Application of macrophage phagocytosis checkpoint blockade in anti-tumor immunotherapy
ZHENG Wenjing
ZHANG Han
HUO Yi
ZHANG Xiangqian
WANG Tao
Abstract：Macrophages,as essential components of the innate immune system,play a pivotal role in the anti-tumor immune response by directly phagocytosing tumor cells or through the secretion of cytokines and antigen presentation,which activates T cells after phagocytic activation.Nonetheless,tumor cells often elude macrophage attacks by overexpressing phagocytic checkpoint molecules such as CD47,PD-L1,or CD24.These molecules act on macrophages,transmitting inhibitory signals that suppress their phagocytic activity and facilitating immune evasion.Blocking the phagocytic checkpoint signals in macrophages to restore their capacity to eliminate tumor cells has emerged as a key strategy to enhance the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy,as evidenced by clinical trials.This review primarily outlines the identified macrophage phagocytic checkpoint molecules and their blockade application in anti-tumor immune therapy,while also envisioning the future development of macrophage phagocytosis checkpoint blockade in anti-tumor immunotherapy.
Keywords：neoplasmmacrophagephagocytosis checkpointimmune escapeimmunotherapy
Publication Date：2025-07-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-26(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 961-966 )