Cell Notes: Not Just Brains: Rethinking Intelligence Through Cellular Therapies

In her monthly column "Cell Notes," AABB's Christina Celluzzi, PhD, MS, CABP(H), shares insights, findings and commentary on emerging topics in biotherapies. Subscribe to CellSource, AABB's biotherapies newsletter, to receive "Cell Notes" and the latest news directly in your inbox. 

We’re not just programming cells—we may be teaching them to learn.
 
As cellular therapies advance, our understanding of intelligence is evolving. Engineered immune and stem cells demonstrate memory, adaptability and decision-making, challenging the idea that intelligence is exclusive to the brain or artificial systems. A new frontier is taking shape—one where biology and computation converge.

In this emerging view, intelligence is not defined by where it lives, but by what it does. Biologist Michael Levin  describes intelligence as “the capacity to solve problems in space and time—whether in neurons, silicon, or cytoplasm.” By that standard, cellular therapies are inherently intelligent: CAR-T cells adapt to their environment, stem cells organize based on context, and cellular systems continually respond to cues in ways that resemble purposeful behavior.
 
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we design and deliver these therapies. Machine learning helps predict outcomes, optimize potency and model complex biological processes. But increasingly, AI is also drawing inspiration from biology—learning how cells compute, make decisions and self-regulate. Researchers are now developing synthetic cells that perform basic logic, blurring the boundaries between biological intelligence and engineered control.
 
This convergence—between adaptive cells and adaptive algorithms—raises new questions. What does it mean to create therapies that learn? How do we regulate or standardize living systems that respond dynamically to their environment? And who defines the rules when intelligence becomes something we can design?
 
As professionals in biotherapies, we’re working with systems that don’t just heal— they adapt, evolve, and potentially learn. A new frontier is taking shape. As we move forward, we must be thoughtful in how we define intelligence—and in whose hands that definition rests.

The evolving roles of AI will be part of the conversation at this year’s AABB Annual Meeting, where experts will explore how digital tools are transforming biologic systems. The intersection of AI and cell-based care is no longer theoretical—it’s practical, measurable and fast-moving.