Abstract

Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the treatment of diseases. Most of the immunotherapy strategies currently being developed engage the adaptive immune system. In recent years, emerging evidence has shown that the innate immune system displays long-term changes in its functional program through metabolic and epigenetic programming of myeloid cells (monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells). Therefore, targeting myeloid cells and their progenitors is a powerful ‘therapeutic framework’ to regulate the delicate balance of immune homeostasis, priming/training and tolerance. This Presentation will showcase how nanobiologic-based immunotherapies can be applied to achieve long-term therapeutic benefits in detrimental diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases as well as to prevent organ rejection after transplantation. In addition, a translational workflow involving innovative multimodality imaging approaches and large animal models will be discussed.