Scientists from North Carolina State University have developed a new drug delivery system in which a cocoon-like DNA nanocomposite is integrated with “caged worm” deoxyribonuclease(DNase) to achieve self-degradation for promoting drug release inside cells. The “worms” can be readily activated to degrade their cocoon to release encapsulated drugs in vivo anticancer efficacy and biocompatibility of this delivery system. This study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Self-assembled DNA nanostructures have been developed with precisely controlled size and architecture. Because of DNA’s intrinsic biocompatibility and degradability, DNA nanostructures hold tremendous promise for drug delivery.

In this study, researchers have developed a bioinspired cocoon-like anticancer drug delivery system consisting of a deoxyribonuclease (ANase)-degradable DNA nanoclew(NCI) embedded with an acid-responsive DNaseⅠ nanocapsule(NCa) was developed for targeted cancer treatment. The NCI was assembled from a long-chain single-stranded DNA synthesized by rolling-circle amplification(RCA). Multiple GC-pair sequences were integrated into the NCI for enhanced loading capacity for the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). Meanwhile, negatively charged DNaseⅠwas encapsulated in a positively charged acid-degradable polymeric nanogel to facilitate decoration of DNaseⅠinto the NCI by electrostatic interactions.

This study provides insights for the design of new prodrugs and can be further extended to engineer other programmes drug delievry systems.

Reference:

Sun W, Jiang T, Lu Y, et al. Cocoon-Like Self-Degradable DNA Nanoclew for Anticancer Drug Delivery[J]. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2014.