over antibodies and nucleic acid aptamers in size, structural flexibility, biocompatibility, and ease of chemical modification. Their design has progressed from traditional experimental screening to advanced computational approaches, such as structure-based rational design and artificial intelligence-driven generation. These methods have substantially enhanced screening efficiency and binding performance. For pathogen detection, biosensors employing peptide aptamers enable the rapid, sensitive, and specific identification of viruses, parasites, and other pathogens. Although challenges in affinity and stability remain, ongoing innovation positions peptide aptamers as a promising molecular tool for next-generation diagnostic platforms. This review systematically summarizes the design and key technological advances in peptide aptamers, emphasizing both traditional experimental screening and computer-aided design strategies. It also highlights representative applications of peptide aptamers in pathogen detection, providing a reference for developing high-performance recognition elements and novel detection platforms.