Nanoparticle-Based Manipulation of Antigen-Presenting Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

Immunotherapeutic approaches for treating cancer overall have been receiving a considerable amount of interest due to the recent approval of several clinical formulations. Among the different modalities, anticancer vaccination acts by training the body to endogenously generate a response against tumor cells. However, despite the large amount of work that has gone into the development of such vaccines, the near absence of clinically approved formulations highlights the many challenges facing those working in the field. The generation of potent endogenous anticancer responses poses unique challenges due to the similarity between cancer cells and normal, healthy cells. As researchers continue to tackle the limited efficacy of vaccine formulations, fresh and novel approaches are being sought after to address many of the underlying problems. In this review, we discuss the application of nanoparticle technology towards the development of anticancer vaccines. Specifically, we focus on the benefits of using such strategies to manipulate antigen presenting cells (APCs), which are essential to the vaccination process, and how nanoparticle-based platforms can be rationally engineered to elicit the appropriate downstream immune responses.

Antigen-capturing nanoparticles improve the abscopal effect and cancer immunotherapy

“…The synergistic interaction between radiotherapy and immunotherapy is thought to be due to immune stimulation by radiation-induced pro-inflammatory protein production and increased exposure of immune cells to cancer specific antigens that are released following radiotherapy-induced cancer cell death 13–16 . We hypothesized that NPs could be used to improve treatment response to immunotherapy and to induce the abscopal effect by capturing tumor-derived protein antigens (TDPA) released during radiotherapy and transporting them to antigen presenting cells (APCs), thereby promoting cancer immunity (Figure 1) 17–22 .…”

Effects of engineered nanoparticles on the innate immune system

“…The key to these therapeutic strategies is to induce the desired immune response (stimulation or suppression) through the recognition of engineered NPs by the innate immune system, especially APCs. [75-].…”

Cell membrane-derived nanomaterials for biomedical applications

“…As such, several epitopes derived from the conserved region have been employed in vaccines to induce specific antibody titers and inhibit GAS colonization [62–64]. Nanoparticles can serve as an ideal delivery platform for more enhancing vaccine efficacy [3]. One such platform against GAS has been reported, consisting of a self-adjuvanting polyacrylate core and peripheral layer of J14 peptides derived from the M protein [65].…”

“…While nanoparticle technology was initially applied towards the design of cancer therapies, a wide range of applications, from the treatment of antibiotic resistant bacteria to creating immunological tolerance, are being explored both in the lab and in the clinic [3,4]. When designing effective nanoformulations, it is of the utmost importance that they perform well in the complex environments that are present in the human body.…”