Latest advances in tumor immunotherapy nanotechnology targeting cellular metabolic reprogramming and tumor microenvironment:A systematic review

Immunotherapy for tumors is a promising treatment strategy that functions differently from traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Rather than directly eliminating tumor cells, it activates the immune system to destroy them. However, this approach faces challenges related to the metabolism of tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. A deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms is therefore essential. Despite their potential, metabolism-targeting drugs have not been extensively utilized in tumor treatment due to their toxic and off-target effects. At present, nanotechnology has demonstrated its versatility and multipurpose applications, particularly in targeting metabolism and drug delivery, and has been widely employed in metabolic immunotherapy. This article reviews the metabolic characteristics of tumor and immune cells, the tumor microenvironment, and the latest strategies in nanotechnology immunotherapy. It also discusses the prospects and limitations of using nanotechnology for metabolism reprogramming.