Integration of nano drug-delivery system with cancer immunotherapy

Abstract

Immune checkpoint therapy represents a new, revolutionary type of cancer therapy, but emerging evidence indicates that only a minority of patients will benefit from it. The issue of how to improve and widen the clinical response is a pivotal issue, and combining other types of therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors is currently under development. A nanotechnology-based drug-delivery system (nano DDS) could be an important contribution to the development of an effective combination therapy. In this document, we review recent findings in the field of tumor immunology, which provide a strategy for an efficient combination therapy, and discuss nano DDS that are associated with cancer immunotherapy and nano DDS strategies based on the immune status in tumor microenvironments.

Keywords: STING; adjuvant; cancer immunotherapy; drug-delivery system; immune checkpoint inhibitor; lipid nanoparticle; nanotechnology; nucleic acid.