From design to clinic: Engineered peptide nanomaterials for cancer immunotherapy

Front Chem. 2023 Jan 17:10:1107600. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1107600. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the field of cancer therapy. Nanomaterials can further improve the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy because of their tunability and multifunctionality. Owing to their natural biocompatibility, diverse designs, and dynamic self-assembly, peptide-based nanomaterials hold great potential as immunotherapeutic agents for many malignant cancers, with good immune response and safety. Over the past several decades, peptides have been developed as tumor antigens, effective antigen delivery carriers, and self-assembling adjuvants for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we give a brief introduction to the use of peptide-based nanomaterials for cancer immunotherapy as antigens, carriers, and adjuvants, and to their current clinical applications. Overall, this review can facilitate further understanding of peptide-based nanomaterials for cancer immunotherapy and may pave the way for designing safe and efficient methods for future vaccines or immunotherapies.

Keywords: cancer immunotherapy; clinic; nanomaterials; peptide; vaccines.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22007033 and 22207033), the Key R&D Program of Hubei Province of China (2020BCA060), the Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2022CFB970), the Talent Introduction Project at Hubei Polytechnic University (21xjz32R, 21xjz35R), the Project of the Outstanding Young and Middle-Aged Scientific Innovation Team of Universities in Hubei Province (T2021025), and the Hubei Provincial Health Commission (No. WJ 2021M044).