2020/03/23

Dr Maria Vivanco and her team at CIC bioGUNE have participated in an international collaborative effort to develop a novel, potent, antibody-drug conjugate that targets the tumor microenvironment.

Dr Maria Vivanco and her team at CIC bioGUNE have participated in an international collaborative effort to develop a novel, potent, antibody-drug conjugate that targets the tumor microenvironment.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment play key roles in cancer development and progression. In particular, CAFs expressing FAPα (fibroblast activating protein α) are involved in resistance to therapy.

The antibody-drug conjugate OMTX705 is a humanized anti-FAP antibody linked to a new cytolysin (a substance that is specifically toxic to cells).

OMTX705 induces complete and prolonged tumor growth regression, as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy.

Treatment re-challenge following discontinuation induces additional tumor regression, suggesting the absence of development of therapy resistance.

Targeting FAP with OMTX705 may therefore be a novel and potent strategy for treatment of tumors, including those resistant to immunotherapy.

The collaborative scientific group, led by Oncomatrix, included researchers from the USA, Germany, Austria and Spain. The work has been published in Clinical Cancer Research.