Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatment

Nanoprodrugs, leveraging advanced nanoparticle-based delivery systems, represent a promising strategy to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in cancer treatment. These systems offer precise tumor targeting, controlled drug release, and the potential to modulate the immune microenvironment, address...

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Main Authors: Yunfan Lin, Pei Lin, Xu Chen, Xinyuan Zhao, Li Cui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Materials Today Bio
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006425005034
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author Yunfan Lin
Pei Lin
Xu Chen
Xinyuan Zhao
Li Cui
author_facet Yunfan Lin
Pei Lin
Xu Chen
Xinyuan Zhao
Li Cui
author_sort Yunfan Lin
collection DOAJ
description Nanoprodrugs, leveraging advanced nanoparticle-based delivery systems, represent a promising strategy to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in cancer treatment. These systems offer precise tumor targeting, controlled drug release, and the potential to modulate the immune microenvironment, addressing several limitations of conventional therapeutic approaches. This review systematically evaluates the role of nanoprodrugs in improving immunotherapy outcomes, focusing on their ability to overcome challenges such as poor bioavailability, systemic toxicity, and limited tumor specificity. We also discuss the key advantages of these systems, including their ability to co-deliver immune checkpoint inhibitors and other immunomodulatory agents, potentially enabling more synergistic and effective treatment strategies. Despite their promise, several challenges remain, including achieving precise control over drug release, integrating multiple stimulus-responsive mechanisms, addressing tumor heterogeneity, and overcoming barriers to clinical translation. The review concludes with a perspective on future directions, emphasizing the need for further optimization of nanomaterial design, improved delivery strategies, and solutions to the complexities of the tumor microenvironment to maximize the clinical impact of nanoprodrugs in cancer immunotherapy.
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spelling doaj-art-af0482c467fc4b4e962fbbaa4f1d4b7c2025-08-20T03:26:31ZengElsevierMaterials Today Bio2590-00642025-06-013210193310.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101933Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatmentYunfan Lin0Pei Lin1Xu Chen2Xinyuan Zhao3Li Cui4Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong, ChinaStomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong, ChinaStomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong, ChinaStomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong, China; Corresponding author.Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong, China; School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90095, CA, USA; Corresponding author. Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, Guangdong, China.Nanoprodrugs, leveraging advanced nanoparticle-based delivery systems, represent a promising strategy to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in cancer treatment. These systems offer precise tumor targeting, controlled drug release, and the potential to modulate the immune microenvironment, addressing several limitations of conventional therapeutic approaches. This review systematically evaluates the role of nanoprodrugs in improving immunotherapy outcomes, focusing on their ability to overcome challenges such as poor bioavailability, systemic toxicity, and limited tumor specificity. We also discuss the key advantages of these systems, including their ability to co-deliver immune checkpoint inhibitors and other immunomodulatory agents, potentially enabling more synergistic and effective treatment strategies. Despite their promise, several challenges remain, including achieving precise control over drug release, integrating multiple stimulus-responsive mechanisms, addressing tumor heterogeneity, and overcoming barriers to clinical translation. The review concludes with a perspective on future directions, emphasizing the need for further optimization of nanomaterial design, improved delivery strategies, and solutions to the complexities of the tumor microenvironment to maximize the clinical impact of nanoprodrugs in cancer immunotherapy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006425005034NanoprodrugCancer immunotherapyTumor microenvironment
spellingShingle Yunfan Lin
Pei Lin
Xu Chen
Xinyuan Zhao
Li Cui
Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatment
Materials Today Bio
Nanoprodrug
Cancer immunotherapy
Tumor microenvironment
title Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatment
title_full Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatment
title_fullStr Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatment
title_full_unstemmed Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatment
title_short Harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy: overcoming barriers to precision treatment
title_sort harnessing nanoprodrugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy overcoming barriers to precision treatment
topic Nanoprodrug
Cancer immunotherapy
Tumor microenvironment
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006425005034
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AT xuchen harnessingnanoprodrugstoenhancecancerimmunotherapyovercomingbarrierstoprecisiontreatment
AT xinyuanzhao harnessingnanoprodrugstoenhancecancerimmunotherapyovercomingbarrierstoprecisiontreatment
AT licui harnessingnanoprodrugstoenhancecancerimmunotherapyovercomingbarrierstoprecisiontreatment