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Tumor Immunotherapy

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.

The Tumor Microenvironment

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2025

Flow Cytometry-Based Isolation and Therapeutic Evaluation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in a Mouse Model of Pancreatic Cancer

Flow Cytometry-Based Isolation and Therapeutic Evaluation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in a Mouse Model of Pancreatic Cancer

Published on: January 17, 2025

Metformin-based nanomedicines for reprogramming tumor immune microenvironment.

Jieyu Liu¹, Xiaoling Li¹, Yinggang Li¹

¹Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Institution of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Breast Center, Institute of Breast Health Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.

|January 8, 2025

Summary

Metformin nanomedicines show promise in reprogramming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). This approach modulates immunometabolism to enhance anti-tumor immunity, offering new avenues for cancer therapy.

Keywords:

AMPK Metformin Nanomedicine Tumor immunity Tumor microenvironment

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Published on: July 20, 2019

Area of Science:

Oncology
Immunology
Nanomedicine

Background:

Immunotherapy has advanced cancer treatment but faces challenges from the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME).
Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is crucial for cellular energy and anti-tumor immunity.
Metformin, a diabetes drug, activates AMPK, but its cancer therapy role is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the role of metformin-based nanomedicines in overcoming TME-mediated immunosuppression.
To explore the immunometabolic reprogramming potential of metformin nanomedicines in cancer.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on metformin, nanomedicine, AMPK pathway, and TME.
Analysis of research on immunometabolic modulation by metformin formulations.

Main Results:

Metformin, particularly in nanomedicine formulations, can reprogram the immunosuppressive TME.
This reprogramming involves immunometabolic modulation of tumor and immune cells.
Metformin-based nanomedicines demonstrate potential in enhancing anti-tumor immune responses.

Conclusions:

Metformin-based nanomedicines offer a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy.
Targeting immunometabolism via metformin nanomedicines can overcome TME-induced immune evasion.
This approach provides valuable insights for developing next-generation cancer therapies.