Leveraging macrophages for cancer theranostics

Lu Liu; Hongjun Li; Jinqiang Wang; Jinchao Zhang; Xing-Jie Liang; Weisheng Guo; Zhen Gu

doi:10.1016/j.addr.2022.114136

Leveraging macrophages for cancer theranostics

Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2022 Apr:183:114136. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114136. Epub 2022 Feb 7.

Authors

Lu Liu¹, Hongjun Li², Jinqiang Wang³, Jinchao Zhang⁴, Xing-Jie Liang⁵, Weisheng Guo⁶, Zhen Gu⁷

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Department of Bioengineering and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
² Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China.
³ Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Environmental Science, Chemical Biology Key Laboratory of Hebei Province, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
⁵ CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: liangxj@nanoctr.cn.
⁶ Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China. Electronic address: tjuguoweisheng@126.com.
⁷ Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Zhejiang Laboratory of Systems & Precision Medicine, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 311121, China; Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, Jinhua 321299, China; Department of Bioengineering and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States. Electronic address: guzhen@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 35143894
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114136

Abstract

As fundamental immune cells in innate and adaptive immunity, macrophages engage in a double-edged relationship with cancer. Dissecting the character of macrophages in cancer development facilitates the emergence of macrophages-based new strategies that encompass macrophages as theranostic targets/tools of interest for treating cancer. Herein, we provide a concise overview of the mixed roles of macrophages in cancer pathogenesis and invasion as a foundation for the review discussions. We survey the latest progress on macrophage-based cancer theranostic strategies, emphasizing two major strategies, including targeting the endogenous tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and engineering the adoptive macrophages to reverse the immunosuppressive environment and augment the cancer theranostic efficacy. We also discuss and provide insights on the major challenges along with exciting opportunities for the future of macrophage-based cancer theranostic approaches.

Keywords: Cancer theranostics; Cell therapy; Drug delivery; Immunotherapy; Macrophage.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Immunotherapy
Macrophages
Neoplasms* / pathology
Precision Medicine*
Tumor Microenvironment
Tumor-Associated Macrophages