Small Molecule-Templated DNA Hydrogel with Record Stiffness Integrates and Releases DNA Nanostructures and Gene Silencing Nucleic Acids.

ABSTRACT: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hydrogels are a unique class of programmable, biocompatible materials able to respond to complex stimuli, making them valuable in drug delivery, analyte detection, cell growth, and shape-memory materials. However, unmodified DNA hydrogels in the literature are very soft, rarely reaching a storage modulus of 10³  Pa, and they lack functionality, limiting their applications. Here, a DNA/small-molecule motif to create stiff hydrogels from unmodified DNA, reaching 10⁵  Pa in storage modulus is used. The motif consists of an interaction between polyadenine and cyanuric acid-which has 3-thymine like faces-into multimicrometer supramolecular fibers. The mechanical properties of these hydrogels are readily tuned, they are self-healing and thixotrop

SUBMITTER: Lachance-Brais C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10131789 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature