New cancer immunotherapy to treat HER2+ breast cancer patient

The combination of magrolimab and trastuzumab can be a promising therapeutic approach towards HER2+ breast cancer treatment in patients whose tumors are resistant or sensitive to trastuzumab treatment.

Trastuzumab, a monoclonal anti-human growth factor receptor 2 receptor-2 (HER2) antibody, presents a keystone in the HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer treatment. Trastuzumab is highly competent for early-stage HER2+ breast cancer. Trastuzumab is highly competent for early-stage HER2+ breast cancer. Although, despite the persistence of HER2 gene overexpression/amplification, patients with advanced-stage HER2+ breast cancer, who firstly respond to trastuzumab acquire resistance to the treatment and relapse.

This study assessed the trastuzumab and anti-CD47 combination aimed to influence HER2 overexpression to engage antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). Anti-CD47 is known to be an efficacious anti-cancer therapy. It blocks the CD47 surface protein, which is expressed by various malignancies, comprising HER2+ breast cancer.

Magrolimab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that works against CD47 by blocking the interaction of CD47 with signal regulatory protein- α and declines the suppression of macrophages via cancer cells.

In combination with tumor-targeting antibodies, magrolimab facilitates ADCP via increasing “eat me” signals. Similarly, magrolimab and trastuzumab combination improves the efficiency via augmentation of ADCP by macrophages, even though cancer cells had tolerance to trastuzumab-provoked antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.

Therefore, as per the study’s outcome, macrophage-checkpoint inhibition combination with tumor-specific antibodies can be used for cancer immunotherapy.

Also, know more recently treatments against breast cancer by clicking ‘Sacituzumab Govitecan to treat Triple-Negative Breast Cancer‘ and ‘Palbociclib plus Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer‘.