Immunostimulation and Immunosuppression: Nanotechnology on the Brink

Immunotherapy is revolutionizing current therapies in cancer and in autoimmune diseases, showing impressive results in clinical trials. Recently, the development of innovative nano-biomaterials has been focusing on the interactions between such materials and the immune system, both in the adaptive and innate branches. Biomaterials can display immunostimulative, neutral, or immunosuppressive interactions. Nanoparticles displaying immunostimulative potential are employed in the formulation of cancer vaccines, while immunosuppressive materials are being researched for the development of vaccines able to induce tolerance in autoimmune diseases. Here, the properties influencing the immunomodulation effect of nanomaterials are analyzed, followed by a detailed review of the recent applications of nanomaterials for the delivery of antigens, adjuvants, chemotherapeutics, and immunomodulatory drugs.