Harnessing Nano DDS to Unlock Tumor Immunity

Abstract

Immunotherapy, represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors, has brought major breakthroughs in cancer therapy. However, its benefits are still limited to a fraction of patients, and many challenges remain. To overcome these limitations, nano-DDS are employed. We believe that nano-DDS are valuable not only for developing new cancer immunotherapies but also for studying the mechanisms of tumor immunity itself. With this idea in mind, we focus on two main directions: (1) developing innovative cancer immunotherapies based on nano-DDS, and (2) using nano-DDS to clarify how immune responses against tumors are regulated. This article introduces several studies that demonstrate the usefulness of nano-DDS from these two perspectives. Through these examples, we discuss how nano-DDS technologies can contribute to both the progress of cancer immunotherapy and a deeper understanding of tumor immunology.