Year: 2021
Type: review
Abstract: The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in regulating antitumor immune responses. As an important part of the TME, alternatively activated type 2 (M2) macrophages drive the development of primary and secondary tumors by promoting tumor cell proliferation, tumor angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling and overall immunosuppression. Immunotherapy approaches targeting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in order to reduce the immunosuppressive state in the TME have received great attention. Although these methods hold great potential for the treatment of several cancers, they also face some limitations, such as the fast degradation rate of drugs and drug-induced cytotoxicity of organs and tissues. Nanomedicine formulations that prevent TAM signaling and recruitment to the TME or deplete M2 TAMs to reduce tumor growth and metastasis represent encouraging novel strategies in cancer therapy. They allow the specific delivery of antitumor drugs to the tumor area, thereby reducing side effects associated with systemic application. In this review, we give an overview of TAM biology and the current state of nanomedicines that target M2 macrophages in the course of cancer immunotherapy, with a specific focus on nanoparticles (NPs). We summarize how different types of NPs target M2 TAMs, and how the physicochemical properties of NPs (size, shape, charge and targeting ligands) influence NP uptake by TAMs in vitro and in vivo in the TME. Furthermore, we provide a comparative analysis of passive and active NP-based TAM-targeting strategies and discuss their therapeutic potential.
Source: Pharmaceutics
Language: English
Topic: Immune cells in cancer
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,376
Awards: G1317455337, G1527077506, G1705128989, Site-selective protein-modification chemistries for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), proactive monitoring of cancer as an alternative to surgery, Preclinical Intra-Operative Image-Guided Surgery and Post-Operative Radiotherapy of Tumours, G2634235941, A nanovaccine Approach for the treatment of Pancreatic Cancer, Personalised Postoperative Immunotherapy To Improving Cancer Outcome and improving quality of life, G3345895242, G3459665177, G3477743816, Characterisation Of A Green Microenvironment And To Study Its Impact Upon Health and Well-Being in The Elderly As A Way Forward For Health Tourism., G4411833242, G4716528863, G4721760260, G472731921, G529321060, Nanoparticle-Based Therapeutic Applications and Detection of Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecules, G5357627433, Image-Guided Surgery (IGS) and Personalised Postoperative Immunotherapy To Improving Cancer Outcome, G5576161095, G5800125675, G6444611910, G6815844370, DevelOpmeNt of Cancer RNA TherapEutics, G7048215259, Active Monitoring of Cancer As An Alternative To Surgery, G795074641, G801095762, G8011259856, G8296109, G8837936660, Novel Applications in 19F Magnetic Resonance Imaging
OpenAlex ID: W3206844751