Programmable Assembly of Multivalent DNA-Protein Superstructures for Tumor Imaging and Targeted Therapy

Programmable DNA materials hold great potential in biochemical and biomedical researches, yet the complicated synthesis, and the low stability and targeting efficacy in complex biological milieu limit their clinical translations. Here we show a one-pot assembly of DNA-protein superstructures as drug vehicles with specifically high affinity and stability for targeted therapy. This is achieved by biomimetic assembly of programmable polymer DNA wire into densely packed DNA nanosphere with an alkaline protein, protamine. Multivalent DNA nanostructures encoded with different types and densities of aptamers exhibit high affinity to targeted cells through polyvalent interaction. Our results show high cancer cell selectivity, reduced side effect, excellent therapeutic efficacy, and sensitive tumor imaging in both subcutaneous and orthotopic non-small-cell lung cancer murine models. This biomimetic assembly approach provides practical DNA nanomaterials for further clinical trials and may advance oligonucleotide drug delivery.

Automated summary

In this study, programmable DNA-protein superstructures were successfully assembled through biomimetic assembly, by combining programmable polymer DNA wire with alkaline protein protamine to form densely packed DNA nanospheres. These DNA-protein superstructures exhibited specifically high affinity and stability, enabling high cancer cell selectivity and reduced side effects.