Self-assembled DNA nanocages promote cell migration & differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Abstract

DNA nanocages have been explored for capabilities to influence cellular behavior and its functions. Recent times have seen the development of new emergent functionalities of DNA nanodevices as class of biomaterials with immense capacity to interface with biological systems and having vast potential in disease diagnosis and therapeutics. Being chemically robust and biocompatible in nature, DNA nanocages have been surface modified and structurally fine-tuned to find emerging applications in the field of stem cell therapy and tissue regeneration. DNA nanocages can be utilized for therapeutic angiogenesis that involves induction of blood vessel formation and can be used to treat ischemic diseases like stroke or heart failure. This work addresses the effect of DNA nanocages' structural topology in their capacity to stimulate endothelial cells angiogenesis. We tested a panel of four geometries of DNA nanocages and checked their potential on the differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). While different DNA nanocage geometries showed successful angiogenesis induction and cell migration in HUVECs, tetrahedral DNA cages showed the maximum uptake and angiogenesis potential indicating that not only the composition of materials, but also the 3D arrangement of ligands might also play role in stimulating the angiogenesis process.