Overcoming challenges in the delivery of STING agonists for cancer immunotherapy: A comprehensive review of strategies and future perspectives

Cuiqing Huang; Ni Shao; Yanyu Huang; Jifeng Chen; Duo Wang; Genwen Hu; Hong Zhang; Liangping Luo; Zeyu Xiao

doi:10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100839

Overcoming challenges in the delivery of STING agonists for cancer immunotherapy: A comprehensive review of strategies and future perspectives

Mater Today Bio. 2023 Oct 21:23:100839. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100839. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Cuiqing Huang^{1

2}, Ni Shao¹, Yanyu Huang³, Jifeng Chen¹, Duo Wang¹, Genwen Hu^{1

4}, Hong Zhang⁵, Liangping Luo¹, Zeyu Xiao¹

Affiliations

¹ The Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging for Clinical Translation, The First Afﬁliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
² Department of Ultrasound, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, 511400, China.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518020, China.
⁵ Department of Interventional Vascular Surgery, The Sixth Afﬁliated Hospital of Jinan University, Dongguan, 523560, China.

Abstract

STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) agonists have emerged as promising agents in the field of cancer immunotherapy, owing to their excellent capacity to activate the innate immune response and combat tumor-induced immunosuppression. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of the strategies employed to develop effective formulations for STING agonists, with particular emphasis on versatile nano-delivery systems. The recent advancements in delivery systems based on lipids, natural/synthetic polymers, and proteins for STING agonists are summarized. The preparation methodologies of nanoprecipitation, self-assembly, and hydrogel, along with their advantages and disadvantages, are also discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities in developing next-generation STING agonist delivery systems are elaborated. This review aims to serve as a reference for researchers in designing novel and effective STING agonist delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords: Cancer immunotherapy; Hydrogel; Nanoprecipitation; STING agonists; Self-assembly.

Publication types

Review