iMM Corner
New study develops proof of concept for targeted therapy against acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia
Two IMM research groups led by Gonçalo Bernardes and João Taborda Barata, together with international partners, collaborated in the development of immunotherapy against acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL). T-ALL is an aggressive blood cancer resulting from abnormal cell growth that primarily affects children. Although chemotherapy is effective in more than 80% of paediatric cases (in adults the success rate is halved), patients who recur or do not respond to treatment have a very limited prognosis, whereas those who respond well to therapy usually suffer from long-term side effects such as propensity for obesity, heart problems and growth retardation. This is why more specific therapies and fewer negative effects are needed. iMM scientists have now developed an antibody that recognises the receptor for interleukin 7 (IL-7R), a molecule on the surface of leukaemiac cells that is essential for its survival. This work demonstrates that this type of antibody (alone or conjugated to a drug that helps kill cancer cells) is capable of delaying the development of the tumour and may therefore be a valid strategy to try to treat this type of cancer in the future.
The study, in which Padma Akkapeddi, a PhD student at CAML and the first author, was published this month in the journal Leukemia* and it proves the concept for the development of new therapies directed at T-ALL and other diseases in which IL -7R has a pathological role.
*Padma Akkapeddi, Rita Fragoso, Julie A. Hixon, Ana Sofia Ramalho, Mariana L. Oliveira, Tânia Carvalho, Andreas Gloger, Mattia Matasci, Francisco Corzana, Scott K. Durum, Dario Neri, Gonçalo J. L. Bernardes & João T. Barata. (2019) A fully human anti-IL-7Rα antibody promotes antitumor activity against T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-019-0434-8
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Inês Domingues
Director of iMM Communications