Recent advances in nanomedicines for photodynamic therapy (PDT)-driven cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has made tremendous clinical progress in advanced-stage malignancies. However, patients with various tumors exhibit a low response rate to immunotherapy because of a powerful immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and insufficient immunogenicity of tumors. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can not only directly kill tumor cells, but also elicit immunogenic cell death (ICD), providing antitumor immunity. Unfortunately, limitations from the inherent nature and complex TME significantly reduce the efficiency of PDT. Recently, smart nanomedicine-based strategies could subtly modulate the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic compounds and the TME to optimize both PDT and immunotherapy, resulting in an improved antitumor effect. Here, the emerging nanomedicines for PDT-driven cancer immunotherapy are reviewed, including hypoxia-reversed nanomedicines, nanosized metal-organic frameworks, and subcellular targeted nanoparticles (NPs). Moreover, we highlight the synergistic nanotherapeutics used to amplify immune responses combined with immunotherapy against tumors. Lastly, the challenges and future expectations in the field of PDT-driven cancer immunotherapy are discussed.

Automated summary

Cancer immunotherapy has shown great progress in advanced-stage malignancies, but low response rates and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments limit its effectiveness. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can induce immunogenic cell death and enhance immune responses. Recent nanomedicine-based strategies have improved the efficiency of PDT and immunotherapy, and synergistic nanotherapeutics have been used to amplify immune responses. Challenges and future expectations in PDT-driven cancer immunotherapy are discussed.