Nanotechnology-enhanced immunotherapy for metastatic cancer

Abstract

A vast majority of cancer deaths occur as a result of metastasis. Unfortunately, effective treatments for metastases are currently lacking due to the difficulty of selectively targeting these small, delocalized tumors distributed across a variety of organs. However, nanotechnology holds tremendous promise for improving immunotherapeutic outcomes in patients with metastatic cancer. In contrast to conventional cancer immunotherapies, rationally designed nanomaterials can trigger specific tumoricidal effects, thereby improving immune cell access to major sites of metastasis such as bone, lungs, and lymph nodes, optimizing antigen presentation, and inducing a persistent immune response. This paper reviews the cutting-edge trends in nano-immunoengineering for metastatic cancers with an emphasis on different nano-immunotherapeutic strategies. Specifically, it discusses directly reversing the immunological status of the primary tumor, harnessing the potential of peripheral immune cells, preventing the formation of a pre-metastatic niche, and inhibiting the tumor recurrence through postoperative immunotherapy. Finally, we describe the challenges facing the integration of nanoscale immunomodulators and provide a forward-looking perspective on the innovative nanotechnology-based tools that may ultimately prove effective at eradicating metastatic diseases.

Roles of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 Axis in the Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy

“…A novel strategy or combination therapy response in vitro shows only a modest effect in vivo [ 8 , 9 ]. All of these indicate a possible resistance mechanism associated with the TME and more strategies to enhance the immunotherapy are very desirable [ 10 ]. Targeting the TME [ 11 ] instead of cancer cells has proved to be a successful therapeutic method, such as with the use of antiangiogenic drugs.…”

Spatiotemporal three-dimensional transport dynamics of endocytic cargos and their physical regulations in cells

“…The on-membrane diffusion rate is found to increase with the vesicle radius, which may serve as an ideal model system for investigating diffusive behaviors on membranes with different curvatures. Based on the 3D intracellular transport dynamics and its regulatory mechanism, our work may shed new light on the role of intracellular transport in cellular functions and virus infections ( Ghosh et al., 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ; Xu et al., 2022 ), and may pave the way for developing new strategies for nanoparticle-based therapeutics ( Yang et al., 2021 ; Zhang et al., 2021 ).…”

Natural Products and Nanotechnology Against Coronavirus Disease 2019

“…Nanotechnology has developed rapidly in recent years, and natural products, including herbal therapy based on nanotechnology, are becoming increasingly popular and are showing very broad application prospects ( Liu et al, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ; Zhu et al, 2021 ). Nanotechnology usually refers to the use of nanomaterials with sizes between 1 and 100 nm, which can be classified as organic and inorganic nanoparticles.…”

“…The development of vaccines and plasma therapy has impacted the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 profoundly (Benner et al, 2020;Li C. et al, 2021;Tang P. et al, 2021;Barda et al, 2021;Kunze et al, 2021;Macchia et al, 2021;Tartof et al, 2021;Tedder and Semple, 2021); however, a shortage of medical capacity remains in all countries. The application of traditional medicines including nano-loaded natural products, has also been listed as a major treatment strategy to aid the recovery of patients with COVID-19 and combat the global pandemic (Sinha et al, 2021).…”