STCube, a company developing immuno-oncology drugs, announced on the 6th that it will present research results on a new ligand for the immune checkpoint receptor BTN1A1 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR 2024) conference to be held next month.
The presentation will focus on the discovery of a ligand for the immune checkpoint receptor BTN1A1, which suppresses anti-cancer immune functions in the tumor microenvironment, and the interaction of the BTN1A1-ligand complex. In particular, it will discuss the mechanism by which BTN1A1 expressed in cancer cells and immune cells forms a complex mediated by the ligand Galectin-9, inducing immune evasion of cancer cells.
BTN1A1 is an immune checkpoint receptor whose immune evasion function in the tumor microenvironment was first elucidated worldwide by STCube. It is mainly expressed in cancer cells, causing immune evasion, but is also expressed in immune cells, where it interferes with the killing of cancer cells by specific T cells.
Through previous research, STCube confirmed that BTN1A1 is expressed mutually exclusively with PD-L1 in various solid tumors and that its expression rate is significantly higher than that of PD-L1. Based on this, STCube is developing a new BTN1A1 antibody therapeutic, Nelmastovat (hSTC810), which can address the low response rates of existing PD-1 and PD-L1-based immune checkpoint inhibitors.
An STCube representative said, “These research results suggest that BTN1A1-based immune checkpoint inhibitors can dramatically enhance anti-cancer effects,” adding, “We plan to present in-depth research results on BTN1A1 through various academic activities.” The representative also stated, “The phase 1b/2 clinical trials of Nelmastovat for small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer investigator-initiated trials are progressing well as planned, and we expect positive outcomes.”
Meanwhile, at this AACR, MD Anderson Cancer Center, STCube’s clinical partner in the United States, will also present a poster on the combined therapeutic effects of BTN1A1 and radiation therapy. The presentation will cover how blocking the increased expression of BTN1A1 during radiation therapy contributes to T cell activation, thereby enhancing anti-cancer effects.
The American Association for Cancer Research is one of the top three cancer research conferences worldwide, with participation from pharmaceutical and biotech companies from 120 countries sharing cancer-related knowledge and research achievements. This year, it will be held from April 5 to 10 in San Diego, California. The abstracts were released on the AACR website on the 5th of this month (Eastern Time, USA) ahead of the conference presentations.
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