Editorial: Overcoming obstacles of cancer immunotherapy: the important role of emerging nanomedicine

Abstract

Editorial on the Research TopicOvercoming obstacles of cancer immunotherapy: the important role of emerging nanomedicine Targeting the immune system using checkpoint blockade antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has proven to be a successful clinical approach for cancer immunotherapy (1). Despite significant advancements in this field, several persistent challenges remain that demand attention. In 2020, Hegde et al. delineated ten pivotal obstacles to cancer immunotherapy, spanning from uncertainties in translating preclinical findings to identifying the optimal combination therapies for specific patients (2). These challenges encompass enhancing treatment response rates, elucidating immune resistance mechanisms, conquering immunotherapy resistance, identifying and managing immune-related adverse events (irAEs), identifying reliable predictive biomarkers, determining optimal combination strategies, and crafting personalized treatment regimens based on the unique characteristics of each patient (Figure 1). Nanomedicine has recently emerged as a potentially revolutionary domain for innovating therapeutic approaches, particularly in the realm of cancer detection and treatment (3). In recent years, a growing body of nanoparticles with distinct properties has been developed to overcome the hurdles of cancer immunotherapy (4-6). This Research Topic in Frontiers in Oncology provides insightful information about the critical role of nanomedicine in addressing the challenges of cancer immunotherapy.Cancer immunotherapy faces a significant challenge in the form of treatment resistance, posing a major hurdle to its effectiveness. Studies have shown that approximately 30% of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients exhibit resistance to initial immunotherapy, whether utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) alone or in combination with another ICI (7-10). Shao et al. conducted a review to explore the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance and outlined recent breakthroughs in nanomedicine designed to combat this resistance. Tumor heterogeneity and complexity, characterized by intricate metabolic, inflammatory, and neovascular pathways, remain poorly understood yet prevalent contributors to immunotherapy resistance (11). Currently, immunotherapy