Engineered CD147-CAR macrophages for enhanced phagocytosis of cancers

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown promising results in hematologic malignancies, but its effectiveness in solid cancers remains challenging. Macrophages are immune cells residing within the tumor microenvironment. They can phagocytose tumor cells. Recently, CAR macrophages (CAR-M) have been a promising candidate for treating solid cancers. One of the common cancer antigens overexpressed in various types of cancer is CD147. CAR-T and NK cells targeting CD147 antigen have shown significant efficacy against hepatocellular carcinoma. Nevertheless, CAR-M targeting the CD147 molecule has not been investigated. In this study, we generated CAR targeting the CD147 molecule using the THP-1 monocytic cell line (CD147 CAR-M). The CD147 CAR-M exhibited typical macrophage characteristics, including phagocytosis of zymosan bioparticles and polarization ability toward M1 and M2 phenotypes. Furthermore, the CD147 CAR-M demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor activity against K562 and MDA-MB-231 cells without exhibiting off-target cytotoxicity against normal cells. Our research provides valuable insights into the potential of CD147 CAR-M as a promising platform for cancer immunotherapy, with applications in both hematologic malignancies and solid cancers. Graphical abstract