Structures and Applications of Nucleic Acid-Based Micelles for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Nucleic acids have become important building blocks in nanotechnology over the last 30 years. DNA and RNA can sequentially build specific nanostructures, resulting in versatile drug delivery systems. Self-assembling amphiphilic nucleic acids, composed of hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments to form micelle structures, have the potential for cancer therapeutics due to their ability to encapsulate hydrophobic agents into their core and position functional groups on the surface. Moreover, DNA or RNA within bio-compatible micelles can function as drugs by themselves. This review introduces and discusses nucleic acid-based spherical micelles from diverse amphiphilic nucleic acids and their applications in cancer therapy.

Polymyxin B stabilized DNA micelles for sustained antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against P. aeruginosa

“…The fabrication of deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA)-based nanocarriers for therapeutic applications has gained extensive recognition over the past years due to the inherent biocompatibility and programmability of DNA. [1][2][3] Based on Watson-Crick base pairing rules, DNA sequences can be rationally designed to hybridize in a predictable manner and have been shown to selfassemble into various polyhedral nanostructures (e.g., icosahedron, 3 tetrahedron 4 and crosslinked nanostructures (e.g., dendrimers 5 and nanogels)). These nanocarriers have been applied as topical delivery systems where their high compatibility has supported wound healing and minimized skin inflammation.…”