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Review
. 2025 Mar 20;13(3):330.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines13030330.

Exploring CD169+ Macrophages as Key Targets for Vaccination and Therapeutic Interventions

Rianne G Bouma  1   2   3 , Aru Z Wang  1   2   3 , Joke M M den Haan  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Exploring CD169+ Macrophages as Key Targets for Vaccination and Therapeutic Interventions

Rianne G Bouma et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

CD169 is a sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin (Siglec-1, sialoadhesin) that is expressed by subsets of tissue-resident macrophages and circulating monocytes. This receptor interacts with α2,3-linked Neu5Ac on glycoproteins as well as glycolipids present on the surface of immune cells and pathogens. CD169-expressing macrophages exert tissue-specific homeostatic functions, but they also have opposing effects on the immune response. CD169+ macrophages act as a pathogen filter, protect against infectious diseases, and enhance adaptive immunity, but at the same time pathogens also exploit them to enable further dissemination. In cancer, CD169+ macrophages in tumor-draining lymph nodes are correlated with better clinical outcomes. In inflammatory diseases, CD169 expression is upregulated on monocytes and on monocyte-derived macrophages and this correlates with the disease state. Given their role in promoting adaptive immunity, CD169+ macrophages are currently investigated as targets for vaccination strategies against cancer. In this review, we describe the studies investigating the importance of CD169 and CD169+ macrophages in several disease settings and the vaccination strategies currently under investigation.

Keywords: CD169; Siglec-1; adaptive immunity; antigen-presenting cells; dendritic cells; macrophages; sialoadhesin; therapeutic interventions; vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CD169-expressing macrophage subsets in different organs.
Figure 2
Figure 2
An overview of the interaction of pathogens and vaccination strategies with CD169.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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