Intratumorally CpG immunotherapy with carbon nanotubes inhibits local tumor growth and liver metastasis by suppressing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of colon cancer cells

Fanarraga M. Carbon nanotubes targeted to the tumor microenvironment inhibit metastasis in a preclinical model of melanoma

Despite notable progress in cancer therapy, metastatic diseases continue to be the primary cause of cancer-related mortality. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can enter tissues and cells and interfere with the dynamics of the cytoskeletal nanofilaments biomimetically. This endows them with intrinsic anti-tumoral effects comparable to those of microtubule-binding chemotherapies such as Taxol®. In this study, our focus was on exploring the potential of oxidized MWCNTs in selectively targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR). Our objective was to evaluate their effectiveness in inhibiting metastatic growth by inducing anti-proliferative, anti-migratory, and cytotoxic effects on both cancer and tumor microenvironment cells. Our findings demonstrated a significant reduction of over 80 % in malignant melanoma lung metastases and a substantial enhancement in overall animal welfare following intravenous administration of the targeted biodegradable MWCNTs. Furthermore, the combination of these nanomaterials with the conventional chemotherapy agent Taxol® yielded a remarkable 90 % increase in the antimetastatic effect. These results highlight the promising potential of this combined therapeutic approach against metastatic disease and are of paramount importance as metastasis is responsible for nearly 60,000 deaths each year.

Recent Insights into Nanotechnology in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third cancer among the known causes of cancer that impact people. Although CRC drug options are imperfect, primary detection of CRC can play a key role in treating the disease and reducing mortality. Cancer tissues show many molecular markers that can be used as a new way to advance therapeutic methods. Nanotechnology includes a wide range of nanomaterials with high diagnostic and therapeutic power. Several nanomaterials and nanoformulations can be used to treat cancer, especially CRC. In this review, we discuss recent insights into nanotechnology in colorectal cancer.

Emerging biomaterials for tumor immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

The immune system interacts with cancer cells in various intricate ways that can protect the individual from overproliferation of cancer cells; however, these interactions can also lead to malignancy. There has been a dramatic increase in the application of cancer immunotherapy in the last decade. However, low immunogenicity, poor specificity, weak presentation efficiency, and off-target side effects still limit its widespread application. Fortunately, advanced biomaterials effectively contribute immunotherapy and play an important role in cancer treatment, making it a research hotspot in the biomedical field.

MAIN BODY

This review discusses immunotherapies and the development of related biomaterials for application in the field. The review first summarizes the various types of tumor immunotherapy applicable in clinical practice as well as their underlying mechanisms. Further, it focuses on the types of biomaterials applied in immunotherapy and related research on metal nanomaterials, silicon nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, polymer nanoparticles, and cell membrane nanocarriers. Moreover, we introduce the preparation and processing technologies of these biomaterials (liposomes, microspheres, microneedles, and hydrogels) and summarize their mechanisms when applied to tumor immunotherapy. Finally, we discuss future advancements and shortcomings related to the application of biomaterials in tumor immunotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Research on biomaterial-based tumor immunotherapy is booming; however, several challenges remain to be overcome to transition from experimental research to clinical application. Biomaterials have been optimized continuously and nanotechnology has achieved continuous progression, ensuring the development of more efficient biomaterials, thereby providing a platform and opportunity for breakthroughs in tumor immunotherapy.

Theranostics Nanomedicine Applications for Colorectal Cancer and Metastasis: Recent Advances

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, and metastatic CRC is a fatal disease. The CRC-affected tissues show several molecular markers that could be used as a fresh strategy to create newer methods of treating the condition. The liver and the peritoneum are where metastasis occurs most frequently. Once the tumor has metastasized to the liver, peritoneal carcinomatosis is frequently regarded as the disease's final stage. However, nearly 50% of CRC patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis do not have liver metastases. New diagnostic and therapeutic approaches must be developed due to the disease's poor response to present treatment choices in advanced stages and the necessity of an accurate diagnosis in the early stages. Many unique and amazing nanomaterials with promise for both diagnosis and treatment may be found in nanotechnology. Numerous nanomaterials and nanoformulations, including carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, liposomes, silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, metal-organic frameworks, core-shell polymeric nano-formulations, and nano-emulsion systems, among others, can be used for targeted anticancer drug delivery and diagnostic purposes in CRC. Theranostic approaches combined with nanomedicine have been proposed as a revolutionary approach to improve CRC detection and treatment. This review highlights recent studies, potential, and challenges for the development of nanoplatforms for the detection and treatment of CRC.

Nanoimmunoengineering strategies in cancer diagnosis and therapy

Cancer immunotherapy strategies in combination with engineered nanosystems have yielded beneficial results in the treatment of cancer and their application is increasing day by day. The pivotal role of stimuli-responsive nanosystems and nanomedicine-based cancer immunotherapy, as a subsidiary discipline in the field of immunology, cannot be ignored. Today, rapid advances in nanomedicine are used as a platform for exploring new therapeutic applications and modern smart healthcare management strategies. The progress of nanomedicine in cancer treatment has confirmed the findings of immunotherapy in the medical research phase. This study concentrates on approaches connected to the efficacy of nanoimmunoengineering strategies for cancer immunotherapies and their applications. By assessing improved approaches, different aspects of the nanoimmunoengineering strategies for cancer therapies are discussed in this study.

Nanotechnology for colorectal cancer detection and treatment

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Across the globe, people in the age group older than 50 are at a higher risk of CRC. Genetic and environmental risk factors play a significant role in the development of CRC. If detected early, CRC is preventable and treatable. Currently, available screening methods and therapies for CRC treatment reduce the incidence rate among the population, but the micrometastasis of cancer may lead to recurrence. Therefore, the challenge is to develop an alternative therapy to overcome this complication. Nanotechnology plays a vital role in cancer treatment and offers targeted chemotherapies directly and selectively to cancer cells, with enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, nanotechnology elevates the chances of patient survival in comparison to traditional chemotherapies. The potential of nanoparticles includes that they may be used simultaneously for diagnosis and treatment. These exciting properties of nanoparticles have enticed researchers worldwide to unveil their use in early CRC detection and as effective treatment. This review discusses contemporary methods of CRC screening and therapies for CRC treatment, while the primary focus is on the theranostic approach of nanotechnology in CRC treatment and its prospects. In addition, this review aims to provide knowledge on the advancement of nanotechnology in CRC and as a starting point for researchers to think about new therapeutic approaches using nanotechnology.

Microemulsion Based Nanostructures for Drug Delivery

Most of the active pharmaceutical compounds are often prone to display low bioavailability and biological degradation represents an important drawback. Due to the above, the development of a drug delivery system (DDS) that enables the introduction of a pharmaceutical compound through the body to achieve a therapeutic effect in a controlled manner is an expanding application. Henceforth, new strategies have been developed to control several parameters considered essential for enhancing delivery of drugs. Nanostructure synthesis by microemulsions (ME) consist of enclosing a substance within a wall material at the nanoscale level, allowing to control the size and surface area of the resulting particle. This nanotechnology has shown the importance on targeted drug delivery to improve their stability by protecting a bioactive compound from an adverse environment, enhanced bioavailability as well as controlled release. Thus, a lower dose administration could be achieved by minimizing systemic side effects and decreasing toxicity. This review will focus on describing the different biocompatible nanostructures synthesized by ME as controlled DDS for therapeutic purposes.

Insights on functionalized carbon nanotubes for cancer theranostics

Despite the exciting breakthroughs in medical technology, cancer still accounts for one of the principle triggers of death and conventional therapeutic modalities often fail to attain an effective cure. Recently, nanobiotechnology has made huge advancement in cancer therapy with gigantic application potential because of their ability in achieving precise and controlled drug release, elevating drug solubility and reducing adverse effects. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), one of the most promising carbon-related nanomaterials, have already achieved much success in biomedical field. Due to their excellent optical property, thermal and electronic conductivity, easy functionalization ability and high drug loading capacity, CNTs can be applied in a multifunctional way for cancer treatment and diagnosis. In this review, we will give an overview of the recent progress of CNT-based drug delivery systems in cancer theranostics, which emphasizes their targetability to intracellular components of tumor cells and extracellular elements in tumor microenvironment. Moreover, a detailed introduction on how CNTs penetrate inside the tumor cells to reach their sites of action and achieve the therapeutic effects, as well as their diagnostic applications will be highlighted.