title: Emerging nanotechnologies for cancer immunotherapy.
abstract: Founded on the growing insight into the complex cancer-immune system interactions, adjuvant immunotherapies are rapidly emerging and being adapted for the treatment of various human malignancies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, for example, have already shown clinical success. Nevertheless, many approaches are not optimized, require frequent administration, are associated with systemic toxicities and only show modest efficacy as monotherapies. Nanotechnology can potentially enhance the efficacy of such immunotherapies by improving the delivery, retention and release of immunostimulatory agents and biologicals in targeted cell populations and tissues. This review presents the current status and emerging trends in such nanotechnology-based cancer immunotherapies including the role of nanoparticles as carriers of immunomodulators, nanoparticles-based cancer vaccines, and depots for sustained immunostimulation. Also highlighted are key translational challenges and opportunities in this rapidly growing field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA sourabh.shukla@case.edu nicole.steinmetz@case.edu.
authors.forename: Sourabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106.
authors.forename: Nicole F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Cancer immunotherapy; immunomodulation; nanotechnology; vaccines