Chapter 17 - DNA nanodevices in nanomedicine and therapeutics

Abstract

Structural DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a distinct branch of nanoscience research that aims to develop biocompatible solutions for biological problems, using DNA as a construction material at the nanoscale. One of the major areas of applications of DNA nanodevices is its use in nanomedicine i.e., diagnosis and therapeutics. Nanomedicine and therapeutics are the prime focus areas that need to be addressed by frontier technologies with exceptional sensitivity and specificity. DNA nanodevices have been explored for their use in nanomedicine and therapeutics owing to their robust chemical behaviors and coupling efficiency with a plethora of other biomolecules. Herein, we provide the current stock of different classes of DNA nanodevices with a focus on DNA nanocarriers for applications in diagnosis and therapeutics. DNA nanocarriers are widely applied for therapeutics due to their cargo-carrying nature and biological targeting ability. We discuss the key biomedical applications of DNA nanodevices in diagnosis, therapeutics, and prevention. We finally conclude with some challenges and future directions on this front where programmable DNA nanodevices are poised to translate into commercially available devices for applications in nanomedicine.