Convenient DNA Hydrogel Synthesis via Self-Templated Primer-Driven Isothermal Amplification

As emerging functional nanomaterials, DNA hydrogels demonstrate considerable potential in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Based on the composition, DNA hydrogels are classified into two distinct categories: those employing DNA molecules as the structural framework (DNA-framed hydrogels) and those cross-linked with other framework polymers. DNA-framed hydrogels demonstrate unique advantages in terms of biocompatibility and immunogenicity. Nevertheless, the lack of functional regulation strategies coupled with excessive preparation costs has significantly hindered research advancement in this field. To address these limitations, a self-templated primer is specifically designed. Remarkably, without template addition, at merely 50 nm, this primer can immediately trigger ultrafast nucleic acid tandem repeat replication at 65 °C, and the reaction completes in ≈30 min. Through the analysis of the reaction mechanism, it is demonstrated that this efficient isothermal amplification strategy is suitable for large-scale production of DNA nanomaterials. In addition, due to their relatively short length (e.g., 12 nt), self-templated primers can be easily integrated into DNA self-assembly modules to prepare strength adjustable and multifunctional DNA-framed hydrogels for therapeutic applications (e.g., bone tissue regeneration).