Reprogramming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment through nanomedicine: an immunometabolism perspective
Jieyu Liu,
Yinan Bai,
Yinggang Li,
Xiaoling Li,
Kui Luo
Affiliations
Jieyu Liu
Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
Yinan Bai
Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
Yinggang Li
Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
Xiaoling Li
Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China; Corresponding author.
Kui Luo
Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China; Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, NHC, and Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China; Corresponding author.
Summary: Increasing evidence indicates that immunotherapy is hindered by a hostile tumor microenvironment (TME) featured with deprivation of critical nutrients and pooling of immunosuppressive metabolites. Tumor cells and immunosuppressive cells outcompete immune effector cells for essential nutrients. Meanwhile, a wide range of tumor cell-derived toxic metabolites exerts negative impacts on anti-tumor immune response, diminishing the efficacy of immunotherapy. Nanomedicine with excellent targetability offers a novel approach to improving cancer immunotherapy via metabolically reprogramming the immunosuppressive TME. Herein, we review recent strategies of enhancing immunotherapeutic effects through rewiring tumor metabolism via nanomedicine. Attention is drawn on immunometabolic tactics for immune cells and stromal cells in the TME via nanomedicine. Additionally, we discuss future directions of developing metabolism-regulating nanomedicine for precise and efficacious cancer immunotherapy.
