Exploiting the DNA Damaging Activity of Liposomal Low Dose Cytarabine for Cancer Immunotherapy

Engineered liposomes mediated approach for targeted colorectal cancer drug Delivery: A review

Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be one of the most prevalent and deadliest forms of cancer worldwide, despite notable advancements in its management. The prognosis for metastatic CRC remains discouraging, with a relative 5-year survival rate for stage IV CRC patients. Conventional treatments for advanced malignancies such as chemotherapy, often face limitations in effectively targeting cancer cells resulting in off-target distribution and significant side effects. In the quest for better strategies, researchers have explored numerous alternatives. Among these, nanoparticles (NPs) specifically liposomes have emerged as one of the most promising candidates in developing targeted delivery systems for cancer therapeutics. This review discusses the current approaches employing functionalised liposomes to overcome major biological barriers in therapeutics delivery for CRC treatment. We have also shared our perspectives on the technological development of liposomes for future clinical use and highlighted a few useful insights on the material choices for future research work in CRC.

Conventional DNA-Damaging Cancer Therapies and Emerging cGAS-STING Activation: A Review and Perspectives Regarding Immunotherapeutic Potential

Many traditional cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy are known to induce cellular DNA damage as part of their cytotoxic activity. The cGAS-STING signaling axis, a key member of the DNA damage response that acts as a sensor of foreign or aberrant cytosolic DNA, is helping to rationalize the DNA-damaging activity of these treatments and their emerging immunostimulatory capacity. Moreover, cGAS-STING, which is attracting considerable attention for its ability to promote antitumor immune responses, may fundamentally be able to address many of the barriers limiting the success of cancer immunotherapy strategies, including the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Herein, we review the traditional cancer therapies that have been linked with cGAS-STING activation, highlighting their targets with respect to their role and function in the DNA damage response. As part of the review, an emerging "chemoimmunotherapy" concept whereby DNA-damaging agents are used for the indirect activation of STING is discussed as an alternative to the direct molecular agonism strategies that are in development, but have yet to achieve clinical approval. The potential of this approach to address some of the inherent and emerging limitations of cGAS-STING signaling in cancer immunotherapy is also discussed. Ultimately, it is becoming clear that in order to successfully employ the immunotherapeutic potential of the cGAS-STING axis, a balance between its contrasting antitumor and protumor/inflammatory activities will need to be achieved.