A groundbreaking antibody has been developed to combat resistant breast cancers, offering renewed hope for patients facing aggressive forms of the disease. Researchers at King’s College London have engineered this antibody to target tumor cells directly while also leveraging the body’s immune defenses.
This innovative “triple-engineered antibody” attaches to cancer cells and attracts immune cells, enhancing the immune response against tumors. The Breast Cancer Now Research Unit at King’s College London has been leading efforts to enhance antibodies for immune cell activation for over a decade.
Through lab experiments and animal studies detailed in the Cancer Research journal, the modified antibody demonstrated increased binding to immune cells compared to current therapies. This activation prompted immune cells within tumors to attack and restrain the growth of triple-negative and treatment-resistant breast cancers.
Dr. Alicia Chenoweth, the lead author of the study, highlighted the antibody’s ability to activate immune cells effectively, shifting them towards an activated state to combat cancer cells. Professor Sophia Karagiannis emphasized the potential of this antibody to interact with immune cell receptors in breast tumors, potentially revolutionizing cancer treatment strategies.
Triple-negative breast cancer, constituting about 15% of all breast cancer cases, presents challenges due to the lack of hormone receptors and HER2 protein targets. This limitation renders standard therapies ineffective, increasing the need for alternative treatments.
Dr. Simon Vincent, Chief Scientific Officer at Breast Cancer Now, expressed optimism about the research, noting its potential to benefit the thousands of women diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer annually in the UK. The ongoing work at King’s College aims to advance immune-active antibodies for clinical trials, with a focus on enhancing therapy efficacy and broadening immune cell activation.
The researchers believe that this novel therapy has broader applications beyond breast cancer, potentially extending to ovarian and endometrial cancers.