Drug-Grafted DNA for Cancer Therapy.

With the development of solid-phase synthesis and DNA nanotechnology, DNA-based drug delivery systems have seen large advancements over the past decades. By combining various drugs (small-molecular drugs, oligonucleotides, peptides, and proteins) with DNA technology, drug-grafted DNA has demonstrated great potential as a promising platform in recent years, in which complementary properties of both components have been discovered; for instance, the synthesis of amphiphilic drug-grafted DNA has enabled the production of DNA nanomedicines for gene therapy and chemotherapy. Through the design of linkages between drug and DNA parts, stimuli-responsiveness can be instilled, which has boosted the application of drug-grafted DNA in various biomedical applications such as cancer therapy. This review discusses the progress of various drug-grafted DNA therapeutic agents, exploring the synthetic techniques and anticancer applications afforded through the combination of drug and nucleic acids.