Self-Assembly of Small Molecule Modified DNA and Their Application in Biomedicine

Due to the addressability, programmability and excellent biocompatibility, DNA has been applied not merely in constructing static elegant nanostructures with different shapes and sizes, but also in designing dynamic nanodevices. Moreover, to further expand the application of DNA, functional groups or molecules can be conjugated with DNA through chemical modification. DNA could combine with hydrophobic organic molecules to be a new amphiphilic building block and then self-assemble into nanomaterials. So far, DNA has been covalent with polymers, dendrimers, peptides or proteins, and the assembly behavior and potential application of these hybrids have been widely investigated. Of particular note, recent state-of-the-art research has turned our attention to the amphiphilic DNA organic hybrids, including small molecule modified DNA ( lipid-DNA, fluorescent molecule-DNA, etc.). This review focuses mainly on the development of their self-assembly behavior and their potential application in biomedicine. The potential challenges regarding the amphiphilic DNA organic hybrids are also briefly discussed, aiming to advance their practical applications in nanoscience and biomedicine.