Chaperone Copolymer-Assisted Aptamer-Patterned DNA Hydrogels for Triggering Spatiotemporal Release of Protein

In this paper, a DNA hydrogel with low DNA concentration, short sticky end, and good mechanical strength was simply prepared via one-pot self-assembly from two kinds of DNA building block (X- and L-shaped DNA units) chaperoned by a cationic comb-type copolymer (CCC). The gelling process was completed under physiological conditions within 1 min, and the reversible sol–gel phase transition was achieved at room temperature through the continuous addition of CCC and an anionic polymer poly­(sodium vinylsulfonate). Moreover, aptamer was successfully patterned into the hydrogel system via click chemistry. Upon the addition of complementary sequences (CSs) of aptamer, the aptamer was hybridized with CSs, leading to the fast dissociation of protein from aptamer with an adjustable release rate in specific regions at prospective times. The hydrogel with excellent cytocompatibility was successfully applied to human serum, a complex matrix. The aptamer-patterned DNA hydrogel is a potential candidate for controlled protein delivery.