Bioactive mesoporous silica materials-assisted cancer immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Immunology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Cancer immunotherapy aims to activate immune cells against tumors but faces challenges like limited immune response.
• Mesoporous silica (MS) materials offer controllable release for drugs and immunomodulators.
• Engineering MS materials with intrinsic immunoregulatory functions is a key strategy to improve immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advances in bioactive MS materials for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.
• To highlight the intrinsic immunoregulatory functions of MS beyond drug delivery.
• To discuss challenges and future directions in MS-assisted immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on bioactive MS materials in cancer immunotherapy.
• Analysis of MS material properties for drug and immunomodulator delivery.
• Examination of MS-mediated immune responses in the tumor microenvironment and lymphoid tissues.

Main Results:

• Bioactive MS materials orchestrate localized immune responses by inducing immunogenic cell death and modulating immune cell activity.
• MS materials facilitate tumor-immune cell interactions and recruit/activate immune cells in lymphoid tissues for anti-tumor vaccination.
• Engineered MS materials demonstrate potential for on-demand delivery and controlled release within the tumor microenvironment.

Conclusions:

• Bioactive MS materials offer a promising platform to overcome immunotherapy challenges by enhancing anti-tumor responses.
• Rational design of MS materials with sophisticated bioactivities and responsiveness is crucial for personalized immunotherapy.
• Further understanding of material-bio interactions will advance the development of effective MS-assisted cancer immunotherapies.