Volume 155, Issue 11 pp. 1928-1938
REVIEW

Targeting erythroid progenitor cells for cancer immunotherapy

Su-Ran Li

Su-Ran Li

State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China

Contribution: Conceptualization, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing

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Zhi-Zhong Wu

Zhi-Zhong Wu

State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China

Contribution: Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing

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Hai-Jun Yu

Corresponding Author

Hai-Jun Yu

Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China

Correspondence

Hai-Jun Yu, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.

Email: [email protected]

Zhi-Jun Sun, State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei, P. R. China.

Email: [email protected]

Contribution: Conceptualization, Resources, Writing - review & editing

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Zhi-Jun Sun

Corresponding Author

Zhi-Jun Sun

State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P. R. China

Correspondence

Hai-Jun Yu, Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.

Email: [email protected]

Zhi-Jun Sun, State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei, P. R. China.

Email: [email protected]

Contribution: Conceptualization, Resources, Visualization, Writing - review & editing

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First published: 22 July 2024

Su-Ran Li and Zhi-Zhong Wu authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint blockade therapy, represents a major milestone in the history of cancer therapy. However, the current response rate to immunotherapy among cancer patients must be improved; thus, new strategies for sensitizing patients to immunotherapy are urgently needed. Erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs), a population of immature erythroid cells, exert potent immunosuppressive functions. As a newly recognized immunosuppressive population, EPCs have not yet been effectively targeted. In this review, we summarize the immunoregulatory mechanisms of EPCs, especially for CD45+ EPCs. Moreover, in view of the regulatory effects of EPCs on the tumor microenvironment, we propose the concept of EPC-immunity, present existing strategies for targeting EPCs, and discuss the challenges encountered in both basic research and clinical applications. In particular, the impact of existing cancer treatments on EPCs is discussed, laying the foundation for combination therapies. The aim of this review is to provide new avenues for improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy by targeting EPCs.

Graphical Abstract

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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