journal article·2026-01Open access

Lymph Node‐Targeted Nanomaterials for Controlled Nano‐Immunotherapy

Yitong Zhao, Mengjun Wang, Ming Ma, Yu Zhang, Haoan Wu

Small Structures· Volume 7· Issue 1

Abstract

Lymph nodes (LNs), as critical components of the lymphatic system, serve as the primary site for adaptive immune responses and represent important therapeutic targets for various diseases. Studies demonstrate that LN metastasis of malignant tumors constitutes a major cause of mortality in cancer patients, highlighting the crucial importance of achieving precise drug accumulation in LNs for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. While significant progress has been made in optimizing lymph‐targeting capabilities through rational design of nanoparticle‐based drug delivery systems, the immunological mechanisms and regulatory pathways involved remain to be fully elucidated. This review focuses on elucidating the interaction mechanisms between nanoparticles and immune cells within LNs through investigating the distribution, retention, and immunomodulatory effects of nanodrugs. By integrating tumor microenvironment characteristics, we aim to precisely regulate the targeted delivery behavior of nanoparticles, thereby advancing the development of enhanced cancer immunotherapy.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Immunotherapy and Immune Responses · Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics · Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Devices School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering & Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center of Ministry of Education Southeast University Nanjing P. R. China

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province · Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

References (100+)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.3322/caac.2183410.3322/caac.21834 ↗
2. 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.12302010.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.123020 ↗
3. 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.10.00610.1016/j.semcancer.2022.10.006 ↗
4. 10.1038/s41392‐022‐01136‐210.1038/s41392‐022‐01136‐2 ↗
5. 10.1038/s41571‐024‐00969‐w10.1038/s41571‐024‐00969‐w ↗
6. 10.1038/s41568‐025‐00830‐x10.1038/s41568‐025‐00830‐x ↗
7. 10.1172/jci7331610.1172/jci73316 ↗
8. 10.1016/j.cell.2022.04.01910.1016/j.cell.2022.04.019 ↗
9. 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.12.03910.1016/j.actbio.2024.12.039 ↗
10. 10.1038/s41467‐025‐56768‐z10.1038/s41467‐025‐56768‐z ↗
11. 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e1748810.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17488 ↗
12. 10.1038/s41565‐024‐01754‐710.1038/s41565‐024‐01754‐7 ↗
13. 10.1038/s41590‐020‐0635‐310.1038/s41590‐020‐0635‐3 ↗
14. 10.1016/j.biopha.2025.11824410.1016/j.biopha.2025.118244 ↗
15. 10.1002/advs.20250717810.1002/advs.202507178 ↗
16. 10.1038/s41557‐025‐01827‐710.1038/s41557‐025‐01827‐7 ↗
17. 10.1039/d4cs00891j10.1039/d4cs00891j ↗
18. 10.1002/anie.20240229110.1002/anie.202402291 ↗
19. 10.1021/acsnano.4c0204010.1021/acsnano.4c02040 ↗
20. 10.1002/adfm.20240569610.1002/adfm.202405696 ↗
21. 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.01.00410.1016/j.jsps.2020.01.004 ↗
22. 10.1016/j.drup.2021.10077710.1016/j.drup.2021.100777 ↗
23. 10.1080/21645515.2015.111771410.1080/21645515.2015.1117714 ↗
24. 10.1007/s40820‐023‐01125‐210.1007/s40820‐023‐01125‐2 ↗
25. 10.1002/smll.20230873110.1002/smll.202308731 ↗
26. 10.3390/pharmaceutics1407137210.3390/pharmaceutics14071372 ↗
27. 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c0034810.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00348 ↗
28. 10.1016/j.addr.2020.10.00410.1016/j.addr.2020.10.004 ↗
29. 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.03810.1016/j.cell.2024.03.038 ↗
30. 10.1177/1535370221101076210.1177/15353702211010762 ↗
31. 10.4103/1673‐5374.35574110.4103/1673‐5374.355741 ↗
32. 10.1002/ar.2105110.1002/ar.21051 ↗
33. 10.4046/trd.2015.78.3.18010.4046/trd.2015.78.3.180 ↗
34. 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.01.00810.1016/j.semcdb.2015.01.008 ↗
35. 10.4049/jimmunol.157.2.49510.4049/jimmunol.157.2.495 ↗
36. 10.1038/nri329810.1038/nri3298 ↗
37. 10.1016/s0169‐409x(01)00150‐810.1016/s0169‐409x(01)00150‐8 ↗
38. 10.1016/j.addr.2020.06.00310.1016/j.addr.2020.06.003 ↗
39. 10.1152/physrev.1990.70.4.98710.1152/physrev.1990.70.4.987 ↗
40. 10.1172/jci7161110.1172/jci71611 ↗
41. 10.1093/intimm/dxh11310.1093/intimm/dxh113 ↗
42. 10.3389/fimmu.2017.0004510.3389/fimmu.2017.00045 ↗
43. 10.3389/fimmu.2021.64324010.3389/fimmu.2021.643240 ↗
44. 10.1016/j.immuni.2006.10.01110.1016/j.immuni.2006.10.011 ↗
45. 10.1038/s41578‐019‐0110‐710.1038/s41578‐019‐0110‐7 ↗
46. 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.10453610.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104536 ↗
47. 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.21674010.1016/j.canlet.2024.216740 ↗
48. 10.1016/j.addr.2020.06.01910.1016/j.addr.2020.06.019 ↗
49. 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.05.04310.1016/j.actbio.2023.05.043 ↗
50. 10.1007/s10585‐021‐10120‐z10.1007/s10585‐021‐10120‐z ↗
51. 10.1158/0008‐5472.Can‐06‐139210.1158/0008‐5472.Can‐06‐1392 ↗
52. 10.1172/jci7161210.1172/jci71612 ↗
53. 10.1007/s10456‐013‐9406‐110.1007/s10456‐013‐9406‐1 ↗
54. 10.1126/science.aal362210.1126/science.aal3622 ↗
55. 10.1158/0008‐5472.CAN‐10‐327710.1158/0008‐5472.CAN‐10‐3277 ↗
56. 10.1038/s41419‐023‐05571‐z10.1038/s41419‐023‐05571‐z ↗
57. 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.07.03410.1016/j.cclet.2022.07.034 ↗
58. 10.7150/ijbs.6713810.7150/ijbs.67138 ↗
59. 10.1002/ijc.3259410.1002/ijc.32594 ↗
60. 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.08.00510.1016/j.jconrel.2009.08.005 ↗
61. 10.1038/s41392‐023‐01723‐x10.1038/s41392‐023‐01723‐x ↗
62. 10.1126/science.aax406310.1126/science.aax4063 ↗
63. 10.1038/s41467‐023‐44133‐x10.1038/s41467‐023‐44133‐x ↗
64. 10.1038/nrclinonc.2010.13910.1038/nrclinonc.2010.139 ↗
65. 10.1038/nbt.333010.1038/nbt.3330 ↗
66. 10.1038/s41569‐024‐01103‐010.1038/s41569‐024‐01103‐0 ↗
67. 10.1007/s00018005020710.1007/s000180050207 ↗
68. 10.1038/nmat471810.1038/nmat4718 ↗
69. 10.1021/mp800051m10.1021/mp800051m ↗
70. 10.1021/nl900031y10.1021/nl900031y ↗
71. 10.1038/s41569‐022‐00770‐110.1038/s41569‐022‐00770‐1 ↗
72. 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2021.10497010.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2021.104970 ↗
73. 10.1126/sciadv.aax925010.1126/sciadv.aax9250 ↗
74. 10.1158/2159‐8290.Cd‐20‐180810.1158/2159‐8290.Cd‐20‐1808 ↗
75. 10.1038/s41467‐018‐03705‐y10.1038/s41467‐018‐03705‐y ↗
76. 10.1016/j.onano.2023.10015910.1016/j.onano.2023.100159 ↗
77. 10.1007/s13738‐023‐02925‐410.1007/s13738‐023‐02925‐4 ↗
78. 10.1021/acsnano.3c0585310.1021/acsnano.3c05853 ↗
79. 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.01.06510.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.01.065 ↗
80. 10.1016/j.jconrel.2014.08.00310.1016/j.jconrel.2014.08.003 ↗
81. 10.1186/s43556‐023‐00160‐010.1186/s43556‐023‐00160‐0 ↗
82. 10.1016/j.addr.2015.09.01210.1016/j.addr.2015.09.012 ↗
83. 10.1002/cbin.1045910.1002/cbin.10459 ↗
84. 10.1002/1520‐6017(200011)89:113.0.CO;2‐P10.1002/1520‐6017(200011)89:113.0.CO;2‐P ↗
85. 10.1038/s41565‐024‐01764‐510.1038/s41565‐024‐01764‐5 ↗
86. 10.1080/10717544.2017.127923810.1080/10717544.2017.1279238 ↗
87. 10.1186/s12951‐021‐01146‐210.1186/s12951‐021‐01146‐2 ↗
88. 10.1016/S0952‐8180(96)90005‐710.1016/S0952‐8180(96)90005‐7 ↗
89. 10.1016/j.xphs.2017.07.01810.1016/j.xphs.2017.07.018 ↗
90. 10.1016/j.addr.2024.11530410.1016/j.addr.2024.115304 ↗
91. 10.1002/btm2.1014310.1002/btm2.10143 ↗
92. 10.1038/nri177710.1038/nri1777 ↗
93. 10.1038/nbt.150410.1038/nbt.1504 ↗
94. 10.1016/j.coi.2015.06.00710.1016/j.coi.2015.06.007 ↗
95. 10.1016/j.ejpb.2004.03.00810.1016/j.ejpb.2004.03.008 ↗
96. 10.1007/s12274‐022‐5208‐310.1007/s12274‐022‐5208‐3 ↗
97. 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c0026010.1021/acs.accounts.0c00260 ↗
98. 10.1038/s41467‐022‐33341‐610.1038/s41467‐022‐33341‐6 ↗
99. 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b0043810.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00438 ↗
100. 10.1038/nmat377510.1038/nmat3775 ↗