REVIEW

Therapeutic cell engineering: designing programmable synthetic genetic circuits in mammalian cells

  • Maysam Mansouri 1 ,
  • Martin Fussenegger , 1,2
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  • 1. Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
  • 2. Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland

Received date: 10 Mar 2021

Accepted date: 02 Aug 2021

Published date: 15 Jul 2022

Copyright

2022 The Author(s)

Abstract

Cell therapy approaches that employ engineered mammalian cells for on-demand production of therapeutic agents in the patient’s body are moving beyond proof-of-concept in translational medicine. The therapeutic cells can be customized to sense user-defined signals, process them, and respond in a programmable and predictable way. In this paper, we introduce the available tools and strategies employed to design therapeutic cells. Then, various approaches to control cell behaviors, including open-loop and closed-loop systems, are discussed. We also highlight therapeutic applications of engineered cells for early diagnosis and treatment of various diseases in the clinic and in experimental disease models. Finally, we consider emerging technologies such as digital devices and their potential for incorporation into future cell-based therapies.

Cite this article

Maysam Mansouri , Martin Fussenegger . Therapeutic cell engineering: designing programmable synthetic genetic circuits in mammalian cells[J]. Protein & Cell, 2022 , 13(7) : 476 -489 . DOI: 10.1007/s13238-021-00876-1

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