| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.25 MB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Alves, Cátia
Moreira, André
Mendonça, António
Correia, I.J.
Diogo, Duarte de Melo
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The pursuit of effective treatments for metastatic cancer is still one of the
most intensive areas of research in the biomedical field. In a not-so-distant
past, the scientific community has witnessed the rise of immunotherapy
based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This therapeutic modality
intends to abolish immunosuppressive interactions, re-establishing T cell
responses against metastasized cancer cells. Despite the initial enthusiasm,
the ICIs were later found to be associated with low clinical therapeutic
outcomes and immune-related side effects. To address these limitations,
researchers are exploring the combination of ICIs with nanomaterial-mediated
phototherapies. These nanomaterials can accumulate within the tumor
and produce, upon interaction with light, a temperature increase (photothermal
therapy) and/or reactive oxygen species (photodynamic therapy),
causing damage to cancer cells. Importantly, these photothermal-photodynamic
effects can pave the way for an enhanced ICI-based immunotherapy
by inducing the release of tumor-associated antigens and danger-associated
molecular patterns, as well as by relieving tumor hypoxia and triggering a
pro-inflammatory response. This progress report analyses the potential of
nanomaterial-mediated photothermal-photodynamic therapy in combination
with ICIs, focusing on their ability to modulate T cell populations leading to
an anti-metastatic abscopal effect and on their capacity to generate immune
memory that prevents tumor recurrence.
Description
Keywords
Cancer Immunotherapy Nanomedicine Near infrared Photodynamic Phototherapy Photothermal
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Publisher
Wiley