Advances in Engineered Macrophages: A New Frontier in Cancer Immunotherapy

• Published in: Cell death & disease Vol. 15; no. 4; p. 238
• Main Authors: Yang, Shuaixi, Wang, Yuhang, Jia, Jiachi, Fang, Yingshuai, Yang, Yabing, Yuan, Weitang, Hu, Junhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-04-2024; Springer Nature B.V; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/250/251; 631/67/1059; Angiogenesis; Antibodies; Antigens; Bacterial vesicles; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cancer immunotherapy; Cancer therapies; Cell Biology; Cell Culture; Chimeric antigen receptors; Drug delivery; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug resistance; Extracellular matrix; Growth factors; Humans; Immunology; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - methods; Immunotherapy, Adoptive; Life Sciences; Lymphocytes; Macrophages; Macrophages - pathology; Membrane vesicles; Metastases; Metastasis; Neoplasms - pathology; Review; Review Article; Solid tumors; Tissue engineering; Tumor Microenvironment; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumors; Vaccines
• ISSN: 2041-4889; 2041-4889
• DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06616-7

Macrophages, as pivotal cells within the tumour microenvironment, significantly influence the impact of and reactions to treatments for solid tumours. The rapid evolution of bioengineering technology has revealed the vast potential of engineered macrophages in immunotherapy, disease diagnosis, and tissue engineering. Given this landscape, the goal of harnessing and innovating macrophages as a novel strategy for solid tumour immunotherapy cannot be overstated. The diverse strategies for engineered macrophages in the realm of cancer immunotherapy, encompassing macrophage drug delivery systems, chimeric antigen receptor macrophage therapy, and synergistic treatment approaches involving bacterial outer membrane vesicles and macrophages, are meticulously examined in this review. These methodologies are designed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of macrophages against solid tumours, particularly those that are drug-resistant and metastatic. Collectively, these immunotherapies are poised to supplement and refine current solid tumour treatment paradigms, thus heralding a new frontier in the fight against malignant tumours.