Aptamers are widely applied to diagnosis and
therapy because of their targeting. However, the current progress of research into aptamers for the treatment of
eye disorders has not been well-documented. The current literature on aptamers was reviewed in this study. Aptamer-related drugs and biochemical sensors have been evaluated for several
eye disorders within the past decade; S58 targeting TGF-β receptor II and
pegaptanib targeting
vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF) are used to prevent
fibrosis after
glaucoma filtration surgery. Anti-
brain-derived neurotrophic factor aptamer has been used to diagnose
glaucoma. The first approved aptamer
drug (
pegaptanib) has been used to inhibit angiogenesis in
age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and
diabetic retinopathy (DR), and its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in clinical trials. Aptamers, including E10030, RBM-007,
AS1411, and avacincaptad pegol, targeting other angiogenesis-related
biomarkers have also been discovered and subjected to clinical trials. Aptamers, such as C promoter binding factor 1, CD44, and advanced end products in AMD and DR, targeting other signal pathway
proteins have also been discovered for
therapy, and biochemical sensors for early diagnosis have been developed based on aptamers targeting
VEGF,
connective tissue growth factor, and
lipocalin 1. Aptamers used for early detection and treatment of ocular
tumors were derived from other disease
biomarkers, such as CD71,
nucleolin, and high mobility group A. In this review, the development and application of aptamers in
eye disorders in recent years are systematically discussed, which may inspire a new link between aptamers and
eye disorders. The aptamer development trajectory also facilitates the discovery of the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies for various
eye disorders.