A stimulus-responsive hexahedron DNA framework facilitates targeted and direct delivery of native anticancer proteins into cancer cells.

The targeted and direct intracellular delivery of proteins plays critical roles in biological research and disease treatments, yet remains highly challenging. Current solutions to such a challenge are limited by the modification of proteins that may potentially alter protein functions inside cells or the lack of targeting capability. Herein, we develop a stimulus-responsive and bivalent aptamer hexahedron DNA framework (HDF) for the targeted and direct delivery of native therapeutic proteins into cancer cells.

Targeted and direct intracellular delivery of native DNAzymes enables highly specific gene silencing.

DNAzymes exhibit high potential as gene silencing agents for therapeutic applications. Such purposes, however, are significantly challenged by the targeted and successful delivery of unmodified DNAzymes into cells with minimal side effects. Here, we set out to formulate and demonstrate a new stimuli-responsive and constrained aptamer/DNAzyme (Apt/Dz) catenane nanostructure for highly specific gene silencing.