Local tumour nanoparticle thermal therapy: A promising immunomodulatory treatment for canine cancer

Vet Comp Oncol. 2022 Dec;20(4):752-766. doi: 10.1111/vco.12842. Epub 2022 Jun 26.

Abstract

Distinct thermal therapies have been used for cancer therapy. For hyperthermia (HT) treatment the tumour tissue is heated to temperatures between 39 and 45°C, while during ablation (AB) temperatures above 50°C are achieved. HT is commonly used in combination with different treatment modalities, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, for better clinical outcomes. In contrast, AB is usually used as a single modality for direct tumour cell killing. Both thermal therapies have been shown to result in cytotoxicity as well as immune response stimulation. Immunogenic responses encompass the innate and adaptive immune systems and involve the activation of macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells and T cells. Several heat technologies are used, but great interest arises from nanotechnology-based thermal therapies. Spontaneous tumours in dogs can be a model for cancer immunotherapies with several advantages. In addition, veterinary oncology represents a growing market with an important demand for new therapies. In this review, we will focus on nanoparticle-mediated thermal-induced immunogenic effects, the beneficial potential of integrating thermal nanomedicine with immunotherapies and the results of published works with thermotherapies for cancer using dogs with spontaneous tumours, highlighting the works that evaluated the effect on the immune system in order to show dogs with spontaneous cancer as a good model for evaluated the immunomodulatory effect of nanoparticle-mediated thermal therapies.

Keywords: dog; heat-shock; immunogenic cell death; magnetic hyperthermia; nanomedicine; photothermal therapy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Combined Modality Therapy / veterinary
  • Dog Diseases* / radiotherapy
  • Dogs
  • Hyperthermia, Induced* / methods
  • Hyperthermia, Induced* / veterinary
  • Immunity
  • Nanoparticles* / therapeutic use
  • Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Neoplasms* / veterinary