A research team led by Assistant Investigator Chi-Hung Wang at China Medical University Hospital has developed an EphA10-targeted tri-specific antibody designed to treat breast cancer. This antibody drug connects immune cells with tumor cells, leveraging T cells and NK (natural killer) cells to stimulate the body's immune system for a more effective cancer-fighting response, showing promise particularly for hard-to-treat cancers like triple-negative breast cancer.

Cancer remains a significant global health issue, and while traditional treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are beneficial, they have limitations. Immunotherapy, which stimulates the body's own immune system to attack cancer cells, has gained attention for its potential. Existing immunotherapies, such as CAR-T cell therapy and bispecific T cell engagers, target specific tumor antigens but face challenges in treating solid tumors due to complex tumor microenvironments and drug resistance.

Tri-Specific Antibody: Precise Targeting and Enhanced Immune Response

The tri-specific antibody developed by the team at China Medical University Hospital offers several advantages. First, it precisely targets cancer cells. The EphA10 antigen is highly expressed in various cancers, particularly breast cancer, but is minimally present in normal tissues. This allows the antibody to selectively attack cancer cells, sparing healthy cells from harm. Second, the antibody has a dual activation mechanism, binding simultaneously to tumor cells, T cells, and NK cells to form an immune synapse, effectively activating the killing functions of T and NK cells and enhancing the immune response against cancer cells. Research also shows that the antibody promotes the release of cytokines like IFN-γ from T and NK cells, further strengthening the immune response and boosting anti-tumor effects. Given EphA10’s high expression across multiple cancers, this antibody has broad potential beyond breast cancer, possibly extending to other cancer types.

Accelerating Clinical Trials with Broad Application Potential

The research team is actively collaborating with biotech companies domestically and internationally to advance the drug’s preclinical studies and clinical trials. As trials progress, this antibody could become a next-generation immunotherapy for treating breast cancer and other related cancers, leveraging EphA10's expression profile across different cancer types.

Resource (mandarin): 三特異性抗體新藥強化免疫精準攻擊 有望剋最惡乳癌！