The complexity of the tumor immunoenvironment is underscored by the emergence and discovery of different subsets of immune effectors and regulatory cells. Tumor-induced polarization of immune cell differentiation and function makes this unique environment even more intricate and variable. Dendritic cells (DCs) represent a special group of cells that display different phenotype and activity at the tumor site and exhibit differential pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic functions. DCs play a key role in inducing and maintaining the antitumor immunity, but in the tumor environment their antigen-presenting function may be lost or inefficient. DCs might be also polarized into immunosuppressive/tolerogenic regulatory DCs, which limit activity of effector T cells and support tumor growth and progression. Although various factors and signaling pathways have been described to be responsible for abnormal functioning of DCs in cancer, there are still no feasible therapeutic modalities available for preventing or reversing DC malfunction in tumor-bearing hosts. Thus, better understanding of DC immunobiology in cancer is pivotal for designing novel or improved therapeutic approaches that will allow proper functioning of DCs in patients with cancer.
Recent advances in micro-and nanotechnology have provided a variety of particles with highly controlled shapes, sizes, chemical composition, and interesting properties. In this work, a novel kind of heparinfunctionalized polyurethane microsphere (Hep-PU MS) was synthesized by a single-step phase separation method. The blood compatibility and anticoagulant effect of the Hep-PU MSs were investigated using coagulation tests, hemolysis assay, complement and platelet activation detection, cytotoxicity analysis, and drug loading and release study. The results confirmed that the heparin can substantially enhance the anticoagulant properties of PU MSs, and the Hep-PU MSs have the potential to be used as a mild anticoagulant compared to heparin. With the simplicity of the functionalized method, the excellent hemocompatibility and the slow-release of heparin, the Hep-PU MSs with desirable bioproperties can be readily tailored to cater to various biomedical applications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.