Dual CD47 and PD-L1 blockade elicits anti-tumor immunity by intratumoral CD8⁺ T cells

Bispecific antibodies targeting CD47 and PD-L1 (CD47 × PD-L1 BisAb) demonstrate efficacy against a range of solid cancers. While dual blockade negates anti-CD47-mediated toxicity, the effect of combined innate and adaptive immune activation on protective tumor-resident CD8⁺ T cells has yet to be fully elucidated.

CD8⁺ T cell populations were tracked upon CD47 × PD-L1 BisAb treatment in an orthotopic model of murine breast cancer where anti-tumor immunity is mediated by CD8⁺ T cells. Immune responses were also compared with anti-PD-L1 monotherapy to assess the advantage of dual checkpoint targeting.

We found that CD47 × PD-L1 BisAb treatment augmented CD8⁺ T cell responses in tumors, which resulted in enhanced tumor control. Compared with anti-PD-L1 treatment, dual CD47 and PD-L1 blockade promoted greater numbers of antigen-specific tumor-resident CD8⁺ T cells that exhibited increased cytokine production.

Engagement of innate and adaptive immune checkpoint molecules via CD47 × PD-L1 BisAb treatment resulted in robust CD8⁺ T cell responses, including the induction of tumor-resident CD8⁺ T cells that exhibited functionally superior anti-tumor immunity. These results demonstrate that innate immune activation potentiates anti-tumor adaptive responses, highlighting the use of dual checkpoint blockade as an optimal strategy for promoting CD8⁺ T cell-mediated protection.