Programming Affinity for Precise Tumor Recognition with Allosteric Nanosensing-Circles

Although many smart probes for precise tumor recognition have been reported, the challenge of "on-target, off-tumor" remains. Therefore, we herein report the fabrication of a series of allosterically tunable DNA nanosensing-circles (NSCs). The recognition affinity of NSCs is programmed through sensitivity to tumor microenvironment (TME) hallmarks such as small molecules, acidity, or oncoproteins. Because of their special programming conditions and active targeting capabilities, NSCs can overcome the obstacles noted above, thus achieving precise tumor recognition. Results from in vitro analysis demonstrated that NSCs obtain their recognition ability through allosteric regulation after sensing TME hallmarks. Furthermore, in vivo imaging indicated that NSCs enable precise tumor imaging. These results demonstrate that our NSCs will be promising tools for precise tumor imaging and therapy.