UCLA researchers in the Departments of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics (MIMG) and Medicine have developed antibody–cytokine fusion proteins that enable the targeted delivery of active interferon-gamma (IFNγ) for cancer treatment.
Interferon-gamma (IFNγ), a type II interferon, is a cytokine released by both natural killer cells and T cells. It is responsible for signaling many important cellular events such as growth inhibition, surface marker upregulation, and lymphocyte activities. Therefore, IFNγ can potentially serve as a cancer therapeutic. However, its utility is currently hindered by its short half-life and systemic toxicity.
INNOVATION:
UCLA researchers have developed a panel of recombinant fusion proteins consisting of IgG antibodies and functional IFNγ dimers stabilized by linkers. These targeted fusion proteins were found to exhibit proliferation inhibition efficacies several orders of magnitude higher than non-targeted IFNγ toward various cancer cell lines. Furthermore, in vivo studies revealed that the targeted treatment inhibits tumor growth and increases survival in mice.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
- Cancer treatment
- Targeted delivery of cytokines
ADVANTAGES:
- Higher efficacy due to targeting ability
- Lower dosage → lower systemic toxicity
- Potentially longer half-life
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:
This invention has been developed and tested in mice.
Related Papers (from the inventors only)
Young, P. A. et al. Semin. Oncol. 2014, 41, 623–636.