The NYU Langone Health researchers and its Perlmutter Cancer Center developed a drug that reportedly eliminates cancer cells while maintaining healthy ones.
It is an antibody that targets the mutant protein called HER2 without attacking normal ones.
As a result, it can treat people without causing unintended health effects.
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The New York University and Perlmutter researchers admit their drug is still in the early stages. Nevertheless, they say it can lead to new and safer cancer therapies.
How does the drug remove cancer cells safely?
Interesting Engineering focuses on cancers stemming from the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2).
It causes cancer when an amino acid swaps and puts it into the “always-active” mode.
This phenomenon causes cells to divide and multiply uncontrollably.
The researchers started creating a drug that can fight cancer cells safely by experimenting with antibodies.
Dr. Shohei Koide, PhD, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, stated:
“We set out to make an antibody that can recognize a single change in the 600 amino acid building blocks that make up the exposed part of the HER2 protein.”
Eventually, they found variants that recognized the mutant HER2 and not the normal version.
Then, they converted their antibody into a bispecific T-cell engager.
It is a molecule where an antibody targets the mutant protein fuses with another antibody that binds to a T-cell and activates them.
One end of the antibody sticks to the mutant HER2 on a cancer cell. Meantime, the other causes T-cells to kill the cancer cell.
Further testing revealed that the method killed mutant HER2 cancer cells and spared normal ones.
Moreover, it reduced tumor growth significantly when the researchers tested their T-cell engagers in mice with mutant HER2.
The drug did not cause weight loss or visible sickness, suggesting it causes few side effects.
Dr. Koide noted that differences between mouse and human proteins require further research to confirm their impact on people.