DNA nanodevice-engineered macrophages as living sensors for dual-mode in vivo monitoring of tumor-associated macrophage polarization
- 1State Key Laboratory of Chemo and Biosensing, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China.
Abstract
Exploiting macrophages as cell-autonomous reporters of their polarization states represents a promising strategy for interrogating tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) phenotypes in cancer. Here, we develop a macrophage-based sensing platform, termed eMφ. This platform is created by engineering macrophages with a modular and multiplexable DNA origami nanodevice to report TAM polarization states within the tumor microenvironment. Upon tumor infiltration, microenvironmental cues drive macrophage polarization, triggering the engineered system to convert endogenous signals (e.g., Arg1 or iNOS mRNA) into distinct, state-specific reporter outputs. The integration of local and circulating reporters enables compartment-resolved, multiscale readouts of macrophage state. Following intravenous administration, eMφ facilitates tumor detection across multiple murine models, including B16F10 melanoma and lung metastasis, and enables precise evaluation of macrophage-reprogramming immunotherapy. Overall, this work establishes DNA nanodevice-programmed macrophages as a novel class of synthetic-living hybrid systems, paving the way for programmable and precise immune-state diagnostics and therapy.
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BibTeX
@article{wei2026nanodeviceengineered,
title = {{DNA nanodevice-engineered macrophages as living sensors for dual-mode in vivo monitoring of tumor-associated macrophage polarization}},
author = {Qiaomei Wei and Xixi Chen and Ping Xie and Li Wang and Li-Juan Tang and Tingting Chen and Lan Liu and Jian-Hui Jiang and Xia Chu},
journal = {Science Advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aej8942},
url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aej8942},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - DNA nanodevice-engineered macrophages as living sensors for dual-mode in vivo monitoring of tumor-associated macrophage polarization
AU - Qiaomei Wei
AU - Xixi Chen
AU - Ping Xie
AU - Li Wang
AU - Li-Juan Tang
AU - Tingting Chen
AU - Lan Liu
AU - Jian-Hui Jiang
AU - Xia Chu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Science Advances
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aej8942
UR - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aej8942
AB - Exploiting macrophages as cell-autonomous reporters of their polarization states represents a promising strategy for interrogating tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) phenotypes in cancer. Here, we develop a macrophage-based sensing platform, termed eMφ. This platform is created by engineering macrophages with a modular and multiplexable DNA origami nanodevice to report TAM polarization states within the tumor microenvironment. Upon tumor infiltration, microenvironmental cues drive macrophage polarization, triggering the engineered system to convert endogenous signals (e.g., Arg1 or iNOS mRNA) into distinct, state-specific reporter outputs. The integration of local and circulating reporters enables compartment-resolved, multiscale readouts of macrophage state. Following intravenous administration, eMφ facilitates tumor detection across multiple murine models, including B16F10 melanoma and lung metastasis, and enables precise evaluation of macrophage-reprogramming immunotherapy. Overall, this work establishes DNA nanodevice-programmed macrophages as a novel class of synthetic-living hybrid systems, paving the way for programmable and precise immune-state diagnostics and therapy.
SN - 2375-2548
ER -