Antibody-lectin chimeras for glyco-immune checkpoint blockade.

Antibody-lectin chimeras (AbLecs) outperform most existing therapies by reducing tumor burden in a humanized mouse model, demonstrating potent glyco-immune checkpoint blockade.

• Why it matters: Glyco-immune checkpoints are key mechanisms of immune evasion and resistance in cancer, and many patients do not respond to current checkpoint blockade therapies, highlighting the need for novel approaches.
• What they did: Researchers developed AbLecs, bispecific molecules combining a cell-targeting antibody and a lectin decoy receptor, and tested their ability to block glycan interactions in vitro and in a humanized mouse model.
• The result: AbLecs enhance cancer cell destruction by human immune cells and synergize with established immune checkpoint inhibitors, offering a versatile platform for targeted cancer immunotherapy.