Concept and Development of Algebraic Topological Framework Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids are considered as promising materials for developing exquisite nanostructures from one to three dimensions. The advances of DNA nanotechnology facilitate ingenious design of DNA nanostructures with diverse shapes and sizes. Especially, the algebraic topological framework nucleic acids (ATFNAs) are functional DNA nanostructures that engineer guest molecules (e. g., nucleic acids, proteins, small molecules, and nanoparticles) stoichiometrically and spatially. The intrinsic precise properties and tailorable functionalities of ATFNAs hold great promise for biological applications, such as cell recognition and immunotherapy. This Perspective highlights the concept and development of precisely assembled ATFNAs, and outlines the new frontiers and opportunities for exploiting the structural advantages of ATFNAs for biological applications. The construction of algebraic topological framework nucleic acids (ATFNAs) provides a powerful tool to program multiple guest molecules stoichiometrically and spatially. Through the topological control of guest molecules (e. g., nucleic acids, proteins, nanoparticles and small molecules), the development of artificial clusters can be realized, able to bring tailorable functionalities that hold great promise for biological applications. image