Researchers at Uppsala University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology have engineered a novel multifunctional antibody with the potential to treat multiple cancer types. This innovative approach combines three distinct functions within a single antibody construct to amplify the T-cell response against tumors.
The new drug redirects the immune system to find and target specific mutations and gene changes that are only found in cancer cells, known as neoantigens. The antibody delivers tumor-specific material directly to immune cells while simultaneously stimulating them, enhancing the T-cell response to the tumor.
Enhanced T-Cell Activation and Tumor Regression
According to a study published in Nature Communications, the multifunctional antibody activates the appropriate immune cells in human blood samples. In animal models, mice treated with the antibody experienced prolonged survival, and higher doses even led to cancer remission. Importantly, the treatment demonstrated a safety profile superior to that of previous cancer therapies investigated by the researchers.
"We have been researching precision medicine for close to 15 years now, as well as how we can use antibodies to influence an important key protein (CD40) in the immune system. We can now show that our new antibody method works as precision medicine for cancer," said Sara Mangsbo, professor at the Department of Pharmacy at Uppsala University.
Customizable Precision Medicine
Traditional precision medicines can be expensive and time-consuming to develop. The advantage of this new drug is its ease of large-scale production and adaptability to individual patient needs.
"The advantage of our drug is that it is easy to produce on a larger scale, yet can be easily tailored to the patient's disease or specific tumor. The medicine consists of two parts that are combined, a targeting bispecific antibody—which can be produced in large quantities in advance—and a custom peptide part, which is produced rapidly synthetically on a small scale for a desired type of cancer," explained Johan Rockberg, Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Future Directions
The study's primary goal was to create a more flexible, rapid, and safe cancer treatment. The method has demonstrated the potential for customization, strengthening the immune system against cancer. The next phase involves optimizing the production process to manufacture the drug candidate for further safety studies, followed by human clinical trials.
