Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer Therapy
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in regulating antitumor immune responses. As an important part of the TME, alternatively activated type 2 (M2) macrophages drive the development of primary and secondary tumors by promoting tumor cell proliferation, tumor angiogenesis, extracellu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceutics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/10/1670 |
| _version_ | 1797513405899210752 |
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| author | Yuanyuan He Raimundo Fernandes de Araújo Júnior Luis J. Cruz Christina Eich |
| author_facet | Yuanyuan He Raimundo Fernandes de Araújo Júnior Luis J. Cruz Christina Eich |
| author_sort | Yuanyuan He |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in regulating antitumor immune responses. As an important part of the TME, alternatively activated type 2 (M2) macrophages drive the development of primary and secondary tumors by promoting tumor cell proliferation, tumor angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling and overall immunosuppression. Immunotherapy approaches targeting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in order to reduce the immunosuppressive state in the TME have received great attention. Although these methods hold great potential for the treatment of several cancers, they also face some limitations, such as the fast degradation rate of drugs and drug-induced cytotoxicity of organs and tissues. Nanomedicine formulations that prevent TAM signaling and recruitment to the TME or deplete M2 TAMs to reduce tumor growth and metastasis represent encouraging novel strategies in cancer therapy. They allow the specific delivery of antitumor drugs to the tumor area, thereby reducing side effects associated with systemic application. In this review, we give an overview of TAM biology and the current state of nanomedicines that target M2 macrophages in the course of cancer immunotherapy, with a specific focus on nanoparticles (NPs). We summarize how different types of NPs target M2 TAMs, and how the physicochemical properties of NPs (size, shape, charge and targeting ligands) influence NP uptake by TAMs in vitro and in vivo in the TME. Furthermore, we provide a comparative analysis of passive and active NP-based TAM-targeting strategies and discuss their therapeutic potential. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:16:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-46d03dacb1bc42ac9493180afe4f16dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:16:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj.art-46d03dacb1bc42ac9493180afe4f16dc2023-11-22T19:39:29ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232021-10-011310167010.3390/pharmaceutics13101670Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer TherapyYuanyuan He0Raimundo Fernandes de Araújo Júnior1Luis J. Cruz2Christina Eich3Translational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging (TNI) Group, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The NetherlandsTranslational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging (TNI) Group, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The NetherlandsTranslational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging (TNI) Group, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The NetherlandsTranslational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging (TNI) Group, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The NetherlandsThe tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in regulating antitumor immune responses. As an important part of the TME, alternatively activated type 2 (M2) macrophages drive the development of primary and secondary tumors by promoting tumor cell proliferation, tumor angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling and overall immunosuppression. Immunotherapy approaches targeting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in order to reduce the immunosuppressive state in the TME have received great attention. Although these methods hold great potential for the treatment of several cancers, they also face some limitations, such as the fast degradation rate of drugs and drug-induced cytotoxicity of organs and tissues. Nanomedicine formulations that prevent TAM signaling and recruitment to the TME or deplete M2 TAMs to reduce tumor growth and metastasis represent encouraging novel strategies in cancer therapy. They allow the specific delivery of antitumor drugs to the tumor area, thereby reducing side effects associated with systemic application. In this review, we give an overview of TAM biology and the current state of nanomedicines that target M2 macrophages in the course of cancer immunotherapy, with a specific focus on nanoparticles (NPs). We summarize how different types of NPs target M2 TAMs, and how the physicochemical properties of NPs (size, shape, charge and targeting ligands) influence NP uptake by TAMs in vitro and in vivo in the TME. Furthermore, we provide a comparative analysis of passive and active NP-based TAM-targeting strategies and discuss their therapeutic potential.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/10/1670tumor microenvironmenttumor targetingnanoparticlesM1/M2 macrophagescancer |
| spellingShingle | Yuanyuan He Raimundo Fernandes de Araújo Júnior Luis J. Cruz Christina Eich Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer Therapy Pharmaceutics tumor microenvironment tumor targeting nanoparticles M1/M2 macrophages cancer |
| title | Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer Therapy |
| title_full | Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer Therapy |
| title_fullStr | Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer Therapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer Therapy |
| title_short | Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Tumor-Associated Macrophages as Cancer Therapy |
| title_sort | functionalized nanoparticles targeting tumor associated macrophages as cancer therapy |
| topic | tumor microenvironment tumor targeting nanoparticles M1/M2 macrophages cancer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/13/10/1670 |
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