bims-drudre 2022-09-11 papers

bims-drudre

Biomed News

on Targeted drug delivery and programmed release mechanisms

Issue of 2022‒09‒11
fourteen papers selected by
Ceren Kimna
Technical University of Munich

In vivo tumor immune microenvironment phenotypes correlate with inflammation and vasculature to predict immunotherapy response.
Programmable Assembly of Multivalent DNA-Protein Superstructures for Tumor Imaging and Targeted Therapy.
Clickable and smart drug delivery vehicles accelerate the healing of infected diabetic wounds.
Dual-Cascade Responsive Nanoparticles Enhance Pancreatic Cancer Therapy by Eliminating Tumor-Resident Intracellular Bacteria.
A Multi-Bioactive Nanomicelle-Based "One Stone for Multiple Birds" Strategy for Precision Therapy of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
Puffball-Inspired Microrobotic Systems with Robust Payload, Strong Protection, and Targeted Locomotion for On-Demand Drug Delivery.
Advanced DNA Zipper Probes for Detecting Cell Membrane Lipid Domains.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching in pancreas-derived organoids.
Mitochondria-targeting folic acid-modified nanoplatform based on mesoporous carbon and a bioactive peptide for improved colorectal cancer treatment.
Nanoplastics: Focus on the role of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs.
DNA Strand Displacement Driven by Host-Guest Interactions.
Hijacking Self-Assembly to Establish Intracellular Functional Nanoparticles.
3D Bioprinted Patient-Specific Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds for Soft Tissue Defects.
DNA-functionalized colloidal crystals for macromolecular encapsulation.

Nat Commun. 2022 Sep 09. 13(1): 5312

In vivo tumor immune microenvironment phenotypes correlate with inflammation and vasculature to predict immunotherapy response.

Aditi Sahu, Kivanc Kose, Lukas Kraehenbuehl, Candice Byers, Aliya Holland, Teguru Tembo, Anthony Santella, Anabel Alfonso, Madison Li, Miguel Cordova, Melissa Gill, Christi Fox, Salvador Gonzalez, Piyush Kumar, Amber Weiching Wang, Nicholas Kurtansky, Pratik Chandrani, Shen Yin, Paras Mehta, Cristian Navarrete-Dechent, Gary Peterson, Kimeil King, Stephen Dusza, Ning Yang, Shuaitong Liu, William Phillips, Pascale Guitera, Anthony Rossi, Allan Halpern, Liang Deng, Melissa Pulitzer, Ashfaq Marghoob, Chih-Shan Jason Chen, Taha Merghoub, Milind Rajadhyaksha.

Response to immunotherapies can be variable and unpredictable. Pathology-based phenotyping of tumors into 'hot' and 'cold' is static, relying solely on T-cell infiltration in single-time single-site biopsies, resulting in suboptimal treatment response prediction. Dynamic vascular events (tumor angiogenesis, leukocyte trafficking) within tumor immune microenvironment (TiME) also influence anti-tumor immunity and treatment response. Here, we report dynamic cellular-level TiME phenotyping in vivo that combines inflammation profiles with vascular features through non-invasive reflectance confocal microscopic imaging. In skin cancer patients, we demonstrate three main TiME phenotypes that correlate with gene and protein expression, and response to toll-like receptor agonist immune-therapy. Notably, phenotypes with high inflammation associate with immunostimulatory signatures and those with high vasculature with angiogenic and endothelial anergy signatures. Moreover, phenotypes with high inflammation and low vasculature demonstrate the best treatment response. This non-invasive in vivo phenotyping approach integrating dynamic vasculature with inflammation serves as a reliable predictor of response to topical immune-therapy in patients.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32738-7
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2022 Sep 09.

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

Zhen Xu, Tianhui Shi, Fengye Mo, Wenqian Yu, Yu Shen, Qunying Jiang, Fuan Wang, Xiaoqing Liu.

  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.

Keywords:  DNA nanostructures; cancer therapy; drug delivery; multivalency; self-assembly

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202211505
J Control Release. 2022 Sep 06. pii: S0168-3659(22)00576-4. [Epub ahead of print]350 613-629

Clickable and smart drug delivery vehicles accelerate the healing of infected diabetic wounds.

Mingyan Deng, Ye Wu, Yan Ren, Haoyang Song, Li Zheng, Guangzhi Lin, Xin Wen, Yiran Tao, Qingquan Kong, Yu Wang.

  In this study, an adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH)/ tannic acid (TA)-grafted hyaluronic acid (HA)-based multifunctional hydrogel was synthesized through a spontaneous amino-yne click reaction and used to promote the improved healing of infected diabetic wounds. This hydrogel exhibited a range of beneficial properties such as tunable gelation time, adjustable mechanical properties, pH-sensitive response characteristics, excellent injectability, the ability to readily adhere to tissue, and ultra-intimate contact capabilities. Following the encapsulation of ultrasmall Ag nanoclusters (AgNCs) and deferoxamine loaded polydopamine/ hollow mesoporous manganese dioxide (PHMD, PDA/H-mMnO2@DFO) nanoparticles, the prepared hydrogel presented with robust antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and pro-angiogenic properties and a desirable smart drug release profile. In this fabricated platform, PHMD was able to effectively alleviate localized oxidative stress and prolonged oxygen deprivation via the decomposition of endogenous H2O2 to produce O2. Further in vivo assays revealed that this hydrogel was capable of facilitating the healing of infected wounds through the sequential engagement of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and pro-angiogenic activities. Together, this synthesized clickable environmentally-responsive hydrogel offers great promise as a tool that can be applied to aid in the healing of chronically infected diabetic wounds and other inflammatory conditions.

Keywords:  Amino-yne click reaction; Diabetic wound healing; Environmentally-responsive hydrogel; Smart drug delivery

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.08.053
Adv Mater. 2022 Sep 09. e2206765

Dual-Cascade Responsive Nanoparticles Enhance Pancreatic Cancer Therapy by Eliminating Tumor-Resident Intracellular Bacteria.

Xiaoxu Kang, Fanqiang Bu, Wenli Feng, Fang Liu, Xuankun Yang, Haofei Li, Yingjie Yu, Guofeng Li, Haihua Xiao, Xing Wang.

  The limited drug penetration and robust bacteria-mediated drug inactivation in pancreatic cancer result in the failure of chemotherapy. To fight against these issues, a dual-cascade responsive nanoparticle (sNP@G/IR) that can sequentially trigger deep penetration, killing of intratumor bacteria, and controlled release of chemo-drug, is reported. sNP@G/IR consists of a hyaluronic acid (HA) shell and glutathione (GSH) responsive polymer-core (NP@G/IR) that encapsulates gemcitabine (Gem) and photothermal agent (IR1048). The polymer core, as an antibiotic alternative, is tailored to exert the optimal antibacterial activity and selectivity. sNP@G/IR actively homes in tumor due to CD44 targeting of the HA shell, which is subsequently degraded by the hyaluronidase in extracellular matrix. The resultant NP@G/IR in a decreased size and reversed charge facilitates deep tumor penetration. After cellular endocytosis, the exposed guanidine on NP@G/IR kills intracellular bacteria through disrupting cell membranes. Intracellular GSH further triggers the controlled release of cargos. Thus, the protected Gem eventually induces cell apoptosis. Under laser irradiation, the hyperthermia of IR1048 helps further elimination of tumors and bacteria. Moreover, sNP@G/IR activates immune response, thereby reinforcing anticancer capacity. Therefore, this dual-cascade responsive sNP@G/IR eliminates tumor-resident intracellular bacteria and augments drug delivery efficacy, providing a new avenue for improving cancer therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords:  bacteria-mediated drug inactivation; dual-cascade responsive; pancreatic cancer; precise drug delivery; tumor-resident intracellular bacteria

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202206765
Adv Mater. 2022 Sep 09. e2204455

A Multi-Bioactive Nanomicelle-Based "One Stone for Multiple Birds" Strategy for Precision Therapy of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Wenjie Lin, Kaiyao Hu, Chenwen Li, Wendan Pu, Xinhao Yan, Haiyan Chen, Houyuan Hu, Hongping Deng, Jianxiang Zhang.

  Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains a lethal aortic disease in the elderly. Currently, no effective drugs can be clinically applied to prevent the development of AAA. Herein we report a "one stone for multiple birds" strategy for AAA therapy. As a proof of concept, three bioactive conjugates are designed and synthesized, which can assemble into nanomicelles. Cellularly, these nanomicelles significantly inhibit migration and activation of inflammatory cells as well as protect vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from induced oxidative stress, calcification, and apoptosis, with the best effect for nanomicelles (TPTN) derived from a conjugate TPT. After intravenous delivery, TPTN efficiently accumulates in the aneurysmal tissue of AAA rats, showing notable distribution in neutrophils, macrophages, and VSMCs, all relevant to AAA pathogenesis. Whereas three examined nanomicelles effectively delay expansion of AAA in rats, TPTN most potently prevents AAA growth by simultaneously normalizing the pro-inflammatory microenvironment and regulating multiple pathological cells. TPTN is effective even at 0.2 mg/kg. Besides, TPTN can function as a bioactive nanoplatform for site-specifically delivering and triggerably releasing anti-aneurysmal drugs, affording synergistic therapeutic effects. Consequently, TPTN is a promising multi-bioactive nanotherapy and bioresponsive targeting delivery nanocarrier for effective therapy of AAA and other inflammatory vascular diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords:  aneurysm; bioactive conjugates; inflammation; nanotherapy; reactive oxygen species

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202204455
Adv Mater. 2022 Sep 06. e2204791

Puffball-Inspired Microrobotic Systems with Robust Payload, Strong Protection, and Targeted Locomotion for On-Demand Drug Delivery.

Xin Song, Rujie Sun, Richard Wang, Kun Zhou, Ruoxiao Xie, Junliang Lin, Dimitar Georgiev, Andrei-Alexandru Paraschiv, Ruibo Zhao, Molly M Stevens.

  Microrobots have been recognized as transformative solutions for drug delivery systems (DDSs) because they can navigate through the body to specific locations and enable targeted drug release. However, their realization is substantially limited by insufficient payload capacity, unavoidable drug leakage/deactivation, and strict modification/stability criteria for drugs. Natural puffballs possess fascinating features that are highly desirable for DDSs, including a large fruitbody for storing spores, a flexible protective cap, and environmentally-triggered release mechanisms. This report presents a puffball-inspired microrobotic system which incorporates: an internal chamber for loading large drug quantities and spatial drug separation; and a near-infrared-responsive top-sealing layer offering strong drug protection and on-demand release. These puffball-inspired microrobots (PIMs) display tunable loading capacities up to high concentrations and enhanced drug protection with minimal drug leakage. Upon near-infrared laser irradiation, on-demand drug delivery with rapid release efficiency is achieved. The PIMs also demonstrate translational motion velocities, switchable motion modes, and precise locomotion under a rotating magnetic field. This work provides strong proof-of-concept for a DDS that combines the superior locomotion capability of microrobots with the unique characteristics of puffballs, thereby illustrating a versatile avenue for development of a new generation of microrobots for targeted drug delivery. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords:  bioinspired systems; controlled release; intelligent microrobots; magnetic actuation; targeted therapy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202204791
Nano Lett. 2022 Sep 09.

Advanced DNA Zipper Probes for Detecting Cell Membrane Lipid Domains.

Ahsan Ausaf Ali, Yousef Bagheri, Qian Tian, Mingxu You.

  The cell membrane is a complex mixture of lipids, proteins, and other components. By forming dynamic lipid domains, different membrane molecules can selectively interact with each other to control cell signaling. Herein, we report several new types of lipid-DNA conjugates, termed as "DNA zippers", which can be used to measure cell membrane dynamic interactions and the formation of lipid domains. Dependent on the choice of lipid moieties, cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-conjugated DNA zippers specifically locate in and detect membrane lipid-ordered domains, while in contrast, a tocopherol-DNA zipper can be applied for the selective imaging of lipid-disordered phases. These versatile and programmable probes can be further engineered into membrane competition assays to simultaneously detect multiple types of membrane dynamic interactions. These DNA zipper probes can be broadly used to study the correlation between lipid domains and various cellular processes, such as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Keywords:  DNA probes; cell membrane analysis; fluorescence imaging; lipid domains; lipid−DNA conjugates; membrane order

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c02605
Nat Commun. 2022 Sep 05. 13(1): 5219

Spatiotemporal dynamics of self-organized branching in pancreas-derived organoids.

S Randriamanantsoa, A Papargyriou, H C Maurer, K Peschke, M Schuster, G Zecchin, K Steiger, R Öllinger, D Saur, C Scheel, R Rad, E Hannezo, M Reichert, A R Bausch.

The development dynamics and self-organization of glandular branched epithelia is of utmost importance for our understanding of diverse processes ranging from normal tissue growth to the growth of cancerous tissues. Using single primary murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells embedded in a collagen matrix and adapted media supplementation, we generate organoids that self-organize into highly branched structures displaying a seamless lumen connecting terminal end buds, replicating in vivo PDAC architecture. We identify distinct morphogenesis phases, each characterized by a unique pattern of cell invasion, matrix deformation, protein expression, and respective molecular dependencies. We propose a minimal theoretical model of a branching and proliferating tissue, capturing the dynamics of the first phases. Observing the interaction of morphogenesis, mechanical environment and gene expression in vitro sets a benchmark for the understanding of self-organization processes governing complex organoid structure formation processes and branching morphogenesis.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32806-y
Acta Biomater. 2022 Sep 06. pii: S1742-7061(22)00555-4. [Epub ahead of print]

Mitochondria-targeting folic acid-modified nanoplatform based on mesoporous carbon and a bioactive peptide for improved colorectal cancer treatment.

Jian Wang, Lun Zhang, Hui Xin, Ya Guo, Baokang Zhu, Liqian Su, Shanshan Wang, Jiali Zeng, Qingru Chen, Rui Deng, Ziyan Wang, Jie Wang, Xiaobao Jin, Shuiqing Gui, Yinghua Xu, Xuemei Lu.

  Oral colon-targeted drug delivery systems (OCDDs) are designed to deliver the therapeutic agents to colonic disease sites to improve the effectiveness of drug treatment, increase bioavailability, and reduce systemic side effects and are beneficial for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, concerns about the biosafety of OCDDs are increasing, and changes in the physiological environment of the gastrointestinal tract can affect the therapeutic efficacy of the drug. Herein, we report about an orally administered colon-accumulating mitochondria-targeted drug delivery nanoplatform (M27-39@FA-MCNs), which was synthesized using the small peptide, M27-39, and folic acid (FA)-modified mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (FA-MCNs). The phenolic resin polymerized with phloroglucinol and formaldehyde (PF) was used for fabricating MCNs using a one-step soft-template method. Folic acid (FA) can be covalently combined with chitosan-modified MCNs to obtain FA-MCNs. The M27-39@FA-MCNs were stable with a spherical morphology and an average diameter of 129 nm. The cumulative release rate of M27-39@FA-MCNs in the artificial gastric fluid (pH = 1.2) and intestinal fluid (pH = 6.8) for 6 h was 87.77%. This nanoplatform maintains the advantages of both FA and MCNs to improve the bioactivity of M27-39 with high drug accumulation in colorectal tumor tissues and the ease of excretion, thus ameliorating its biosafety and targetability. Furthermore, M27-39@FA-MCNs induced tumor-cell apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth by disrupting mitochondrial energy metabolism and regulating the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway and immune inflammatory response. Thus, such a mitochondria-targeting FA-modified nanoplatform based on mesoporous carbon and a bioactive peptide may provide a precise strategy for CRC treatment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we constructed an orally administered colon-accumulating mitochondria-targeted drug delivery nanoplatform (M27-39@FA-MCNs), which was synthesized using the small peptide (M27-39) and folic acid-modified mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (FA-MCNs). M27-39@FA-MCNs increased the targeting ability of M27-39 toward mitochondria and colon based on the properties of FA-MCNs; they also increased M27-39 accumulation and residence time in colon tumors. Oral administration of M27-39@FA-MCNs remarkably alleviated colorectal cancer (CRC) by targeting tumor cell mitochondria and interfering with the mitochondrial energy metabolism process, and inducing apoptosis related P53/Caspase-3 mitochondrial pathway activation. Therefore, M27-39@FA-MCNs may provide a safe and precise therapeutic strategy for CRC.

Keywords:  Colorectal cancer; folic acid; mesoporous carbon nanospheres; mitochondria; oral drug delivery; small bioactive peptide

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2022.08.071
Chemosphere. 2022 Sep 02. pii: S0045-6535(22)02792-8. [Epub ahead of print] 136299

Nanoplastics: Focus on the role of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs.

Zarrin Banikazemi, Mojgan Farshadi, Ali Rajabi, Mina Homayounfal, Nasrin Sharifi, Reza Sharafati Chaleshtori.

  When plastic objects in our surroundings are degraded, they may produce particles ranging in size from 1 to 100 nm therefore called nanoplastics. The environmental chemicals including nanoplastics may be able to affect biological processes in the nuclear level like altering DNA methylation and regulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression and therefore are implicated in chronic human diseases like neoplasms. The regulatory role of miRNAs and lncRNAs in gene expression is appreciated. In vitro as well as in vivo experiments have shown that environmental elements including nanoplastics are able to dysregulate miRNAs and lncRNAs expression with possible genetic consequences that increase the risk of cancer development. In the current article, we review the biological effects of miRNAs and lncRNAs alterations following nanoplastics exposure.

Keywords:  Food safety; Long non-coding RNAs; MicroRNA; Nanoplastics; Toxicity

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136299
J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Sep 05.

DNA Strand Displacement Driven by Host-Guest Interactions.

Dilanka V D Walpita Kankanamalage, Jennifer H T Tran, Noah Beltrami, Kun Meng, Xiao Zhou, Pravin Pathak, Lyle Isaacs, Alexander L Burin, Mehnaaz F Ali, Janarthanan Jayawickramarajah.

Base-pair-driven toehold-mediated strand displacement (BP-TMSD) is a fundamental concept employed for constructing DNA machines and networks with a gamut of applications─from theranostics to computational devices. To broaden the toolbox of dynamic DNA chemistry, herein, we introduce a synthetic surrogate termed host-guest-driven toehold-mediated strand displacement (HG-TMSD) that utilizes bioorthogonal, cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) interactions with guest-linked input sequences. Since control of the strand-displacement process is salient, we demonstrate how HG-TMSD can be finely modulated via changes to the structure of the input sequence (including synthetic guest head-group and/or linker length). Further, for a given input sequence, competing small-molecule guests can serve as effective regulators (with fine and coarse control) of HG-TMSD. To show integration into functional devices, we have incorporated HG-TMSD into machines that control enzyme activity and layered reactions that detect specific microRNA.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c05726
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2022 Sep 08. e2203027

Hijacking Self-Assembly to Establish Intracellular Functional Nanoparticles.

Yang Liu, Yuchen Wang, Chao Wang, Tiejun Dong, Haiheng Xu, Yunfei Guo, Xiaozhi Zhao, Yiqiao Hu, Jinhui Wu.

  The targeted transport of nanomedicines is often impeded by various biological events in the body. Viruses can hijack host cells and utilize intracellular transcription and translation biological events to achieve their replication. Inspired by this, a strategy to hijack endogenous products of biological events to assemble into intracellular functional nanoparticles is established. It has been shown that, following tumor vessel destruction therapy, injected cell permeable small molecule drugs bisphosphonate can hijack the hemorrhagic product iron and self-assemble into peroxidase-like nanoparticles within tumor-infiltrating macrophages. Unlike free drugs, the generated intercellular nanoparticles can specifically stress mitochondria, resulting in immune activation of macrophages in vitro and polarizing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from immunosuppressive to tumoricidal and increasing the recruitment of T cells deep within tumor. The hijacking self-assembly strategy significantly inhibits tumor growth compared with the treatment of vascular-disrupting agents alone. Using bisphosphonate to hijack the metabolite associated with hemorrhage, iron, to fabricate functional nanoparticles within specific cells, which may open up new nanotechnology for drug delivery and small molecular drug development.

Keywords:  efferocytosis of erythrocytes; endogenous metabolites; intracellular self-assembly; nanomedicine targeting; vascular-disrupting agent

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202203027
Adv Healthc Mater. 2022 Sep 05. e2200866

3D Bioprinted Patient-Specific Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds for Soft Tissue Defects.

Anne Behre, Joshua W Tashman, Caner Dikyol, Daniel J Shiwarski, Raphael Crum, Scott A Johnson, Remya Kommeri, George Hussey, Stephen Badylak, Adam W Feinberg.

  Soft tissue injuries such as volumetric muscle loss are often too large to heal normally on their own, resulting in scar formation and functional deficits. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) scaffolds placed into these wounds have shown the ability to modulate the immune response and drive constructive healing. This provides a potential solution for functional tissue regeneration, however, these acellular dECM scaffolds are challenging to fabricate into complex geometries. 3D bioprinting is uniquely positioned to address this, being able to create patient-specific scaffolds based clinical 3D imaging data. Here we developed a process to use freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH) 3D bioprinting and computed tomography (CT) imaging to build large volume, patient-specific dECM patches (∼12×8×2 cm) for implantation into canine volumetric muscle loss wound models. Quantitative analysis shows that these dECM patches are dimensionally accurate and conformally adapt to the surface of complex wounds. Finally, we extend this approach to a human VML injury to demonstrate fabrication of clinically relevant dECM scaffolds with precise control over fiber alignment and micro-architecture. Together these advancements represent a step towards an improved, clinically translatable, patient-specific treatment for soft tissue defects due to trauma, tumor resection, and other surgical procedures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords:  Decellularized Extracellular Matrix; FRESH 3D bioprinting; Patient-specific scaffolds; Regenerative medicine; Volumetric muscle loss

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202200866
Soft Matter. 2022 Sep 05.

DNA-functionalized colloidal crystals for macromolecular encapsulation.

Maasa Yokomori, Hayato Suzuki, Akiyoshi Nakamura, Shigeo S Sugano, Miho Tagawa.

Novel DNA-based structures with the ability to encapsulate nanoscale molecules, such as proteins, can be applied to a wide range of areas, including reaction fields and micro/nano drug carriers. DNA-functionalized nanoparticle (DNA-NP) colloidal crystals have emerged as a new class of programmable DNA-based structures harboring metal nanoparticles with improved mechanical properties. The encapsulation of guest molecules into empty spaces in lattice structures is theoretically possible. However, due to the lack of a strategy for versatile encapsulation of guest molecules, the feasibility of nanoscale encapsulation by DNA-NP crystals is unclear. In this study, we developed DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticle (DNA-AuNP) crystals with tunable interparticle spacing for molecular encapsulation. We demonstrated that the modification of DNA-AuNP crystals with functional moieties, that is, biotin molecules, was effective in retaining molecules in the crystals. The crystallinities before and after encapsulation of the molecules were confirmed using small-angle X-ray scattering. We also succeeded in encapsulating CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins into DNA-AuNP crystals by harnessing their affinity for target molecules. These findings demonstrated the potential use of metal-DNA hybrid crystals as carriers for direct protein delivery via biolistic bombardment. Thus, this study provides an attractive strategy for creating a new class of DNA-based structures for macromolecular encapsulation, and an alternative research direction toward colloidal crystal engineering using DNA.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d2sm00949h