A DNA–Au nanomachine activated by dual types of biomarkers for multi-site imaging and gene silencing

A programmed DNA-Au nanomachine has been constructed to achieve in situ imaging of transmembrane glycoprotein MUC1 and cytoplasmic miRNA-21 and trigger gene silencing therapy. The results of MCF-7 cell-specific imaging and apoptosis experiments demonstrate that the nanomachine provides a valuable nanotheranostic platform for accurate multi-site imaging and intracellular gene silencing.