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Updated: Sep 9, 2026

Tractable In Vivo Reprogramming of Tumor Cells to Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cell-like Cells
Published on: August 1, 2025
A logic-gated synthetic circuit coupled with microenvironmental reprogramming overcomes immune exclusion in
Jooyeon Suh1, Geunho Yook1, Junhan Bae1
1School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Chondrosarcoma remains refractory to immunotherapy due to a paucity of targetable antigens and a suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). We developed a modular strategy integrating tumor-intrinsic genetic logic with rational TME reprogramming to overcome these barriers. Using a 57,715-element massively parallel reporter assay, we identified chondrosarcoma-selective synthetic promoters and engineered a Boolean AND-gate circuit that ensures high-fidelity expression of a surface T cell engager exclusively within malignant cells. To further address the immunosuppressive TME, we identified macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as a target for blockade. Single-cell RNA sequencing in human PBMC-reconstituted chondrosarcoma xenograft models revealed that the circuit initiates T cell activation, while MIF blockade prevents exhaustion by promoting proliferative T cells and M1-polarized macrophages. Local administration induced a systemic abscopal effect, regressing distant, untreated tumors. Collectively, these findings provide a programmable blueprint for converting immunologically cold, antigen-poor malignancies into systemically immune-responsive states.

