Chemists engineer DNA into novel hydrogels for medical use

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Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in California have demonstrated a new way to build functional materials from DNA, a breakthrough that could lead to controlled production of hydrogels for drug delivery and tissue engineering. The work, led by chemistry professor Floyd Romesberg and researcher Tingjian Chen, was published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

The team used advanced gene-editing techniques to chemically alter DNA nucleotides, attaching various chemical groups to the sugar backbone. Unlike earlier efforts that only added fluorine or methoxy groups, this study achieved a broader range of modifications, each with distinct potential uses.

Click chemistry and hydrogel formation

One notable modification involved adding an azido group to the DNA. Through click chemistry—a set of reliable chemical reactions—the researchers could then attach other molecules to the DNA at that site. In a more complex setup, they attached multiple DNA strands to a central azido-modified strand. After amplifying the structure with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), they observed that placing the resulting material in water caused it to form a hydrogel.

The formation of the hydrogel was unexpected, but it opens new possibilities. Hydrogels are already used in medicine for drug delivery and as scaffolds for 3D cell cultures, yet producing them with precise control has been challenging. The TSRI method offers a way to create these materials with greater reproducibility.

Romesberg's lab had previously engineered an artificial DNA polymerase enzyme that could copy modified DNA just like the natural enzyme. That earlier work laid the groundwork for the current study, which demonstrates that the polymerase can replicate DNA carrying the new modifications, making the process scalable.

Potential applications and next steps

Hydrogels made from DNA could be particularly useful in regenerative medicine, where they might serve as matrices for growing cells in three dimensions. The ability to attach different molecules via click chemistry also allows for functionalization—adding drugs or signaling molecules to the material.

The researchers plan to explore practical uses for these hydrogels and to develop additional DNA modifications that the polymerase can easily copy. As Romesberg noted in a TSRI press release, “DNA has some unique properties as a material, and with this new ability to modify it and replicate it like normal DNA, we can really begin to explore some interesting potential applications.”

The study adds to a growing field of DNA-based materials, where the molecule's programmability and biocompatibility are harnessed for new technologies. While the work is still at an early stage, it represents a step toward making such materials easier to produce and tailor for specific medical needs.