Novel emerging nano-assisted anti-cancer strategies based on the STING pathway

Activation of simulator of interferon genes (STING), which induces the production of proinflammatory factors and immune effector cell activation, is considered a promising strategy for enhanced anti-cancer intervention. However, several obstacles prevent STING signaling in solid tumors, such as delivered molecules’ rapid degradation, restriction to tumor sites, insufficient intracellular concentrations, and low responsivity. Well-designed, multifunctional nano-formulations have emerged as optimized platforms for STING activation. Recently, a variety of nano-formulations have been developed and used in STING activation, thus facilitating immunotherapy in preclinical and clinical stages. Herein, we summarize recent advances in nanotechnology-based delivery, activation, and application strategies, which have advanced various aspects of immunotherapy. Novel STING agonists and their mechanisms in STING-activation-mediated tumor interventions are highlighted herein, to provide a comprehensive overview and discuss future directions for boosting immunotherapy via STING regulation.