Rolling circle amplification/transcription-based nanotechnology for efficient delivery of nucleic acid drugs
This review gives an overview of RCA/RCT-based nanocarriers for nucleic acid drug delivery, systematically summarizing their nanoization strategies, drug loading approaches, targeting modalities, and controlled release mechanisms.
Nucleic acid-based chiral nanostructures and their biomedical applications
The chiral geometries of nucleic acids and emerging biomedical applications of nucleic acid-based chiral nanostructures are summarized in this review.
Communication
DNA-triggered activation of aptamer-neutralized enzyme for in situ formation of injectable hydrogel
An injectable hydrogel system was developed by using a bispecific aptamer-neutralized enzyme and a triggering DNA.
Non-saturated nucleic acid probes with a broad dynamic range
A non-saturating nucleic acid probe (NSNAP) couples dynamic DNA nanotechnology with enzymatic target depletion to enable wide-range, reusable nucleic acid quantification, overcoming saturation limits for clinical and research applications.
A nanoscale quality control framework for assessing FFPE DNA integrity in cancer research
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples are widely used in cancer research and clinical diagnostics for preserving tissue morphology and enabling long-term storage.
Communication
AlphaFold 3 modeling of DNA nanomotifs: is it reliable?
Being able to accurately predict structures is highly desirable for nanoengineering with DNA and other biomolecules.
About this collection
DNA nanotechnology concerns unconventional design of artificial nucleic acid materials beyond their function as genetic information carriers in life. It harnesses the unique programmable properties of DNA molecules to create unprecedented nanoscale structures and devices with applications across a wide range of disciplines including chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, mathematics, biology, electronics and photonics.
Since its foundational concept established by Nadrian Seeman in the 1980s, the field of DNA nanotechnology has attracted significant research efforts worldwide and flourished over the past 40 years. Today, it represents a critical component of modern nanoscience and nanotechnology, opening new frontiers in both fundamental science and practical applications. Taking advantages of ubiquitous Watson-Crick base-pairing interactions, DNA nanotechnology offers the ability to design and manipulate matter with high precision at the molecular, nano and microscopic scales, enabling various DNA origami architectures, plasmonic nanoassemblies, DNA robots, DNA computing, biosensing, drug delivery and therapies, to name a few.
This collection is being guest edited by Professors Chunhai Fan (Shanghai Jiaotong University, China), Wenlong Cheng (University of Sydney, Australia), Chengde Mao (Purdue University, USA), Shelley Wickham (University of Sydney, Australia), Young Hoon Roh (Yonsei University, South Korea) and Laura Na Liu (University of Stuttgart, Germany).