Potential for novel MUC1 glycopeptide-specific antibody in passive cancer immunotherapy

Glycan-based therapeutic approaches for bladder cancer: Overcoming clinical barriers

Bladder cancer (BLCA) remains a significant global health concern, being characterized by high incidence, recurrence, and mortality rates. Disease heterogeneity and rapid progression pose major challenges for effective management and identification of actionable biomarkers. Conventional therapies often fail to successfully achieve disease control, urging the development of novel, personalized approaches. In recent years, anti-tumour immunotherapy approaches in both pre-clinical and clinical settings have boomed. However, the efficacy of these strategies has been limited by the low mutational burden in some tumours, which hinders neoantigen presentation and the identification of BLCA-specific signatures. Cancer-associated aberrant glycosylation presents a unique opportunity for identifying BLCA-specific glycosignatures and developing innovative targeted therapeutics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the clinical challenges in BLCA management and emerging novel therapies. Furthermore, it highlights the potential of glycosylation alterations as a unique opportunity for developing glycan-based therapies, potentially revolutionizing BLCA treatment strategies.

Bringing cell therapy to tumors: considerations for optimal CAR binder design

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have revolutionized the immunotherapy of B-cell malignancies and are poised to expand the range of their impact across a broad range of oncology and non-oncology indications. Critical to the success of a given CAR is the choice of binding domain, as this is the key driver for specificity and plays an important role (along with the rest of the CAR structure) in determining efficacy, potency and durability of the cell therapy. While antibodies have proven to be effective sources of CAR binding domains, it has become apparent that the desired attributes for a CAR binding domain do differ from those of a recombinant antibody. This review will address key factors that need to be considered in choosing the optimal binding domain for a given CAR and how binder properties influence and are influenced by the rest of the CAR.

MUC1 antibody-based therapeutics: the promise of cancer immunotherapy

Antibody-based targeted therapies have been able to target cancers with enhanced specificity and high efficacy. In this regard, identifying cancer markers (antigens) that are only present (tumor-specific antigens) or have an increased expression (tumor-associated antigen) on the surface of cancer cells is a crucial step for targeted cancer treatment. Various cancer antigens have already been used for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. MUC1 is one of the most important tumor markers with high levels of expression in various solid tumors which makes it as a potential target for antibody-based therapies. This review discusses preclinical and clinical results from various platforms based on monoclonal antibodies, nanobodies as well as bispecific antibodies against MUC1. We also highlight unmet challenges that must be overcome to generate more effective cancer immunotherapy strategies.

Potential of Anti-MUC1 Antibodies as a Targeted Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancers

Gastrointestinal cancers (GI) account for 26% of cancer incidences globally and 35% of all cancer-related deaths. The main challenge is to target cancer specific antigens. Mucins are heavily O-glycosylated proteins overexpressed in different cancers. The transmembrane glycoprotein MUC1 is the most likeable target for antibodies, owing to its specific overexpression and aberrant glycosylation in many types of cancers. For the past 30 years, MUC1 has remained a possible diagnostic marker and therapeutic target. Despite initiation of numerous clinical trials, a comprehensively effective therapy with clinical benefit is yet to be achieved. However, the interest in MUC1 as a therapeutic target remains unaltered. For all translational studies, it is important to incorporate updated relevant research findings into therapeutic strategies. In this review we present an overview of the antibodies targeting MUC1 in GI cancers, their potential role in immunotherapy (i.e., antibody-drug and radioimmunoconjugates, CAR-T cells), and other novel therapeutic strategies. We also present our perspectives on how the mechanisms of action of different anti-MUC1 antibodies can target specific hallmarks of cancer and therefore be utilized as a combination therapy for better clinical outcomes.

Combining the Specific Anti-MUC1 Antibody TAB004 and Lip-MSA-IL-2 Limits Pancreatic Cancer Progression in Immune Competent Murine Models of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Immunotherapy regimens have shown success in subsets of cancer patients; however, their efficacy against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) remain unclear. Previously, we demonstrated the potential of TAB004, a monoclonal antibody targeting the unique tumor-associated form of MUC1 (tMUC1) in the early detection of PDA. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic benefit of combining the TAB004 antibody with Liposomal-MSA-IL-2 in immune competent and human MUC1 transgenic (MUC1.Tg) mouse models of PDA and investigated the associated immune responses. Treatment with TAB004 + Lip-MSA-IL-2 resulted in significantly improved survival and slower tumor growth compared to controls in MUC1.Tg mice bearing an orthotopic PDA.MUC1 tumor. Similarly, in the spontaneous model of PDA that expresses human MUC1, the combination treatment stalled the progression of pancreatic intraepithelial pre-neoplastic (PanIN) lesion to adenocarcinoma. Treatment with the combination elicited a robust systemic and tumor-specific immune response with (a) increased percentages of systemic and tumor infiltrated CD45+CD11b+ cells, (b) increased levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO), (c) increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity/phagocytosis (ADCC/ADCP), (d) decreased percentage of immune regulatory cells (CD8+CD69+ cells), and (e) reduced circulating levels of immunosuppressive tMUC1. We report that treatment with a novel antibody against tMUC1 in combination with a unique formulation of IL-2 can improve survival and lead to stable disease in appropriate models of PDA by reducing tumor-induced immune regulation and promoting recruitment of CD45+CD11b+ cells, thereby enhancing ADCC/ADCP.

Phase 1 clinical trial demonstrated that MUC1 positive metastatic seminal vesicle cancer can be effectively eradicated by modified Anti-MUC1 chimeric antigen receptor transduced T cells

Recent progress in chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cell (CAR-T cell) technology in cancer therapy is extremely promising, especially in the treatment of patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In contrast, due to the hostile immunosuppressive microenvironment of a solid tumor, CAR T-cell accessibility and survival continue to pose a considerable challenge, which leads to their limited therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we constructed two anti-MUC1 CAR-T cell lines. One set of CAR-T cells contained SM3 single chain variable fragment (scFv) sequence specifically targeting the MUC1 antigen and co-expressing interleukin (IL) 12 (named SM3-CAR). The other CAR-T cell line carried the SM3 scFv sequence modified to improve its binding to MUC1 antigen (named pSM3-CAR) but did not co-express IL-12. When those two types of CAR-T cells were injected intratumorally into two independent metastatic lesions of the same MUC1(+) seminal vesicle cancer patient as part of an interventional treatment strategy, the initial results indicated no side-effects of the MUC1 targeting CAR-T cell approach, and patient serum cytokines responses were positive. Further evaluation showed that pSM3-CAR effectively caused tumor necrosis, providing new options for improved CAR-T therapy in solid tumors.

Inhibition of KL-6/MUC1 glycosylation limits aggressive progression of pancreatic cancer

AIM: To evaluate the significance of KL-6/MUC1 (a type of MUC1) glycosylation in pancreatic cancer progression.

METHODS: KL-6/MUC1 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 48 patients with pancreatic duct cell carcinoma. The N-/O-glycosylation inhibitors (tunicamycin and benzyl-N-acetyl-α-galactosaminide) were then used to interfere with KL-6/MUC1 glycosylation in two pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, and the effects on KL-6/MUC1 expression, and cell adhesion and invasion were determined. In addition, protein expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers, E-cadherin and vimentin, were evaluated in cells after treatment with glycosylation inhibitors.

RESULTS: Overexpression of KL-6/MUC1 was found in all pancreatic cancer tissues, but not in the surrounding normal pancreatic tissues. The expression profile of KL-6/MUC1 was significantly decreased after treatment with the inhibitors. The adhesion and invasive ability of cancer cells were significantly decreased after drug treatment, and increased E-cadherin and decreased vimentin expression were found.

CONCLUSION: KL-6/MUC1 glycosylation is involved in pancreatic cancer metastasis and invasion. Therapeutic strategies which target this may help control the aggressive behavior of pancreatic cancer cells.