The development of stimuli-responsive nanomaterials provides great potential for accurate diagnosis, effective treatment and precision theranostics. Among the sources of endogenous stimuli (e.g. enzymes, pH, redox, hypoxia, etc.) and exogenous stimuli (e.g. temperature, light, magnetic field, ultrasound, light, etc.), enzymes with intrinsic merits such as high relevance for numerous diseases, specific substrate selectivity and high catalytic efficiency have been widely employed for the design of responsive materials. The catalytic mechanisms mainly include the reduction/oxidation of substrates and the formation/cleavage of chemical bonds. So far, many enzymes such as proteases, phosphatases, kinases and oxidoreductases have been used in stimuli-responsive nanomaterials for theranostics. This tutorial review summarizes the recent progress in endogenous enzyme-responsive nanomaterials based on different building blocks such as polymers, liposomes, small organic molecules, or inorganic/organic hybrid materials; their design principles are also elaborated. In the end, the challenges and prospects of enzyme-responsive biomaterials-based theranostics are also discussed.

DNA is not only a carrier of genetic information, but also a versatile structural tool for the engineering and self‐assembling of nanostructures. In this regard, the DNA template has dramatically enhanced the scalability, programmability, and functionality of the self‐assembled DNA nanostructures. These capabilities provide opportunities for a wide range of biomedical applications in biosensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, and disease therapy. In this review, the importance and advantages of DNA for programming and fabricating of DNA nanostructures are first highlighted. The recent progress in design and construction of DNA nanostructures are then summarized, including DNA conjugated nanoparticle systems, DNA‐based clusters and extended organizations, and DNA origami‐templated assemblies. An overview on biomedical applications of the self‐assembled DNA nanostructures is provided. Finally, the conclusion and perspectives on the self‐assembled DNA nanostructures are presented.