Synthetic Biology Approaches for Cancer Immunotherapy Innovation

Abstract

Immunotherapies have had a significant impact on efficacy of cancer therapies and resulting survival rates and are relatively efficacious treatment options for a wide variety of cancer types. However, there are many challenges that remain in the development of safe and long-lasting efficacious cancer immunotherapies. Synthetic biology approaches have the potential to improve the current cancer immunotherapies used in the clinic in terms of toxicity, specificity, tunability, and efficacy. In this way, engineered cells, genes, and vaccines can be utilized to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies for cancer patients. However, it remains important to consider ethical concerns that arise with genetic modification, as well as economic and regulatory challenges that restrict clinical translation and accessibility. This review article provides an overview of innovative cancer immunotherapies that utilize common synthetic biology-based approaches to target tumor cells through leveraging the body’s own immune system.