Antibody Therapeutic for MUC1* Positive Cancers
We have humanized single chain anti-MUC1* antibodies. We have developed a humanized high affinity, high specificity single chain antibody fragment (scFv) that binds to MUC1* as it exists on cancer cells.
An anti-MUC1* fragment has been shown to block androgen-insensitive prostate cancer and breast cancer growth in vitro and in animals, without any detectable off-target effects. Our studies show that even though MUC1 is cleaved to a truncated form on some healthy cells, such as on hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow (to form all blood cells), our lead monoclonal antibody does not bind to them. Animal studies confirmed that the anti-MUC1* fragment had no adverse effect on their bone marrow cells.