Technical Articles

Immune checkpoints are the core molecules that maintain immune response homeostasis, divided into "adaptive immune checkpoints" that regulate T cells and other cells, and "innate immune checkpoints" that regulate macrophages and other cells. Signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRP - α/CD172A) serves as a key natural immune checkpoint, constructing the "Don't Eat Me" signaling pathway by binding to ligand CD47. Under physiological conditions, it protects healthy cells from excessive phagocytosis, while tumor cells hijack this pathway to evade immune clearance.