title: Cancer nanoimmunotherapy using advanced pharmaceutical nanotechnology.
abstract: Immunotherapy is a promising option for cancer treatment that might cure cancer with fewer side effects by primarily activating the host's immune system. However, the effect of traditional immunotherapy is modest, frequently due to tumor escape and resistance of multiple mechanisms. Pharmaceutical nanotechnology, which is also called cancer nanotechnology or nanomedicine, has provided a practical solution to solve the limitations of traditional immunotherapy. This article reviews the latest developments in immunotherapy and nanomedicine, and illustrates how nanocarriers (including micelles, liposomes, polymer-drug conjugates, solid lipid nanoparticles and biodegradable nanoparticles) could be used for the cellular transfer of immune effectors for active and passive nanoimmunotherapy. The fine engineering of nanocarriers based on the unique features of the tumor microenvironment and extra-/intra-cellular conditions of tumor cells can greatly tip the triangle immunobalance among host, tumor and nanoparticulates in favor of antitumor responses, which shows a promising prospect for nanoimmunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: International Joint Cancer Institute, The Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Huafeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Huafei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Si-Shen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008081:Liposomes / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050997:Nanomedicine; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D008081:Liposomes
keywords: antibody engineering; biodegradable polymers; cancer nanotechnology; cancer vaccine; dendritic cells; nanoimmunotherapy; nanomedicine