Viewing Siglecs through the lens of tumor immunology

2017/03/01 by Isabella Fraschilla, Shiv Pillai
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Immunology and Microbiology · #Extracellular vesicles in disease #Galectins and Cancer Biology #Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

paper · doi:10.1111/imr.12526

openalex publication_date 2017/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Many Siglecs function as inhibitory receptors on innate and adaptive immune cells and may contribute to the attenuation of immune responses to tumors. Siglec 9 on neutrophils and Siglec 7 on NK cells are prominent examples of inhibitory Siglecs that can potentially dampen anti-tumor immunity. CD169 is a Siglec that may function as an adhesion molecule and a facilitator of the recognition and internalization of sialic acid decorated apoptotic bodies and exosomes derived from tumors. It can potentially contribute to both the attenuation as well as the facilitation of anti-tumor immunity. Siglecs have been best studied in the tumor context in animal models of cancer. Modulators of Siglec function are likely to be developed and investigated clinically in a cancer context over the next few years.

Citations

• Analysis of the CD33-related siglec family reveals that Siglec-9 is an endocytic receptor expressed on subsets of acute myeloid leukemia cells and absent from normal hematopoietic progenitors
• Characterization of inhibitory signaling motifs of the natural killer cell receptor Siglec-7: attenuated recruitment of phosphatases by the receptor is attributed to two amino acids in the motifs
• Siglec-7 mediates nonapoptotic cell death independently of its immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs in monocytic cell line U937

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