DocWire News Editors

DocwireNews

A group of researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania have recently found an interesting way to trigger macrophages to target cancer cells. Though cancer cells typically possess traits that signal the immune system not to destroy them, these researchers found that activating macrophages in a certain manner allows them to bypass these traits and destroy the cancerous cells.Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that function to engulf and destroy pathogens and other entities the immune system must clear. What makes most tumor cells resistant to this immune mechanism is that they express CD47, a surface protein that signals macrophages not to destroy cells possessing it. The protein is typically found on many cells in the body, being that it would be detrimental if macrophages blindly attacked every cell they encountered, but cancer cells having this protein allows them to be undetected by macrophages.<a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/home-page-picks/study-mutant-genes-severe-breast-cancer/">READ MORE:&nbsp;Study Finds Mutant Genes Linked to Severe Breast Cancer</a>In this study, researchers found that altering macrophage metabolism can allow these cells to overcome the CD47 protein on cancer cells and successfully attack them. Their work was published in Nature Immunology. Researchers claim that simply blocking inhibitory mechanisms such as CD47 are not a sufficient means of triggering macrophages to attack tumors. What is instead necessary is use of two signals, one to activate the macrophages, and a second to inhibit signals such as CD47.&ldquo;It turns out macrophages need to be primed before they can go to work, which explains why solid tumors may resist treatment with CD47 inhibitors alone,&rdquo; said Gregory L. Beatty, senior author and assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology at Penn&rsquo;s Perelman School of Medicine. The study&rsquo;s lead author was Jason Mingen Liu, MD/PhD graduate student in Beatty&rsquo;s lab.Beatty&rsquo;s team employed this approach by activating macrophages with CpG, a receptor agonist that administers the first signal, and observed rapid reduction in tumor size and increase in survival of mice in the study. Additionally, the team found that these effects occurred without requirement of T cells. Surprisingly, the researchers noted that these activated macrophages engulfed cancer cells even when CD47 was present in high quantities.To better understand this mechanism at the molecular level, the researchers tracked the macrophages metabolic activity to find that they were using glutamine and glucose as an energy source for phagocytosis. This alteration in macrophage metabolism was needed for CpG to work effectively, and the researchers claim this highlights the importance of macrophage metabolism in effective immune responses.<a href="https://proddocwire.wpengine.com/docwire-pick/future-of-medicine-picks/preventing-cancer-spread-within-body-using-blood-pressure-medication/">READ MORE:&nbsp;Preventing Cancer Spread Within Body Using Blood Pressure Medication</a>&ldquo;Cancer does not shrink without the help of macrophages and macrophages need the right fuel to eat cancer cells and shrink tumors,&rdquo; said Liu. &ldquo;To do this, a shift in metabolism is needed to steer the energy in the right direction. It is the metabolism that ultimately allows macrophages to override signals telling them not to do their job.&rdquo;Beatty noted that patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and several other conditions are often treated with drugs affecting macrophage metabolism, despite the lack of evidence as to how these drugs affect cancer therapies. He feels this emphasizes that his team&rsquo;s findings have implications for existing treatments as well.This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Seed Grant Program from the American Medical Association Foundation. Other study collaborators include Nathaniel Snyder, assistant professor at Drexel University, and Roddy O&rsquo;Connor, PhD, and research assistant professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Penn.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Metabolic rewiring of macrophages by CpG potentiates clearance of cancer cells and overcomes tumorexpressed CD47mediated &lsquo;don&rsquo;teatme&rsquo; signal.: Macrophages enforce antitumor immunity by engulfing and killing tumor cells. Although these functions are&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/cgZwD9AGyL">https://t.co/cgZwD9AGyL</a>
&mdash; Immunology News (@Immunology_bio) <a href="https://twitter.com/Immunology_bio/status/1087795672055570432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2019</a>
</blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Sources: <a href="https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2019/january/energizing-the-immune-system-to-eat-cancer">Penn Medicine</a>, <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324247.php">Medical News Today</a>

Sara Nunnery, MD, MSCI

Reclassifying HER2: What Oncologists Need to Know About HER2-Low and -Ultralow Breast Cancer

HER2 Breast Cancer

Jeffrey Perl, MD

Joel M. Topf, MD, FACP

Thoughts From the 2025 Lazarus Award Winner

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings 2025

Brandon Twyford

DESTINY-Breast09 Demonstrates First-Line Superiority of Enhertu Plus Pertuzumab in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer

Latest News

Penn Researchers 'Rewire' Immune Cells to Better Attack Cancer Cells

Future of Medicine

A group of researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania have recently found an interesting way to trigger macrophages to target cancer cells. ...

About Us

Editorial Policy

Advertising

Contact Us

eNewsletters

Contribute

Career Center

MashupMD

Blood Cancers Today

Cancer Nursing Today

GU Oncology Now

Urban Health Today

Bile Duct Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Gastroesophageal Cancer

Gastric Cancer

GEP-NETs

GIST

Liver Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

GI Oncology Now

Anemia

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Essential Thrombocythemia

Hemophilia

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelofibrosis

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Polycythemia Vera

Pulmonary Embolism

Sickle Cell Disease

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombophilia

Thrombosis

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Venous Thromboembolism

von Willebrand Disease

Heme Today

Acute Kidney Injury

ADPKD

Anemia and Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease

COVID-19 and Kidney Disease

Diabetes and Hypertension

End-Stage Renal Disease

Gout

Hyperkalemia

IgAN

Kidney Transplantation

Metabolic Acidosis

Nephrology Times

HR Breast Cancer

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Genetics & Breast Cancer

Breast Cancers Today

Atherosclerotic Disease

Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Interventional Cardiology

Lipid Management

Practice Tips With Dr. Lichaa

Preventive Cardiology

Stroke

Cardiology

Breast Cancer

Gynecologic Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer

Skin Cancer

Oncology

Sleep

Urology

Diabetes

Ophthalmology

— Demodex Blepharitis

Neurology

Rheumatology

Gastroenterology

Pulmonology

Infectious Diseases

— HIV

Health and Wellness

Lupus

Orthopedics

Pharmacology

Career News

More

Conferences

CardioNerds

The Sleep Source With Dr. Morse

Rheumatology Rounds With Dr. Maheswaranathan

Partners

Expert Interviews

Subscribe