Therapeutics: ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10)
Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting a high molecular weight form of ADAM10 could help treat colorectal and gastric cancers. In tissue samples from colon cancer patients or a xenograft mouse model of the disease, levels of a high molecular weight form of ADAM10 were higher in tumors than in normal tissues. In the xenograft mouse model, a mAb specific for the high molecular weight ADAM10 increased tumor cell apoptosis and decreased tumor growth and vascularity compared with an isotype-matched control mAb. Also in the model, irinotecan plus the mAb decreased tumor growth and tumor relapse compared with irinotecan alone. In a mouse model of gastric adenoma, the mAb decreased tumor growth compared with an isotype-matched control mAb. Next steps could include identifying and testing the mAb against high molecular ADAM10 in additional models of colon and gastric cancers...