Combination of Plant Virus Nanoparticle-Based in Situ Vaccination with Chemotherapy Potentiates Antitumor Response

Current advance of nanotechnology in diagnosis and treatment for malignant tumors

Cancer remains a significant risk to human health. Nanomedicine is a new multidisciplinary field that is garnering a lot of interest and investigation. Nanomedicine shows great potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Specifically engineered nanoparticles can be employed as contrast agents in cancer diagnostics to enable high sensitivity and high-resolution tumor detection by imaging examinations. Novel approaches for tumor labeling and detection are also made possible by the use of nanoprobes and nanobiosensors. The achievement of targeted medication delivery in cancer therapy can be accomplished through the rational design and manufacture of nanodrug carriers. Nanoparticles have the capability to effectively transport medications or gene fragments to tumor tissues via passive or active targeting processes, thus enhancing treatment outcomes while minimizing harm to healthy tissues. Simultaneously, nanoparticles can be employed in the context of radiation sensitization and photothermal therapy to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of malignant tumors. This review presents a literature overview and summary of how nanotechnology is used in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors. According to oncological diseases originating from different systems of the body and combining the pathophysiological features of cancers at different sites, we review the most recent developments in nanotechnology applications. Finally, we briefly discuss the prospects and challenges of nanotechnology in cancer.

Enhancing in situ cancer vaccines using delivery technologies

In situ cancer vaccination refers to any approach that exploits tumour antigens available at a tumour site to induce tumour-specific adaptive immune responses. These approaches hold great promise for the treatment of many solid tumours, with numerous candidate drugs under preclinical or clinical evaluation and several products already approved. However, there are challenges in the development of effective in situ cancer vaccines. For example, inadequate release of tumour antigens from tumour cells limits antigen uptake by immune cells; insufficient antigen processing by antigen-presenting cells restricts the generation of antigen-specific T cell responses; and the suppressive immune microenvironment of the tumour leads to exhaustion and death of effector cells. Rationally designed delivery technologies such as lipid nanoparticles, hydrogels, scaffolds and polymeric nanoparticles are uniquely suited to overcome these challenges through the targeted delivery of therapeutics to tumour cells, immune cells or the extracellular matrix. Here, we discuss delivery technologies that have the potential to reduce various clinical barriers for in situ cancer vaccines. We also provide our perspective on this emerging field that lies at the interface of cancer vaccine biology and delivery technologies.

The Role of TRAIL Signaling in Cancer: Searching for New Therapeutic Strategies

Cancer continues to pose a significant threat to global health, with its status as a leading cause of death remaining unchallenged. Within the realm of cancer research, the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) stands out as a critical player, having been identified in the 1990s as the tenth member of the TNF family. This review examines the pivotal role of TRAIL in cancer biology, focusing on its ability to induce apoptosis in malignant cells through both endogenous and exogenous pathways. We provide an in-depth analysis of TRAIL's intracellular signaling and intercellular communication, underscoring its potential as a selective anticancer agent. Additionally, the review explores TRAIL's capacity to reshape the tumor microenvironment, thereby influencing cancer progression and response to therapy. With an eye towards future developments, we discuss the prospects of harnessing TRAIL's capabilities for the creation of tailored, precision-based cancer treatments, aiming to enhance efficacy and improve patient survival rates.

The recent advancements in protein nanoparticles for immunotherapy

In recent years, the advancement of nanoparticle-based immunotherapy has introduced an innovative strategy for combatting diseases. Compared with other types of nanoparticles, protein nanoparticles have obtained substantial attention owing to their remarkable biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of modification, and finely designed spatial structures. Nature provides several protein nanoparticle platforms, including viral capsids, ferritin, and albumin, which hold significant potential for disease treatment. These naturally occurring protein nanoparticles not only serve as effective drug delivery platforms but also augment antigen delivery and targeting capabilities through techniques like genetic modification and covalent conjugation. Motivated by nature's originality and driven by progress in computational methodologies, scientists have crafted numerous protein nanoparticles with intricate assembly structures, showing significant potential in the development of multivalent vaccines. Consequently, both naturally occurring and de novo designed protein nanoparticles are anticipated to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy. This review consolidates the advancements in protein nanoparticles for immunotherapy across diseases including cancer and other diseases like influenza, pneumonia, and hepatitis.

Development of Intratumoral Drug Delivery Based Strategies for Antitumor Therapy

Research for tumor treatment with significant therapy effects and minimal side-effects has been widely carried over the past few decades. Different drug forms have received a lot of attention. However, systemic biodistribution induces efficacy and safety issues. Intratumoral delivery of agents might overcome these problems because of its abundant tumor accumulation and retention, thereby reducing side effects. Delivering hydrogels, nanoparticles, microneedles, and microspheres drug carriers directly to tumors can realize not only targeted tumor therapy but also low side-effects. Furthermore, intratumoral administration has been integrated with treatment strategies such as chemotherapy, enhancing radiotherapy, immunotherapy, phototherapy, magnetic fluid hyperthermia, and multimodal therapy. Some of these strategies are ongoing clinical trials or applied clinically. However, many barriers hinder it from being an ideal and widely used option, such as decreased drug penetration impeded by collagen fibers of a tumor, drug squeezed out by high density and high pressure, mature intratumoral injection technique. In this review, we systematically discuss intratumoral delivery of different drug carriers and current development of intratumoral therapy strategies.

Engineering approaches for innate immune-mediated tumor microenvironment remodeling

Cancer immunotherapy offers transformative promise particularly for the treatment of lethal cancers, since a correctly trained immune system can comprehensively orchestrate tumor clearance with no need for continued therapeutic intervention. Historically, the majority of immunotherapies have been T cell-focused and have included immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, and T-cell vaccines. Unfortunately T-cell-focused therapies have failed to achieve optimal efficacy in most solid tumors largely because of a highly immunosuppressed 'cold' or immune-excluded tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, a rapidly growing treatment paradigm has emerged that focuses on activation of tumor-resident innate antigen-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells and macrophages, which can drive a proinflammatory immune response to remodel the TME from 'cold' or immune-excluded to 'hot'. Early strategies for TME remodeling centered on free cytokines and agonists, but these approaches have faced significant hurdles in both delivery and efficacy. Systemic toxicity from off-target inflammation is a paramount concern in these therapies. To address this critical gap, engineering approaches have provided the opportunity to add 'built-in' capabilities to cytokines, agonists, and other therapeutic agents to mediate improved delivery and efficacy. Such capabilities have included protective encapsulation to shield them from degradation, targeting to direct them with high specificity to tumors, and co-delivery strategies to harness synergistic proinflammatory pathways. Here, we review innate immune-mediated TME remodeling engineering approaches that focus on cytokines, innate immune agonists, immunogenic viruses, and cell-based methods, highlighting emerging preclinical approaches and strategies that are either being tested in clinical trials or already Food and Drug Administration approved.

Multifunctional plant virus nanoparticles: An emerging strategy for therapy of cancer

Cancer therapy requires sophisticated treatment strategies to obtain the highest success. Nanotechnology is enabling, revolutionizing, and multidisciplinary concepts to improve conventional cancer treatment modalities. Nanomaterials have a central role in this scenario, explaining why various nanomaterials are currently being developed for cancer therapy. Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) have shown promising performance in cancer therapy due to their unique features. VNPs possess morphological homogeneity, ease of functionalization, biocompatibility, biodegradability, water solubility, and high absorption efficiency that are beneficial for cancer therapy applications. In the current review paper, we highlight state-of-the-art properties and potentials of plant viruses, strategies for multifunctional plant VNPs formulations, potential applications and challenges in VNPs-based cancer therapy, and finally practical solutions to bring potential cancer therapy one step closer to real applications. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.

Plant Virus Nanoparticles Combat Cancer

Plant virus nanoparticles (PVNPs) have garnered considerable interest as a promising nanotechnology approach to combat cancer. Owing to their biocompatibility, stability, and adjustable surface functionality, PVNPs hold tremendous potential for both therapeutic and imaging applications. The versatility of PVNPs is evident from their ability to be tailored to transport a range of therapeutic agents, including chemotherapy drugs, siRNA, and immunomodulators, thereby facilitating targeted delivery to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Furthermore, PVNPs may be customized with targeting ligands to selectively bind to cancer cell receptors, reducing off-target effects. Additionally, PVNPs possess immunogenic properties and can be engineered to exhibit tumor-associated antigens, thereby stimulating anti-tumor immune responses. In conclusion, the potential of PVNPs as a versatile platform for fighting cancer is immense, and further research is required to fully explore their potential and translate them into clinical applications.

Peptide-Functionalized and Drug-Loaded Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus Nanoparticles Counteract Tumor Growth in a Mouse Model of Shh-Dependent Medulloblastoma

Sonic hedgehog medulloblastoma (SHH-MB) accounts for 25-30% of all MBs, and conventional therapy results in severe long-term side effects. New targeted therapeutic approaches are urgently needed, drawing also on the fields of nanoparticles (NPs). Among these, plant viruses are very promising, and we previously demonstrated that tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), functionalized on the surface with CooP peptide, specifically targets MB cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that TBSV-CooP can specifically deliver a conventional chemotherapeutic drug (i.e., doxorubicin, DOX) to MB in vivo. To this aim, a preclinical study was designed to verify, by histological and molecular methods, if multiple doses of DOX-TBSV-CooP were able to inhibit tumor progression of MB pre-neoplastic lesions, and if a single dose was able to modulate pro-apoptotic/anti-proliferative molecular signaling in full-blown MBs. Our results demonstrate that when DOX is encapsulated in TBSV-CooP, its effects on cell proliferation and cell death are similar to those obtained with a five-fold higher dose of non-encapsulated DOX, both in early and late MB stages. In conclusion, these results confirm that CooP-functionalized TBSV NPs are efficient carriers for the targeted delivery of therapeutics to brain tumors.

Plant-derived nanoparticles and plant virus nanoparticles: Bioactivity, health management, and delivery potential

Natural plants have acquired an increasing attention in biomedical research. Recent studies have revealed that plant-derived nanoparticles (PDNPs), which are nano-sized membrane vesicles released by plants, are one of the important material bases for the health promotion of natural plants. A great deal of research in this field has focused on nanoparticles derived from fresh vegetables and fruits. Generally, PDNPs contain lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and other active small molecules and exhibit unique biological regulatory activity and editability. Specifically, they have emerged as important mediators of intercellular communication, and thus, are potentially suitable for therapeutic purposes. In this review, PDNPs were extensively explored; by evaluating them systematically starting from the origin and isolation, toward their characteristics, including morphological compositions, biological functions, and delivery potentials, as well as distinguishing them from plant-derived exosomes and highlighting the limitations of the current research. Meanwhile, we elucidated the variations in PDNPs infected by pathogenic microorganisms and emphasized on the biological functions and characteristics of plant virus nanoparticles. After clarifying these problems, it is beneficial to further research on PDNPs in the future and develop their clinical application value.

Combining in situ vaccination and immunogenic apoptosis to treat cancer

Immunization approaches are designed to stimulate the immune system and eliminate the tumor. Studies indicate that cancer immunization combined with certain chemotherapeutics and immunostimulatory agents can improve outcomes. Chemotherapeutics-based immunogenic cell death makes the tumor more recognizable by the immune system. In situ vaccination (ISV) utilizes established tumors as antigen sources and directly applies an immune adjuvant to the tumor to reverse a cold tumor microenvironment to a hot one. Immunogenic cell death and ISV highlight for the immune system the tumor antigens that are recognizable by immune cells and support a T-cell attack of the tumor cells. This review presents the concept of immunogenic apoptosis and ISV as a powerful platform for cancer immunization.

Rip it, stitch it, click it: A Chemist's guide to VLP manipulation

Viruses are some of nature's most ubiquitous self-assembled molecular containers. Evolutionary pressures have created some incredibly robust, thermally, and enzymatically resistant carriers to transport delicate genetic information safely. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are human-engineered non-infectious systems that inherit the parent virus' ability to self-assemble under controlled conditions while being non-infectious. VLPs and plant-based viral nanoparticles are becoming increasingly popular in medicine as their self-assembly properties are exploitable for applications ranging from diagnostic tools to targeted drug delivery. Understanding the basic structure and principles underlying the assembly of higher-order structures has allowed researchers to disassemble (rip it), reassemble (stitch it), and functionalize (click it) these systems on demand. This review focuses on the current toolbox of strategies developed to manipulate these systems by ripping, stitching, and clicking to create new technologies in the biomedical space.

Multifunctional plant virus nanoparticles in the next generation of cancer immunotherapies

Plant virus nanoparticles (PVNPs) have inherent immune stimulatory ability, and have been investigated as immune adjuvants to stimulate an anti-tumor immune response. The combination of immune stimulation, nanoparticle structure and the ability to deliver other therapeutic molecules provides a flexible platform for cancer immunotherapy. Researching multifunctional PVNPs and their modification will generate novel reagents for cancer immunotherapy. Here we review the properties of PVNPs, and their potential for clinical utilization to activate anti-tumor innate and lymphoid immune responses. PVNPs have potential utility for cancer immunotherapy as vaccine adjuvant, and delivery systems for other reagents as mono immunotherapy or combined with other immunotherapies. This review outlines the potential and challenges in developing PVNPs as cancer immunotherapy reagents.

Plug-and-Display Photo-Switchable Systems on Plant Virus Nanoparticles

Light can be used to regulate protein interactions with a high degree of spatial and temporal precision. Photo-switchable systems therefore allow the development of controllable protein complexes that can influence various cellular and molecular processes. Here, we describe a plant virus-based nanoparticle shuttle for the distribution of proteins that can be released when exposed to light. Potato virus X (PVX) is often used as a presentation system for heterologous proteins and epitopes, and has ideal properties for biomedical applications such as good tissue penetration and the ability to form hydrogels that present signaling molecules and promote cell adhesion. In this study, we describe three different systems attached to the surface of PVX particles: LOVTRAP, BphP1/QPAS1 and Dronpa145N. We demonstrated the functionality of all three photo-switchable protein complexes in vitro and the successful loading and unloading of PVX particles. The new systems provide the basis for promising applications in the biomedical and biomaterial sciences.

TRAIL in the Treatment of Cancer: From Soluble Cytokine to Nanosystems

The death ligand tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF cytokine superfamily, has long been recognized for its potential as a cancer therapeutic due to its low toxicity against normal cells. However, its translation into a therapeutic molecule has not been successful to date, due to its short in vivo half-life associated with insufficient tumor accumulation and resistance of tumor cells to TRAIL-induced killing. Nanotechnology has the capacity to offer solutions to these limitations. This review provides a perspective and a critical assessment of the most promising approaches to realize TRAIL's potential as an anticancer therapeutic, including the development of fusion constructs, encapsulation, nanoparticle functionalization and tumor-targeting, and discusses the current challenges and future perspectives.

In situ delivery of nanoparticles formulated with micron-sized crystals protects from murine melanoma

Introduction

Intratumoral injections of novel therapeutics can activate tumor antigen-specific T cells for locoregional tumor control and may even induce durable systemic protection (against distant metastases) via recirculating T cells. Here we explored the possibility of a universal immunotherapy that promotes T-cell responses in situ and beyond, upon intratumoral injection of nanoparticles formulated with micron-sized crystals.

Methods

Cucumber mosaic virus-like particles containing a tetanus toxin peptide (CuMV_TT) were formulated with microcrystalline tyrosine (MCT) adjuvant and injected directly in B16F10 melanoma tumors. To further enhance immunogenicity, we loaded the nanoparticles with a TLR7/8 ligand and incorporated a universal tetanus toxin T-helper cell peptide. We assessed therapeutic efficacy and induction of local and systemic immune responses, including RNA sequencing, providing broad insight into the tumor microenvironment and correlates of protection.

Results

MCT crystals were successfully decorated with CuMV_TT nanoparticles. This ‘immune-enhancer’ formed immunogenic depots in injected tumors, enhanced polyfunctional CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells, and inhibited B16F10 tumor growth locally and systemically. Local inflammation and immune responses were associated with upregulation of genes involved in complement activation and collagen formation.

Conclusions

Our new immune-enhancer turned immunologically cold tumors into hot ones and inhibited local and distant tumor growth. This type of immunotherapy does not require the identification of (patient–individual) relevant tumor antigens. It is well tolerated, non-infectious, and affordable, and can readily be upscaled for future clinical testing and broad application in melanoma and likely other solid tumors.

Multifunctional Plant Virus Nanoparticles for Targeting Breast Cancer Tumors

Breast cancer treatment using plant-virus-based nanoparticles (PVNPs) has achieved considerable success in preclinical studies. PVNP-based breast cancer therapies include non-targeted and targeted nanoplatforms for delivery of anticancer therapeutic chemo and immune agents and cancer vaccines for activation of local and systemic antitumor immunity. Interestingly, PVNP platforms combined with other tumor immunotherapeutic options and other modalities of oncotherapy can improve tumor efficacy treatment. These applications can be achieved by encapsulation of a wide range of active ingredients and conjugating ligands for targeting immune and tumor cells. This review presents the current breast cancer treatments based on PVNP platforms.

Self-adjuvanting cancer nanovaccines

Nanovaccines, a new generation of vaccines that use nanoparticles as carriers and/or adjuvants, have been widely used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Nanovaccines have sparked considerable interest in cancer therapy due to a variety of advantages, including improved access to lymph nodes (LN), optimal packing and presentation of antigens, and induction of a persistent anti-tumor immune response. As a delivery system for cancer vaccines, various types of nanoparticles have been designed to facilitate the delivery of antigens and adjuvants to lymphoid organs and antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Particularly, some types of nanoparticles are able to confer an immune-enhancing capability and can themselves be utilized for adjuvant-like effect for vaccines, suggesting a direction for a better use of nanomaterials and the optimization of cancer vaccines. However, this role of nanoparticles in vaccines has not been well studied. To further elucidate the role of self-adjuvanting nanovaccines in cancer therapy, we review the mechanisms of antitumor vaccine adjuvants with respect to nanovaccines with self-adjuvanting properties, including enhancing cross-presentation, targeting signaling pathways, biomimicking of the natural invasion process of pathogens, and further unknown mechanisms. We surveyed self-adjuvanting cancer nanovaccines in clinical research and discussed their advantages and challenges. In this review, we classified self-adjuvanting cancer nanovaccines according to the underlying immunomodulatory mechanism, which may provide mechanistic insights into the design of nanovaccines in the future.

Structurally Modified Plant Viruses and Bacteriophages with Helical Structure. Properties and Applications

Structurally modified virus particles can be obtained from the rod-shaped or filamentous virions of plant viruses and bacteriophages by thermal or chemical treatment. They have recently attracted attention of the researchers as promising biogenic platforms for the development of new biotechnologies. This review presents data on preparation, structure, and properties of the structurally modified virus particles. In addition, their biosafety for animals is considered, as well as the areas of application of such particles in biomedicine. A separate section is devoted to one of the most relevant and promising areas for the use of structurally modified plant viruses – design of vaccine candidates based on them.

Emerging vaccine nanotechnology: From defense against infection to sniping cancer

Looking retrospectively at the development of humanity, vaccination is an unprecedented medical landmark that saves lives by harnessing the human immune system. During the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, vaccination is still the most effective defense modality. The successful clinical application of the lipid nanoparticle-based Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines highlights promising future of nanotechnology in vaccine development. Compared with conventional vaccines, nanovaccines are supposed to have advantages in lymph node accumulation, antigen assembly, and antigen presentation; they also have, unique pathogen biomimicry properties because of well-organized combination of multiple immune factors. Beyond infectious diseases, vaccine nanotechnology also exhibits considerable potential for cancer treatment. The ultimate goal of cancer vaccines is to fully mobilize the potency of the immune system as a living therapeutic to recognize tumor antigens and eliminate tumor cells, and nanotechnologies have the requisite properties to realize this goal. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in vaccine nanotechnology from infectious disease prevention to cancer immunotherapy and highlight the different types of materials, mechanisms, administration methods, as well as future perspectives.

Cowpea Mosaic Virus Outperforms Other Members of the Secoviridae as In Situ Vaccine for Cancer Immunotherapy

In situ vaccination for cancer immunotherapy uses intratumoral administration of small molecules, proteins, nanoparticles, or viruses that activate pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) to reprogram the tumor microenvironment and prime systemic antitumor immunity. Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) is a plant virus that─while noninfectious toward mammals─activates mammalian PRRs. Application of CPMV as in situ vaccine (ISV) results in a potent and durable efficacy in tumor mouse models and canine patients; data indicate that CPMV outperforms small molecule PRR agonists and other nonrelated plant viruses and virus-like particles (VLPs). In this work, we set out to compare the potency of CPMV versus other plant viruses from the Secoviridae. We developed protocols to produce and isolate cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV) and tobacco ring spot virus (TRSV) from plants. CPSMV, like CPMV, is a comovirus with genome and protein homology, while TRSV lacks homology and is from the genus nepovirus. When applied as ISV in a mouse model of dermal melanoma (using B16F10 cells and C57Bl6J mice), CPMV outperformed CPSMV and TRSV─again highlighting the unique potency of CPMV. Mechanistically, the increased potency is related to increased signaling through toll-like receptors (TLRs)─in particular, CPMV signals through TLR2, 4, and 7. Using knockout (KO) mouse models, we demonstrate here that all three plant viruses signal through the adaptor molecule MyD88─with CPSMV and TRSV predominantly activating TLR2 and 4. CPMV induced significantly more interferon β (IFNβ) compared to TRSV and CPSMV; therefore, IFNβ released upon signaling through TLR7 may be a differentiator for the observed potency of CPMV-ISV. Additionally, CPMV induced a different temporal pattern of intratumoral cytokine generation characterized by significantly increased inflammatory cytokines 4 days after the second of 2 weekly treatments, as if CPMV induced a "memory response". This higher, longer-lasting induction of cytokines may be another key differentiator that explains the unique potency of CPMV-ISV.

Emerging Potential of Plant Virus Nanoparticles (PVNPs) in Anticancer Immunotherapies

Cancer immunotherapies using plant virus nanoparticles (PVNPs) have achieved considerable success in preclinical studies. PVNP based nanoplatforms can be endogenous immune adjuvants and act as nanocarriers that stabilize and deliver cancer antigens and exogenous immune adjuvants. Although they do not infect mammalian cells, PVNPs are viruses and they are variably recognized by pathogen pattern recognition receptors (PRR), activate innate immune cells including antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and increase the expression of costimulatory molecules. Novel immunotherapy strategies use them as in situ vaccines (ISV) that can effectively inhibit tumor growth after intratumoral administration and generate expanded systemic antitumor immunity. PVNPs combined with other tumor immunotherapeutic options and other modalities of oncotherapy can improve both local and systemic anti-tumor immune responses. While not yet in clinical trials in humans, there is accelerating interest and research of the potential of PVNPs for ISV immune therapy for cancer. Thus, antitumor efficacy of PVNPs by themselves, or loaded with soluble toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists and/or cancer antigens, will likely enter human trials over the next few years and potentially contribute to next-generation antitumor immune-based therapies.

Combining nanomedicine and immune checkpoint therapy for cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a pillar of the cancer therapy armamentarium. Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) is a mainstay of modern immunotherapy. Although ICT monotherapy has demonstrated remarkable clinical efficacy in some patients, the majority do not respond to treatment. In addition, many patients eventually develop resistance to ICT, disease recurrence, and toxicity from off-target effects. Combination therapy is a keystone strategy to overcome the limitations of monotherapy. With the integration of ICT and any therapy that induces tumor cell lysis and release of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), ICT is expected to strengthen the coordinated innate and adaptive immune responses to TAA release and promote systemic, cellular antitumor immunity. Nanomedicine is well poised to facilitate combination ICT. Nanoparticles with delivery and/or immunomodulation capacities have been successfully combined with ICT in preclinical applications. Delivery nanoparticles protect and control the targeted release of their cargo. Inherently immunomodulatory nanoparticles can facilitate immunogenic cell death, modification of the tumor microenvironment, immune cell mimicry and modulation, and/or in situ vaccination. Nanoparticles are frequently multifunctional, combining multiple treatment strategies into a single platform with ICT. Nanomedicine and ICT combinations have great potential to yield novel, powerful treatments for patients with cancer. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies.

Plant Virus Nanoparticles for Anti-cancer Therapy

Plant virus nanoparticles (VNPs) are inexpensive to produce, safe, biodegradable and efficacious as treatments. The applications of r plant virus nanoparticles range from epitope carriers for vaccines to agents in cancer immunotherapy. Both VNPs and virus-like particles (VLPs) are highly immunogenic and are readily phagocytosed by antigen presenting cells (APCs), which in turn elicit antigen processing and display of pathogenic epitopes on their surfaces. Since the VLPs are composed of multiple copies of their respective capsid proteins, they present repetitive multivalent scaffolds which aid in antigen presentation. Therefore, the VLPs prove to be highly suitable platforms for delivery and presentation of antigenic epitopes, resulting in induction of more robust immune response compared to those of their soluble counterparts. Since the tumor microenvironment poses the challenge of self-antigen tolerance, VLPs are preferrable platforms for delivery and display of self-antigens as well as otherwise weakly immunogenic antigens. These properties, in addition to their diminutive size, enable the VLPs to deliver vaccines to the draining lymph nodes in addition to promoting APC interactions. Furthermore, many plant viral VLPs possess inherent adjuvant properties dispensing with the requirement of additional adjuvants to stimulate immune activity. Some of the highly immunogenic VLPs elicit innate immune activity, which in turn instigate adaptive immunity in tumor micro-environments. Plant viral VLPs are nontoxic, inherently stable, and capable of being mass-produced as well as being modified with antigens and drugs, therefore providing an attractive option for eliciting anti-tumor immunity. The following review explores the use of plant viruses as epitope carrying nanoparticles and as a novel tools in cancer immunotherapy.

Size-dependent chemosensitization of doxorubicin-loaded polymeric nanoparticles for malignant glioma chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a traditional treatment method in clinical cancer treatment. However, it is limited due to the large toxic side effects of chemotherapeutics. Nanomedicines have shown great potential in the application of tumor therapy. The size of nanoparticles as a crucial factor in the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect can be regulated for the enhanced chemotherapy. Therefore, we believe that regulation of nanoparticle size can be used as an effective sensitizer to enhance the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy drugs on tumors. Here, we prepared several nanoparticles of different hydrodynamic diameters commonly found in nanomedical applications by the diblock copolymer of methoxy polyethylene glycol-poly (ϵ -caprolactone) (mPEG-PCL). The blood circulation effect and organ distribution in blood were detected by fluorescence labeled nanoparticles. We found that the small-sized nanoparticles exhibited much longer blood circulation time than the large-sized nanoparticles in vivo, and thus the nanoparticle concentration in the tumor tissue was relatively high. Systematic injection of the doxorubicin (DOX) loaded nanoparticles can effectively inhibit tumor growth. Compared to the free drug, tumor cells were much more sensitive to DOX loaded nanoparticles of small size. Our nano-drug delivery system has been proven to be safe and nontoxic in vivo and was suitable for use as a sensitizer in clinical oncology chemotherapy.

Customized materials-assisted microorganisms in tumor therapeutics

Microorganisms have been extensively applied as active biotherapeutic agents or drug delivery vehicles for antitumor treatment because of their unparalleled bio-functionalities. Taking advantage of the living attributes of microorganisms, a new avenue has been opened in anticancer research. The integration of customized functional materials with living microorganisms has demonstrated unprecedented potential in solving existing questions and even conferring microorganisms with updated antitumor abilities and has also provided an innovative train of thought for enhancing the efficacy of microorganism-based tumor therapy. In this review, we have summarized the emerging development of customized materials-assisted microorganisms (MAMO) (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, microalgae, as well as their components) in tumor therapeutics with an emphasis on the rational utilization of chosen microorganisms and tailored materials, the ingenious design of biohybrid systems, and the efficacious antitumor mechanisms. The future perspectives and challenges in this field are also discussed.

Application of Plant Viruses in Biotechnology, Medicine, and Human Health

Plant-based nanotechnology programs using virus-like particles (VLPs) and virus nanoparticles (VNPs) are emerging platforms that are increasingly used for a variety of applications in biotechnology and medicine. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and potato virus X (PVX), by virtue of having high aspect ratios, make ideal platforms for drug delivery. TMV and PVX both possess rod-shaped structures and single-stranded RNA genomes encapsidated by their respective capsid proteins and have shown great promise as drug delivery systems. Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) has an icosahedral structure, and thus brings unique benefits as a nanoparticle. The uses of these three plant viruses as either nanostructures or expression vectors for high value pharmaceutical proteins such as vaccines and antibodies are discussed extensively in the following review. In addition, the potential uses of geminiviruses in medical biotechnology are explored. The uses of these expression vectors in plant biotechnology applications are also discussed. Finally, in this review, we project future prospects for plant viruses in the fields of medicine, human health, prophylaxis, and therapy of human diseases.

Recent Advances in Engineered Materials for Immunotherapy-Involved Combination Cancer Therapy

Immunotherapy that can activate immunity or enhance the immunogenicity of tumors has emerged as one of the most effective methods for cancer therapy. Nevertheless, single-mode immunotherapy is still confronted with several critical challenges, such as the low immune response, the low tumor infiltration, and the complex immunosuppression tumor microenvironment. Recently, the combination of immunotherapy with other therapeutic modalities has emerged as a powerful strategy to augment the therapeutic outcome in fighting against cancer. In this review, recent research advances of the combination of immunotherapy with chemotherapy, phototherapy, radiotherapy, sonodynamic therapy, metabolic therapy, and microwave thermotherapy are summarized. Critical challenges and future research direction of immunotherapy-based cancer therapeutic strategy are also discussed.

New generation of viral nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy

Nanoscale engineering is one of the novel methods to cure multitudes of diseases, such as types of cancers, neurological disorders, and infectious illnesses. Viruses can play a vital role in nanoscale engineering due to their specific properties like minuscule size, high stability in different body conditions, and large-scale production. Viral-like particles (VLPs) as specific nanoscale scaffolds can encapsulate a wide range of cargos, including nucleic acids, proteins, peptides, and drugs. The Exterior portion of VLPs can be changed by genetical or chemical conjugation as well as targeting ligands or peptides. The aforementioned features of VLPs can be used in several applications, such as drug delivery, bioimaging, tissue engineering, vaccine production, and disease detection. This review article attempts to investigate appearance characteristics, modification strategies, and manufacturing methods of VLPs. Additionally, drug delivery to cancer cells as one of the VLPs applications along with different cellular uptake mechanisms of VLPs by cancer cells are chosen for investigation. This review also tries to gather most of the recent studies of drug delivery to cancer cells by VLPs.

Using nanoparticles for in situ vaccination against cancer: mechanisms and immunotherapy benefits

Immunotherapy to treat cancer is now an established clinical approach. Immunotherapy can be applied systemically, as done with checkpoint blockade antibodies, but it can also be injected directly into identified tumors, in a strategy of in situ vaccination (ISV). ISV is designed to stimulate a strong local antitumor immune response involving both innate and adaptive immune cells, and through this generate a systemic antitumor immune response against metastatic tumors. A variety of ISVs have been utilized to generate an immunostimulatory tumor microenvironment (TME). These include attenuated microorganisms, recombinant proteins, small molecules, physical disruptors of TME (alternating magnetic and focused ultrasound heating, photothermal therapy, and radiotherapy), and more recently nanoparticles (NPs). NPs are attractive and unique since they can load multiple drugs or other reagents to influence immune and cancer cell functions in the TME, affording a unique opportunity to stimulate antitumor immunity. Here, we describe the NP-ISV therapeutic mechanisms, review chemically synthesized NPs (i.e., liposomes, polymeric, chitosan-based, inorganic NPs, etc.), biologically derived NPs (virus and bacteria-based NPs), and energy-activated NP-ISVs in the context of their use as local ISV. Data suggests that NP-ISVs can enhance outcomes of immunotherapeutic regimens including those utilizing tumor hyperthermia and checkpoint blockade therapies.

In situ vaccination with nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy: understanding the immunology

FDA approval of anti-CTLA4 in 2011 for melanoma immunotherapy was paradigm shifting and dramatically accelerated cancer immunotherapy research. The investment and effort have been exceptionally large, with a commensurate impressive pace of discovery. Historical and current research has validated the following key points: tumors are recognized by the immune system; tumors develop an immunosuppressive environment which suppresses the antitumor immune response; successful immunotherapy must overcome that tumor-mediated immunosuppression. While cancer immunotherapy research expanded, a parallel effort developing nanoparticles (NP) for cancer diagnosis and therapy also received major investment and expanded. Initially the two efforts appeared to have minimal synergy. Systemically administered nanoparticles are rapidly ingested by phagocytic leukocytes, and therefore nanotechnologists developed strategies to avoid NP ingestion by leukocytes in order to accomplish nanoparticle accumulation in tumors rather than liver and spleen. Recently, nanotechnology and cancer immunotherapy have increasingly merged since phagocytic leukocytes are the key to reversing the local tumor immunosuppression and the tendency of NP to be phagocytosed can be exploited to manipulate phagocytes for immunotherapy. This review focuses on in situ vaccination (ISV), an immunotherapy approach that can utilize direct injection of immunostimulatory reagents, including NPs, into tumors to disrupt the local immunosuppression, stimulate effective immune response against the treated tumor, and most importantly, generate a systemic antitumor immune response to eliminate metastatic tumors. While there are many specific options for using NP for ISV (reviewed further in this special issue), this review focuses on immunology concepts needed to understand and design successful NP ISV approaches.

Tumor-targeting inorganic nanomaterials synthesized by living cells

Inorganic nanomaterials (NMs) have shown potential application in tumor-targeting theranostics, owing to their unique physicochemical properties. Some living cells in nature can absorb surrounding ions in the environment and then convert them into nanomaterials after a series of intracellular/extracellular biochemical reactions. Inspired by that, a variety of living cells have been used as biofactories to produce metallic/metallic alloy NMs, metalloid NMs, oxide NMs and chalcogenide NMs, which are usually automatically capped with biomolecules originating from the living cells, benefitting their tumor-targeting applications. In this review, we summarize the biosynthesis of inorganic nanomaterials in different types of living cells including bacteria, fungi, plant cells and animal cells, accompanied by their application in tumor-targeting theranostics. The mechanisms involving inorganic-ion bioreduction and detoxification as well as biomineralization are emphasized. Based on the mechanisms, we describe the size and morphology control of the products via the modulation of precursor ion concentration, pH, temperature, and incubation time, as well as cell metabolism by a genetic engineering strategy. The strengths and weaknesses of these biosynthetic processes are compared in terms of the controllability, scalability and cooperativity during applications. Future research in this area will add to the diversity of available inorganic nanomaterials as well as their quality and biosafety.

Self-assembled peptide and protein nanostructures for anti-cancer therapy: Targeted delivery, stimuli-responsive devices and immunotherapy

Self-assembled peptides and proteins possess tremendous potential as targeted drug delivery systems and key applications of these well-defined nanostructures reside in anti-cancer therapy. Peptides and proteins can self-assemble into nanostructures of diverse sizes and shapes in response to changing environmental conditions such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, as well as host and guest molecular interactions; their countless benefits include good biocompatibility and high loading capacity for hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. These self-assembled nanomaterials can be adorned with functional moieties to specifically target tumor cells. Stimuli-responsive features can also be incorporated with respect to the tumor microenvironment. This review sheds light on the growing interest in self-assembled peptides and proteins and their burgeoning applications in cancer treatment and immunotherapy.

Cowpea mosaic virus stimulates antitumor immunity through recognition by multiple MYD88-dependent toll-like receptors

Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), a non-enveloped plant virus, and empty CPMV (eCPMV), a virus-like particle (VLP) composed of CPMV capsid without nucleic acids, are potent in situ cancer vaccines when administered intratumorally (I.T.). However, it is unclear how immune cells recognize these nanoparticles and why they are immunogenic, which was investigated in this study. CPMV generated stronger selective induction of cytokines and chemokines in naïve mouse splenocytes and exhibited more potent anti-tumor efficacy than eCPMV. MyD88 is required for both CPMV- and eCPMV-elicited immune responses. Screening with human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cell toll-like receptor (TLR) reporter assays along with experiments in corresponding TLR-/- mice indicated CPMV and eCPMV capsids are recognized by MyD88-dependent TLR2 and TLR4. CPMV, but not eCPMV, is additionally recognized by TLR7. Secretion of type I interferons (IFNs), which requires the interaction between TLR7 and encapsulated single-stranded RNAs (ssRNAs), is critical to CPMV's better efficacy. The same recognition mechanisms are also functional in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Overall, these findings link CPMV immunotherapy efficacy with molecular recognition, provide rationale for how to develop more potent viral particles, accentuate the value of multi-TLR agonists as in situ cancer vaccines, and highlight the functional importance of type I IFNs for in situ vaccination.

Plant-based vaccines and cancer therapy: Where are we now and where are we going?

Therapeutic vaccines are an effective approach in cancer therapy for treating the disease at later stages. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first therapeutic cancer vaccine, and further studies are ongoing in clinical trials. These are expected to result in the future development of vaccines with relatively improved efficacy. Several vaccination approaches are being studied in pre-clinical and clinical trials, including the generation of anti-cancer vaccines by plant expression systems.This approach has advantages, such as high safety and low costs, especially for the synthesis of recombinant proteins. Nevertheless, the development of anti-cancer vaccines in plants is faced with some technical obstacles.Herein, we summarize some vaccines that have been used in cancer therapy, with an emphasis on plant-based vaccines.

The pharmacology of plant virus nanoparticles

The application of nanoparticles for medical purposes has made enormous strides in providing new solutions to health problems. The observation that plant virus-based nanoparticles (VNPs) can be repurposed and engineered as smart bio-vehicles for targeted drug delivery and imaging has launched extensive research for improving the therapeutic and diagnostic management of various diseases. There is evidence that VNPs are promising high value nanocarriers with potential for translational development. This is mainly due to their unique features, encompassing structural uniformity, ease of manufacture and functionalization by means of expression, chemical biology and self-assembly. While the development pipeline is moving rapidly, with many reports focusing on engineering and manufacturing aspects to tailor the properties and efficacy of VNPs, fewer studies have focused on gaining insights into the nanotoxicity of this novel platform nanotechnology. Herein, we discuss the pharmacology of VNPs as a function of formulation and route of administration. VNPs are reviewed in the context of their application as therapeutic adjuvants or nanocarrier excipients to initiate, enhance, attenuate or impede the formulation's toxicity. The summary of the data however also underlines the need for meticulous VNP structure-nanotoxicity studies to improve our understanding of their in vivo fates and pharmacological profiles to pave the way for translation of VNP-based formulations into the clinical setting.

Delivery of cancer therapies by synthetic and bio-inspired nanovectors

BACKGROUND

As a complement to the clinical development of new anticancer molecules, innovations in therapeutic vectorization aim at solving issues related to tumor specificity and associated toxicities. Nanomedicine is a rapidly evolving field that offers various solutions to increase clinical efficacy and safety. MAIN: Here are presented the recent advances for different types of nanovectors of chemical and biological nature, to identify the best suited for translational research projects. These nanovectors include different types of chemically engineered nanoparticles that now come in many different flavors of 'smart' drug delivery systems. Alternatives with enhanced biocompatibility and a better adaptability to new types of therapeutic molecules are the cell-derived extracellular vesicles and micro-organism-derived oncolytic viruses, virus-like particles and bacterial minicells. In the first part of the review, we describe their main physical, chemical and biological properties and their potential for personalized modifications. The second part focuses on presenting the recent literature on the use of the different families of nanovectors to deliver anticancer molecules for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nucleic acid-based therapy, modulation of the tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy.

CONCLUSION

This review will help the readers to better appreciate the complexity of available nanovectors and to identify the most fitting "type" for efficient and specific delivery of diverse anticancer therapies.

Engineering Nanoparticles toward the Modulation of Emerging Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy is a new therapeutic strategy to fight cancer by activating the patients' own immune system. At present, immunotherapy approaches such as cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), adoptive cell transfer (ACT), monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) therapy, and cytokines therapy have therapeutic potential in preclinical and clinical applications. However, the intrinsic limitations of conventional immunotherapy are difficulty of precise dosage control, insufficient enrichment in tumor tissues, partial immune response silencing or hyperactivity, and high cost. Engineering nanoparticles (NPs) have been emerging as a promising multifunctional platform to enhance conventional immunotherapy due to their intrinsic immunogenicity, convenient delivery function, controlled surface chemistry activity, multifunctional modifying potential, and intelligent targeting. This review presents the recent progress reflected by engineering NPs, including the diversified selection of functionalized NPs, the superiority of engineering NPs for enhancing conventional immunotherapy, and NP-mediated multiscale strategies for synergistic therapy consisting of compositions and their mechanism. Finally, the perspective on multifunctional NP-based cancer immunotherapy for boosting immunomodulation is discussed, which reveals the expanding landscape of engineering NPs in clinical translation.

Alfalfa mosaic virus nanoparticles-based in situ vaccination induces antitumor immune responses in breast cancer model

Background: Preclinical and clinical studies show that local and systemic antitumor efficacy is achievable by in situ vaccination (ISV) using plant virus nanoparticles in which immunostimulatory reagents are directly administered into the tumor rather than systemically. Aim: To investigate a minimally studied plant virus nanoparticle, alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), for ISV treatment of 4T1, the very aggressive and metastatic murine triple-negative breast cancer model. Materials & methods: AMV nanoparticles were propagated and characterized. Their treatment impact on in vivo tumors were analyzed using determination of inherent immunogenicity, cytokine analysis, western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry methodologies. Results: AMV used as an ISV significantly slowed down tumor progression and prolonged survival through immune mechanisms (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Mechanistic studies show that ISV with AMV increases costimulatory molecules, inflammatory cytokines and immune effector cell infiltration and downregulates immune-suppressive molecules.

Plant Viruses and Bacteriophage-Based Reagents for Diagnosis and Therapy

Viral nanotechnology exploits the prefabricated nanostructures of viruses, which are already abundant in nature. With well-defined molecular architectures, viral nanocarriers offer unprecedented opportunities for precise structural and functional manipulation using genetic engineering and/or bio-orthogonal chemistries. In this manner, they can be loaded with diverse molecular payloads for targeted delivery. Mammalian viruses are already established in the clinic for gene therapy and immunotherapy, and inactivated viruses or virus-like particles have long been used as vaccines. More recently, plant viruses and bacteriophages have been developed as nanocarriers for diagnostic imaging, vaccine and drug delivery, and combined diagnosis/therapy (theranostics). The first wave of these novel virus-based tools has completed clinical development and is poised to make an impact on clinical practice.

Advances in engineering local drug delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy aims to leverage the immune system to suppress the growth of tumors and to inhibit metastasis. The recent promising clinical outcomes associated with cancer immunotherapy have prompted research and development efforts towards enhancing the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade, cancer vaccines, cytokine therapy, and adoptive T cell therapy. Advancements in biomaterials, nanomedicine, and micro-/nano-technology have facilitated the development of enhanced local delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy, which can enhance treatment efficacy while minimizing toxicity. Furthermore, locally administered cancer therapies that combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or phototherapy have the potential to achieve synergistic antitumor effects. Herein, the latest studies on local delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy are surveyed, with an emphasis on the therapeutic benefits associated with the design of biomaterials and nanomedicines. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Active Microneedle Administration of Plant Virus Nanoparticles for Cancer in situ Vaccination Improves Immunotherapeutic Efficacy

The solid tumor microenvironment (TME) poses a significant structural and biochemical barrier to immunotherapeutic agents. To address the limitations of tumor penetration and distribution, and to enhance antitumor efficacy of immunotherapeutics, we present here an autonomous active microneedle (MN) system for the direct intratumoral (IT) delivery of a potent immunoadjuvant, cowpea mosaic virus nanoparticles (CPMV) in vivo. In this active delivery system, magnesium (Mg) microparticles embedded into active MNs react with the interstitial fluid in the TME, generating a propulsive force to drive the nanoparticle payload into the tumor. Active delivery of CPMV payload into B16F10 melanomas in vivo demonstrated substantially more pronounced tumor regression and prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice compared to that of passive MNs and conventional needle injection. Active MN administration of CPMV also enhanced local innate and systemic adaptive antitumor immunity. Our approach represents an elaboration of conventional CPMV in situ vaccination, highlighting substantial immune-mediated antitumor effects and improved therapeutic efficacy that can be achieved through an active and autonomous delivery system-mediated CPMV in situ vaccination.

Viral nanoparticles for drug delivery, imaging, immunotherapy, and theranostic applications

Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) encompass a diverse array of naturally occurring nanomaterials derived from plant viruses, bacteriophages, and mammalian viruses. The application and development of VNPs and their genome-free versions, the virus-like particles (VLPs), for nanomedicine is a rapidly growing. VLPs can encapsulate a wide range of active ingredients as well as be genetically or chemically conjugated to targeting ligands to achieve tissue specificity. VLPs are manufactured through scalable fermentation or molecular farming, and the materials are biocompatible and biodegradable. These properties have led to a wide range of applications, including cancer therapies, immunotherapies, vaccines, antimicrobial therapies, cardiovascular therapies, gene therapies, as well as imaging and theranostics. The use of VLPs as drug delivery agents is evolving, and sufficient research must continuously be undertaken to translate these therapies to the clinic. This review highlights some of the novel research efforts currently underway in the VNP drug delivery field in achieving this greater goal.

Protein cages and virus-like particles: from fundamental insight to biomimetic therapeutics

Protein cages (viral and non-viral) found in nature have evolved for a variety of purposes and are found in all kingdoms of life. The main functions of these nanoscale compartments are the protection and delivery of nucleic acids e.g. virus capsids, or the enrichment and sequestration of metabolons e.g. bacterial microcompartments. This review focuses on recent developments of protein cages for use in immunotherapy and therapeutic delivery. In doing so, we highlight the unique ways in which protein cages have informed on fundamental principles governing bio-nano interactions. With the enormous existing design space among naturally occurring protein cages, there is still much to learn from studying them as biomimetic particles.

Novel Drug Delivery Systems for Loading of Natural Plant Extracts and Their Biomedical Applications

Many types of research have distinctly addressed the efficacy of natural plant metabolites used for human consumption both in cell culture and preclinical animal model systems. However, these in vitro and in vivo effects have not been able to be translated for clinical use because of several factors such as inefficient systemic delivery and bioavailability of promising agents that significantly contribute to this disconnection. Over the past decades, extraordinary advances have been made successfully on the development of novel drug delivery systems for encapsulation of plant active metabolites including organic, inorganic and hybrid nanoparticles. The advanced formulas are confirmed to have extraordinary benefits over conventional and previously used systems in the manner of solubility, bioavailability, toxicity, pharmacological activity, stability, distribution, sustained delivery, and both physical and chemical degradation. The current review highlights the development of novel nanocarrier for plant active compounds, their method of preparation, type of active ingredients, and their biomedical applications.

Biomimetic Nanotechnology toward Personalized Vaccines

While traditional approaches for disease management in the era of modern medicine have saved countless lives and enhanced patient well-being, it is clear that there is significant room to improve upon the current status quo. For infectious diseases, the steady rise of antibiotic resistance has resulted in super pathogens that do not respond to most approved drugs. In the field of cancer treatment, the idea of a cure-all silver bullet has long been abandoned. As a result of the challenges facing current treatment and prevention paradigms in the clinic, there is an increasing push for personalized therapeutics, where plans for medical care are established on a patient-by-patient basis. Along these lines, vaccines, both against bacteria and tumors, are a clinical modality that could benefit significantly from personalization. Effective vaccination strategies could help to address many challenging disease conditions, but current vaccines are limited by factors such as a lack of potency and antigenic breadth. Recently, researchers have turned toward the use of biomimetic nanotechnology as a means of addressing these hurdles. Recent progress in the development of biomimetic nanovaccines for antibacterial and anticancer applications is discussed, with an emphasis on their potential for personalized medicine.