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Farasatkia A, Maeso L, Gharibi H, Dolatshahi-Pirouz A, Stojanovic GM, Edmundo Antezana P, Jeong JH, Federico Desimone M, Orive G, Kharaziha M. Design of nanosystems for melanoma treatment. Int J Pharm 2024; 665:124701. [PMID: 39278291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 08/24/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma is a prevalent and concerning form of skin cancer affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Unfortunately, traditional treatments can be invasive and painful, prompting the need for alternative therapies with improved efficacy and patient outcomes. Nanosystems offer a promising solution to these obstacles through the rational design of nanoparticles (NPs) which are structured into nanocomposite forms, offering efficient approaches to cancer treatment procedures. A range of NPs consisting of polymeric, metallic and metal oxide, carbon-based, and virus-like NPs have been studied for their potential in treating skin cancer. This review summarizes the latest developments in functional nanosystems aimed at enhancing melanoma treatment. The fundamentals of these nanosystems, including NPs and the creation of various functional nanosystem types, facilitating melanoma treatment are introduced. Then, the advances in the applications of functional nanosystems for melanoma treatment are summarized, outlining both their benefits and the challenges encountered in implementing nanosystem therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asal Farasatkia
- Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran
| | - Lidia Maeso
- NanoBioCel Research Group, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Hamidreza Gharibi
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Goran M Stojanovic
- Department of Electronics, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Pablo Edmundo Antezana
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco (IQUIMEFA, CONICET), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jee-Heon Jeong
- Laboratory of Drug Delivery and Cell Therapy (LDDCT). Department of Precision Medicine. School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University. South Korea
| | - Martin Federico Desimone
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química y Metabolismo del Fármaco (IQUIMEFA, CONICET), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Gorka Orive
- NanoBioCel Research Group, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Bioaraba, NanoBioCel Research Group, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; University Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Oral Implantology - UIRMI (UPV/EHU-Fundación Eduardo Anitua), Vitoria 01007, Spain.
| | - Mahshid Kharaziha
- Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran.
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Valdez-Salazar F, Jiménez-Del Rio LA, Padilla-Gutiérrez JR, Valle Y, Muñoz-Valle JF, Valdés-Alvarado E. Advances in Melanoma: From Genetic Insights to Therapeutic Innovations. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1851. [PMID: 39200315 PMCID: PMC11351162 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12081851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Advances in melanoma research have unveiled critical insights into its genetic and molecular landscape, leading to significant therapeutic innovations. This review explores the intricate interplay between genetic alterations, such as mutations in BRAF, NRAS, and KIT, and melanoma pathogenesis. The MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways are highlighted for their roles in tumor growth and resistance mechanisms. Additionally, this review delves into the impact of epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone changes, on melanoma progression. The tumor microenvironment, characterized by immune cells, stromal cells, and soluble factors, plays a pivotal role in modulating tumor behavior and treatment responses. Emerging technologies like single-cell sequencing, CRISPR-Cas9, and AI-driven diagnostics are transforming melanoma research, offering precise and personalized approaches to treatment. Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors and personalized mRNA vaccines, has revolutionized melanoma therapy by enhancing the body's immune response. Despite these advances, resistance mechanisms remain a challenge, underscoring the need for combined therapies and ongoing research to achieve durable therapeutic responses. This comprehensive overview aims to highlight the current state of melanoma research and the transformative impacts of these advancements on clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Emmanuel Valdés-Alvarado
- Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas (IICB), Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (F.V.-S.)
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Yadav K, Gnanakani SPE, Sahu KK, Veni Chikkula CK, Vaddi PS, Srilakshmi S, Yadav R, Sucheta, Dubey A, Minz S, Pradhan M. Nano revolution of DNA nanostructures redefining cancer therapeutics-A comprehensive review. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 274:133244. [PMID: 38901506 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
DNA nanostructures are a promising tool in cancer treatment, offering an innovative way to improve the effectiveness of therapies. These nanostructures can be made solely from DNA or combined with other materials to overcome the limitations of traditional single-drug treatments. There is growing interest in developing nanosystems capable of delivering multiple drugs simultaneously, addressing challenges such as drug resistance. Engineered DNA nanostructures are designed to precisely deliver different drugs to specific locations, enhancing therapeutic effects. By attaching targeting molecules, these nanostructures can recognize and bind to cancer cells, increasing treatment precision. This approach offers tailored solutions for targeted drug delivery, enabling the delivery of multiple drugs in a coordinated manner. This review explores the advancements and applications of DNA nanostructures in cancer treatment, with a focus on targeted drug delivery and multi-drug therapy. It discusses the benefits and current limitations of nanoscale formulations in cancer therapy, categorizing DNA nanostructures into pure forms and hybrid versions optimized for drug delivery. Furthermore, the review examines ongoing research efforts and translational possibilities, along with challenges in clinical integration. By highlighting the advancements in DNA nanostructures, this review aims to underscore their potential in improving cancer treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Yadav
- Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Kohka, Bhilai 490024, India
| | - S Princely E Gnanakani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Parul Institute of Pharmacy, Parul University, Post Limda, Ta.Waghodia - 391760, Dist. Vadodara, Gujarat, India
| | - Kantrol Kumar Sahu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh 281406, India
| | - C Krishna Veni Chikkula
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Poorna Sai Vaddi
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - S Srilakshmi
- Gitam School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Gitams University, Vishakhapatnam, India
| | - Renu Yadav
- School of Medical and Allied Sciences, K. R. Mangalam University, Sohna Road, Gurugram, Haryana 122103, India
| | - Sucheta
- School of Medical and Allied Sciences, K. R. Mangalam University, Sohna Road, Gurugram, Haryana 122103, India
| | - Akhilesh Dubey
- Nitte (Deemed to be University), NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutics, Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India
| | - Sunita Minz
- Department of Pharmacy, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak (M.P.), India
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Sunga GM, Hartgerink J, Sikora AG, Young S. Enhancement of Immunotherapies in Head and Neck Cancers Using Biomaterial-Based Treatment Strategies. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2023; 29:257-275. [PMID: 37183412 PMCID: PMC10282827 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2023.0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a challenging disease to treat because of typically late-stage diagnoses and tumor formation in difficult-to-treat areas, sensitive to aggressive or invasive treatments. To date, HNSCC treatments have been limited to surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, which may have significant morbidity and often lead to long-lasting side effects. The development of immunotherapies has revolutionized cancer treatment by providing a promising alternative to standard-of-care therapies. However, single-agent immunotherapy has been only modestly effective in the treatment of various cancers, including HNSCC, with most patients receiving no overall benefit or increased survival. In addition, single-agent immunotherapy's limitations, namely immune-related side effects and the necessity of multidose treatments, must be addressed to further improve treatment efficacy. Biocompatible biomaterials, in combination with cancer immunotherapies, offer numerous advantages in the concentration, localization, and controlled release of drugs, cancer antigens, and immune cells. Biomaterial structures are diverse, and their design can generally be customized to enhance immunotherapy response. In preclinical settings, the use of biomaterials has shown great promise in improving the efficacy of single-agent immunotherapy. Herein, we provide an overview of current immunotherapy treatments for HNSCC and their limitations, as well as the potential applications of biomaterials in enhancing cancer immunotherapies. Impact Statement Advances in anticancer immunotherapies for the past 30 years have yielded exciting clinical results and provided alternatives to long-standing standard-of-care treatments, which are associated with significant toxicities and long-term morbidity. However, patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have not benefited from immunotherapies as much as patients with other cancers. Immunotherapy limitations include systemic side effects, therapeutic resistance, poor delivery kinetics, and limited patient responses. Biomaterial-enhanced immunotherapies, as explored in this review, are a potentially powerful means of achieving localized drug delivery, sustained and controlled drug release, and immunomodulation. They may overcome current treatment limitations and improve patient outcomes and care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemalene M. Sunga
- Katz Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffrey Hartgerink
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew G. Sikora
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Simon Young
- Katz Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry, Houston, Texas, USA
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Sedighi M, Shrestha N, Mahmoudi Z, Khademi Z, Ghasempour A, Dehghan H, Talebi SF, Toolabi M, Préat V, Chen B, Guo X, Shahbazi MA. Multifunctional Self-Assembled Peptide Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:1160. [PMID: 36904404 PMCID: PMC10007692 DOI: 10.3390/polym15051160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-assembly is a growth mechanism in nature to apply local interactions forming a minimum energy structure. Currently, self-assembled materials are considered for biomedical applications due to their pleasant features, including scalability, versatility, simplicity, and inexpensiveness. Self-assembled peptides can be applied to design and fabricate different structures, such as micelles, hydrogels, and vesicles, by diverse physical interactions between specific building blocks. Among them, bioactivity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of peptide hydrogels have introduced them as versatile platforms in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensing, and treating different diseases. Moreover, peptides are capable of mimicking the microenvironment of natural tissues and responding to internal and external stimuli for triggered drug release. In the current review, the unique characteristics of peptide hydrogels and recent advances in their design, fabrication, as well as chemical, physical, and biological properties are presented. Additionally, recent developments of these biomaterials are discussed with a particular focus on their biomedical applications in targeted drug delivery and gene delivery, stem cell therapy, cancer therapy and immune regulation, bioimaging, and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Sedighi
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853076, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853076, Iran
| | - Neha Shrestha
- Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Biomedicine and Translational Research, Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kathmandu P.O. Box 7731, Nepal
| | - Zahra Mahmoudi
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6517838636, Iran
| | - Zahra Khademi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9177948954, Iran
| | - Alireza Ghasempour
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853076, Iran
| | - Hamideh Dehghan
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853076, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Fahimeh Talebi
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853076, Iran
| | - Maryam Toolabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Véronique Préat
- Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bozhi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xindong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
- Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
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Farhana A. Enhancing Skin Cancer Immunotheranostics and Precision Medicine through Functionalized Nanomodulators and Nanosensors: Recent Development and Prospects. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3493. [PMID: 36834917 PMCID: PMC9959821 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Skin cancers, especially melanomas, present a formidable diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the scientific community. Currently, the incidence of melanomas shows a high increase worldwide. Traditional therapeutics are limited to stalling or reversing malignant proliferation, increased metastasis, or rapid recurrence. Nonetheless, the advent of immunotherapy has led to a paradigm shift in treating skin cancers. Many state-of-art immunotherapeutic techniques, namely, active vaccination, chimeric antigen receptors, adoptive T-cell transfer, and immune checkpoint blockers, have achieved a considerable increase in survival rates. Despite its promising outcomes, current immunotherapy is still limited in its efficacy. Newer modalities are now being explored, and significant progress is made by integrating cancer immunotherapy with modular nanotechnology platforms to enhance its therapeutic efficacy and diagnostics. Research on targeting skin cancers with nanomaterial-based techniques has been much more recent than other cancers. Current investigations using nanomaterial-mediated targeting of nonmelanoma and melanoma cancers are directed at augmenting drug delivery and immunomodulation of skin cancers to induce a robust anticancer response and minimize toxic effects. Many novel nanomaterial formulations are being discovered, and clinical trials are underway to explore their efficacy in targeting skin cancers through functionalization or drug encapsulation. The focus of this review rivets on theranostic nanomaterials that can modulate immune mechanisms toward protective, therapeutic, or diagnostic approaches for skin cancers. The recent breakthroughs in nanomaterial-based immunotherapeutic modulation of skin cancer types and diagnostic potentials in personalized immunotherapies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Farhana
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Aljouf 72388, Saudi Arabia
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Shi B, Li D, Yao W, Wang W, Jiang J, Wang R, Yan F, Liu H, Zhang H, Ye J. Multifunctional theranostic nanoparticles for multi-modal imaging-guided CAR-T immunotherapy and chemo-photothermal combinational therapy of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:2577-2589. [PMID: 35393988 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm01982a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Accurate and effective tumor diagnosis, detection, and treatment are key for improving the survival rates of patients. Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has shown remarkable clinical success in eradicating hematologic malignancies. However, the hostile microenvironment in solid tumors severely prevents CAR-T cells from migrating and from infiltrating and killing malignant cells. Tumor microenvironment modulation strategies have attracted much attention in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Multifunctional nanoplatforms that integrate the advantages of different therapeutic techniques can allow for the multimodal synergistic treatment of tumors. In this study, a biocompatible, tumor-targeting, on-demand approach combining CAR-T cell immunotherapy and a chemo-photothermal therapy nanoplatform (FA-Gd-GERTs@Ibrutinib) based on gadolinium-loaded gap-enhanced Raman tags (Gd-GERTs) has been developed for multimodal imaging, and it provides a reliable treatment strategy for solid tumor immunotherapy via microenvironment reconstruction. In our study, folate (FA) receptor targeted molecules are used to improve the accuracy and sensitivity of computed tomography/magnetic resonance/Raman multimodal tumor imaging. The photothermal effect of the nanoprobe can promote the angiogenesis of lymphoma tissue, destroy the extracellular matrix, loosen compact tissue, stimulate chemokine secretion, and effectively enhance the infiltration ability in the case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, without dampening the CD19 CAR-T cell activity. The treatment results in tumor-bearing mice proved the existence of excellent synergistic therapy; photothermal therapy improves the accumulation and effector function of CAR-T cells within solid tumors. It is believed that multifunctional nanomaterials with targeted multi-modal imaging capabilities that support combination therapy can provide an efficient route for accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Shi
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Dan Li
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Weiwu Yao
- Department of Radiology, Tongren Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200050, P. R. China
| | - Wenfang Wang
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Jiang Jiang
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Ruiheng Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Fuhua Yan
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Han Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Huan Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P. R. China.
| | - Jian Ye
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P. R. China. .,Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
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Zhang ZZ, Wang T, Wang XF, Zhang YQ, Song SX, Ma CQ. Improving the ability of CAR-T cells to hit solid tumors: Challenges and strategies. Pharmacol Res 2021; 175:106036. [PMID: 34920118 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.106036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy is a late-model of immune cell therapy that has been shown to be effective in refractory/recurrent B-cell leukemia and lymphoma. Compared with the traditional anti-tumor methods, CAR-T cell therapy has the advantages of higher specificity, stronger lethality and longer-lasting efficacy. Although CAR-T cells have made significant progress in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, diverse difficulties remain in the treatment of solid tumors, including immune escape due to tumor antigen heterogeneity, preventing entry or limiting the persistence of CAR-T cells by physical or cytokine barriers and along with other immunosuppressive molecule and cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Otherwise, the intracellular signaling of CAR also impact on CAR-T cells persistence. Appropriate modification of intracellular costimulatory molecular signal in the structure of CAR or coexpression of CAR and cytokines can provide a way to enhance CAR-T cells activity. Additionally, CAR-T cells dysfunction due to T cell exhaustion is associated with multi-factors, especially transcription factors, such as c-Jun, NR4A. Engineering CAR-T cells to coexpress or knockout transcription factors in favor of TCM memory CAR-T cells differentiation was proved to prolonged the survival of CAR-T cells. Finally, combination of CAR-T cells with oncolytic viruses, nanoparticles or immune checkpoint inhibitors provides an effective measure to improve CAR-T cells function. Here, we discuss all of these advances and challenges and review promising strategies for treating solid tumors. In particular, we also highlight that CAR-T cells have enormous potential to be used in combination with other immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-Zheng Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Key Laboratory of Immune Mechanism and Intervention for Serious Diseases in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, Heibei, China
| | - Tian Wang
- Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Key Laboratory of Immune Mechanism and Intervention for Serious Diseases in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, Heibei, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Wang
- Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Key Laboratory of Immune Mechanism and Intervention for Serious Diseases in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, Heibei, China
| | - Yu-Qing Zhang
- Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Key Laboratory of Immune Mechanism and Intervention for Serious Diseases in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, Heibei, China
| | - Shu-Xia Song
- Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Key Laboratory of Immune Mechanism and Intervention for Serious Diseases in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, Heibei, China.
| | - Cui-Qing Ma
- Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Key Laboratory of Immune Mechanism and Intervention for Serious Diseases in Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050017, Heibei, China.
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