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Updated: Oct 6, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements in DNA Nanosensors – Addressing Sensitivity and Selectivity Challenges in Molecular Detection
Published on: February 9, 2024
"Apollo Program" in Nanoscale: Landing and Exploring Cell-Surface with DNA Nanotechnology
Mengyi Xiong1, Qin Liu1, Decui Tang1
1Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China.
DNA nanotechnology offers novel ways to engineer cell membranes for monitoring and therapeutic applications. This review covers DNA nanodevice strategies, applications in sensing and cell function regulation, and future prospects in bioimaging and cancer therapy.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Plasma membranes are crucial for cellular communication and environmental interaction.
- Manipulating cell membranes is key to engineering cellular functions and microenvironments.
- DNA nanotechnology presents a versatile toolkit for cell-surface engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in DNA nanotechnology for cell-surface applications.
- To summarize strategies for installing DNA nanodevices on cell membranes.
- To explore the biological applications and future potential of DNA nanodevices on cell surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Overview of DNA nanodevice installation strategies: amphiphilic interaction, covalent modification, and affinity labeling.
- Review of biological applications including DNA sensors for monitoring cellular activities.
- Discussion of programmable DNA behaviors like biomimicry and membrane function regulation.
Main Results:
- DNA nanodevices can be effectively anchored to cell surfaces using various methods.
- Functional nucleic acids integrated into DNA sensors enable monitoring of cellular microenvironments.
- DNA nanodevices demonstrate programmable functions for biomimicry and membrane regulation.
Conclusions:
- DNA nanotechnology provides powerful tools for cell-surface engineering and functionalization.
- Applications in bioimaging and cancer therapy show significant promise.
- Further development is needed to address current challenges and unlock full potential.
