Advanced synthesis of spherical nucleic acids: a limit-pursuing game with broad implications

Meiyun Ye; Yulin Li; Zhaoxiang Deng

doi:10.1002/cbic.202400976

Advanced synthesis of spherical nucleic acids: a limit-pursuing game with broad implications

Chembiochem. 2024 Dec 23:e202400976. doi: 10.1002/cbic.202400976. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Meiyun Ye¹, Yulin Li², Zhaoxiang Deng³

Affiliations

¹ University of Science and Technology of China, Department of Chemistry, CHINA.
² Hefei University of Technology, Department of Chemistry, CHINA.
³ University of Science and Technology of China, Department of Chemistry, 96 Jinzhai Road, 230026, Hefei, CHINA.

PMID: 39714876
DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400976

Abstract

Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) consist of DNA strands arranged radially and packed densely on the surface of nanoparticles. Due to their unique properties, which are not found in naturally occurring linear or circular DNA, SNAs have gained widespread attention in fields such as sensing, nanomedicine, and colloidal assembly. The rapidly evolving applications of SNAs have driven a modernization of their syntheses to meet different needs. Recently, several advanced approaches have emerged, enabling ultrafast, quantitative, and low-cost SNA synthesis with maximal DNA grafting through "counterintuitive" processes like freezing and dehydration. This concept paper discusses these critical developments from a synthetic perspective, focusing on their underlying mechanisms and broad implications, with a goal of inspiring future research in related fields.

Keywords: DNA; Synthesis; nanoparticle; spherical nucleic acids; unconventional conditions.