TY - JOUR T1 - helixCAM: A Platform for Programmable Cellular Assembly in Bacteria and Human Cells JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/2022.04.19.488034 SP - 2022.04.19.488034 AU - George Chao AU - Timothy M. Wannier AU - Clair Travis AU - Nathaniel C. Borders AU - Evan Appleton AU - Anjali Chadha AU - Tina Lebar AU - George M. Church Y1 - 2022/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/04/19/2022.04.19.488034.abstract N2 - Interactions between cells are indispensable for creating structure and signaling. The ability to direct precise cell-cell interactions would be powerful for engineering tissues, understanding signaling pathways, and directing immune cell targeting. In humans, intercellular interactions are mediated by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). However, CAMs are natively expressed by many cells and have cross-reactivity, making them unsuitable for programming specific interactions. Here, we showcase “helixCAM,” a platform for engineering novel CAMs by presenting coiled-coil peptides on the cell surface. helixCAMs were able to create specific cell-cell interactions and direct patterned aggregate formation in bacteria and human cells. We built rationally designed helixCAM libraries and discovered novel high-performance helixCAM pairs. High-affinity helixCAMs were then used for multicellular engineering applications, such as spherical layering, adherent cell targeting, and surface patterning. The helixCAMs are an expandable platform for directing complex multicellular assemblies, and we foresee its utility in tissue engineering, immunology, and developmental biology.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. ER -