Cancer

Studies in mice suggest a peptide-based EPHA2 agonist conjugated to paclitaxel could help treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Conjugation of an EPHA2 agonist peptide to the generic chemotherapy paclitaxel and in vitro binding assays yielded a peptide-drug conjugate that bound EPHA2 with a K_d of 4.9 μM. In a xenograft mouse model of TNBC, the conjugate decreased the number of lung metastases compared with vehicle or Abraxane nab-paclitaxel. In another xenograft mouse model of TNBC, the conjugate decreased numbers of cancer cells in the blood compared with Abraxane. Next steps could include testing the peptide-drug conjugate in additional models of TNBC...