Interband cascade lasers (ICL) are recently developed MIR-infrared (MIR) light sources with high-performance. They cover the MIR spectral region of 3-6 μm band, and boast the advantages of high efficiency of electro-optic conversion, low-threshold current, and continuous wave operation at room-temperature. ICLs are one of the most promising MIR lasers for trace gas detection. In this paper, we firstly analyzed the characteristics of the MIR fingerprint absorption spectra, and then briefly described the development, working principle and characteristics of ICLs. We also reviewed the sensitive and selective detection technology for trace gas with the MIR absorption spectrum. In the last parts, the future development of ICL based sensors was prospected.