Comprehensive Review on DNA Hydrogels and DNA Origami-Enabled Wearable and Implantable Biosensors.

Abstract

DNA nanoparticles have emerged as potent platforms for wearable and implantable biosensors owing to their molecular programmability, biocompatibility, and structural precision. This study delineates two principal categories of DNA-based sensing materials, DNA hydrogels and DNA origami, and encapsulates their fabrication methodologies, sensing mechanisms, and applications at the device level. DNA hydrogels serve as pliable, aqueous signal transduction mediums exhibiting stimulus-responsive characteristics, facilitating applications such as sweat-based cytokine detection with limits of detection as low as pg·mL^-1 and microneedle-integrated hydrogels for femtomolar miRNA sensing. DNA origami offers nanometer-scale spatial precision that improves electrochemical, optical, and plasmonic biosensing, as shown by origami-facilitated luminous nucleic acid detection and ultrasensitive circulating tumor DNA assays with fM-level sensitivity. Emerging integration technologies, such as flexible electronics, microfluidics, and wireless readout, are examined, alongside prospective developments in AI-assisted DNA design and materials produced from synthetic biology. This study offers a thorough and practical viewpoint on the progression of DNA nanotechnology for next-generation wearable and implantable biosensing devices.