CD47-targeting antibodies as a novel therapeutic strategy in hematologic malignancies

Jennifer Sun; Yixuan Chen; Berit Lubben; Ola Adebayo; Barbara Muz; Abdel Kareem Azab

doi:10.1016/j.lrr.2021.100268

CD47-targeting antibodies as a novel therapeutic strategy in hematologic malignancies

Leuk Res Rep. 2021 Sep 14:16:100268. doi: 10.1016/j.lrr.2021.100268. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Jennifer Sun^{1

2}, Yixuan Chen¹, Berit Lubben¹, Ola Adebayo¹, Barbara Muz¹, Abdel Kareem Azab^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Biology Division, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, 4511 Forest Park Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis McKelvy School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Abstract

CD47 is a surface glycoprotein expressed by host cells to impede phagocytosis upon binding to macrophage SIRPα, thereby represents an immune checkpoint known as the "don't-eat-me" signal. However, accumulating evidence shows that solid and hematologic tumor cells overexpress CD47 to escape immune surveillance. Thus, targeting the CD47-SIRPa axis by limiting the activity of this checkpoint has emerged as a key area of research. In this review, we will provide an update on the landscape of CD47-targeting antibodies for hematological malignancies, including monoclonal and bi-specific antibodies, with a special emphasis on agents in clinical trials and novel approaches to overcome toxicity.

Keywords: CD47; Checkpoint inhibition; Hematologic malignancies; Immunotherapy; Macrophage.

Publication types

Review