Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · 3 authors, 3 centres
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This narrative review outlines how advances in systems and synthetic biology have enabled the engineering of gut commensal bacteria for therapeutic applications, such as synthetic consortia and 'sense-and-respond' living therapeutics. It discusses progress, safety considerations like biocontainment strategies, and future prospects for these engineered microbes.
It describes how systems biology and synthetic biology tools have unlocked the genetic tractability of these native strains, enabling the design of synthetic microbial consortia and synthetic cells with programmed 'sense-and-respond' logic for in vivo diagnostics and therapy. The review highlights preclinical concepts and examples, such as the use of synthetic gene circuits for biocontainment (e.g., genetic auxotrophy, lysis effectors) to mitigate risks like horizontal gene transfer. It also discusses the evolution of LBT platforms, including improvements to phenylalanine-degrading candidates and the potential of machine learning to accelerate development.
