NSCLC: Another Cancer in Which CD47 Expression Makes a Difference

By: Celeste L. Dixon
Posted: Thursday, February 6, 2025

CD47 positivity correlates with worse prognosis and increased infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to research results published in PLOS One. This outcome emphasizes its potential as a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for patients with the disease, noted study authors Yongjie Wang, MD, of Qingdao University, Shandong, China, and colleagues.

A cell surface glycoprotein, CD47 belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily and can bind to a variety of proteins. Although previous research has uncovered the role of high expression of CD47 in tumor cells of other types of cancer—it helps them evade immune attack—its role in NSCLC’s tumor microenvironment had not been previously well studied, noted the team.

The researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of data relating to 50 patients with NSCLC treated between 2014 and 2018. Immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy assessed CD47 expression in tumor and adjacent tissues, and immunofluorescence evaluated CD47 on tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes.

Here are some key findings:

CD47 positivity in tumor tissues (52%) was significantly higher than in adjacent tissues (20%; P < .001), with expression localized to the cell membrane.
CD47 expression correlated with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and differentiation (P < .05) and was identified as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis.
Tumor-associated macrophage infiltration was greater in CD47-positive patients and correlated with shorter survival (P < .05).

More research about CD47’s potential as a biomarker is definitely needed, emphasized Dr. Wang and co-investigators. Given that chemotherapies and radiotherapies for NSCLC are usually limited in efficacy and safety because of patient tolerance, the search for new therapeutic targets is crucial, they said.

Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.

PLOS One