journal article·2026-01Open access

Fever Inspiration: Precision Engineering for Safe and Systemic Immunotherapy

Yang Li, Fulong Man, Jianwei Cheng, Li Chen, Yongyong Li, Haiqing Dong

Advanced Science· Volume 13· Issue 1

Abstract

Abstract Fever, a conserved physiological response, orchestrates robust immunomodulation with significant therapeutic potential. Engineered fever therapy (EFT) leverages this mechanism to activate systemic immune response, emerging as a transformative adjuvant strategy for disease management, particularly in oncology. However, achieving precise and safe EFT remains challenging, largely due to unpredictable temperature fluctuations and inconsistent immune responses. To address these limitations, thermal immunotherapy integrates precision thermal modulation with nanotechnology, enabling targeted induction of fever‐range temperatures (38.5–40 °C) within tumor sites. Building upon physiological fever mechanisms and precision bioengineering, controllable EFT establishes a new paradigm with three core principles: i) precise fever induction with input and process control, ii) quantitative reprogramming of immune pathways, and iii) enhanced safety through optimized fever dynamics. This review comprehensively summarizes the molecular and physiological underpinnings of fever, evaluates its therapeutic potential in disease management, and presents recent progress in thermal immunotherapy and the EFT. Furthermore, future perspectives for controllable EFT are discussed and critically assessed, along with its opportunities and main challenges for clinical translation in precision oncology.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Thermal Regulation in Medicine · Immune cells in cancer · Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics

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

Affiliations

Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration Ministry of Education Tongji Hospital Department of Pharmacy School of Medicine Tongji University Shanghai 200065 China

Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital The Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Nano Science (iNANO) School of Medicine Tongji University Shanghai 200331 China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China · Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipality

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