Functional DNA Nanostructures for Photonic and Biomedical Applications

Background: Nucleoside and nucleobase antimetabolites are an important class of chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer as well as other diseases. Introduction: In order to avoid undesirable side effects, several prodrug strategies have been developed for that purpose. In the present review, we describe a relatively unknown strategy that consists in the use of oligonucleotides modified with nucleoside antimetabolites as prodrugs. Method: The active nucleotides are generated by enzymatic degradation once incorporated into cells. This strategy has attracted large interest and is very active at present due to the continuous developments made on therapeutic oligonucleotides and the recent advances in the field of nanomaterials and nanomedicine. Results: A large research effort was done mainly in the improvement of the antiproliferative properties of nucleoside homopolymers, but recently, chemically modified aptamers, antisense oligonucleotides and/or siRNA carrying antiproliferative nucleotides have demonstrated a great potential due to the synergetic effect of both therapeutic entities. In addition, DNA nanostructures with interesting properties have been built to combine antimetabolites and enhancers of cellular uptake in the same scaffold. Finally, protein nanoparticles functionalized with receptor-binders and antiproliferative oligomers represent a new avenue for a more effective treatment in cancer therapy. Conclusion: It is expected that oligonucleotides carrying nucleoside antimetabolites will be considered as potential drugs in the near future for biomedical applications.

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Overview of DNA Self-Assembling: Progresses in Biomedical Applications

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics10040268 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 268 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Andreia Jorge ◽

Ramon Eritja

Keyword(s):

Programming Languages ◽

Biomedical Applications ◽

Great Promise ◽

Dna Nanostructures ◽

Modular Assembly ◽

Molecular Programming ◽

Self Assembling ◽

Theranostic Agents ◽

Assembly Principles

Molecular self-assembling is ubiquitous in nature providing structural and functional machinery for the cells. In recent decades, material science has been inspired by the nature’s assembly principles to create artificially higher-order structures customized with therapeutic and targeting molecules, organic and inorganic fluorescent probes that have opened new perspectives for biomedical applications. Among these novel man-made materials, DNA nanostructures hold great promise for the modular assembly of biocompatible molecules at the nanoscale of multiple shapes and sizes, designed via molecular programming languages. Herein, we summarize the recent advances made in the designing of DNA nanostructures with special emphasis on their application in biomedical research as imaging and diagnostic platforms, drug, gene, and protein vehicles, as well as theranostic agents that are meant to operate in-cell and in-vivo.

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