STROMA: Selective targeting of angiogenesis and of tumor stroma

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 03.0081-2

Key words (English)

Glycoengineering; therapeutic antibodies; angiogenesis

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: 503233

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 6. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.2b

Short description (English)

See abstract

Abstract (English)

The majority of approaches for the treatment of solid tumours suffer from poor selectivity or unacceptable toxicities in normal tissues. The situation is complicated by accumulation of most anticancer drugs in normal tissues rather than in neoplastic sites due to the irregular vasculature and to the high interstitial pressure of solid tumours. One way of developing more efficacious and better-tolerated anti-cancer drugs relies on the specific target-delivery of therapeutic agents to the tumour environment sparing normal tissues.
We focus on the identification and validation of molecular targets which are selectively expressed in the stroma and in neo-vascular sites of aggressive solid tumours. Endothelial cells and stromal cells are genetically more stable than tumour cells and can produce abundant markers, which are ideally suited for tumour targeting strategies. Furthermore we want to isolate human antibodies, which are specific for markers of angiogenesis and/or the tumour stroma, and are capable of selective localization in the tumour environment.
A very effective way to increase the activity of antibodies is to enhance their natural immune effector functions. Glycarts's core technology, GlycoMab, is based on the engineering of antibody-glycosilation which dramatically increases the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). This immune effector mechanism is crucial for the target killing capability of therapeutic antibodies in vivo.
For these drug candidates therapeutic strategies will be developed, based on specific binding molecules capable of selective localization around tumour vascular structures and/or in the tumour stroma.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 03.0081-2