The Fast-Growing Field of Cancer Immunotherapy Based on Aggregation-Induced Emission

Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy is a groundbreaking treatment that utilizes the body's immune system to fight against cancers. Despite the clinical application of several immunotherapeutic agents, challenges persist, including limited patient responsiveness and adverse events stemming from immune activation, which constrain overall efficacy. Recent advances in aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) have propelled innovations in nanomedicine. Traditional fluorophores often suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). On the contrary, AIEgens exhibit intense emission upon aggregation, alongside advantageous properties, including minimal background interference, high photostability, as well as multifunctional therapeutic capabilities (such as photothermal therapy, PTT; photodynamic therapy, PDT; and sonodynamic therapy, SDT). Moreover, their exceptional biocompatibility positions them as promising agents for tumor immunotherapy. This review offers a thorough examination of how AIEgens enhance antitumor immunity through mechanisms such as immunogenic cell death (ICD), apoptosis, and pyroptosis, which collectively activate immune cells, reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), suppress tumor proliferation, and mitigate metastasis and recurrence. By highlighting these advances, we aim to stimulate further research into the development of next-generation AIEgens for broader immunological applications and to promote their clinical translation.

Keywords

aggregation-induced emission / cancer photoimmunotherapy / fluorescence imaging / phototheranostics / phototherapy

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2025 The Author(s). Aggregate published by SCUT, AIEI, and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.