Cachexia is a major side effect of cancer, resulting in significant muscle wasting, fat loss and organ failure. Up to 80% of cancer patients suffer and 25% succumb to this condition. This significantly affects the treatment regimens of cancer patients and affects their quality of life. We have developed monoclonal antibodies that block and reverse cachexia in preclinical mouse cancer models. Our aims are to humanise the antibody and manufacture it for the first clinical trial in humans.
We have discovered a single tumour factor which causes cancer cachexia, a wasting condition that is one of the worst complications of malignancy, for which there is no current effective treatment. We have developed antibodies which effectively block this condition in preclinical models and have produced human/humanised version of this. This application is to characterise these human antibodies to allow us proceed to clinical trials.
Development Of A Humanised Antibody To MIC-1/GDF15 For Therapy Of Anorexia/cachexia Of Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,349.00
Summary
Severe starvation and weight loss (cachexia) is a complication that affects about one quarter of cancer patients. In many this is due to the cancer producing a powerfula appetite suppressive protein called MIC-1/GDF15. This weight loss can be prevented by blocking the protein with an antibody drug. We have already shown that we can treat mice in this way by using a mouse antibody. We now aim to engineer these antibodies by making them more human-like. This will allow us to treat weight loss in h ....Severe starvation and weight loss (cachexia) is a complication that affects about one quarter of cancer patients. In many this is due to the cancer producing a powerfula appetite suppressive protein called MIC-1/GDF15. This weight loss can be prevented by blocking the protein with an antibody drug. We have already shown that we can treat mice in this way by using a mouse antibody. We now aim to engineer these antibodies by making them more human-like. This will allow us to treat weight loss in human cancer patients.Read moreRead less