Abstract
AbstractNucleic acids are gaining significant attention as versatile building blocks for the next generation of soft materials. Due to significant advances in the chemical synthesis and biotechnological production, DNA becomes more widely available enabling its usage as bulk material in various applications. This has prompted researchers to actively explore the unique features offered by DNA‐containing materials like hydrogels. In this review article, recent developments in the field of hydrogels that feature DNA as a component either in the construction of the material or as functional unit within the construct and their biomedical applications are discussed in detail. First, different synthetic approaches for obtaining DNA hydrogels are summarized, which allows classification of DNA materials according to their structure. Then, new concepts, properties, and applications are highlighted such as DNA‐based biosensor devices, drug delivery platforms, and cell scaffolds. With the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine being awarded to cancer immunotherapy underscoring the importance of this therapy, DNA hydrogel systems designed to modulate the immune system are introduced. This review aims to give the reader a timely overview of the most important and recent developments in this emerging class of therapeutically useful materials of DNA‐based hydrogels.
Highlights
Nucleic acids are gaining significant attention as versatile building blocks acid monomers
Even small DNA building blocks like DNA bricks can be combined to produce predictable assemthe construction of the material or as functional unit within the construct and their biomedical applications are discussed in detail
In contrast to other recent reviews on DNA hydrogels,[28,29,30,31,32] we focus on their applications in emerging fields such as biosensing, drug delivery, immunotherapy, and tissue engineering and we discuss their unique features as well as current limitations
Summary
Nucleic acids are gaining significant attention as versatile building blocks acid monomers. Spatial arrangement of functional proteins within multifunctional assemblies.[8] DNA-based materials can exhibit dynamic and adaptable properties due to the supramolecular nature of the interaction of complementary nucleic acid sequences. Modern DNA synthesis tech- behavior (melting temperature), an increase in thermal stability niques enable rapid preparation or amplification of effectively of DNA double helices can be achieved through intercalating any DNA sequence in large quantities by automated techniques, agents, like psoralen, or via photo-cross-linking.[11,12,13] polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or production in microorgan- a large number of tools are provided by nature in the form of isms.[2,3] In comparison to other biopolymers, such as proteins highly specific enzymes, such as endonucleases,[14,15,16] exonuor polysaccharides, DNA consists only of a small set of nucleic cleases,[16,17] polymerases,[16,17,18,19] and ligases[16,17] that allow the DNA material to be processed or degraded efficiently and with
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