AUTHOR=Puccetti Matteo , Costantini Claudio , Schoubben Aurélie , Giovagnoli Stefano , Ricci Maurizio 

TITLE=Strategies and delivery systems for cell-based therapy in autoimmunity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Drug Delivery

VOLUME=4

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/drug-delivery/articles/10.3389/fddev.2024.1436842

DOI=10.3389/fddev.2024.1436842

ISSN=2674-0850

ABSTRACT=<p>This review article explores the potential of engineering antigen-presenting cells (APCs) for the immunotherapy of autoimmune diseases. It discusses various strategies for modifying APCs to induce antigen-specific tolerance, thereby mitigating autoimmune responses. The review covers recent advancements in APC engineering techniques, including genetic modification and nanoparticle-based approaches, and evaluates their efficacy in preclinical models and clinical trials. Additionally, challenges and future directions for the development of APC-based immunotherapies for autoimmunity – and other forms of cell-based immunotherapy – are discussed. Along this direction, this review (<italic>i</italic>) describes various strategies for engineering APCs, including genetic modification, nanoparticle delivery systems, and <italic>ex vivo</italic> manipulation techniques; (<italic>ii</italic>) discusses the selection of target antigens and the design of APC-based immunotherapies, and (<italic>iii</italic>) reviews preclinical models used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of engineered APCs in inducing antigen-specific tolerance.</p>