The Landscape of Nanovectors for Modulation in Cancer Immunotherapy

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Immunotherapy represents a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer, which functions via the reprogramming and activation of antitumor immunity. However, adverse events resulting from immunotherapy that are related to the low specificity of tumor cell-targeting represent a limitation of immunotherapy's efficacy. The potential of nanotechnologies is represented by the possibilities of immunotherapeutical agents being carried by nanoparticles with various material types, shapes, sizes, coated ligands, associated loading methods, hydrophilicities, elasticities, and biocompatibilities. In this review, the principal types of nanovectors (nanopharmaceutics and bioinspired nanoparticles) are summarized along with the shortcomings in nanoparticle delivery and the main factors that modulate efficacy (the EPR effect, protein coronas, and microbiota). The mechanisms by which nanovectors can target cancer cells, the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and the peripheral immune system are also presented. A possible mathematical model for the cellular communication mechanisms related to exosomes as nanocarriers is proposed.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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