Bioapplications of Cell Membrane Engineering with DNA Nanotechnology

Engineering the cell surface has emerged as a significant method for manipulating cell behavior and determining cell fate. Regulating the composition or structure of cell membranes has the potential to impact the essential roles they play in biointerfacing, signal transduction, and compartmentalization. This presents significant prospects for the advancement of cell-based biomedicine. DNA nanotechnology has emerged as a promising experimental toolbox for cell membrane engineering, owing to its high programmability and excellent biocompatibility. Nongenetic strategies based on DNA nanotechnology for programming cell membranes have seen rapid growth over the past decade, showing promising prospects for cell-based therapeutic diagnostics. In this review, the nongenetic-based strategies for the functionalization of cell membranes are first introduced. The biological applications of DNA nanotechnology in cell membrane engineering are also highlighted and summarized, including molecular sensing, modulation of cell membrane signaling pathways and intercellular interactions, and establishment of transmembrane channels. Finally, the challenges and prospects of DNA nanotechnology in cell membrane engineering are discussed.