Oncology

There is a critical need to improve cancer treatment with durable responses and better tolerated drugs. The immune systems of some patients successfully generate antibodies against their tumor, resulting in better prognoses. Our aim is to discover these antibodies and utilize them to develop better medicines.

Tertiary lymphoid structure biology and cancer prognosis

The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) and tumor-infiltrating B cells is associated with improved survival in most cancers, including lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer.

TLSs promote immune infiltration and lymphocyte development. They primarily consist of B cells, T cells, and supporting dendritic cells. TLSs facilitate the interaction between naïve B cells and dendritic cells presenting tumor antigens. The mature B cells emerging from TLSs express antibodies that exert anti-tumor activity.

We discover new antibody-target pairs based on TLS biology

Mining the tumor antibody repertoire of elite patients allows for the identification of novel antibody-target pairs. These tumor-derived antibodies are then used for the development of targeted cancer therapies.

Our proprietary DROPZYLLA® technology is uniquely suited to mine the antibody repertoires of fragile and short-lived TIBs. We screen these repertoires using high-throughput genomic, proteomic, and cell-based assays to identify novel antibodies and their targets. Lead antibodies are then developed up to pre-clinical or clinical proof of concept stage. Our initial focus is on lung, ovarian, and colorectal cancer.

Collect human tumor resections from elite patients.

We diligently select patients as donors of tumour resections that have mature TLS, very high B cell infiltration or rare controllers of disease.

Biobank antibody repertoire from tumor infiltrating B cells.

We are building a diverse library of unique antibodies. Typically >100,000 antibodies per patient. More on technology.

Identify antibodies with potent anti-tumor activity.

We identify those antibodies that show binding to cancer cells or functional activity against tumors. The most promising candidate antibodies are used to identify their target.

Evaluate novel antibody-target pair.

Novel antibody-target pairs identified through our process undergo further validation both in vitro and in vivo. We also validate targets by assessing their expression in the original tumor and across various other cancer types.

Treat cancer patients.

Selected human-derived antibodies targeting novel cancer antigens are developed into candidate therapeutics, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). These therapeutics include modalities such as naked antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and bi-specific T cell engagers.

We are building a diverse library of cancer-derived antibodies from clinically selected patients

In addition to being used for in-house therapeutic antibody discovery, these repertoires may also be used by partners to identify novel genuinely immunogenic antigens to support other anti-cancer approaches, such as cell therapies and therapeutic vaccines.

We are open to collaborations to work on our libraries. Contact us to find out more.

Oncology

Tertiary lymphoid structure biology and cancer prognosis

We discover new antibody-target pairs based on TLS biology

We are building a diverse library of cancer-derived antibodies from clinically selected patients

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