Engineering the Tumour Microenvironment: Biogenic Nanocarriers and Oncolytic Viruses as Platforms for Cancer Immunotherapy

The intersection of nanotechnology and cancer immunotherapy has produced some of the most exciting translational advances in recent biomedical research. Among these, biogenic nanocarriers, including extracellular vesicles (EVs), bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), and plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles, have emerged as sophisticated, naturally derived delivery platforms with inherent biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and the capacity to traverse biological barriers that continue to limit synthetic alternatives. In parallel, oncolytic viruses (OVs) have re-entered the therapeutic spotlight as programmable agents capable of selectively lysing tumour cells, remodelling the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME), and synergising with checkpoint blockade therapies. Together, these platforms represent a new generation of biologically inspired tools that blur the boundary between drug delivery, gene therapy, and immunomodulation.This Research Topic aims to consolidate and advance these rapidly converging fields by bringing together original research and review articles that span the full pre-clinical translational arc, from in vitro engineering and characterisation of biogenic nanocarriers to their deployment in complex in vivo cancer models and their combination with established immunotherapeutic strategies. A particular focus will be placed on the rational engineering of OMVs and EVs as cargo-loading platforms for nucleic acids, oncolytic viral particles, and small-molecule therapeutics, as well as on the mechanisms by which these systems engage and reprogramme tumour-associated immune cells. Equally, contributions addressing the combination of OVs with immune checkpoint inhibitors, the role of the gut and tumour microbiome in modulating therapeutic response, and the application of multi-omics approaches to dissect treatment-induced immune remodelling are strongly encouraged. By uniting bioengineers and cancer biologists under a shared framework, this collection aims to accelerate the development of biogenic nanomedicine and lay the scientific foundations for future clinical translation.We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to:• In vitro engineering and functional characterisation of extracellular vesicles and bacterial outer membrane vesicles as drug delivery platforms• Loading strategies for nucleic acid cargos (siRNA, mRNA, miRNA) within biogenic nanocarriers• Oncolytic virus engineering: selectivity, payload capacity, and combination with nanoparticle delivery systems• Tumour microenvironment remodelling by OMVs, EVs, and oncolytic viruses in pre-clinical models• Synergistic strategies combining biogenic nanoplatforms with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade• Ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and other non-apoptotic cell death pathways induced by nanocarrier-based therapies• Plant-derived and biomimetic exosome-like nanoparticles in cancer therapy• Single-cell and spatial multi-omics approaches to characterise immune responses to biogenic therapeutics• Pre-clinical evaluation of biogenic nanocarrier platforms in urological and other solid tumour models• Microbiome modulation as a determinant of response to nanocarrier-based immunotherapyBoth original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Please note that this Research Topic is scoped to pre-clinical and in vitro research; purely clinical studies fall outside its scope and will not be considered. Authors are encouraged to situate their work within the broader landscape of cancer nanomedicine and immunotherapy, and to address outstanding challenges in cargo loading efficiency, targeted delivery, in vivo stability, and scalability where relevant. Topic editors: Wenjie Chen, Jianxuan Sun, Ye An Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83364/engineering-the-tumour-microenvironment-biogenic-nanocarriers-and-oncolytic-viruses-as-platforms-for-cancer-immunotherapy