Light-Regulated Cancer Immunotherapy Using Individually Encapsulated Synthetic Circuit-Engineered Cells

Cell therapy holds great promise for cancer immunotherapy, but its clinical efficacy is severely hindered by poor post-transplant cell survival, low homing efficiency, and host immune clearance. To address these challenges, this study develops a novel light-controlled immunotherapy strategy that integrates a red/far-red light genetic switch with single-cell encapsulation engineering. The red/far-red light (660/730 nm) reversible regulatory system enables precise spatiotemporal control over the expression of therapeutic proteins in engineered cells (e.g., CAR-T or engineered HEK 293T cells), allowing on-demand activation of anti-tumor immune responses. On this basis, a mild enzyme-mediated single-cell encapsulation technique is further employed to rapidly form a protective hydrogel coating in situ on the cell surface, thereby enhancing the survival of transplanted cells under hostile in vivo microenvironments. This strategy combines precise gene expression regulation with physical protection, improving therapeutic outcomes without the need for genomic modification of the cells. It provides a new paradigm for developing safe, controllable, and efficient cancer immunotherapy. Key features • Using a 660/730 nm red/far-red light reversible switch, deep tissue penetration enables spatiotemporal precise control of tumor-targeted therapeutic proteins. • Achieving rapid and gentle in situ gelation encapsulation of single-cell surfaces through HRP-pHLIP membrane anchoring and HA-dopamine enzymatic crosslinking. • Targeted strategies to overcome post-transplant hypoxia, inflammatory stress, and pulmonary first-pass entrapment, physically enhancing early cell survival prior to reaching the target tissue. • This experimental protocol requires at least three days.