The present invention relates to novel DNA aptamers capable of binding gelsolin tightly and specifically. The invention further relates to the use of these aptamers to estimate the gelsolin levels in a given sample and purify bulk quantities of tagless gelsolin and its variants. The present invention thus eliminates the use of different animals/their tissues to produce gelsolin binding proteins, which are much more expensive and socially unacceptable methods as opposed to the synthesis of a DNA molecule by in vitro PCR. Using this strategy, bulk production of the gelsolin binding matrix can be carried out at much lower cost. Also, the aptamers can be used to block binding of gelsolin to its binding partners for diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications.