Emerging biomaterials for tumor immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Immunology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Immune system interactions with cancer cells can be protective or promote malignancy.
• Cancer immunotherapy has advanced significantly but faces challenges like low immunogenicity and off-target effects.
• Biomaterials offer a promising approach to enhance cancer immunotherapy and are a key research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current tumor immunotherapies and their mechanisms.
• To explore the development and application of various biomaterials in cancer immunotherapy.
• To discuss the preparation, processing, and mechanisms of biomaterials used in immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Summarized clinical tumor immunotherapies and their mechanisms.
• Focused on biomaterials including metal nanomaterials, silicon nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, polymer nanoparticles, and cell membrane nanocarriers.
• Detailed preparation and processing technologies like liposomes, microspheres, microneedles, and hydrogels.

Main Results:

• Identified limitations of current immunotherapies, including immunogenicity, specificity, and side effects.
• Highlighted the role of diverse biomaterials in improving immunotherapy efficacy.
• Presented various biomaterial processing technologies and their mechanisms in tumor immunotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Biomaterial-based tumor immunotherapy research is rapidly advancing.
• Challenges remain in translating experimental findings to clinical applications.
• Optimized biomaterials and nanotechnology advancements are paving the way for future immunotherapy breakthroughs.