Mammalian gene circuits with biomolecule-responsive RNA devices

Mammalian synthetic gene circuits are promising tools for both biological studies and therapeutic applications. These circuits enable autonomous cellular state-dependent regulation such as the killing of a target cell population. Biomolecule-responsive RNA devices are preferred components of mammalian synthetic gene circuits, because they enable cell-specific gene regulation with a low risk of insertional mutagenesis. In addition, because the output of one RNA device can be the input of another RNA device, synthetic biologists can construct layered gene circuits for more sophisticated regulation. In this review, we explain recent advancements of biomolecule-responsive mammalian gene circuits based on RNA devices.