Researchers from Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biology Inspired Engineering have created a cloaked DNA nanodevice that can avoid defenses in the body's immune system.
The technology's design was given inspiration from world viruses, according to Gizmag. The nanoscale device could be used for diagnosing cancer and improving treatment targets to certain areas of tissue.
A method called "DNA origami" was used to build the technology. The technique includes folding a long strand of DNA into three-dimensional shapes and programming them to carry molecular instructions to specific cells.
Researchers from Wyss demonstrated DNA origami in 2012, constructing a barrel-shaped robotic device, putting antibodies in it and programming for leukemia and lymphoma cells. When found, the antibody activated the "suicide switch" in the cells, causing them to self-destruct through a process called apoptosis, Gizmag reported.
One problem with the device is that during testing, the nanorobots get digested quickly after being injected into mice's bloodstream. The researchers had to figure out how to keep the particles from being chewed up before carrying out their objectives.
"We suspected that a virus-like envelope around our particles could solve our problem," said William Shih, Ph.D, lead author of the study and faculty Wyss Institute Core Faculty member.
The researchers designed DNA structures called nano-octahedrons (DNOs). After being injected into the mice, the DNOs were attacked quickly by the mice's immune system. Covering the octahedrons inside the virus-inspired lipid envelopes increased the DNOs average half-life from about 50 minutes to over six hours, Pacific Standard reported.
The scientists said the "virus-inspired E[encapsulated]-DNO displays favorable in vitro and in vivo properties, in stark contrast to non-enveloped DNO which activates a potent immune response and displays rapid degradation after injection."
The study was published this month in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, Pacific Standard reported.
Devices inspired by viruses could be used to deliver medicines to organs and cells and could possibly be used for defense against viruses.
"One could imagine ways of treating viral infections with such structures eventually," Shih said. "One could make molecular flypaper that binds and inactivates viruses. Or one could make a vaccine against a virus."
