Nano Delivery of Chemotherapeutic ICD Inducers for Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunogenic cell death (ICD, also known as immunogenic apoptosis) of malignant cells is confirmed to activate the host immune system to prevent, control, and eliminate tumors. Recently, a range of chemotherapeutic drugs have been repurposed as ICD inducers and applied for tumor immunotherapy. However, several hurdles to the widespread application of chemotherapeutic ICD inducers remain, namely poor water solubility, short blood circulation, non-specific tissue distribution, and severe toxicity. Recent advances in nanotechnology and pharmaceutical formulation foster the development of nano drug delivery systems to tackle the aforementioned hurdles and expedite safe, effective, and specific delivery. This review will describe delivery barriers to chemical ICD inducers and highlight recent nanoformulations for these drugs in tumor immunotherapy.