Cancer Nanoimmunotherapy Using Advanced Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology

Abstract

Immunotherapy is a promising option for cancer treatment that might cure cancer with fewer side effects by primarily activating the host's immune system. However, the effect of traditional immunotherapy is modest, frequently due to tumor escape and resistance of multiple mechanisms. Pharmaceutical nanotechnology, which is also called cancer nanotechnology or nanomedicine, has provided a practical solution to solve the limitations of traditional immunotherapy. This article reviews the latest developments in immunotherapy and nanomedicine, and illustrates how nanocarriers (including micelles, liposomes, polymer–drug conjugates, solid lipid nanoparticles and biodegradable nanoparticles) could be used for the cellular transfer of immune effectors for active and passive nanoimmunotherapy. The fine engineering of nanocarriers based on the unique features of the tumor microenvironment and extra-/intra-cellular conditions of tumor cells can greatly tip the triangle immunobalance among host, tumor and nanoparticulates in favor of antitumor responses, which shows a promising prospect for nanoimmunotherapy.

Keywords::

• antibody engineering
• biodegradable polymers
• cancer nanotechnology
• cancer vaccine
• dendritic cells
• nanoimmunotherapy
• nanomedicine

Financial & competing interest disclosures

This work was financially supported by the Shanghai Pujiang Program (12PJ1410900), Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2012CB934002), the National Natural Science Foundation of China including the project (81171450, 81372528), Shanghai Commission of Science & Technology and a special program project for New Drug Creation and Infection Diseases. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Shanghai Pujiang Program (12PJ1410900), Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2012CB934002), the National Natural Science Foundation of China including the project (81171450, 81372528), Shanghai Commission of Science & Technology and a special program project for New Drug Creation and Infection Diseases. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.