Nanomedicine and cancer immunotherapy – targeting immunosuppressive cells

Abstract

The search for pharmacological strategies to reach and impact on immunosuppressive cells is, currently, one of the most exciting areas in cancer immunology and clinical oncology. In this context, it is increasingly accepted that the success of these therapies will largely depend on the availability of appropriate drug delivery strategies. Considering the critical role that nanotechnology plays in the development of these novel therapies, the main goal of this article is to provide an overview of the potential of nanomedicines targeted to immunosuppressive cells for the treatment of cancer. We present, first, a brief description of classical cancer immunotherapies based on therapeutic vaccination and monoclonal antibodies, with a special focus on the use of nanotechnologies and the targeting of immunological checkpoints. Second, we provide a thoughtful analysis of the possibilities to target the immunosuppressive cells, namely tumour-associated macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, tumour-associated neutrophils and regulatory T cells, at the tissue level (i.e. tumour, spleen, blood, lymph) and, also, at the cellular level. Finally, we wrap the article with a disclosure of strategies used to impair the generation, kill or re-educate these immunosuppressive cells, thus providing an up-to-date picture of the choices available for therapeutic intervention.

Dioscin elicits anti‐tumour immunity by inhibiting macrophage M2 polarization via JNK and STAT3 pathways in lung cancer

“…The data were representatives of three independent experiments and presented as the mean ± SD. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001 vs control [37][38][39] Clinical researches also reveal the infiltration of M2-like TAMs is associated with treatment failure and poor prognosis in different cancers. 2,9,12 Thus, we have reasons to believe the potential anti-tumour effect of dioscin by regulating macrophage polarization.…”

The Role of Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cells in Modulating Cancer Therapy

“…MDSCs and TAMs can facilitate the use of nanoparticles in anti-cancer immunotherapeutics due to their phagocytic ability (171). It was shown that in tumor-bearing mice peripherally administered with nanoparticles, the monocytic and polymorphonuclear MDSCs were preferentially targeted uptaking 10-fold more of these carrier materials compared to the tumor cells (172).…”

Nanotechnology as a Platform for the Development of Injectable Parenteral Formulations: A Comprehensive Review of the Know-Hows and State of the Art

“…In contrast to the above-mentioned scenarios, a long circulation time is not a prerequisite for the passive targeting of organs such as spleen. Splenic accumulation of nanoparticles is of particular interest for the passive targeting of the immunotherapeutic payloads to the splenocytes, whose activation can exert substantial therapeutic effect in many disorders [ 281 ]. Furthermore, passive accumulation of the subcutaneously injected nanoparticles of 10–100 nm in the lymphatics provides a further platform for the optimal delivery of various vaccines and immunotherapeutics to their optimal site of action [ 282 ].…”