Skip to main content

EDITORIAL article

Front. Chem., 16 April 2024
Sec. Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
This article is part of the Research Topic Small Molecules and Smart Drug Delivery Systems for Combination Cancer Immunotherapy View all 6 articles

Editorial: Small molecules and smart drug delivery systems for combination cancer immunotherapy

  • Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity (ISOF), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Bologna, Italy

Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment by harnessing the power of the immune system to fight tumours. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in understanding tumour biology, immune evasion mechanisms, and the development of novel therapeutic strategies. This editorial highlights recent research contributions focusing on small molecules and smart drug delivery systems for combination cancer immunotherapy.

Ovarian cancer remains a formidable challenge due to high mortality rates and limited treatment options. The study by Liu et al. sheds light on the role of CDK4/6 in ovarian cancer progression, demonstrating that CDK4/6 overexpression correlates with poor patient prognosis. In this scenario, CDK4/6 inhibitors have emerged as promising therapeutic agents in ovarian cancer by promoting antitumour immunity. Moreover, Liu et al. research suggests that the LRRC75A-AS1-hsa-miR-330-5p axis might be responsible for CDK4/6 upregulation, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target, and offering insights into novel treatment strategies for ovarian cancer.

Historically, quantifying the impact of regulatory T cells (Tregs) on tumour growth has been challenging and targeting Tregs presents another avenue for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. By leveraging the selective expression of folate receptor delta (FRδ) on Tregs, Alfar et al. study introduces a novel approach utilizing FRδ-targeted delivery of a potent TLR7 agonist to tumour-resident Tregs. This targeted approach results in a substantial reduction in tumour growth without systemic toxicities, offering a promising strategy for overcoming Treg-mediated immunosuppression in the tumour microenvironment.

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), immunotherapy holds promise as a potential treatment approach. Li et al. bibliometric study provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of HCC immunotherapy research. With a significant increase in publications in recent years, there is growing interest in exploring immunotherapeutic strategies for HCC treatment. The study highlights emerging trends, prominent research institutions, and future directions for advancing HCC immunotherapy. Notably, combination therapies involving checkpoint inhibitors have shown promise in enhancing anti-tumour immunity and represent a potential future trend for HCC treatment.

Reid et al. report the results of a phase 1 study on the use of RRx-001 + nivolumab in patients with advanced metastatic cancer. By targeting multiple inhibitory pathways, such as PD-1 and CD47, combination therapies aim to overcome resistance mechanisms and improve treatment outcomes. The study underscores the potential of dual checkpoint blockade in traditionally non-responsive tumour types, paving the way for further investigation into combination immunotherapy strategies.

Furthermore, smart drug delivery systems play a crucial role in optimizing the efficacy and safety of cancer immunotherapy. The study by Grindel et al. explores the combination of TLR-9 agonist CpG, emulsified with Lipiodol, with systemic anti-PD-1 for colorectal cancer treatment. By leveraging Lipiodol as a delivery system, the study demonstrates enhanced antitumoral effects and systemic immune responses, highlighting the importance of innovative drug delivery approaches in cancer immunotherapy.

In conclusion, the recent advancements in this field offer ground-breaking opportunities for improving cancer immunotherapy outcomes. By targeting key immune checkpoints, modulating regulatory T cells, and leveraging innovative drug delivery technologies, researchers are paving the way for more effective and personalized cancer treatment approaches. Collaborative efforts between researchers, clinicians, and industry partners are essential for translating these discoveries into clinical practice and ultimately improving patient outcomes in the fight against cancer.

Author contributions

CF: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. GV: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing.

Funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Keywords: cancer, immunotherapy, combined treatment, targeted therapy, delivery systems

Citation: Ferroni C and Varchi G (2024) Editorial: Small molecules and smart drug delivery systems for combination cancer immunotherapy. Front. Chem. 12:1412624. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1412624

Received: 05 April 2024; Accepted: 08 April 2024;
Published: 16 April 2024.

Edited and reviewed by:

Michael Kassiou, The University of Sydney, Australia

Copyright © 2024 Ferroni and Varchi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Greta Varchi, Z3JldGEudmFyY2hpQGlzb2YuY25yLml0; Claudia Ferroni, Y2xhdWRpYS5mZXJyb25pQGlzb2YuY25yLml0

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.