Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 18, 2026
09:17
Assembly of Gold Nanorods into Chiral Plasmonic Metamolecules Using DNA Origami Templates
Published on: March 5, 2019
9.1K
DNA Origami-Templated Aptamer Chiral Structures Realize Cellular Enantioselectivity
Tingjie Song1,2,3, Abhisek Dwivedy1,2,4, Dhanush Gandavadi4
1Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|January 17, 2026
Summary
Chiral DNA nanostructures with patterned aptamers show distinct cellular interactions. Left-handed DNA tubes enhanced cancer drug delivery and cell killing compared to right-handed structures.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Chirality, or handedness, is crucial for biomolecular structure and function.
- Cell surface protein interactions dictate cellular behavior and drug efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how structural chirality in DNA nanostructures influences cellular interactions and cancer drug delivery.
- To explore the potential of chiral DNA origami for targeted cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of tubular DNA origami nanostructures with patterned aptamers.
- Characterization using gel electrophoresis, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.
- In vitro cell-based assays to evaluate nanostructure uptake and drug delivery efficacy.
Main Results:
- Left-handed DNA tubes demonstrated higher cellular uptake compared to right-handed structures.
- The left-handed construct loaded with Daunorubicin exhibited more than double the cancer cell cytotoxicity.
- Chiral patterning of aptamers on DNA tubes significantly altered cellular interaction and internalization efficiencies.
Conclusions:
- Spatially organized chiral aptamer patterns on DNA tubes modulate cell surface protein interactions.
- Chiral DNA nanostructures offer a versatile platform for enhanced cancer drug delivery and targeted treatment.
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