Functional Xeno Nucleic Acids for Biomedical Application

Functional nucleic acids(FNAs) refer to a type of oligonucleotides with functions over the traditional genetic roles of nucleic acids, which have been widely applied in screening, sensing and imaging fields. However, the potential application of FNAs in biomedical field is still restricted by the unsatisfactory stability, biocompatibility, biodistribution and immunity of natural nucleic acids(DNA/RNA). Xeno nucleic acids(XNAs) are a kind of nucleic acid analogues with chemically modified sugar groups that possess improved biological properties, including improved biological stability, increased binding affinity, reduced immune responses, and enhanced cell penetration or tissue specificity. In the last two decades, scientists have made great progress in the research of functional xeno nucleic acids, which makes it an emerging attractive biomedical application material. In this review, we summarized the design of functional xeno nucleic acids and their applications in the biomedical field.

Automated summary

Functional nucleic acids (FNAs) have been widely applied in screening, sensing, and imaging fields, but their potential application in biomedicine is limited by the drawbacks of natural nucleic acids (DNA/RNA). Xeno nucleic acids (XNAs), with chemically modified sugar groups, possess improved biological properties, making them an attractive material for biomedical applications. In this review, the design and applications of functional XNAs in the biomedical field are summarized.