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Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint

Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic tool that promotes the elimination of cancerous cells by a patient’s own immune system. However, in the clinical setting, the number of cancer patients benefitting from immunotherapy is limited. Identification and targeting of other immune subsets, such as tu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Ubil, Eric, Zahid, Kashif Rafiq
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10626544/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37936688
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1244170
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author Ubil, Eric
Zahid, Kashif Rafiq
author_facet Ubil, Eric
Zahid, Kashif Rafiq
author_sort Ubil, Eric
collection PubMed
description Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic tool that promotes the elimination of cancerous cells by a patient’s own immune system. However, in the clinical setting, the number of cancer patients benefitting from immunotherapy is limited. Identification and targeting of other immune subsets, such as tumor-associated macrophages, and alternative immune checkpoints, like Mer, may further limit tumor progression and therapy resistance. In this review, we highlight the key roles of macrophage Mer signaling in immune suppression. We also summarize the role of pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes in tumor onset and progression and how Mer structure and activation can be targeted therapeutically to alter activation state. Preclinical and clinical studies focusing on Mer kinase inhibition have demonstrated the potential of targeting this innate immune checkpoint, leading to improved anti-tumor responses and patient outcomes.
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spelling pubmed-106265442023-11-07 Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint Ubil, Eric Zahid, Kashif Rafiq Front Immunol Immunology Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic tool that promotes the elimination of cancerous cells by a patient’s own immune system. However, in the clinical setting, the number of cancer patients benefitting from immunotherapy is limited. Identification and targeting of other immune subsets, such as tumor-associated macrophages, and alternative immune checkpoints, like Mer, may further limit tumor progression and therapy resistance. In this review, we highlight the key roles of macrophage Mer signaling in immune suppression. We also summarize the role of pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes in tumor onset and progression and how Mer structure and activation can be targeted therapeutically to alter activation state. Preclinical and clinical studies focusing on Mer kinase inhibition have demonstrated the potential of targeting this innate immune checkpoint, leading to improved anti-tumor responses and patient outcomes. Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-10-23 /pmc/articles/PMC10626544/ /pubmed/37936688 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1244170 Text en Copyright © 2023 Ubil and Zahid https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/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) and the copyright owner(s) 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.
spellingShingle Immunology
Ubil, Eric
Zahid, Kashif Rafiq
Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint
title Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint
title_full Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint
title_fullStr Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint
title_full_unstemmed Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint
title_short Structure and functions of Mer, an innate immune checkpoint
title_sort structure and functions of mer, an innate immune checkpoint
topic Immunology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10626544/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37936688
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1244170
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