An update on combinational chemo-immunotherapy for breast cancer using nanotechnology

Breast cancer is still a considerable public health issue worldwide. However, earlier studies reported that chemotherapeutic drugs suppress the immune system. Therefore, a combination of chemotherapeutic agents with an immunomodulator might enhance antitumor immunity through immunogenic cell death, cross-priming, and the regulation of immune checkpoint molecules.

Nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery has received considerable attention in chemo-immunotherapy. A comprehensive literature review was performed using google scholar, Science Direct, the Clinical Research Database, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and DOAJ. The review discusses the combination of immunotherapy and nanotechnology including AI-based techniques used to identify suitable biomarkers and to enable selective drug delivery to breast cancer cells.

The combinational therapy containing chemotherapeutic agents and immunomodulators has shown promising results due to their synergistic effects. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in nanomedicine has enabled the design of nanoparticles, predict their interactions with drugs, and personalize treatment based on patients' individual tumor profiles. This advancement has marked the advent of precision medicine in oncology, which focuses on tailoring therapies to each tumor's molecular and genetic profile. Despite these encouraging developments, several challenges remain in nanotechnology for cancer therapy, including mass production, biosafety, regulatory issues, and the successful translation of laboratory findings into clinical practice.