Engineered anti-cancer nanomedicine for synergistic cuproptosis-immunotherapy

Tumor immunotherapy has seen remarkable progress in recent cancer treatments. However, its broad clinical application is hindered by several challenges, such as the low immunogenicity of "cold tumors," immunosuppressive conditions within the tumor microenvironment, and persistent immune evasion of cancer cells. Therefore, selectively enhancing the immune response during cancer therapy is crucial. Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of regulated cell death that is characterized by the accumulation of intracellular copper ions, leading to lipoylated protein aggregation and subsequent metabolic dysfunction. This process is intricately linked with the tumor microenvironment. By activating targeted mechanisms, cuproptosis can selectively trigger immune responses within tumor regions, thereby addressing the issue of tumor-mediated immune evasion. Cuproptosis holds promise for improving the efficacy of immunotherapy by promoting a more robust anti-tumor immune response within the tumor microenvironment. The combination of cuproptosis-inducing strategies with immunotherapeutic approaches presents a novel and potentially effective direction for future cancer treatment.