DNA Nanostructures in the Fight Against Infectious Diseases

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has once more led to the realization that humanity is dangerously ill prepared for fighting the threats associated with epidemic outbreaks of infectious diseases. COVID-19 is only the latest in a long list of viral diseases, including SARS, [1] MERS, [2] Zika, [3] Ebola, [4] and Nipah, [5] that emerged as severe threats to public health in the past two decades and that continue to threaten human lives. However, also diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries still present a severe burden. For instance, the 20th century has seen three influenza pandemics with death tolls in the millions [6] and the seasonal flu still kills on average an estimated 389 000 people each year. [7] Furthermore, due to the global rise of antibiotic resistance in the past few decades, bacterial infections have once again become a severe threat to human health. [8] In 2015, about 670 000 patients in the EU alone suffered from infections with antibiotic-resistant strains of eight bacterial pathogens, resulting in 33 000 deaths. [9] The situation in the US is similar, with an estimated 23 000 deaths each year as a direct result of more than 2 million multidrug-resistant infections. [10] In low-and middle-income countries with limited ability to pay for second-line drugs, antibiotic resistance results in even higher mortality rates. In 2010, about 38 000 deaths in Thailand alone were attributed to infections with only five antibiotic-resistant bacteria. [11] In India, it is estimated that about 60 000 neonatal deaths each year result from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. [8] More recently, the worldwide emergence of antifungal resistance has raised grave concerns as well, [12] as invasive fungal infections are responsible for at least 2 million life-threatening

Induction of Cytokines by Nucleic Acid Nanoparticles (NANPs) Depends on the Type of Delivery Carrier

“…A growing library of nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs), the design of which takes advantage of natural RNA (and DNA) motifs and canonical Watson-Crick base pairings, have been demonstrated to assemble into precise nanoscaffolds exemplified by hexagonal rings [12], various polygons [13], and fibrous structures [14], to name a few [15]. A variety of NANPs are now being investigated for broad applications in detection and diagnostics [16][17][18], targeting specific disease sites [19], and as therapeutic approaches [9,[20][21][22] for various illnesses. As the technology approaches the stage of preclinical development and clinical translations, many researchers in the field have consolidated their efforts to overcome translational gaps and accelerate the transition of DNA and RNA nanoassemblies from bench to clinic [23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Engineering DNA Nanostructures to Manipulate Immune Receptor Signaling and Immune Cell Fates

“…[213] However, current literature on the immunogenicity of synthetic DNA and RNA nanostructures remains scarce and inconsistent, with some describing them as immunostimulatory, [201,214] nonstimulatory, [201] and even anti-inflammatory. [215,216] Such discrepancies likely arise from differences in the type of nucleic acid (DNA vs RNA), in their stability under experimental conditions, and in their design such as shape, size, and chemistry. These parameters in turn determine the mode of cellular uptake and the intracellular fate of the DNA nanostructure, which ultimately dictate their immunological behaviors such as the types of PRRs they engage.…”

Metallic Structures: Effective Agents to Fight Pathogenic Microorganisms

“…Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized how unprepared humanity is to fight threats associated with epidemic outbreaks of infectious diseases. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the latest in a long list of viral diseases that have emerged as severe threats to public health [5]. There have been made many attempts to develop medicines and vaccines to fight viruses; however, their ability for quick adaptation in their current host, and the ability to switch to a new host, are matters of great concern.…”