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REVIEW article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Cancer Cell Biology
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1464218
This article is part of the Research Topic Unlocking the Potential of Cell Therapy: Exploring Cell Types, Induction Methods, and Culture Techniques View all 5 articles

CAR-Macrophage: Breaking New Ground in Cellular Immunotherapy

Provisionally accepted
Ting Huang Ting Huang 1Chenqi Bei Chenqi Bei 1Zhenhua Hu Zhenhua Hu 1Yuanyuan Li Yuanyuan Li 2*
  • 1 Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Zhongshan, China
  • 2 Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) technology has revolutionized cellular immunotherapy, particularly with the success of CAR-T cells in treating hematologic malignancies. However, CAR-T cells have the limited efficacy of against solid tumors. To address these limitations, CAR-macrophages (CAR-Ms) leverage the innate properties of macrophages with the specificity and potency of CAR technology, offering a novel and promising approach to cancer immunotherapy. Preclinical studies have shown that CAR-Ms can effectively target and destroy tumor cells, even within challenging microenvironments, by exhibiting direct cytotoxicity and enhancing the recruitment and activation of other immune cells. Additionally, the favorable safety profile of macrophages and their persistence within solid tumors position CAR-Ms as potentially safer and more durable therapeutic options compared to CAR-T cells. This review explores recent advancements in CAR-Ms technology, including engineering strategies to optimize their anti-tumor efficacy and preclinical evidence supporting their use. We also discuss the challenges and future directions in developing CAR-Ms therapies, emphasizing their potential to revolutionize cellular immunotherapy. By harnessing the unique properties of macrophages, CAR-Ms offer a groundbreaking approach to overcoming the current limitations of CAR-T cell therapies, paving the way for more effective and sustainable cancer treatments..

    Keywords: macrophage, Chimeric Antigen Receptor, CAR-M therapy, Tumor immunotherapy, Solid tumor

    Received: 16 Jul 2024; Accepted: 23 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Huang, Bei, Hu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yuanyuan Li, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.