Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids promote the proliferation and differentiation potential of diabetic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell

Diabetes mellitus considerably affects bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs),for example,by inhibiting their proliferation and differentiation potential,which enhances the difficulty in endogenous bone regeneration.Hence,effective strategies for enhancing the functions of BMSCs in diabetes have farreaching consequences for bone healing and regeneration in diabetes patients.Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids(tFNAs)are nucleic acid nanomaterials that can autonomously enter cells and regulate their behaviors.In this study,we evaluated the effects of tFNAs on BMSCs from diabetic rats.We found that tFNAs could promote the proliferation,migration,and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs from rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus,and inhibited cell senescence and apoptosis.Furthermore,tFNAs effectively scavenged the accumulated reactive oxygen species and activated the suppressed protein kinase B(Akt)signaling pathway.Overall,we show that tFNAs can recover the proliferation and osteogenic potential of diabetic BMSCs by alleviating oxidative stress and activating Akt signaling.The study provides a strategy for endogenous bone regeneration in diabetes and also paves the way for exploiting DNA-based nanomaterials in regenerative medicine.

Biological regulation on synovial fibroblast and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by nobiletin-loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acids cargo tank

The hyperplasia and destruction of synovial tissue have an important impact on the development of rheumatoid arthritis(RA), the abnormal proliferation and migration of synovial fibroblast in synovial tissue is similar to tumor cells. Targeting anomalous synovial fibroblast and designing a high bioavailability nano drug delivery system can reduce the dosage for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and it is of great significance to reduce toxic and side effects and improve curative effect. In this experiment, the nobiletin-loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acids cargo tank was established, carrying antiinflammatory small molecule monomer drug nobiletin with minimal bioavailability. Both in vitro cell experiments and in vivo animal studies proved the nano cargo tank enhance the role of nobiletin in reducing the invasiveness of pathological synovial fibroblast and promote their apoptosis, effectively alleviate the disease development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids promote cognitive impairment recovery post traumatic brain injury

Cognitive impairment often occurs after post traumatic brain injury. In addition, recovery of cognitive impairment is largely dependent on spontaneous repair and the severity of secondary insult. The tetrahedral framework nucleic acid is a novel nanostructure has been shown to have a positive biological effect in promoting regeneration and anti-inflammation. To explore the treatment effect of tetrahedral framework nucleic acids for cognitive impairment recovery post traumatic brain injury, we established a mouse model of traumatic brain injury and verified the efficacy of tetrahedral framework nucleic acids in promoting cognitive impairment recovery post traumatic brain injury. The results show that the tetrahedral framework nucleic acids promoted the recovery of post-traumatic cognitive function by enhancing the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells. Besides, tetrahedral framework nucleic acids modulated the neuroinflammatory response in the acute phase by inhibiting excessive astrocyte and microglial activation. Taken together, the results of the study indicate tetrahedral framework nucleic acids for treatment of cognitive impairment post traumatic brain injury.

Erythromycin loaded by tetrahedral framework nucleic acids are more antimicrobial sensitive against Escherichia coli(E.coli)

Erythromycin is a commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotic,but resistance to this antibiotic makes its use less effective.Considerable efforts,beside finding alternatives,are needed to enhance its antimicrobial effect and stability against bacteria.Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids(tFNAs),a novel delivery vehicle with a three-dimensional nanostructure,have been studied as a carrying platform of antineoplastic drugs.In this study,the use of tFNAs in delivering erythromycin into Escherichia coli(E.coli)was investigated for the first time.The tFNAs vehicle increased the bacterial uptake of erythromycin and promoted membrane destabilization.Moreover,it increased the permeability of the bacterial cell wall,and reduced drug resistance by improving the movement of the drug across the membrane.The tFNAs-based delivery system enhanced the effects of erythromycin against E.coli.It may therefore provide an effective delivery vehicle for erythromycin in targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria with thick cell wall.

Pharmaceutical applications of framework nucleic acids

DNA is a biological polymer that encodes and stores genetic information in all living organism. Particularly, the precise nucleobase pairing inside DNA is exploited for the self-assembling of nanostructures with defined size, shape and functionality. These DNA nanostructures are known as framework nucleic acids(FNAs) for their skeleton-like features. Recently, FNAs have been explored in various fields ranging from physics, chemistry to biology. In this review, we mainly focus on the recent progress of FNAs in a pharmaceutical perspective. We summarize the advantages and applications of FNAs for drug discovery, drug delivery and drug analysis. We further discuss the drawbacks of FNAs and provide an outlook on the pharmaceutical research direction of FNAs in the future.

Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids promote the biological functions and related mechanism of synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells and show improved articular cartilage regeneration activity in situ

Many recent studies have shown that joint-resident mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)play a vital role in articular cartilage(AC)in situ regeneration.Specifically,synovium-derived MSCs(SMSCs),which have strong chondrogenic differentiation potential,may be the main driver of cartilage repair.However,both the insufficient number of MSCs and the lack of an ideal regenerative microenvironment in the defect area will seriously affect the regeneration of AC.Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids(tFNAs),notable novel nanomaterials,are considered prospective biological regulators in biomedical engineering.Here,we aimed to explore whether tFNAs have positive effects on AC in situ regeneration and to investigate the related mechanism.The results of in vitro experiments showed that the proliferation and migration of SMSCs were significantly enhanced by tFNAs.In addition,tFNAs,which were added to chondrogenic induction medium,were shown to promote the chondrogenic capacity of SMSCs by increasing the phosphorylation of Smad2/3.In animal models,the injection of tFNAs improved the therapeutic outcome of cartilage defects compared with that of the control treatments without tFNAs.In conclusion,this is the first report to demonstrate that tFNAs can promote the chondrogenic differentiation of SMSCs in vitro and enhance AC regeneration in vivo,indicating that tFNAs may become a promising therapeutic for AC regeneration.

Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids-based delivery of microRNA-155 inhibits choroidal neovascularization by regulating the polarization of macrophages

Choroidal neovascularization(CNV)is a common pathological feature of various eye diseases and an important cause of visual impairment in middle-aged and elderly patients.In previous studies,tetrahedral framework nucleic acids(tFNAs)showed good carrier performance.In this experiment,we developed microRNA-155-equipped tFNAs(T-155)and explored its biological effects on CNV.Based on the results of in-vitro experiments,T-155 could regulate macrophages into the antiangiogenic M1 type.Then,we injected T-155 into the vitreous of laser-induced CNV model mice and found that T-155 significantly reduced the size and area of CNV,inhibited blood vessel leakage.In summary,we prove that T-155 could regulate the inflammatory process of CNV by polarizing macrophages,thereby improving the symptoms of CNV.Thus,T-155 might become a new DNA-based drug with great potential for treating CNV.

Framework Nucleic Acids for Cell Imaging and Therapy

Over the past decade,structural DNA nanotechnology has been well developed to be a promising and powerful technique to generate various nanostructures with programmability,spatial organization and biocompatibi-lity.With the advent of computer-aided tools,framework nucleic acids have been employed in a series of biomedical applications,ranging from biosensing,bioimaging,diagnosis,to therapeutics.In this review,we summarized recent advances in the construction of precisely assembled DNA nanostructures,and DNA-engineered biomimetics.We also outlined the challenges and opportunities for the translational applications of framework nucleic acids.

Tetrahedral framework nucleic acids regulate osteogenic differentiation potential of osteoporotic adipose-derived stem cells

Osteoporosis(OP)is a noncommunicable bone disease caused by a shift in the balance between os-teoblasts and osteoclasts,and can severely affect the health of elderly persons.Autologous stem-cell transplantation can improve reduced bone density and weakened fracture healing abilities in patients with OP.However,OP can adversely affect the osteogenesis and proliferation abilities of autologous adipose-derived stem cells(ASCs).Therefore,an effective drug is required to facilitate autologous ASCs to recover their osteogenic and proliferative potential.Tetrahedral framework nucleic acid(tFNA)is a new type of nanomaterial that has ability to regulate the biological behavior of cells effectively and en-hance the bioactivity of stem cells.In this study,we examine the effects of tFNAs on the osteogenic differentiation and proliferation abilities of ASCs in rats with OP.The results indicate that the 250 nmol/L tFNAs can considerably increase the expression of osteogenesis-related markers,effectively promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of osteoporotic ASCs(OP-ASCs),and help them to regain their osteogenic and proliferative potential.In short,tFNAs can enable OP-ACSs to recover their osteogenic po-tential and promote their proliferation and,therefore,can play a key regulatory role in autologous ASC transplantation.

Tetrahedral Framework Nucleic Acid-Based Delivery of Resveratrol Alleviates Insulin Resistance:From Innate to Adaptive Immunity

Obesity-induced insulin resistance is the hallmark of metabolic syndrome,and chronic,low-grade tissue inflammation links obesity to insulin resistance through the activation of tissue-infiltrating immune cells.Current therapeutic approaches lack efficacy and immunomodulatory capacity.Thus,a new therapeutic approach is needed to prevent chronic inflammation and alleviate insulin resistance.Here,we synthesized a tetrahedral framework nucleic acid(tFNA)nanoparticle that carried resveratrol(RSV)to inhibit tissue inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity in obese mice.The prepared nanoparticles,namely tFNAs-RSV,possessed the characteristics of simple synthesis,stable properties,good water solubility,and superior biocompatibility.The tFNA-based delivery ameliorated the lability of RSV and enhanced its therapeutic efficacy.In high-fat diet(HFD)-fed mice,the administration of tFNAs-RSV ameliorated insulin resistance by alleviating inflammation status.tFNAs-RSV could reverse M1 phenotype macrophages in tissues to M2 phenotype macrophages.As for adaptive immunity,the prepared nanoparticles could repress the activation of Th1 and Th17 and promote Th2 and Treg,leading to the alleviation of insulin resistance.Furthermore,this study is the first to demonstrate that tFNAs,a nucleic acid material,possess immunomodulatory capacity.Collectively,our findings demonstrate that tFNAs-RSV alleviate insulin resistance and ameliorate inflammation in HFD mice,suggesting that nucleic acid materials or nucleic acid-based delivery systems may be a potential agent for the treatment of insulin resistance and obesity-related metabolic diseases.

A Dual Endogenous Stimuli-Responsive Framework Nucleic Acid Nanodevice for MicroRNA Imaging

Framework nucleic acids(FNAs)have emerged as intelligent sensing systems for the detection of tumor-related biomarkers in living cells.However,orthogonally controlled manipulation of FNAs-based nanodevices for on-site imaging of microRNAs(miRNAs)remains an intractable challenge.Herein,we report a dual endogenous stimuli-responsive FNA nanodevice that can perform miRNA sensing and imaging in a tumor-specificmanner.The sensing function of the nanodevice is silent(OFF)by rationally incorporating adenosine 5′-triphosphate(ATP)aptamer and an abasic site,which can also be activated(ON)with ATP and human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1(APE1)in tumor cells,enabling on-site and efficient miRNA imaging with improved tumor specificity.Furthermore,we demonstrate the capability of the nanodevice for specificmiRNAimagingboth in living cells and in vivo based on the“dual keys”(overexpressed ATP and APE1 in tumors)priming mode.Therefore,this work illustrates a simple biosensing methodology with great potential for precise imaging of tumor biomarkers in clinical diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation.

A tetrahedral framework nucleic acid based multifunctional nanocapsule for tumor prophylactic mRNA vaccination

Synthetic antigen-encoding mRNA plays an increasingly significant role in tumor vaccine technology owing to its antigen-specific immune-activation. However, its immune efficacy is challenged by inferior delivery efficiency and demand for suitable adjuvants. Here, we develop a novel mRNA nanovaccine based on a multifunctional nanocapsule, which is a dual-adjuvant formulation composed of cytosine-phosphateguanine motifs loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acid(CpG-tFNA) and an immunopeptide murine β-defensin 2(mDF2β). This m RNA nanovaccine successfully achieves intracellular delivery, antigen expression and presentation of dendritic cells, and proliferation of antigen-specific T cells. In a tumor prophylactic vaccination model, it exerts an excellent inhibitory effect on lymphoma occurrence through cellular immunity. This mRNA nanovaccine has promising prophylactic applications in tumors and many other diseases.

Intracellular Logic Computation with Framework Nucleic Acid-Based Circuits for mRNA Imaging

Main observation and conclusion DNA circuits have been designed for implementation of various functions based on DNA strand displacement in cell-free settings,but their capabilities in biological environments remain limited.In this work,we report framework nucleic acid(FNA)-based circuits enabling intracellular logic computation for mRNA imaging.FNAs as rigid scaffolds enable to deliver our built DNA circuits into cells without aid of transfection reagents,evading a time-consuming and tedious process prior to analysis,and the pendant duplex DNA designed at one vertex of FNA as gate is suitable for four-way strand exchange,minimizing crosstalk with other nucleic acids in the cellular milieu.We demonstrated that such FNA-based circuits can operate both in vitro and in vivo logic computation,including OR and AND logic gates.Moreover,in situ mRNA imaging was also realized by exploiting native mRNA as scaffolds to bind multiple FNA-based gates for the enhanced signal-to-background ratio.We hope that this FNA-based circuit can be applied for disease diagnosis,facilitating the development of biomedicine.

DNA framework-engineered electrochemical biosensors

Self-assembled DNA nanostructures have shown remarkable potential in the engineering of biosensing interfaces,which can improve the performance of various biosensors.In particular,by exploiting the structural rigidity and programmability of the framework nucleic acids with high precision,molecular recognition on the electrochemical biosensing interface has been significantly enhanced,leading to the development of highly sensitive and specific biosensors for nucleic acids,small molecules,proteins,and cells.In this review,we summarize recent advances in DNA framework-engineered biosensing interfaces and the application of corresponding electrochemical biosensors.

Framework nucleic Acid-MicroRNA mediated hepatic differentiation and functional hepatic spheroid development for treating acute liver failure

The specific induction of hepatic differentiation presents a significant challenge in developing alternative liver cell sources and viable strategies for clinical therapy of acute liver failure (ALF). The past decade has witnessed the blossom of microRNAs in regenerative medicine. Herein, microRNA 122-functionalized tetrahedral framework nucleic acid (FNA-miR-122) has emerged as an unprecedented and potential platform for directing the hepatic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs), which offers a straightforward and cost-effective method for generating functional hepatocyte-like cells (FNA-miR-122-iHep). Additionally, we have successfully established a liver organoid synthesis strategy by optimizing the co-culture of FNA-miR-122-iHep with endothelial cells (HUVECs), resulting in functional Hep:HUE-liver spheroids. Transcriptome analysis not only uncovered the potential molecular mechanisms through which miR-122 influences hepatic differentiation in ADMSCs, but also clarified that Hep:HUE-liver spheroids could further facilitate hepatocyte maturation and improved tissue-specific functions, which may provide new hints to be used to develop a hepatic organoid platform. Notably, compared to transplanted ADMSCs and Hep-liver spheroid, respectively, both FNA-miR-122-iHep-based single cell therapy and Hep:HUE-liver spheroid-based therapy showed high efficacy in treating ALF in vivo. Collectively, this research establishes a robust system using microRNA to induce ADMSCs into functional hepatocyte-like cells and to generate hepatic organoids in vitro, promising a highly efficient therapeutic approach for ALF.

MicroRNA-122-functionalized DNA tetrahedron stimulate hepatic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells for acute liver failure therapy

As the most abundant liver-specific microRNA, microRNA-122 (miR122) played a crucial role in the differentiation of stem cells into hepatocytes. However, highly efficient miR122 delivery still confronts challenges including poor cellular uptake and easy biodegradation. Herein, we for the first time demonstrated that the tetrahedral DNA (TDN) nanoplatform had great potential in inducing the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) into functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) by transferring the liver-specific miR122 to hMSCs efficiently without any extrinsic factors. As compared with miR122, miR122-functionalized TDN (TDN-miR122) could significantly up-regulate the protein expression levels of mature hepatocyte markers and hepatocyte-specific marker genes in hMSCs, indicating that TDN-miR122 could particularly activate the hepatocyte-specific properties of hMSCs for developing cell-based therapies in vitro. The transcriptomic analysis further indicated the potential mechanism that TDN-miR122 assisted hMSCs differentiated into functional HLCs. The TDN-miR122-hMSCs exhibited hepatic cell morphology phenotype, significantly up-regulated specific hepatocyte genes and hepatic biofunctions in comparison with the undifferentiated MSCs. Preclinical in vivo transplantation appeared that TDN-miR122-hMSCs in combination with or without TDN could efficiently rescue acute liver failure injury through hepatocyte function supplement, anti-apoptosis, cellular proliferation promotion, and anti-inflammatory. Collectively, our findings may provide a new and facile approach for hepatic differentiation of hMSCs for acute liver failure therapy. Further large animal model explorations are needed to study their potential in clinical translation in the future.