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CD47-blocking immunotherapies stimulate macrophage-mediated destruction of small-cell lung cancer JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION Weiskopf, K., Jahchan, N. S., Schnorr, P. J., Cristea, S., Ring, A. M., Maute, R. L., Volkmer, A. K., Volkmer, J., Liu, J., Lim, J. S., Yang, D., Seitz, G., Thuyen Nguyen, T., Wu, D., Jude, K., Guerston, H., Barkal, A., Trapani, F., George, J., Poirier, J. T., Gardner, E. E., Miles, L. A., de Stanchina, E., Lofgren, S. M., Vogel, H., Winslow, M. M., Dive, C., Thomas, R. K., Rudin, C. M., van de Rijn, M., Majeti, R., Garcia, K. C., Weissman, I. L., Sage, J. 2016; 126 (7): 2610-2620

Abstract

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive subtype of lung cancer with limited treatment options. CD47 is a cell-surface molecule that promotes immune evasion by engaging signal-regulatory protein alpha (SIRPa), which serves as an inhibitory receptor on macrophages. Here, we found that CD47 is highly expressed on the surface of human SCLC cells; therefore, we investigated CD47-blocking immunotherapies as a potential approach for SCLC treatment. Disruption of the interaction of CD47 with SIRPa using anti-CD47 antibodies induced macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of human SCLC patient cells in culture. In a murine model, administration of CD47-blocking antibodies or targeted inactivation of the Cd47 gene markedly inhibited SCLC tumor growth. Furthermore, using comprehensive antibody arrays, we identified several possible therapeutic targets on the surface of SCLC cells. Antibodies to these targets, including CD56/neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), promoted phagocytosis in human SCLC cell lines that was enhanced when combined with CD47-blocking therapies. In light of recent clinical trials for CD47-blocking therapies in cancer treatment, these findings identify disruption of the CD47/SIRPa axis as a potential immunotherapeutic strategy for SCLC. This approach could enable personalized immunotherapeutic regimens in patients with SCLC and other cancers.

View details for DOI 10.1172/JCI81603

View details for Web of Science ID 000379094800024

View details for PubMedID 27294525

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC4922696