Hydrogels in the Immune Context: In Vivo Applications for Modulating Immune Responses in Cancer Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Immunology
• Cancer Therapy

Background:

• Growing demand for targeted and effective cancer immunotherapies.
• Biomaterial-based strategies are emerging as powerful tools for local immune response regulation.
• Hydrogels, biocompatible and tunable polymeric networks, offer high versatility for tailored immune environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review essential hydrogel design features for in vivo functionality.
• To explore hydrogel applications in enhancing immune cell functions and modulating the tumor microenvironment.
• To examine the clinical translation of hydrogels in cancer immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of essential hydrogel design features (injectability, degradation kinetics, immune-specific functionalization).
• Exploration of hydrogel applications for cellular modulation (T cell activation, dendritic cell maturation, macrophage reprogramming).
• Examination of hydrogels for cytokine delivery, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and lymphoid structure creation.

Main Results:

• Hydrogels enable controlled delivery of immune cues and cellular engineering for precise immune regulation.
• Hydrogels can enhance T cell activation, dendritic cell maturation, and macrophage reprogramming.
• Hydrogels facilitate cytokine delivery, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and formation of tertiary lymphoid structures.

Conclusions:

• In vivo hydrogel systems are promising immuno-interactive platforms for reshaping immune responses in cancer.
• Hydrogels offer precise control over innate and adaptive immunity with minimized systemic toxicity.
• Ongoing clinical trials highlight the advancing potential of hydrogels in cancer immunotherapy.