Kipp Weiskopf

Macrophages are innate immune cells that have the ability to attack and eliminate foreign material from the body by engulfing or “eating” it, a process we call phagocytosis. Our lab is exploring how we can harness this natural ability to make macrophages attack and destroy cancer cells. 

One of our main focuses is non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a group of blood cancers that includes many different subtypes, each with distinct behaviors and treatment challenges. We’ve discovered that macrophages can be very effective at attacking and engulfing lymphoma cells, if they receive the right signal. 

To provide this signal, we are developing new antibody therapies called bi-specific antibodies. These antibodies are engineered with two “arms:” one arm binds to the lymphoma cell, and the other binds to the macrophage. By physically bringing the two cells together, the antibody helps macrophages recognize cancer cells, and then engulf and eliminate them. 

Over the past year, we’ve created and tested hundreds of these novel, bi-specific antibodies, and from this work, we’ve identified several promising antibodies that are especially effective at triggering macrophages to attack lymphoma cells. These promising candidates represent an exciting step toward developing new therapies for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.