journal article·2025-12

From Science to Solutions: Translating DNA‐Based Nanodevices into Clinical Applications

Anandita Chandran, Aadvik Bhardwaj, Krupa Kansara, Dhiraj Bhatia

Small· Volume 21· Issue 51
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a transformative platform in molecular medicine over the past four decades. The structural and functional versatility of nanostructures like DNA origami, hydrogels, and aptamer‐based systems, as well as their programmable, biocompatible natures, have contributed toward significant advances in a biomedical context, such as cancer‐targeted therapies, infectious disease detection, gene delivery, novel tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Despite promising preclinical experiment data, actual clinical translation remains limited in the face of key challenges–biostability, immunogenicity, scalable manufacturing, and regulatory hurdles. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the field's pathway from fundamental principles to viable, real‐world, clinical solutions. These barriers are critically evaluated, with a focus on optimizing safety, delivery, and in‐vivo performance, and discuss emerging strategies to overcome these limitations, including DNA–protein hybrids, protective coatings, responsive designs, harnessing AI capacity and automation‐enabled production pipelines, by combining insights from basic science, engineering, and translational medicine.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques · RNA Interference and Gene Delivery · Nanowire Synthesis and Applications

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune Maharashtra 411008 India

Department of Biotechnology National Institute of Technology (NIT) Warangal Telangana 506004 India

Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Palaj Gujarat 382355 India

Funding

Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India

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