Novel drug liberates tumour vessels to aid cancer drug delivery

Abnormal tumour vessel function restricts the delivery of therapeutics - Abnormal tumor vessel function is pro-oncogenic and restricts the delivery of therapeutics. Credit: MED - A therapeutic antibody developed by scientists at UCL has been shown to unblock and normalise blood vessels inside cancerous tumours, enabling the more effective delivery of targeted cancer treatments. The findings in mice, published in the journal  MED , are the first to demonstrate that inhibiting the activity of LRG1, a protein produced in many tumorous tissues, liberates disorganised angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) - a leading cause of morbidity in numerous diseases including cancer. Researchers say the novel drug offers the potential to achieve a far better outcome in patients who respond poorly to current standard of care for cancers, including those of the breast, colon, bladder, prostate, and lung. Furthermore, researchers also found the antibody significantly enhanced the ability of immunotherapies to reduce solid tumours, including cancers resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors* and CAR T-cell** therapy, something that clinicians and scientists have struggled to overcome. Explaining the study, co-lead author, Professor John Greenwood (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) said: "Cancers need a blood supply to grow, but when new vessels form inside a tumour they are typically abnormal, resulting in compromised oxygen delivery that may render the tumour more aggressive. "This impaired blood supply also limits the delivery of therapies reducing their effectiveness and contributing to treatment resistance.