Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) comprising a nanoparticle core and an oligonucleotide dendron attached thereto. The disclosure also provides methods of using the SNAs for, for example, gene regulation and immune regulation.

Abstract: Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) are chemically well-defined nanoscale architectures comprised of nucleic acids densely arranged around a spherical nanoparticle core in a highly oriented fashion. SNAs are highly modular structures produced by chemical synthesis and programmed assembly, allowing for their rapid modification to incorporate novel viral antigens. The present disclosure provides a SNA comprising (a) a nanoparticle core; (b) a shell of oligonucleotides attached to the external surface of the nanoparticle core, the shell of oligonucleotides comprising one or more immunostimulatory oligonucleotides; and (c) a viral antigen encapsulated in the nanoparticle core.