The introduction of cell-based therapies has provided new and unique strategies to treat many diseases and disorders including the recent approval of CAR-T cell therapy for the leukemia. Cell surface engineering is a methodology in which the cell surface is tailored to modulate cellular function and interactions. In addition to genetic engineering of cell surface proteins, a wide array of robust, innovative and elegant approaches have been developed to selectively target the cell surface. In this review, we will introduce the leading strategies currently used in cell surface engineering including broadly reactive chemical ligations and physical associations as well as more controlled approaches as demonstrated in genetic, enzymatic and metabolic engineering. Prominent applications of these strategies for cell-based therapies will be highlighted including targeted cell death, control over stem cell fate, immunoevasion, blood transfusion and the delivery of cells to target tissues. Advances will be focused specifically on cells which are the most promising in generating cell-based therapeutics including red blood cells, white blood cells (lymphocytes, macrophages), stem cells (multipotent and pluripotent), islet cells, cancer cells, and endothelial cells.
Keywords: bioconjugation; cell surface engineering; endothelial cells; islet cells; polymers; red blood cells; stem cells.