Emerging Roles of 1D Vertical Nanostructures in Orchestrating Immune Cell Functions

Engineered nano-bio cellular interfaces driven by 1D vertical nanostructures (1D-VNS) are set to prompt radical progress in modulating cellular processes at the nanoscale. Here, tuneable cell-VNS interfacial interactions are probed and assessed, highlighting the use of 1D-VNS in immunomodulation, and intracellular delivery into immune cells-both crucial in fundamental and translational biomedical research. With programmable topography and adaptable surface functionalization, 1D-VNS provide unique biophysical and biochemical cues to orchestrate innate and adaptive immunity, both ex vivo and in vivo. The intimate nanoscale cell-VNS interface leads to membrane penetration and cellular deformation, facilitating efficient intracellular delivery of diverse bioactive cargoes into hard-to-transfect immune cells. The unsettled interfacial mechanisms reported to be involved in VNS-mediated intracellular delivery are discussed. By identifying up-to-date progress and fundamental challenges of current 1D-VNS technology in immune-cell manipulation, it is hoped that this report gives timely insights for further advances in developing 1D-VNS as a safe, universal, and highly scalable platform for cell engineering and enrichment in advanced cancer immunotherapy such as chimeric antigen receptor-T therapy.