Overview

• High-dose radiotherapy induces amphiregulin, a protein that reprograms immune cells and promotes metastatic tumor growth.
• Amphiregulin alters myeloid cells into an immunosuppressive state, reducing their ability to eliminate cancer cells.
• The combined blockade of amphiregulin and CD47 with radiotherapy showed effective metastatic control in preclinical animal models.
• Clinical samples confirmed elevated amphiregulin levels correlated with increased metastasis following radiotherapy.
• Researchers are designing clinical trials to test therapies targeting amphiregulin and CD47 to mitigate radiotherapy's pro-metastatic effects.