Cell Death Pathway Regulation by Functional Nanomedicines for Robust Antitumor Immunity

Abstract

Abstract Cancer immunotherapy has become a mainstream cancer treatment over traditional therapeutic modes. Cancer cells can undergo programmed cell death including ferroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, apoptosis and cuproptosis which are find to have intrinsic relationships with host antitumor immune response. However, direct use of cell death inducers or regulators may bring about severe side effects that can also be rapidly excreted and degraded with low therapeutic efficacy. Nanomaterials are able to carry them for long circulation time, high tumor accumulation and controlled release to achieve satisfactory therapeutic effect. Nowadays, a large number of studies have focused on nanomedicines‐based strategies through modulating cell death modalities to potentiate antitumor immunity. Herein, immune cell types and their function are first summarized, and state‐of‐the‐art research progresses in nanomedicines mediated cell death pathways (e.g., ferroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, apoptosis and cuproptosis) with immune response provocation are highlighted. Subsequently, the conclusion and outlook of potential research focus are discussed.

Keywords

• apoptosis and cuproptosis
• autophagy and necroptosis
• cancer immunotherapy
• ferroptosis and pyroptosis
• nanomedicines