DNA-based nanostructures have emerged as a versatile component for nanoscale construction of soft materials. Multiple structural, functional properties and versatility in conjugation with other biomolecules made DNA the material of choice to use in various biomedical applications. DNA-based hydrogels significantly attracted attention in recent years owing to their properties and applications in biosensing, bioimaging, and therapeutics. Here, we summarize the recent advances in the area of DNA hydrogels where these are used either as structural material or as functional entities to make hybrid constructs with various biomedical applications. Multiple synthetic routes for constructing DNA hydrogels are summarized first, where the structural motifs and spatial arrangements are considered for the classification of DNA materials. We then present the characterization and properties of DNA hydrogels using multiple imaging and biophysical techniques. Further, different biomedical applications of DNA hydrogels are presented such as biosensing, bioimaging, and targeted drug delivery and as scaffolds to program cellular systems. Last, we discuss the vision and potential of DNA based hydrogels as an emerging class of therapeutically important devices for theragnostic and other biological applications.

中文翻译：

---

基于功能性DNA的水凝胶：发展，性质和生物学应用。

基于DNA的纳米结构已成为用于软材料纳米级构造的通用组件。与其他生物分子结合的多重结构，功能特性和多功能性使DNA成为在各种生物医学应用中使用的首选材料。基于DNA的水凝胶由于其特性和在生物传感，生物成像和治疗学中的应用而近年来引起了极大的关注。在这里，我们总结了DNA水凝胶领域的最新进展，其中这些水凝胶既可以用作结构材料也可以用作功能实体，以制造具有各种生物医学应用的杂交构建体。首先总结了构建DNA水凝胶的多种合成途径，其中考虑了结构基序和空间排列，以对DNA材料进行分类。然后，我们介绍使用多种成像和生物物理技术的DNA水凝胶的表征和特性。此外，提出了DNA水凝胶的不同生物医学应用，例如生物传感，生物成像和靶向药物递送，以及作为对细胞系统进行编程的支架。最后，我们讨论了基于DNA的水凝胶作为治疗疗法和其他生物学应用中新兴的具有治疗意义的新型设备的前景和潜力。