Figure 7.

Rational design of the nanoparticle-delivered chemoimmunotherapy to the tumor and tumor-draining lymph node. (Step 1) The NPs are injected in the tumors, whereby a part of the NPs are endocytosed by cancer and cancer associated cells. The NPs that were not endocytosed start to release their content in the extracellular space of which a portion also drains to the tumor-draining lymph node (and further). Due to the good NP stability, the drug release and their biological effects is sustained for a prolonged period of time. (Step 2) The cytostatic doxorubicin induces (cancer) cell death and the release of cancer antigens. (Step 3) The immune modulators pIC and R848 activate residing immature and suppressed immune cells in the tumor and tumor-draining lymph node. (Step 4) MIP3α recruits more immune cells into the tumor.