On-demand cancer immunotherapy via single-cell encapsulation of synthetic circuit–engineered cells

Despite the therapeutic potential of engineered immune cell therapy against metastases, it faces challenges including cytokine-driven systemic toxicity, off-target biodistribution, and host rejection. Here, we develop red/far-red light-regulated individually encapsulated (RL/FRL-EnE) cells, integrating optogenetics with biomaterial encapsulation for precise immunomodulation. This system uses a phytochrome A–based photoswitch (ΔPhyA-PCB) that enables bidirectional control. RL (660 nanometers) triggers interferon-γ, interleukin-6, and anti-CD47 expression via ΔPhyA-PCB–far-red elongated hypocotyl 1 heterodimerization, while FRL (740 nanometers) rapidly reverses production, minimizing toxicity. Single-cell nanoencapsulation prevents intercellular cross-talk and immune clearance, enabling strict light-dependent regulation and extended tumor residence. In vivo, RL/FRL-EnE cells remodeled the tumor microenvironment, reducing immunosuppressive myeloid cells (1.3- to 1.7-fold), while enhancing dendritic cell (1.4-fold) and CD8 + T cell (2.8-fold) infiltration. Collectively, this work establishes a paradigm for closed-loop cellular immunotherapy, where light-regulated living therapeutics achieve on-demand immune reprogramming.