BioCentury
ARTICLE | Preclinical News

Researchers suggest ECM-binding mAbs could improve safety, efficacy in cancer

November 8, 2017 11:49 PM UTC

A Science Translational Medicine study suggests engineering extracellular matrix (ECM)-binding antibodies for checkpoint blockade could delay tumor growth and reduce immunotherapy-related adverse events in cancer by localizing therapy and limiting systemic exposure.

While immune checkpoint blockade has shown to be a promising approach for cancer therapy, systemic administration can lead to severe adverse events. In the study, researchers at the University of Chicago and colleagues conjugated mAbs to a peptide derived from placental growth factor (PGF; PLGF) with enhanced affinity for ECM proteins, creating a modified anti-PD-L1 mAb and a modified mAb against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4; CTLA4; CD152)...