Immunotherapy targeting cancer glycosylationImmunotherapy targeting cancer glycosylation

All living cells are covered with a characteristic sugar-coat that is often altered in cancer. This results in cell surface presentation of unique tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA). Antibodies that bind these antigens can facilitate immune responses against cancer cells and could serve as ideal theranostic tools (therapeutic and/or diagnostics). However, anti-carbohydrate antibodies are typically of low affinity and low specificity limiting the potential of such antibodies in the clinic. We have established a new methodology and platform to obtain potent anti-carbohydrate antibodies targeting a diverse collection of TACAs with a therapeutic potential in a large collection of cancer types. Selected antibodies were validated for immunotherapy potential in vitro and in vivo in relevant mouse models. Altogether, these finding exemplify the power of targeting cancer glycosylation as a new frontier in cancer therapy.