Stimuli-Responsive Nanocarriers as Active Enhancers of Antitumoral Immunotherapy

In recent years, the understanding of the role of the immune system in tumor progression and metastasis is paving the way for the development of antitumoral strategies based on the delivery of immunotherapeutic agents. The engineering of stimuli-responsive nanocarriers able to release their payload in a controlled manner being able to boost potent and sustained immune responses against tumors has provided a powerful tool to eradicate tumors with extreme precision. Paramount advantages to trigger the immune system against tumors are the high selectivity and memory effect of immune response, which allows not only to eradicate primary and metastatic malignancies but also to avoid their relapse. In this review, the recent advances carried out in the development of smart nanocarriers for immunotherapy are presented. Stimuli-responsive nanocarriers are engineered to be selectively accumulated in solid tumors and once there, to release their payloads in response to internal and/or external stimuli boosting controlled, sustained, and efficient immune response against tumors. image