Is the new angel better than the old devil? Challenges and opportunities in CD47- SIRPα-based cancer therapy

Olamide Tosin Olaoba1, Kehinde Sulaimon Ayinde2, Olubodun Michael Lateef3

  • 1Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.

The efficacy of immunotherapies is limited due to the impenetrable nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME of many tumors is immune-privileged, thus allowing them to evade host immunosurveillance. One mechanism through which this occurs is via the overexpression of CD47, a 'don't eat me' protein that can interact with SIRPα on myeloid cells to suppress their phagocytic action. In recent times, many studies are focusing on CD47-SIRPα-dependent immunotherapies to incite a 'seek and eat' interaction between phagocytes and tumors. Thus, in this review, we highlight the basic molecular properties and mechanisms of CD47-SIRPα cascade. In addition, we discuss the major challenges and potential remedies associated with CD47-SIRPα-based immunotherapies.

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