Nanotechnology in cancer immunotherapy: Enhancing efficacy and reducing side effects
Nanotechnology in cancer immunotherapy: Enhancing efficacy and reducing side effects
Ali Rezaei,1Paria sadat agha seyed mirzaei,2Zeinab Bagheri,3,*
1. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 2. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 3. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Introduction: Cancer immunotherapy has experienced a revolution in the last decade, and there is an increasing interest in combining it with nanotechnology to enhance the efficacy and reduce the side effects. The delivery of cytokines by polymeric nanoparticles, the targeting of immune checkpoints by lipid-based nanoparticles, or antigen presentation facilitated by metallic nanoparticles are some examples. Various nanotechnologies have substantially reduced systemic toxicity and enhanced therapeutic efficacies in different cancer types.
Methods: This study is based on an assessment of 8 journal articles dealing with the use of nanotechnology in cancer immunotherapy through a systematic review. The data were extracted to understand the basic principles of nanoparticle applications, including the types of particles, how they behave, and their potential effects on the effectiveness and side effects of cancer immunotherapy. Major findings were synthesized and analyzed.
Results: Nanoparticles improve cancer immunotherapy by improving drug delivery, reducing systemic toxicity, and increasing immune response specificity. Polymeric nanoparticles loaded with cytokines can activate the immune system, lipid-based nanoparticles encapsulate mRNAs encoding tumor-associated antigen proteins, and metallic nanoparticles like Au and Fe3O4 nanoparticles present antigens to dendritic cells and induce robust anti-tumor immunity. This has led to better patient outcomes and fewer side effects.
Conclusion: Cancer-specific nanoparticle technologies from companies such as BIND Therapeutics or Merrimack Pharmaceuticals have shown promise in targeted delivery. Nanoparticles are very beneficial for drug applications to improve stability while decreasing the systemic toxicity of the drug and increasing the concentration at the tumor sites. Nevertheless, certain problems such as the proper control of protein encapsulation, biosafety, and effective clinical translation are still there. Continuous progress in the area of nanotechnology and clinical research is very important for the development of efficient and customized cancer therapies.
Keywords: Nanotechnology, Cancer Immunotherapy, Efficacy, Side Effects, Drug Delivery