Targeted antibody therapies using powerful enediyne cancer drugs
Novel Enediyne-Based Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Cancers
This project is developing new antibody-based drugs that attach very potent enediyne molecules to antibodies to better treat blood cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251262 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating homogeneous, site-specifically linked antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that attach enediyne-derived payloads called tiancimycin (TNM) and lactimidomycin (LTM) to antibodies. They will optimize microbial production and chemical linker design for these payloads and use a dual variable domain (DVD) platform to place drugs on specific lysine or arginine sites. The team will target tumor markers CD79b and ROR1 found on many blood cancers and test the ADCs in cell lines and preclinical models. The work aims to produce more potent and safer targeted therapies for hematologic malignancies that could move toward clinical testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be patients with hematologic malignancies whose cancer cells express CD79b or ROR1, such as some B‑cell lymphomas and leukemias.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors do not express CD79b or ROR1, or those with unrelated solid tumors, are unlikely to benefit from these specific ADCs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these ADCs could offer more effective and safer treatment options for certain blood cancers like some lymphomas and leukemias.
How similar studies have performed: Several ADCs are already FDA-approved and site-specific conjugation has improved safety and effectiveness, but using enediyne payloads is a newer approach building on that progress.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shen, Ben — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Shen, Ben
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.