Domestic researchers have developed a new therapeutic platform that overcomes the limitations of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which are gaining attention as next-generation anticancer drugs. It is expected to contribute to effective and safe cancer treatment by attacking cancer cells more precisely while remaining in the body for a longer duration.
The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on the 2nd that a research team led by Professor Kwon In-chan in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering has jointly developed the next-generation anticancer treatment platform "Alpubody" with the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The results of this research were published last month in the international journal "Journal of Controlled Release."
ADC is a therapeutic technique that attaches a drug to an antibody binding to cancer cells for precise delivery. It is accurately attacking only cancer cells and is referred to as a guided missile. However, most ADCs commercialized so far use large antibodies (IgG), which are difficult to evenly penetrate tumor tissues due to their large size. They can also cause toxicity by affecting normal cells. Although small antibody fragments (scFv) can better penetrate tumors, they have the drawback of a very short retention time in the body, roughly just 1 hour.
To solve this problem, the research team developed "Alpubody" by combining the properties of albumin, the most abundant protein in blood, with small antibody fragments. Albumin helps the drug remain in the body for a longer time, while small antibody fragments have the characteristic of penetrating well into tumors. The Alpubody created this way stayed in the body more than 200 times longer than conventional antibody fragments while also exhibiting superior tumor penetration compared to larger antibodies.
Experimental results showed that Alpubody accumulated in tumor tissues for an extended period, demonstrating strong anticancer effects, and there was no toxicity observed in normal tissues. In particular, the "Alpubody-drug conjugate" combining an anticancer drug with Alpubody proved excellent anticancer efficacy, penetrating deeply into tumors in a mouse model implanted with breast cancer cells compared to existing antibody fragment-based therapies.
Professor Kwon noted, "Alpubody is a versatile platform that can be utilized in combination with various anticancer drugs," adding, "If clinical applications are realized, effective and safe cancer treatment will be possible compared to existing methods."
References
Journal of Controlled Release (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.114165