Low immunogenicity of tumors poses a challenge in the development of effective tumor immunotherapy. However, emerging evidence suggests that certain therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and phototherapy, can induce varying degrees of immunogenic cell death (ICD). This ICD phenomenon leads to the release of tumor antigens and the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), thereby enhancing tumor immunogenicity and promoting immune responses. However, the use of a single conventional ICD inducer often fails to achieve in situ tumor ablation and establish long-term anti-tumor immune responses. Furthermore, the induction of ICD induction varies among different approaches, and the distribution of the therapeutic agent within the body influences the level of ICD and the occurrence of toxic side effects. To address these challenges and further boost tumor immunity, researchers have explored nanosystems as inducers of ICD in combination with tumor immunotherapy. This review examines the mechanisms of ICD and different induction methods, with a specific focus on the relationship between ICD and tumor immunity. The aim is to explore the research advancements utilizing various nanomaterials to enhance the body’s anti-tumor effects by inducing ICD. This paper aims to contribute to the development and clinical application of nanomaterial-based ICD inducers in the field of cancer immunotherapy by providing important theoretical guidance and practical references.

Influenza is a viral respiratory illness that causes seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. Disease severity may be contributed by influenza virus-induced cytokine dysregulation. The study was designed to investigate the isolation and identification of bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids from Curcuma longa L., their antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities against H1N1 and their potential role in regulating host immune response in vitro. A pair of new bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids, (6S,7S)-3-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethylbisabola-1,10-diene-9-one (18) together with seventeen known analogs (1–17), was isolated and elucidated from Curcuma longa L. Compounds 2, 11 and 14 could significantly inhibit A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) replication in MDCK cells, and compound 2 could significantly inhibit A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) replication in A549 cells. Compounds 4, 8, 9, 13 and 17 could markedly reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and IP-10) production at the mRNA and protein levels in A549 cells. Compound 4 regulated the levels of steroid biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, thereby inhibiting immune responses by proteomics analysis. Furthermore, compound 4 could inhibit the expression of p-NF-κB p65, NF-κB p65, IκBα, p-p38 MAPK, p-IκBα, RIG-1, STAT-1/2 and p-STAT-1/2 in the signaling pathways. These findings indicate that bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids of C. longa could inhibit the expression of inflammatory cytokines induced by the virus and regulate the activity of NF-κB/MAPK and RIG-1/STAT-1/2 signaling pathways in vitro.

With the rapid development of the fields of tumor biology and immunology, tumor immunotherapy has been used in clinical practice and has demonstrated significant therapeutic potential, particularly for treating tumors that do not respond to standard treatment options. Despite its advances, immunotherapy still has limitations, such as poor clinical response rates and differences in individual patient responses, largely because tumor tissues have strong immunosuppressive microenvironments. Many tumors have a tumor microenvironment (TME) that is characterized by hypoxia, low pH, and substantial numbers of immunosuppressive cells, and these are the main factors limiting the efficacy of antitumor immunotherapy. The TME is crucial to the occurrence, growth, and metastasis of tumors. Therefore, numerous studies have been devoted to improving the effects of immunotherapy by remodeling the TME. Effective regulation of the TME and reversal of immunosuppressive conditions are effective strategies for improving tumor immunotherapy. The use of multidrug combinations to improve the TME is an efficient way to enhance antitumor immune efficacy. However, the inability to effectively target drugs decreases therapeutic effects and causes toxic side effects. Nanodrug delivery carriers have the advantageous ability to enhance drug bioavailability and improve drug targeting. Importantly, they can also regulate the TME and deliver large or small therapeutic molecules to decrease the inhibitory effect of the TME on immune cells. Therefore, nanomedicine has great potential for reprogramming immunosuppressive microenvironments and represents a new immunotherapeutic strategy. Therefore, this article reviews strategies for improving the TME and summarizes research on synergistic nanomedicine approaches that enhance the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.