Cancer nanomedicine meets immunotherapy: opportunities and challenges

Qingxue Sun, Xiangyang Bai, Alexandros Marios Sofias, Roy van der Meel, Eduardo Ruiz-Hernandez, Gert Storm, Wim E. Hennink, Bruno De Geest, Fabian Kiessling, Hai jun Yu, Twan Lammers, Yang Shi

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cancer nanomedicines have shown promise in combination immunotherapy, thus far mostly preclinically but also already in clinical trials. Combining nanomedicines with immunotherapy aims to reinforce the cancer-immunity cycle, via potentiating key steps in the immune reaction cascade, namely antigen release, antigen processing, antigen presentation, and immune cell-mediated killing. Combination nano-immunotherapy can be realized via three targeting strategies, i.e., by targeting cancer cells, targeting the tumor immune microenvironment, and targeting the peripheral immune system. The clinical potential of nano-immunotherapy has recently been demonstrated in a phase III trial in which nano-albumin paclitaxel (Abraxane®) was combined with atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) for the treatment of patients suffering from advanced triple-negative breast cancer. In the present paper, besides strategies and initial (pre)clinical success stories, we also discuss several key challenges in nano-immunotherapy. Taken together, nanomedicines combined with immunotherapy are gaining significant attention, and it is anticipated that they will play an increasingly important role in clinical cancer therapy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)954-958
Number of pages5
JournalActa Pharmacologica Sinica
Volume41
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • clinical translation
  • combination therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • nanomedicine
  • targeting

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