A Comprehensive Review of Engineered Nanoparticles for Antitumor Immunomodulation: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Applications, and the Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) represent a paradigm shift in cancer immunotherapy, offering versatile platforms to overcome immune evasion and enhance antitumor responses. Their intrinsic physicochemical properties including size, surface chemistry, shape, and the ability to incorporate specific ligands allow for precise control over biodistribution, cellular uptake, and immune cell activation. ENPs facilitate targeted delivery of immunomodulatory agents, potentiate antigen presentation by antigen-presenting cells (APCs), reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and synergistically improve both innate and adaptive immune effector functions. Significant progress has been made in integrating nanotechnology with established immunotherapy modalities such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), cancer vaccines, cytokine therapies, and adoptive cell transfer (ACT). The development of novel ENPs, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, and inorganic nanocarriers (e.g., gold, iron oxide, silica), has provided an expanded toolkit for tackling complex tumor biology. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms, has revolutionized ENP design, predicted immunogenicity, and optimized nanoparticle–immune system interactions, ushering in an era of intelligent nanomedicine. This review details current ENP-based immunomodulatory strategies, discusses preclinical and emerging clinical applications, addresses critical safety considerations, and highlights the contribution of AI-driven computational tools. It also identifies future research directions and challenges in clinical translation, emphasizing the potential of intelligent nanomedicine platforms for future cancer therapies. References primarily span from ۲۰۱۹ to ۲۰۲۵.

کلیدواژه ها:

Engineered Nanoparticles(ENPs) ، Cancer Immunotherapy ، Artificial Intelligence(AI) ، Tumor Microenvironment(TME) ، Nanomedicine