Cancer Therapy Targeting CD47/SIRPα

Abstract

In the past decade, the field of cancer immunotherapy has rapidly advanced, establishing a crucial role for immune checkpoint blockers in the treatment of a variety of cancer types. In parallel with these remarkable clinical developments, further efforts have focused on ways of unleashing adaptive immune responses against cancer. CD47, a cell surface molecule overexpressed by several cancer types that facilitates immune escape from macrophages, dendritic cells and natural killer cells, and its ligand SIRPα, have emerged as potential therapeutic targets. A number of agents directed to CD47/SIRPα have been developed and demonstrated preclinical activity. Early phase clinical trials are investigating CD47/SIRPα directed agents with available data, suggesting safety and preliminary activity. Herein, we provide an overview of the mechanistic rationale of targeting CD47/SIRPα axis and associated clinical evidence.

Keywords

• CD47
• SIRPα
• innate immunity
• macrophage
• immunotherapy