CRISPR Screen Reveals Diverse Modes of CAR Macrophage Attack

Macrophages, key players in innate immunity, perform diverse functions, including pathogen engulfment. Cancer immunotherapies often utilize antibody-mediated phagocytosis, yet many cancer cells evade this “cellular eating.” This resistance highlights the need to explore trogocytosis, a complementary process observed alongside phagocytosis in vitro during CAR-P cell therapy (Morrissey et al., 2018). Our CRISPR screen aims to identify genes that enhance trogocytosis-induced lethality, uncovering mechanisms that hinder effective cancer cell clearance. I am further investigating KIF11, a mitotic motor protein whose inhibition may sensitize cancer cells to macrophage attack, advancing understanding of how cell-cycle regulation influences immune-mediated killing.