Multifunctional nucleic acid nanostructures for gene therapies

Nucleic acid nanotechnology has been developed to be a promising strategy to construct various nano-biomaterials with structural programmability, spatial addressability, and excellent biocompatibility. Self-assembled nucleic acid nanostructures have been employed in a variety of biomedical applications, such as bio-imaging, diagnosis, and therapeutics. In this manuscript, we will review recent progress in the development of multifunctional nucleic acid nanostructures as gene drug delivery vehicles. Therapeutic systems based on RNA interference （RNAi）, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat associated proteins 9 system （CRISPR/Cas9） genome editing, gene expression, and CpG-based immunostimulation will be highlighted. We will also discuss the challenges and future directions of nucleic acid nanotechnology in biomedical research.

Bioimaging Based on Nucleic Acid Nanostructures

Nucleic acid nanostructures with structural programmability, spatial addressability and excellent biocompatibility have drawn much attention in various biomedical applications, such as bioimaging, biosensing and drug delivery. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress in the field of bioimaging based on nucleic acid nanostructures with different imaging models, including fluorescent imaging(FI), magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), photoacoustic imaging(PAI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT) imaging. We also discuss the remaining challenges and further opportunities involved in the bioimaging research based on nucleic acid nanostructures.

Efficient Construction of a Polyaniline-coated DNA Nanoparticle for Photothermal Therapy

Photothermal therapy is a direct and non-invasive therapeutic strategy.Herein,we report a general strategy for the construction of polyaniline-coated DNA nanoparticles for efficient photothermal therapy.In our design,two G4/hemin-based DNAzymes are precisely organized in a DNA template to mimic the function of horseradish peroxidase(HRP)for the catalytic oxidation of aniline.After polymerization,the polyaniline-coated DNA nanoparticles(PANI/DNA NPs)can be efficiently obtained as the photothermal agent to elicit a pronounced photothermal effect.After cellular uptake,the noticeable photothermal effect from 808 nm laser irradiation can achieve an efficient proliferation inhibition of tumor cells.This rationally developed photothermal agent based on DNA template-assisted polymerization presents a new avenue for the development of photothermal therapy.