Molecular beacons in biomedical detection and clinical diagnosis.

Among the diverse nucleic acid probes, molecular beacons (MBs) have shown their excellent potential in a variety of basic researches and practical applications. Their excellent selectivity, sensitivity, and detection without separation have led them to be particularly useful in real-time intracellular monitoring of gene expression, development of biosensors, and clinical diagnostics. This paper will focus on the properties of various MBs and discuss their potential applications.