Synthetic Immunology—Building Immunity from the Bottom-Up with Synthetic Cells

Synthetic cells can advance immunotherapy, offering innovative approaches to understanding and enhancing immune responses. This review article delves into the advancements and potential of synthetic cell technologies in immunology, emphasizing their role in understanding and manipulating immune functions. Recent progress in understanding vertebrate immune systems and the challenges posed by diseases highlight the need for innovative research methods, complementing the analysis of multidimensional datasets and genetic engineering. Synthetic immune cell engineering aims to simplify the complexity of immunological systems by reconstructing them in a controlled setting. This approach, alongside high-throughput strategies, facilitates systematic investigations into immunity and the development of novel treatments. The article reviews synthetic cell technologies, focusing on their alignment with the three laws of immunity: universality, tolerance, and appropriateness. It explores the integration of synthetic cell modules to mimic processes such as controlled T-cell activation, bacteria engulfment and elimination, or cellular maturation into desirable phenotypes. Together, such advancements expand the toolbox for understanding and manipulating immune functions. Synthetic cell technologies stand at the innovation crossroads in immunology, promising to illuminate fundamental immune system principles and open new avenues for research and therapy.