Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    TopBuzzMagazine.com
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Home
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Music
    • Fashion
    • Books
    • Science
    • Technology
    • Cover Story
    • Contact
      • About
      • Amazon Disclaimer
      • Terms and Conditions
      • Privacy Policy
      • DMCA / Copyrights Disclaimer
    TopBuzzMagazine.com
    Home»Science»Boosting anti-cancer antibodies by reducing their grip
    Science

    Boosting anti-cancer antibodies by reducing their grip

    By AdminMarch 18, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Boosting anti-cancer antibodies by reducing their grip

    New research from the Centre for Cancer Immunology at the University of Southampton, published ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February), has shown that changing how tightly an antibody binds to a target could improve treatments for cancer.

    Antibodies detect and tag viruses and bacteria so the body’s immune system can destroy them. To help prevent a second infection our immune system fine-tunes these antibodies to have a tighter grip on these targets, known as higher affinity.

    Immunotherapy treatments for cancer use the same concept — direct targeting antibodies are designed to find and bind tightly to the cancer cells so the immune system can kill them. These antibody treatments have proved successful for some cancers over the last few years, but many cancer patients still do not respond or become resistant to them.

    In a new study, published in Nature, Southampton researchers have shown that a different type of therapeutic antibody, called “immunomodulatory antibodies” are successful in treating cancer when they have a looser grip.

    Changing the tightness of binding is known as affinity engineering and the research team believes this could offer an efficient, more flexible, opportunity to treat cancer.

    Immunomodulatory antibodies bind to receptors on immune cells rather than tumour cells and work by altering the signals that are transmitted into the immune cells to make them more active and better at killing cancer cells.

    In the study, the team examined three separate receptors (CD40, 4-1BB and PD-1), and showed there was better clustering of the receptors and signalling into the immune cells was improved when the binding was looser. For one of these, CD40, it showed better killing of tumour cells.

    Professor Mark Cragg, from the Centre for Cancer Immunology, said: “Although the number of approved antibody drugs is continually increasing, with over 100 now in clinic, some patients remain unresponsive to the treatment. Therefore, developing new strategies to super-charge our antibodies through techniques such as affinity engineering is key to providing better treatments for patients.

    “Our study suggests that by changing the affinity we can effectively fine tune the antibody to the desired level and activity.

    “Importantly, immunomodulatory antibodies target the same receptor on immune cells and so can in theory be used for very many different types of tumours, opening up more treatment opportunities for more people. The main applications currently are in oncology, but in principle the same approach could be used for antibodies treating autoimmune disorders and inflammatory diseases.”

    Dr Xiaojie Yu, first author of the study and now assistant professor at the School of Life Sciences at Westlake University, said: “High affinity binding has been the mantra of therapeutic antibody development for decades. The finding that low affinity was conducive to antibody-mediated cellular signalling by the immunomodulatory antibodies presents a powerful tool for developing new and more effective antibodies for treating cancer and autoimmunity.”

    The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and the Cancer Immunology Fund, the University’s campaign to support the vital research taking place within the Centre, following the successful campaign to rasie £25million to build the Centre.

    Katherine de Retuerto, Associate Director of Development at the University of Southampton, said: “This exciting work is exactly what we hoped would happen when we were fundraising to build the Centre for Cancer Immunology. The many generous donors whose philanthropy contributed to the Centre, including those who funded a key piece of equipment used in these experiments, should feel great pride at the progress the Southampton team is making.”

    Dr Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer is a master of the art of evading the immune system. We need to try many different tactics to help our bodies unmask tumours and attack them.

    “Immunomodulatory antibodies are one of the cornerstones of immunotherapy, which is fast becoming a staple treatment in the clinic. But immunotherapy doesn’t always work for everyone, and we need to keep refining it to ensure it gives patients the best chance of a good outcome.

    “This research offers an exciting new approach to making antibody treatments work better and in the future we hope to see it reach its full potential in the clinic.”

    Read The Full Article Here

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Posts

    Bioplastic habitats on Mars could be built from algae

    July 3, 2025

    Data-driven strategies to advance methane pyrolysis catalysts

    July 2, 2025

    Chemotherapy can make healthy blood cells ‘look old,’ study suggests

    July 2, 2025

    A Neanderthal-shaped skull may explain why some people get headaches

    July 1, 2025

    Tips for Independence Day and summer heat

    July 1, 2025

    Thimerosal carries no health risks and is almost never used anyway. So why are anti-vaxxers obsessed with it?

    June 30, 2025
    popular posts

    Jaxsta Named Master of Metadata at 2023 Bizzy Awards: Exclusive

    Head lice evolution mirrors human migration and colonization in the

    Oppo Reno 8 Series Price in India, Storage Variants Tipped

    A Balmain x Stranger Things Clothing Collecting + More Fashion

    Mother and Son – first-look review

    Meta Raises the Prices of Its Quest VR Headsets by

    BookTrib’s Bites: From Historical Fiction to Pirates

    Categories
    • Books (3,264)
    • Cover Story (3)
    • Events (18)
    • Fashion (2,432)
    • Interviews (43)
    • Movies (2,563)
    • Music (2,841)
    • News (155)
    • Science (4,413)
    • Technology (2,556)
    • Television (3,285)
    • Uncategorized (932)
    Archives
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube Reddit TikTok
    © 2025 Top Buzz Magazine. All rights reserved. All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT