Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University have been awarded a $2.3 million Breakthrough Award by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. The funding is intended to support the development of a new NanoGel antibody therapy aimed at treating ER+ breast cancer that has metastasized to bone.
"Current treatments work well for ER+ breast cancer, but 20-40% of survivors later experience recurrence in other organs," stated Dr. Xiang H.-F. Zhang, director of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and professor at Baylor College of Medicine. "Antibody-based therapies are a promising approach for treating breast cancer that has metastasized, but this approach has not worked as well for cancer that spreads to the bones. More effective treatments are needed for bone metastases."
The research team plans to engineer an antibody therapy using NanoGel, a polymer-based nanoparticle designed for drug delivery, which will release antibodies in response to the acidic environment found in bones. These antibodies will target E-cadherin proteins in ER+ cancer cells—a factor previously linked to tumor growth in bones by Zhang's lab.
Dr. Han Xiao from Rice University highlighted the platform’s potential: "The platform’s key advantage lies in its ability to encapsulate the antibody within the NanoGel during circulation and ensure its controlled release in the bone metastatic niche, which benefits from a lower pH for optimal delivery." He also noted that this strategy might be applicable with other therapeutic antibodies used in immunotherapies.
In their research, they will evaluate how effectively NanoGels can locate and bind to tumors within bone tissue and assess their efficacy against ER+ breast cancer cells using mouse models. The researchers aim to prevent further spread of bone micrometastases into other organs.
This initiative is backed by various branches under the U.S. Department of Defense with specific support through Award No. BC240241 from the Breast Cancer Research Program. The project reflects ongoing strategic collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine's Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and Rice University's SynthX Center.
