DNA‐Based Nanoarchitectures as Eminent Vehicles for Smart Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

In order to cure diseases efficiently with minimal side effects in sophisticated medicine, eminent drugs must be selectively delivered to diseased parts and allow to work only there. However, most of drug delivery systems (DDSs) previously proposed are not yet sufficiently selective and effective. This review covers recent developments of DDS in which DNA nanoarchitectures are employed as drug carriers. From short DNA fragments, a variety of complicated nanomedicines are fabricated to show unprecedentedly smart DDS functions. Encapsulated drugs are released mostly through controlled disassembly of DNA nanoarchitectures. Recent attention has been focusing to the use of appropriate stimuli to regulate each process in the DDS (delivery of drug, its release, and others) for further improved therapy. As intracellular stimuli for the regulation, various endogenous compounds (e.g., mRNA and enzymes), which are specifically abundant in target cells, are employed. Alternatively, physical perturbation (e.g., light irradiation) is provided from outside of tissues to control DDS. By combining multiple strategies in terms of new concepts, enormously smart DDSs are being achieved. Further progresses of these approaches in the future are guaranteed by complete freedom of molecular design in DNA nanoarchitectonics.

Biomimetic and Biological Nanoarchitectonics

“…Nanoarchitectonics examples with nucleic acids (mainly DNA and RNA) as the first category are discussed below. As compared with the other bioactive motifs such as peptides and oligosaccharides, nucleic acids follow well-defined modes of self-assembly on the basis of strict base pairing (molecular recognition) through complementary hydrogen bonding [ 133 , 134 ]. Self-assembling motifs are not limited to standard double helix formation from two strands.…”

Cyclodextrins as eminent constituents in nanoarchitectonics for drug delivery systems

“…Finally, the drugs must be released there at desired timing or be activated to medicinally active species. As the carriers for DDSs, nanoarchitectures are very powerful and convenient since all the required properties can be easily provided through detailed molecular design [ 1 , 13 ]. Furthermore, the encapsulated drugs can be promptly released, when necessary, by disassembling the nanoarchitectures completely (or partially) at desired timing.…”

Recent advances in nanoarchitectures of monocrystalline coordination polymers through confined assembly

“…Nanoarchitectonics is a concept that overlaps greatly with molecular engineering and nanotechnology [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. The assembly of micrometer-sized, nanometer-sized and/or molecular building blocks is a central part of nanoarchitectonics [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

“…Nanoarchitectonics is a concept that overlaps greatly with molecular engineering and nanotechnology [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. The assembly of micrometer-sized, nanometer-sized and/or molecular building blocks is a central part of nanoarchitectonics [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. This is very useful in controlling the formation and properties of monocrystalline materials [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46].…”