Unmet Need
· It is projected that there will be about 1.9 million cancer cases, and 6 thousand cancer deaths within the US in the year 2023 (Siegel, 2021). mAb immunotherapy has been found to be less damaging and less invasive to rapidly dividing normal tissues when compared to current tumor therapy treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Though there are a few monoclonal antibody drugs on the market, there is still a large demand for additional effective, less-toxic alternatives that can aid in the prevention, detection, and/or treatment of hematologic and solid tumor cancers.
Value Proposition
· Targets and promotes the death of cancer cells with the use of autoantibodies typically expressed in those diagnosed with rheumatic diseases.
· Target antigen is selectively on the surface during pathological processes such as cancer metastasis, leading to minimal off target effects.
Technology Description
· Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a monoclonal antibody therapeutic method that serves as a therapeutic, biomarker, and metastatic detection recognition system for cancer cells. Specifically, this method utilizes an autoantigen immune response commonly characterized by rheumatic diseases to target a specific cancer cell protein that can induce cancer cell killing mechanisms such as antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity and phagocytosis (ADCC & ADCP) as well as serve as a biomarker and anti-drug conjugate for standard treatments such as chemotherapy. Current work focuses on primary human breast, colon, and adrenocortical cancer, but the researchers anticipate it will work across a wide range of cancers.
Stage of Development
· The researchers have shown that they can target and eliminate cancer cells based on this antigen and that ADC, ADCC, and ADCP strategies are all involved in cancer cell clearance when treated with these antibodies. Clinical grade antibodies need to be made and tested in humans. Further refinement is needed to clarify which indications are the most appropriate.
Publication
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