PhD Student University of Utah, College of Pharmacy Salt Lake City, Utah
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a complex hematological malignancy often resistant to current therapies. Our novel approach, Multi-Antigen T and NK Cell Hybridizers, enhances immunotherapy by targeting multiple antigens for personalized treatments. The hybridizer uses complementary morpholino oligonucleotides (MORF), one attached to cancer-targeting Fab’ and the other to T or NK cell-directed Fab’, to recruit and activate immune cells against MM. This method overcomes the limitations of single antigen targeting, addressing antigenic heterogeneity and resistance. In vitro studies showed robust activation of T and NK cells, leading to significant cytotoxicity against MM cell lines expressing BCMA, CD38, and CS1. MATCH demonstrated superior efficacy in ex vivo MM patient samples, inducing potent apoptosis through the degranulation of Granzyme A, B and perforin, Fas-FasL pathways, and cytokine release. This innovative strategy promises to improve therapeutic outcomes and combat resistance in MM, potentially transforming treatment paradigms for hematological malignancies.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants will gain an understanding of the therapeutic potential of our novel multi-antigen T cell hybridizers for treating multiple myeloma.
Upon completion, participants will gain an understanding of the mechanism of T cell-mediated cytotoxicity using our novel multi-antigen T cell hybridizers.
Upon completion, participants will gain an understanding of the efficacy of our novel multi-antigen T and NK cell hybridizers in ex vivo patient samples from multiple myeloma.
