ISSN: 1449-2288International Journal of Biological Sciences
Global reach, higher impact
Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20(8):2833-2859. doi:10.7150/ijbs.94346 This issue Cite
Review
Synthetic Cells and Molecules in Cellular Immunotherapy
1. Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of The First Affiliated Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine
2. Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Haining, China.
3. Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Haining, China.
4. Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, China.
5. Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering Thrust, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.
6. Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
# These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract
Cellular immunotherapy has emerged as an exciting strategy for cancer treatment, as it aims to enhance the body's immune response to tumor cells by engineering immune cells and designing synthetic molecules from scratch. Because of the cytotoxic nature, abundance in peripheral blood, and maturation of genetic engineering techniques, T cells have become the most commonly engineered immune cells to date. Represented by chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy, T cell-based immunotherapy has revolutionized the clinical treatment of hematological malignancies. However, serious side effects and limited efficacy in solid tumors have hindered the clinical application of cellular immunotherapy. To address these limitations, various innovative strategies regarding synthetic cells and molecules have been developed. On one hand, some cytotoxic immune cells other than T cells have been engineered to explore the potential of targeted elimination of tumor cells, while some adjuvant cells have also been engineered to enhance the therapeutic effect. On the other hand, diverse synthetic cellular components and molecules are added to engineered immune cells to regulate their functions, promoting cytotoxic activity and restricting side effects. Moreover, novel bioactive materials such as hydrogels facilitating the delivery of therapeutic immune cells have also been applied to improve the efficacy of cellular immunotherapy. This review summarizes the innovative strategies of synthetic cells and molecules currently available in cellular immunotherapies, discusses the limitations, and provides insights into the next generation of cellular immunotherapies.
Keywords: cellular immunotherapy, CAR-T, synthetic cells, synthetic molecules, synthetic biomaterials
Citation styles
