Role of targeting nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy and imaging

Cancer immunotherapy involves the delivery of immunogenic compounds and/or the priming, or induction, of the body's natural immune system to target cancer. The use of cancer immunotherapy has led to various means of cancer prevention and treatment that have produced prolonged life expectancy and stabilized disease. Nanoparticles are promising vehicles or adjuvants for effective delivery of therapeutics, antigens, stimulatory effectors, or antibodies for therapeutic invention. Targeting nanoparticles are especially useful due to their capability of accumulating in specific sites of interest like tumors and, thereby, decreasing risks of damage to normal tissue. Targeting can be achieved by incorporation of cell-surface related binding molecules or antibodies. This review explores the role of targeting nanoparticles as delivery or adjuvant sys­tems to modulate immune response, and as imaging tracking systems for cancer immunotherapy.