Nucleic Acid-Based Functional Nanomaterials as Advanced Cancer Therapeutics

Small. 2019 Jun;15(26):e1900172. doi: 10.1002/smll.201900172. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Abstract

Nucleic acid-based functional nanomaterials (NAFN) have been widely used as emerging drug delivery nanocarriers for cancer therapeutics. Considerable works have demonstrated that NAFN can effectively load and protect therapeutic agents, and particularly enable targeting delivery to the tumor site and stimuli-responsive release. These outstanding performances are due to NAFN's unique properties including inherent biological functions and sequence programmability as well as biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this Review, the recent progress on NAFN as advanced cancer therapeutics is highlighted. Three main cancer therapy approaches are categorized including chemo-, immuno-, and gene-therapy. Examples are presented to show how NAFN are rationally and exquisitely designed to address problems in cancer therapy. The challenges and future development of NAFN are also discussed toward future more practical biomedical applications.

Keywords: DNA nanostructures; cancer therapeutics; drug delivery; nanocarriers; nanomaterials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Nucleic Acids / chemistry

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Nucleic Acids