Synthetic cells in biomedical applications

Sato, Wakana; Zajkowski, Tomasz; Moser, Felix; Adamala, Katarzyna P.

doi:10.1002/wnan.1761

Cited by 43 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 265 publications

(258 reference statements)

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“…Bottom-up synthetic biology aims to engineer artificial systems that exhibit biomimetic structures and functionalities via the rational combination of molecular and nanoscale elements. These systems often take the form of artificial cells (ACs), microrobots constructed de novo to replicate a subset of the behaviors typically associated with biological cellular life, including communication, adaptation, energy conversion, and motility. − Despite still being far from the complexity of live cells, ACs are regarded as promising technological platforms for personalized healthcare, where cell-like microdevices could operate in vivo , detect disease-related biomarkers, and respond by synthesizing and releasing therapeutic agents, potentially resulting in minimally toxic and efficient treatments. ,− Similarly, ACs could underpin innovations in synthesis, through the optimized production of materials and pharmaceuticals and in environmental remediation by selectively capturing and storing pollutants. ,,,, …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaction–Diffusion Patterning of DNA-Based Artificial Cells

et al. 2022

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Biological cells display complex internal architectures with distinct micro environments that establish the chemical heterogeneity needed to sustain cellular functions. The continued efforts to create advanced cell mimics, namely, artificial cells, demands strategies for constructing similarly heterogeneous structures with localized functionalities. Here, we introduce a platform for constructing membraneless artificial cells from the self-assembly of synthetic DNA nanostructures in which internal domains can be established thanks to prescribed reaction–diffusion waves. The method, rationalized through numerical modeling, enables the formation of up to five distinct concentric environments in which functional moieties can be localized. As a proof-of-concept, we apply this platform to build DNA-based artificial cells in which a prototypical nucleus synthesizes fluorescent RNA aptamers that then accumulate in a surrounding storage shell, thus demonstrating the spatial segregation of functionalities reminiscent of that observed in biological cells.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaction–Diffusion Patterning of DNA-Based Artificial Cells

et al. 2022

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“…More recently, LeDuc and collaborators lucidly illustrated a scenario that resonates with SC philosophy (LeDuc et al, 2007). The advancements made on SC communicative properties (Lentini et al, 2017) let us imagine SCs that perceive their environment, and behave in programmable way in biological surroundings (Sato et al, 2022). The pioneer investigations on SCs producing a cancer-killing toxin (Krinsky et al, 2018), or on bacteria-killing SCs that operate upon a bacterial stimulus (Ding et al, 2018) provide a couple of illustrative examples.…”

Section: The Technological Track: Looking For Practical Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A four-track perspective for bottom-up synthetic cells

Stano

2022

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

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A crucial move for the development of the bottom-up synthetic biology (SB) branch took place about 20 years ago, when Jack W. Szostak, David Bartel and Pier Luigi Luisi coauthored a Nature paper entitled "Synthesizing Life" (Szostak et al., 2001), which can be considered a sort of foundational paper for (or even the manifesto of) the modern approaches for constructing living artificial cells from scratch. Possibly as a sign of the Zeitgeist, the article was published almost simultaneously to two other foundational papers in SB (Elowitz et al., 2000;Gardner et al., 2000).The very idea of synthesizing life-the Faustian dream of all times-is not new. Several (unsuccessful) attempts to build cell-like systems of minimal complexity fill the annals of science (Hanczyc, 2009). These attempts share a common anti-vitalistic viewpoint: synthesizing (cellular) life from scratch should be possible, and it would demonstrate that the biological phenomenology follows a "continuity principle" with respect to physics and chemistry. That is, life is an emergent property of some molecular systems characterized by a very peculiar type of structural and dynamical (self-) organization. However trivial and generally taken for granted by scientists, the emergence of life from inanimate matter has never been demonstrated experimentally and it is still one of the big targets in science.What is, then, the remarkable and novel element that has been put forward in the "Synthesizing Life" article, and that can be considered as a foundational concept for bottom-up approaches in SB? The Authors actually focused on the hypothetical construction of primitive cell (protocell) models, made of catalytically active RNAs (ribozymes) (Bartel and Szostak, 1993; Eckland et al., 1995), encapsulated inside fatty acid vesicles (Hargreaves and Deamer, 1978; Bachman et al., 1992;Walde et al., 1994). The claim is that such structures would display minimal life-like behavior (reproductive and potentially evolutive) if the intravesicle ribozymes catalyze their own replication and the production of membrane molecules at the expenses of certain precursors available in the environment. The whole process would lead to a spontaneous growth-division of protocells in an allegedly primitive Earth scenario.Leaving aside, for the moment, the mechanistic details and their plausibility, the fundamental and explicit message of that paper goes beyond the apparently narrow focus on the origin of life. To a closer inspection, in fact, the Authors put forward an operational methodology for the construction of chemical reacting systems that would show the difficult-to-define property of being alive just by fulfilling a specific structural and

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“…and their applications (e.g., smart materials, targeted drug delivery, biocompatible devices, etc.) [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Moreover, a systems chemistry approach to cell imitation is thought to be a valuable contribution to understanding fundamental open questions in the origin of life studies [ 2 , 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shape Deformation, Budding and Division of Giant Vesicles and Artificial Cells: A Review

Miele

Holló

Lagzi

et al. 2022

Life

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The understanding of the shape-change dynamics leading to the budding and division of artificial cells has gained much attention in the past few decades due to an increased interest in designing stimuli-responsive synthetic systems and minimal models of biological self-reproduction. In this respect, membranes and their composition play a fundamental role in many aspects related to the stability of the vesicles: permeability, elasticity, rigidity, tunability and response to external changes. In this review, we summarise recent experimental and theoretical work dealing with shape deformation and division of (giant) vesicles made of phospholipids and/or fatty acids membranes. Following a classic approach, we divide the strategies used to destabilise the membranes into two different types, physical (osmotic stress, temperature and light) and chemical (addition of amphiphiles, the addition of reactive molecules and pH changes) even though they often act in synergy when leading to a complete division process. Finally, we review the most important theoretical methods employed to describe the equilibrium shapes of giant vesicles and how they provide ways to explain and control the morphological changes leading from one equilibrium structure to another.

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Synthetic cells in biomedical applications

Cited by 43 publications

References 265 publications

Reaction–Diffusion Patterning of DNA-Based Artificial Cells

Reaction–Diffusion Patterning of DNA-Based Artificial Cells

A four-track perspective for bottom-up synthetic cells

Shape Deformation, Budding and Division of Giant Vesicles and Artificial Cells: A Review

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