Responsive DNA-based hydrogels and their applications.
Macromol Rapid Commun
; 34(16): 1271-83, 2013 Aug.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23857726
ABSTRACT
The term hydrogel describes a type of soft and wet material formed by cross-linked hydrophilic polymers. The distinct feature of hydrogels is their ability to absorb a large amount of water and swell. The properties of a hydrogel are usually determined by the chemical properties of their constituent polymer(s). However, a group of hydrogels, called "smart hydrogels," changes properties in response to environmental changes or external stimuli. Recently, DNA or DNA-inspired responsive hydrogels have attracted considerable attention in construction of smart hydrogels because of the intrinsic advantages of DNA. As a biological polymer, DNA is hydrophilic, biocompatible, and highly programmable by Watson-Crick base pairing. DNA can form a hydrogel by itself under certain conditions, and it can also be incorporated into synthetic polymers to form DNA-hybrid hydrogels. Functional DNAs, such as aptamers and DNAzymes, provide additional molecular recognition capabilities and versatility. In this Review, DNA-based hydrogels are discussed in terms of their stimulus response, as well as their applications.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
DNA
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Hidrogéis
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2013
Tipo de documento:
Article