Biomimetic Polymer-Based Nanomaterials for Immune-Responsive Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths because of its late diagnosis, tumor heterogeneity, compromised liver function, and the poor efficacy of conventional treatment strategies. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive immune therapy have shown promising results in some patients, these therapies are also less effective overall due to many factors. Biomimetic polymer nanomaterials have recently been explored as novel tools to address these challenges by combining synthetic polymeric carriers with biologically inspired elements, including cell membrane modification, receptor-targeting ligands, and smart designs. This review focuses on the therapeutic potential of the biomimetic polymer-based nanomaterials for hepatocellular carcinoma by covering their liver immunological characteristics, design principles, various types, and immune-modulating mechanisms with preclinical evidence, challenges, limitations, and future perspectives. Studies show that these nanoplatforms enable sustained circulation, evade the immune system, selectively accumulate in tumors, and provide controlled release of immunotherapeutic agents. Biomimetic approaches promote antigen presentation, immune modulation, and immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. Preclinical evidence shows that nanomaterial-based cancer vaccine therapy, immune cell reprogramming, and combination therapies work in synergy with checkpoint inhibitors to overcome immunosuppression, activate T cells, and suppress tumor growth. Regardless of these promising outcomes, factors such as complexity in fabrication, batch preparation variability, scalability, and biosafety over a long period of time make it difficult to translate them into the clinical environment. There is a need to overcome these challenges by optimal design, standardized preparation, and biosafety evaluation for the clinical translation of biomimetic nanoplatforms.