Waking up in a trap: Cancer patients who have undergone successful treatment can experience relapse of their disease years or even decades later. This is because cancer cells that have disseminated beyond the primary tumor site enter a state of dormancy, where they remain viable but not proliferating. Eventually, by mechanisms that are poorly understood, these clinically undetectable cells “wake up” and form actively growing metastases. Studying mouse models, Albrengues et al. found that sustained lung inflammation and the accompanying formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) could convert dormant cancer cells to aggressive lung metastases (see the Perspective by Aguirre-Ghiso). Awakening of these cells was associated with NET-mediated remodeling of the extracellular matrix and could be prevented by an antibody against the remodeled version of a matrix protein called laminin-111. Science , this issue p. eaao4227 ; see also p. 1314

Nanoparticles have been extensively used as carriers for the delivery of chemicals and biomolecular drugs, such as anticancer drugs and therapeutic proteins. Natural biomolecules, such as proteins, are an attractive alternative to synthetic polymers commonly used in nanoparticle formulation because of their safety. In general, protein nanoparticles offer many advantages, such as biocompatibility and biodegradability. Moreover, the preparation of protein nanoparticles and the corresponding encapsulation process involved mild conditions without the use of toxic chemicals or organic solvents. Protein nanoparticles can be generated using proteins, such as fibroins, albumin, gelatin, gliadine, legumin, 30Kc19, lipoprotein, and ferritin proteins, and are prepared through emulsion, electrospray, and desolvation methods. This review introduces the proteins used and methods used in generating protein nanoparticles and compares the corresponding advantages and disadvantages of each.

Prolonged perioperative delivery of immunotherapy prevents local tumor recurrence and eliminates established spontaneous metastases.

Cancer immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system, has shown immense promise in the fight against malignancies. Messenger RNA (mRNA) stands as a versatile instrument in this context, with its capacity to encode tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), immune cell receptors, cytokines, and antibodies. Nevertheless, the inherent structural instability of mRNA requires the development of effective delivery systems. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as significant candidates for mRNA delivery in cancer immunotherapy, providing both protection to the mRNA and enhanced intracellular delivery efficiency. In this review, we offer a comprehensive summary of the recent advancements in LNP-based mRNA delivery systems, with a focus on strategies for optimizing the design and delivery of mRNA-encoded therapeutics in cancer treatment. Furthermore, we delve into the challenges encountered in this field and contemplate future perspectives, aiming to improve the safety and efficacy of LNP-based mRNA cancer immunotherapies. Graphical Abstract