Chemically modified DNA nanostructures for drug delivery

•With excellent addressability and biocompatibility, DNA nanostructures are promising candidates for bio-sensing, bio-imaging, and drug delivery•The recent progress in chemical modifications of DNA nanostructures is summarized•Chemically modified DNA nanostructures for efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and nucleic acid drugs are highlighted•Challenges and prospects of future development toward chemically modified DNA nanostructures for drug delivery are discussed Based on predictable, complementary base pairing, DNA can be artificially pre-designed into versatile DNA nanostructures of well-defined shapes and sizes. With excellent addressability and biocompatibility, DNA nanostructures have been widely employed in biomedical research, such as bio-sensing, bio-imaging, and drug delivery. With the development of the chemical biology of nucleic acid, chemically modified nucleic acids are also gradually developed to construct multifunctional DNA nanostructures. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the construction and functionalization of chemically modified DNA nanostructures. Their applications in the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and nucleic acid drugs are highlighted. Furthermore, the remaining challenges and future prospects in drug delivery by chemically modified DNA nanostructures are discussed. Based on predictable, complementary base pairing, DNA can be artificially pre-designed into versatile DNA nanostructures of well-defined shapes and sizes. With excellent addressability and biocompatibility, DNA nanostructures have been widely employed in biomedical research, such as bio-sensing, bio-imaging, and drug delivery. With the development of the chemical biology of nucleic acid, chemically modified nucleic acids are also gradually developed to construct multifunctional DNA nanostructures. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the construction and functionalization of chemically modified DNA nanostructures. Their applications in the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and nucleic acid drugs are highlighted. Furthermore, the remaining challenges and future prospects in drug delivery by chemically modified DNA nanostructures are discussed.