Synthetic Biology and Biomaterials Strategies to Deceive the Tumor Microenvironment in CAR-T Immunotherapy

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell immunotherapy has emerged as a groundbreaking approach in cancer treatment, offering new hope across various malignancies. However, its success against solid tumors remains limited due to critical challenges, including off-tumor, on-target toxicity, immune resistance, poor T cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment (TME), and T cell exhaustion. In response, interdisciplinary innovations in synthetic biology and biomaterials are redefining how can be engineer smarter, more responsive CAR-T cells. Recent advances have introduced biomaterials not only as precision delivery vehicles but also as artificial antigen-presenting cells (APCs), high-throughput screening platforms, and tools to replicate the complex biomechanical landscape of the TME. This review highlights these cutting-edge strategies, emphasizing how biomaterials and synthetic circuits can aid studies and strategies to enhance CAR-T cell efficacy in solid tumors while minimizing adverse effects. Future directions at the intersection of tumor-inspired biomaterials and T cell engineering, envisioning a new generation of CAR-T therapies tailored to overcome the formidable barriers of the TME are also explored.