Metal/metal oxide-coated DNA nanostructures: design principles and therapeutic applications

DNA nanotechnology offers significant promise for biomedical applications because of its programmability, structural precision, geometric complexity, reconfigurability, and biocompatibility. Recently, increasing attention has focused on nanocomposites that combine DNA nanostructures with metals and metal oxides to achieve enhanced functionality. In this approach, programmable DNA nanostructures template the deposition of inorganic materials into architectures with precisely defined geometries, spatial organization, and emergent functionality that are difficult to achieve through solution-phase synthesis. Initially focused on metals and silica, these approaches have expanded to a broader range of materials and increasingly complex architectures, enabling new opportunities in biosensing, drug delivery, imaging, and theranostics. This review describes templating mechanisms, design methods, characterization approaches, and biomedical applications of these materials, with particular emphasis on DNA origami-based structures and the unique optical, electronic, magnetic, and dynamic properties of these composites. Literature surveyed was identified using Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases focusing on articles published from 2010 to 2026. We conclude by highlighting future directions and discussing how advances in coating methods, computational design, and scalable fabrication may accelerate the clinical translation of DNA-templated inorganic composites.