Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 p24 antigen is one of the earliest proteins appearing after HIV infection. It can be used as a diagnostic marker to shorten the detection “window period” to about 14 days. It is of vital importance in the process of early diagnosis and antiviral therapy monitoring. This review briefly describes the basic structure and clinical significance of detection of HIV-1 p24 antigen, focusing on the current domestic and foreign researches on the biosensors of HIV-1 p24 antigen based on new nanomaterials, in order to provide a reference for developing novel detection technology.