Monocytic progenitor (cMoP)

Monocytic progenitors, including the common monocyte progenitor (cMoP) and the macrophage-dendritic cell progenitor (MDP), are specialized hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow committed to the monocyte lineage. Their primary biological role is the production of monocytes, which circulate in the blood and can differentiate into tissue-resident macrophages and dendritic cells. In pathological conditions, these progenitors are central to the development of myeloid malignancies like chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), where they may undergo malignant expansion. Furthermore, monocytic progenitors serve as the primary source of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which facilitate an immunosuppressive environment in solid tumors and promote cancer progression. Therapeutic strategies targeting these cells include the use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) directed against surface markers like CD64 to induce selective apoptosis of proliferating progenitors, as well as small-molecule inhibitors of receptors like CSF1R and FLT3 to disrupt their survival and differentiation pathways.

Other names

Common monocyte progenitorcMoPMacrophage-dendritic cell progenitorMDPMonocyte-restricted progenitorMonoblastPromonocyte

Antibody-drug conjugate mediated depletion, CSF1R inhibition, FLT3 inhibition, DNA hypomethylation, Cytotoxic apoptosis induction