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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Mitigation of Blood Borne Cell Attachment to Metal Implants through CD47-Derived Peptide Immobilization
Published on: December 3, 2020
Engineering macrophages to phagocytose cancer cells by blocking the CD47/SIRPɑ axis
Hongcheng Yang1, Ruoyang Shao1, Hongxin Huang1
1Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract:
The use of immunotherapy has achieved great advances in the treatment of cancer. Macrophages play a pivotal role in the immune defense system, serving both as phagocytes (removal of pathogens and cancer cells) and as antigen-presenting cells (activation of T cells). However, research regarding tumor immunotherapy is mainly focused on the adaptive immune system. The usefulness of innate immune cells (eg, macrophages) in the treatment of cancer has not been extensively investigated. Recent advances in synthetic biology and the increasing understanding of the cluster of differentiation 47/signal regulatory protein alpha (CD47/SIRPɑ) axis may provide new opportunities for the clinical application of engineered macrophages. The CD47/SIRPɑ axis is a major known pathway, repressing phagocytosis and activation of macrophages. In this article, we summarize the currently available evidence regarding the CD47/SIRPɑ axis, and immunotherapies based on blockage. In addition, we propose cell therapy strategies based on macrophage engineering.
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