Nanomedicine-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has reshaped cancer treatment by enabling the immune system to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. Nevertheless, its clinical translation remains limited by suboptimal response rates, poor penetration into deep tumor tissues, and insufficient therapeutic efficacy. Cancer immunotherapy alone is often inadequate as a sole treatment modality. Nanomedicine-based therapeutic strategies, including photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, nanozyme-based therapy, and cancer vaccines, have achieved considerable recognition for cancer treatment. Upon integration with cancer immunotherapy or regulated cell death pathways, these nanomedicine-based therapeutic strategies can modulate the tumor microenvironment, enhance anticancer immune response, and overcome immunotherapy resistance. This article summarizes recent advances in nanomedicine-based therapeutic strategies, the role of cancer immunotherapy, and regulated cell death pathways. We outline the strengths and limitations of these therapeutic strategies. We also discuss how combination therapeutic strategies achieve synergistic effects, future challenges, and perspectives in developing next-generation nanomedicine platforms for cancer immunotherapy.