Towards Implantable Biohybrid and Regulated Cell Therapies

The union of bioelectronics with engineered mammalian cells is a transformative opportunity in regulated, personalized therapeutics. This approach involves combining the strengths of synthetic biology – namely biological specificity that leverages the natural machinery of cells – with bioelectronic systems, which offer precision timing, dose control, and communication with established sensing technologies and clinical feedback. To this end, we show how implanted biohybrid devices rely on bioelectronics to initiate the production of native peptides, control therapeutic dose, and support the health and productivity of these “cell factories”. We demonstrate optogenetic induction of drug production, fluorescence feedback via photometry to probe cell factory viability, and on-site electrocatalytic oxygenation for maintenance of implanted cell health at high cell density. Current efforts focus on regulation of circadian rhythms; however, the biohybrid cell therapy concept can be broadly applied to chronic diseases including Type I diabetes, obesity, and cancer immunotherapies.