Clinical Translation of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials for Cancer Immunotherapy: Progress and Perspectives

Abstract

Advances in immuno‐oncology have significantly improved cancer therapy outcomes. Unfortunately, potent responses to immunotherapy have only been achieved in subsets of patients. Nanomedicines and biomaterials have enormous potential for making immunotherapy work better in more patients, which has been suggested by a large number of preclinical studies. However, it remains unclear whether and how these materials will really benefit cancer patients treated by immunotherapy. Therefore, reviewing current clinical studies on nanomedicines and biomaterials in immuno‐oncology may provide valuable information for future translation research. In this work, the clinical landscape of cancer immunotherapy involving nanomedicines and biomaterials, mainly Abraxane, Doxil, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) nanovaccines, and a biomaterial scaffold‐supported autologous vaccine, is reviewed. Clinical results demonstrate the high potential of nano/biomaterials in immunotherapy, achieved by rationalized utilization of their targeted delivery and reduced toxicities/side effects. Future clinical translation in this field will likely benefit from designing rational combinations of nanomedicines and biomaterials with the right immunotherapeutics applied in the right patients/tumors, and this should be achieved with the help of immune biomarker analysis. By rationally utilizing the unique features and advantages of nanomedicines and biomaterials, they will highly impact patient care in combination with immunotherapy.

The EPR effect and beyond: Strategies to improve tumor targeting and cancer nanomedicine treatment efficacy

“…Moreover, strategies are needed to improve the effectiveness of nanomedicine therapy. This can be done via pharmacological and physical co-treatments to prime tumors for improved delivery and efficacy, via active targeting, via the use of multi-stage and/or stimuli-responsive nanocarrier materials, and via the combination of nanotherapeutics with immunotherapy 14 , which has already shown initial clinical success 15 . In this virtual special issue of Theranostics, 24 research and review articles are compiled which discuss approaches aimed at improving the therapeutic efficacy of cancer nanomedicine.…”

Advancing medical technology innovation and clinical translation via a model of industry-enabled technical and educational support: Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute’s Medical Technology Advance Program

“…Investigators face many significant challenges in their efforts to reach clinical translation of their innovative medical technologies. The success rate for translation of newly engineered medical technologies into clinical practice is low [1][2][3][4]. Traversing the translational "valleys of death" (Fig.…”

mRNA vaccine for cancer immunotherapy

“…Results demonstrated that three patients generated T cell responses against NY-ESO-1, two of which also showed responses against MAGE-A3 [ 18 ]. Recently, BioNTech announced a strategic collaboration with Regeneron to initiate the phase II clinical trial combining BNT111 with Regeneron Libtayo (cemiplimab), a fully humanized anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with anti-PD1-refractory/relapsed, unresectable Stage III or IV cutaneous melanoma [ 142 ].…”