Silicasomes in Oncology: From Conventional Chemotherapy to Combined Immunotherapy

Abstract

The use of nanoparticles as drug carriers in oncology has evolved from their traditional role as chemotherapy carriers to their application in immunotherapy, exploiting not only their passive accumulation in solid tumors but also their ability to interact with immune cells. Silicasomes are highly versatile nanoplatforms composed of a mesoporous silica core whose external surface is coated with a lipid bilayer that allows the co-delivery of therapeutic agents having different chemical natures (small molecules, proteins, enzymes, or oligonucleotides, among others). Herein, cutting-edge advances carried out in the development and application of silicasomes are presented, providing a general description of the performance of these nanotransporters. Additionally, the specific load of chemotherapeutic drugs is explored, followed by a discussion of the immunotherapeutic application of silicasomes and the combination of different therapeutic strategies, including theragnosis, in a single silicasome platform, highlighting the enormous potential of these nanosystems.

Keywords: controlled release; drug delivery; nanomedicine; nanooncology; protocells; silicasomes.

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the disassembly of silicasomes in order to deliver a variety of therapeutic agents.

Figure 2

Schematic illustration of the CREKA modified, cisplatin-loaded silicasome (CREKA@LPT-MSNC) treatment to prevent LVI and improve the response of the tumor cells to the chemotherapeutic drug. Reprinted with permission from reference [28]. Copyright © 2024 American Chemical Society.

Figure 3

Schematic representation of the strategy followed by Wang et al. to improve the penetration of silicasomes in a solid tumor based on the incorporation of an ApoA-1 mimetic peptide on the surface of the nanotransporter. Reprinted with permission from reference [31]. Copyright © 2023 Elsevier.

Figure 4

Schematic illustration of the synthesis of VLN@Axi (a) and delivery process (b) after intravenous injection. (c) Schematic illustration of VLN@Axi to revert the exhaustion of CD8+ T cells and suppress Tregs for efficient cancer immunotherapy. Reprinted with permission from reference [87]. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier.

Figure 5

Schematic representation of structure, large-batch synthesis, and characterization via CryoEM of IRIN silicasome developed by Liu et al. Reprinted with permission from reference [90]. Distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives 4.0 International license. Copyright © 2021Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Figure 6

Schematic representation of the construction of the DOX + polydopamine silicasome developed by Fan et al. for pH/NIR-responsive drug release and chemo-photothermal therapy. Reprinted with permission from reference [95]. Distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives 4.0 International license. Copyright © 2023 MDPI.

Figure 7

Schematic representation of the synthetic pathway to obtain the double porous silicasomes modified with polymeric nanocapsules [100]. Copyright © 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Figure 8

Schematic Illustration of light-triggered RNA delivery by tumor-penetrating iRGD + indocyanine green + siPlk1/miR-200c silicasome developed by Wang et al. Reprinted with permission from reference [103]. Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.