Harnessing chemokines and nanocarriers to reprogram the tumor microenvironment

Although cancer immunotherapy has significantly altered the treatment landscape for malignant tumors, the intricate and diverse tumor microenvironment (TME) still limits its effectiveness in solid tumors. The TME is a complex and heterogeneous environment, shaped predominantly by chemokines rather than being a passive consequence of various biological processes. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend and fully utilize chemokine-guided immune cell navigation in order to overcome immunological rejection and increase the effectiveness of combination cancer therapy. In this review, we begin by summarizing the developing understanding of chemokine involvement in the TME. We then look at how distinct chemokine axes direct immune cells to different tumor areas, as well as the important elements that influence these processes. In addition, we discuss recent developments in integrating chemokines or chemokine receptors with nanodelivery technologies. These systems can stabilize chemokines, prolong local retention, create sustained gradients, and use chemokine-receptor interactions for targeted delivery. Overall, this review provides an updated framework for understanding chemokine-guided tumor immune modulation, as well as insights for developing next-generation nanomedicines and chemokine-based immunotherapeutic methods.