• DNA hydrogels are versatile smart materials with thermal resilience, thixotropy, enzyme responsiveness, and degradability, enabling intelligent responses to environmental cues.
• Multiple fabrication strategies exist, including pure DNA hydrogels via nanomodule assembly, rolling circle amplification, and hybridization chain reaction, as well as hybrid and interpenetrating network hydrogels.
• DNA hydrogels show promise in tissue repair by mimicking the extracellular matrix, supporting 3D cell culture, delivering therapeutic agents, and serving as injectable scaffolds for irregular wounds and bone regeneration.
• Clinical translation faces challenges such as immunogenicity concerns, high production costs, and limited scalability, necessitating further optimization and integration of bioactive molecules.