Nanowerk Spotlight "DNA nanopyramids sneak past the blood-brain barrier to deliver chemotherapy directly to tumors" by Michael Berger: Allosteric DNA Nanorobots for Targeted Glioma Therapy: Acid-Triggered Doxorubicin Delivery, Advanced Functional Materials 36(36), e27455, 2026 (10.1002/adfm.202527455)

Description

DNA nanopyramids slip through the brain's protective barrier and release cancer drugs only when they detect the acidic environment surrounding a tumor.

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A study published in Advanced Functional Materials ("Allosteric DNA Nanorobots for Targeted Glioma Therapy: Acid‐Triggered Doxorubicin Delivery") presents a tetrahedral DNA nanostructure (TDN) equipped with pH-sensitive switches that trigger controlled drug release in the acidic environment characteristic of tumor tissue. The nanorobot carries doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent that kills cancer cells by intercalating into their DNA and costs substantially less than temozolomide, the current standard treatment for gliomas. In mice with brain tumors, the system achieved significant tumor suppression and extended survival.