Mechanobiology of cancer cell responsiveness to chemotherapy and immunotherapy: Mechanistic insights and biomaterial platforms

Mechanical forces are central to how cancer treatments such as chemotherapeutics and immunothera-pies interact with cells and tissues. At the simplest level, electrostatic forces underlie the binding events that are critical to therapeutic function. However, a growing body of literature points to mechanical fac-tors that also affect whether a drug or an immune cell can reach a target, and to interactions between a cell and its environment affecting therapeutic efficacy. These factors affect cell processes ranging from cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix remodeling to transduction of signals by the nucleus to metastasis of cells. This review presents and critiques the state of the art of our understanding of how mechanobi-ology impacts drug and immunotherapy resistance and responsiveness, and of the in vitro systems that have been of value in the discovery of these effects. (c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Mechanical forces play a central role in the interaction between cancer treatments and cells/tissues. In addition to electrostatic forces, mechanical factors also affect drug or immune cell targeting and therapeutic efficacy. This review explores the impact of mechanobiology on drug and immunotherapy resistance and responsiveness, as well as the use of in vitro systems for discovering these effects.