Tissue factor-activated prodrugs

A team at The Scripps Research Institute has designed a prodrug of doxorubicin that is activated by components of the tissue factor coagulation cascade present in high concentrations in the tumor microenvironment, thus avoiding off-target effects.¹ The prodrugs, which are licensed to Affinity Pharmaceuticals Inc., showed better efficacy against primary tumors and metastases than standard doxorubicin in mice.

Tissue factor is a glycoprotein that has been associated with many aggressive cancers,² where high levels on the tumor cell surface can trigger oncogenic proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis.³...