Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2023 Jul 5;29(13):2345-2347.
doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-0490.

CD16+ Macrophages: An Emerging Biomarker for Combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 Blockade

Affiliations
Editorial

CD16+ Macrophages: An Emerging Biomarker for Combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 Blockade

James W Smithy et al. Clin Cancer Res. .

Abstract

In a retrospective analysis of patients with unresectable melanoma, higher pretreatment tissue densities of CD16+ macrophages were associated with clinical benefit from combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade. With further validation, this biomarker could serve as a tool in selecting between immune checkpoint inhibitor regimens. See related article by Lee et al., p. 2513.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Proposed ipilimumab mechanisms of action in the tumor immune microenvironment.
The ipilimumab variable region binds to CTLA-4 on T cells, facilitating costimulatory T-cell signaling through CD28. The Fc region binds to CD16 on immunostimulatory macrophages, which express CD86 and complement pathway genes. Downstream effects may include depletion of regulatory T cells and immunosuppressive M2 macrophages. Upregulation of T-cell recruiting chemokines CXCL9, CXL10, and CXCL11 in the tumor microenvironment is also associated with CD16 expression on macrophages.

Comment in

Comment on

References

    1. Lee H, Ferguson AL, Quek C, Vergara IA, Pires daSilva I, Allen R, et al. Intratumoral CD16+ macrophages are associated with clinical outcomes of patients with metastatic melanoma treated with combination anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Clin Cancer Res (2023). - PubMed
    1. Cristescu R, et al. Pan-tumor genomic biomarkers for PD-1 checkpoint blockade-based immunotherapy. Science 362(2018). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Litchfield K, et al. Meta-analysis of tumor- and T cell-intrinsic mechanisms of sensitization to checkpoint inhibition. Cell 184, 596–614 e514 (2021). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Robert C, et al. Pembrolizumab versus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma. N Engl J Med 372, 2521–2532 (2015). - PubMed
    1. Robert C, et al. Nivolumab in previously untreated melanoma without BRAF mutation. N Engl J Med 372, 320–330 (2015). - PubMed