IGE antibodies show promise in targeting HER2 cancers against other therapies

IGE antibodies show promise in targeting HER2 cancers against other therapies

The antibody treatment that activates the patient's own immune system against cancer, called immunotherapy, is increasingly being studied as an alternative to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This is because it specifically targets the cancer cells, reducing the side effects seen with traditional therapies.

Tumors such as some breast and ovarian cancers can express the marker HER2. HER2 is responsible for cancer growth and is the target of existing therapies, such as the most commonly used type of antibody, Igg. However, this treatment is not always effective for some patients.

Now scientists have studied a different type of antibody, IGE, which activates the patient's immune system in a different way to IgG. As they act on various immune cells to produce IgG, IgE antibodies stimulate the “microenvironment” surrounding the tumor to directly target the cancer cells.

In the study, led by Dr. Heather Bax at King's College London, the team developed IGE versions of existing IgG therapies and tested their ability to activate immune cells against HER2-expressing cancer cells.

IGE was shown to direct immune cells against HER2-expressing cancer cells and slow tumor growth in mice. The tumors grown in mice are known to be resistant to conventional treatments, suggesting that this new treatment could be an option for patients who do not respond to existing therapy.

Further research revealed that IgE antibodies stimulated and reprogrammed the 'immune microenvironment' around the tumors themselves - switching from an immunosuppressive to an immunostimulatory response. This means that the immune system has been activated to target the cancer cells and overcome the effects of the tumor to suppress the attacks.

The study, published inJournal of Cancer Immunotherapy(JITC) With funding now in place for breast cancer, IGE has demonstrated its potential as a new therapy for HER2-expressing cancers, including those resistant to other treatments. The researchers believe that with the right investments and development, this approach could be used in humans in 3-5 years.

About 20% of breast and ovarian cancers express the marker HER2. By generating anti-HER2 IgE antibodies equivalent to clinically used IgGs, we demonstrate for the first time that IGES utilize unique mechanisms to reprogram the immune microenvironment and switch immune cells to effectively target HER2-expressing cancers, including those resistant to existing therapies.

Our results indicate that IGE antibodies could provide a potential new therapeutic option for patients with HER2-expressing cancer. “

Dr. Heather Bax,Senior Author,Postdoctoral Researcher at St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, King’s College London

Co-author Professor Sophia Karagiannis, Professor of Immunology and Immunotherapy of Translational Cancer, at St. John's Institute of Dermatology at King's College London:

"The results of our recent study speak to the potential of using IGE to drive effective responses against difficult-to-treat solid tumors. This new class of drugs promises to benefit diverse patient populations and open a new frontier in the fight against cancer."

Dr. Kotryna Temcinait, head of research communications and engagement at Breast Cancer Now, which provided funding for the study, said: "This exciting research could lead to much-needed new treatments for people with HER2-positive breast cancer, whose cancers do not respond to existing therapies. Now we know that the treatments work, in principle, in mice, which can evolve the most."

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