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Hyal2/Hyal1-Expressing Myeloid Cells as a Target for Cancer Immunotherapy
University of Florida
Antibody
Oncology
Hit To Lead or Lead Optimization
• Antibodies can diagnose cancer or improve cancer immunotherapy by targeting a population of tumor-specific myeloid cells that contribute to tumor progression. Within the tumor microenvironment, certain cell types can cause immunosuppression, which promotes tumor progression and worsens prognosis.
• Identifying these cell types can better inform cancer diagnosis and targeting them can improve the immune response during cancer therapy. Cancer diagnosis often requires invasive medical procedures difficult for some patients, such as biopsies or endoscopies, and common diagnostic procedures lack precision to track tumor response or recurrence after treatment. Furthermore, while immunotherapy holds great promise for cancer treatment, the majority of patients do not respond to available immunotherapies, which often fail to overcome immunosuppression.
• Researchers at the University of Florida have identified a subset of myeloid cells that express hyaluronidase to promote immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment. An antibody targeting hyaluronidase-expressing cells can detect these tumorspecific cells and eliminate them for immunotherapy.
• Increased fragmentation of extracellular HA and accumulation of low molecular weight HA (LMW-HA) in tumor tissue was associated with elevated production of multiple inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and angiogenic factors.
WO2021252519A1
Hyal2 Expression in Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cells Mediates CancerRelated Inflammation in Bladder Cancer. Tumor Biology and
Immunology, (2021)
