Nanotechnology Meets Immunotherapy: Crosstalks Against Cancer.

Advancing together and moving forward: Combination gene and cellular immunotherapies

Nanomaterials for Therapeutic RNA Delivery

The advent of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as a less invasive method to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has revolutionized the field of interventional cardiology. The use of metal stents as supporting structures, in addition to balloon angioplasty, for maintaining the patency of blocked coronary vessels was first pioneered in 1986 [1]. Before the introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES), bare-metal stents (BMS) were the mainstay in coronary stenting procedures. Indeed, coronary stenting accounted for 84.2% of all PCI procedures in 1999, and by 2005, 90% of stenting procedures were made using a DES [2].

Burn injuries present key medical issues because of their complexity, alongside long healing periods, and with the higher likelihood of infection. Typical burn care, such as ointments and wraps, features some cons like poor drug permeation, spotty drug dispersal, and promoting antimicrobial resistance. Thus, nano-drug delivery systems arose as a new way to better treat burn wound. Nanoparticles (NPs) offer many advantages, such as targeted drug delivery into cells, greatly improved bioavailability, relatively sustained drug release, and enhanced protection of therapeutic agents against degradation. This review explores the role of lipid-based, polymeric, and metallic NPs in burn wound repair. Lipid-based NPs, such as liposomes along with nanostructured lipid carriers, greatly improve drug retention via controlled release. Certain polymeric NPs, including dendrimers and chitosanbased systems, improve wound healing by controlled drug delivery and biocompatibility. Metallic NPs particular silver and gold NPs, exhibit strong antimicrobial properties significantly reducing the risk of burn wound infections. Thus, this lessens the chance of getting burn wound infections. Also, some specific nanocarriers, such as with stimuli-responsive and biomimetic NPs, show added gains in accurate drug transport and for faster wound repair. Despite their promising applications, problems are present, such as potential toxicity. Definite regulatory concerns, along with the highly optimized penetration need throughout damaged skin, remain real barriers against routine clinical implementation. Additional future research should focus intently on improving of nanoparticle safety profiles along with on refining of delivery mechanisms, besides conducting of wide-ranging clinical trials for generally validating their efficacy. Nanotechnology driven approaches definitely hold great potential for transforming burn care by addressing existing limitations and improving therapeutic outcomes.

Immunotherapy-induced CD8+ T Cells Instigate Immune Suppression in the Tumor

An Improved Bicistronic CD20/tCD34 Vector for Efficient Purification and In Vivo Depletion of Gene-Modified T Cells for Adoptive Immunotherapy

Biomimetic nanoparticles directly remodel immunosuppressive microenvironment for boosting glioblastoma immunotherapy

Long-term Therapy With Adefovir Dipivoxil for HBeAg-Negative Chronic Hepatitis B for up to 5 Years

SUMMARYTreatments aiming to augment immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in cancer often focus on T cell immunity, but innate immune cells may have important roles to play. Here, we demonstrate a single-dose combination treatment (termed AIP) using a pan-tumor-targeting antibody surrogate, half-life-extended interleukin-2 (IL-2), and anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), which primes tumors to respond to subsequent ICB and promotes rejection of large established tumors in mice. Natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages activated by AIP treatment underwent transcriptional reprogramming; rapidly killed cancer cells; governed the recruitment of cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and other leukocytes; and induced normalization of the tumor vasculature, facilitating further immune infiltration. Thus, innate cell-activating therapies can initiate critical steps leading to a self-sustaining cycle of T cell priming driven by ICB.

Phase Separation in Liquid Metal Nanoparticles

A wide variety of nanomaterials are currently being developed for use in the detection and treatment of human diseases. However, there is no systematic way to measure and predict the action of such materials in biological contexts. Lipid-encapsulated nanoparticles (NPs) are a class of nanomaterials that includes the liposomes, the most widely used and clinically proven type of NPs. Liposomes can, however, activate the complement system, an important branch of innate immunity, resulting in undesirable consequences. Here, we describe the complement response to lipid-encapsulated NPs that are functionalized on the surface with various lipid-anchored gadolinium chelates. We developed a quantitative approach to examine the interaction of NPs with the complement system using in vitro assays and correlating these results with those obtained in an in vivo mouse model. Our results indicate that surface functionalization of NPs with certain chemical structures elicits swift complement activation that is initiated by a natural IgM antibody and propagated via the classical pathway. The intensity of the response is dependent on the chemical structures of the lipid-anchored chelates and not zeta potential effects alone. Moreover, the extent of complement activation may be tempered by complement inhibiting regulatory proteins that bind to the surface of NPs. These findings represent a step forward in the understanding of the interactions between nanomaterials and the host innate immune response and provide the basis for a systematic structure-activity relationship study to establish guidelines that are critical to the future development of biocompatible nanotherapeutics.

Highly Efficient AuPd Catalyst for Synthesizing Polybenzoxazole with Controlled Polymerization

Uniform, Scalable, High-Temperature Microwave Shock for Nanoparticle Synthesis through Defect Engineering

Functional Two- and Three-Dimensional Architectures of Immobilized Metal Nanoparticles

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers pose a significant challenge due to high prevalence and mortality. While advancements in detection and conventional treatments have been made, prognosis often remains poor, particularly for advanced-stage cancers. Immunotherapy has emerged as a transformative approach, leveraging the body immune system against cancer, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), cancer vaccines, and adoptive cell transfer. These modalities have shown promise, achieving sustained responses and improved survival in some patients. However, their efficacy in GI cancers is less pronounced, hindered by drug resistance mechanisms that are either intrinsic or acquired over time. This review examines the latest understanding of immunotherapy in GI cancers, focusing on ICIs, cancer vaccines, and adoptive cell transfer, along with their associated outcomes and limitations. It delves into the mechanisms behind drug resistance, including alterations in immune checkpoints, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and genetic/epigenetic changes. The role of the gut microbiome is also considered as an emerging factor in resistance. To combat drug resistance, strategies such as enhancing immune response, targeting the tumor microenvironment, and modulating resistance mechanisms are explored. The review underscores the potential of ferroptosis induction as a novel approach. Looking forward, it highlights the need for personalized immunotherapies, understanding the influence of the gut microbiome, and further exploration of ferroptosis in overcoming resistance. While challenges persist, the continuous evolution in GI cancer immunotherapy research promises innovative treatments that could significantly improve patient outcomes.