Research

Our vision.

We develop robust living cell platforms for therapeutic applications through cell engineering, immune modulation, and biomaterial support.

● The Fang Laboratory Zhejiang University · Hangzhou

§ 01 / Mission

Living cells as active therapeutic systems.

At the Fang Laboratory at Zhejiang University, we develop robust, controllable, and safe living cell platforms for therapeutic applications. Our work is centered on the idea that living cells can be engineered not simply as passive carriers, but as active therapeutic systems capable of sustained biological function.

We focus on the genetic programming of stable, engineerable cell systems that can be designed to modulate immune responses and remodel disease microenvironments in a controlled and therapeutically useful manner. By treating cells as platforms, rather than only as effectors, we aim to establish broadly useful strategies for building adaptable and translational cell-based therapies.

In parallel, we investigate biomaterial and nanomaterial approaches that support engineered cells in vivo by improving their localization, protection, persistence, and functional performance. Together, these efforts define a research program focused on creating next-generation therapeutic systems that integrate biological activity with engineered control.

§ 02 / Research Directions

R-01

Robust therapeutic cell platforms

A central focus of the laboratory is the development of robust, engineerable, and controllable cellular chassis for therapy. We are particularly interested in stable cell platforms that can be reproducibly expanded, genetically manipulated, and maintained in functionally reliable states. This emphasis distinguishes our approach from more fragile and narrowly specialized cell therapy paradigms.

Our work in this area includes the design of cellular systems with improved programmability, reproducibility, and deployability, together with safety-oriented strategies that enable more controlled therapeutic use. In this way, we aim to build a foundation for living cell therapies that are not only biologically active, but also practical, scalable, and translationally relevant.

R-02

Immune modulation and microenvironment remodeling

We engineer cell systems to perform therapeutic functions that actively influence disease biology. Two major functional goals are immune modulation and microenvironment remodeling. Our research examines how engineered cells can be programmed to present ligands, secrete bioactive factors, and interact with surrounding tissues in ways that direct immune activity and reshape local biological conditions.

This approach enables the development of cell-based systems that do more than deliver a single signal. Instead, they can act as active therapeutic platforms capable of sustained and coordinated biological influence within complex disease environments. These strategies are relevant across a wide range of biomedical challenges in which local immune and tissue conditions strongly affect therapeutic outcome.

Illustration for biomaterial support of engineered cell systems. — R-03 Biomaterial support

R-03

Biomaterial support for engineered cell systems

Biomaterials and nanomaterials remain an important part of the laboratory’s research program, but now primarily as enabling technologies for engineered cell therapies. Rather than serving as the main therapeutic identity, materials are used to support how living cell systems function in vivo.

We investigate material strategies that help localize, protect, stabilize, and potentiate engineered cells, while also improving how they interface with biological environments. By integrating cell engineering with supportive biointerface design, we aim to enhance the persistence, control, and therapeutic performance of living cell platforms in clinically relevant settings.