DNA Nanotechnology Mediated Gold Nanoparticle Conjugates and Their Applications in Biomedicine

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) provide numerous biomedical applications with unique chemical and physical properties. Au NPs can be readily synthesized, and modified with multiple chemical or biological molecules, making them excellent candidates for biosensor, in vitro and in vivo imaging, drug delivery and catalysis. Perfect specific DNA base-pairing can not only serve as genetic information carriers but also construct novel nanostructures and hybrid conjugates with inorganic nanomaterials such as Au NPs. On one hand, based on the unique DNA characters including unparalleled base pairing, double helix with precise diameter and programmable sequences, various DNA statical nanostructures with well-defined size, shape and dynamic structures as well as controlled functions have been created through using DNA nanotechnology. On the other hand, rapid developments in nanotechnology and nanoscience have new questions on how DNA and DNA structures interact with inorganic nanomaterials, which should be important for their biological and biomedical applications. In this review, we intend to provide an overview on recent advanced Au NPs-based DNA conjugates for biomedical applications, mainly including the functionalization of Au NPs (Au NPs-based DNA conjugates interact with Au-S bond or Au-polyA); application of Au NPs-based conjugates in biomedicine, such as biosensing, drug delivery and therapy, and Au NPs-DNA conjugates based advanced nanostructures.