Cancer Immunotherapy Elicited by Immunogenic Cell Death Based on Smart Nanomaterials

Cancer immunotherapy has been a revolutionary cancer treatment modality because it can not only eliminate primary tumors but also prevent metastases and recurrent tumors. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) induced by various treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, phototherapy, and radiotherapy, converts dead cancer cells into therapeutic vaccines, eliciting a systemic antigen-specific antitumor. However, the outcome effect of cancer immunotherapy induced by ICD has been limited due to the low accumulation efficiency of ICD inducers in the tumor site and concomitant damage to normal tissues. The boom in smart nanomaterials is conducive to overcoming these hurdles owing to their virtues of good stability, targeted lesion site, high bioavailability, on-demand release, and good biocompatibility. Herein, the design of targeted nanomaterials, various ICD inducers, and the applications of nanomaterials responsive to different stimuli, including pH, enzymes, reactive oxygen species, or dual responses are summarized. Furthermore, the prospect and challenges are briefly outlined to provide reference and inspiration for designing novel smart nanomaterials for immunotherapy induced by ICD.

Automated summary

Cancer immunotherapy is a revolutionary treatment that not only eliminates tumors but also prevents metastases and recurrent tumors. However, the effectiveness of immunotherapy induced by immunogenic cell death (ICD) is limited due to low accumulation of ICD inducers in tumors and damage to normal tissues. Smart nanomaterials offer a solution to these challenges with their targeted delivery, stability, bioavailability, on-demand release, and biocompatibility. This article summarizes the design of targeted nanomaterials, various ICD inducers, and the applications of nanomaterials responsive to different stimuli, providing insights for designing novel smart nanomaterials for ICD-induced immunotherapy.