Can CD47 antibody therapy be safely used for AML and MDS?

During the 25th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), the AML Hub hosted a discussion between David Sallman, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, US, and Steering Committee Member Naval Daver, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, US.

The question was, Is CD47-directed antibody therapy safe and effective in patients with AML and myelodysplastic syndromes?

CD47 is a dominant negative immune checkpoint expressed by cancer cells, which facilitates immune evasion by decreasing recognition by macrophages. Increased expression of CD47 on cancer cells has been associated with inferior survival in patients with AML. The first-in-class anti-CD47 antibody magrolimab reinstates macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of tumor cells and has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in preclinical models.

Here, David Sallman and Naval Daver discuss the potential and clinical status of CD47-directed antibody therapy for the treatment of AML and myelodysplastic syndromes.