Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Jul 10.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2020 Feb 7;17(4):251–266. doi: 10.1038/s41571-019-0308-z

Fig. 2 |. How nanomedicines can be used to perpetuate the cancer-immunity cycle.

Fig. 2 |

The goal of nanomedicine-based immunotherapy is to ensure that the cancer-immunity cycle (the seven numbered steps) perpetuates. Initially, in order to ensure that T cells are capable of attacking cancer cells, we highlight three nanomedicine-based starting points: (a) immunogenic cell death (ICD)-inducing therapy, (b) vaccines and (c) nanoparticle-loaded T cells. Therapies specifically relevant to each of these starting points are in dark grey, light grey and grey boxes, respectively. After one of these initiations, various types of nanomedicines described in this Perspective can turn the cycle forward (the inner orange circle). ACT, adoptive cellular therapy; APC, antigen-presenting cell; CTL A-4, cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4; DC, dendritic cell; PD-1, programmed cell death 1; PD-L1, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1; TAA, tumour-associated antigen; TME, tumour microenvironment.