Presentation description

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a difficult type of cancer that affects younger women and people of color. TNBC is characterized by cancer cells that test negative for estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR) and do not have HER2 amplification, limiting options and treatments for these patients. Microtubule targeting agents (MTAs) are typically utilized as a treatment for TNBC; however, patients can develop resistance to this class of compounds. Most TNBC tumors contain a Trop-2 receptor that is overexpressed in cancer cells. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a pharmaceutical class of drugs that have the potential to be used to treat TNBC due to their ability to remain stable in blood circulation and reach a target accurately. This study will investigate Trop-2 targeted ADCs bearing a novel MTA in providing lasting antitumor efficacy in drug resistant TNBC. This specific MTAs covalently binds microtubules and has been shown to retain efficacy. To conduct this study, we will produce specific Trop-2 IgG1 antibody from mammalian cell expression and synthesize the ADCs with the MTA payload attached to it. This study will test the ADCs in cancer cell lines to determine the viability of Trop-2-expressing cancer cells after administration of the ADCs. The results will highlight whether it is possible to attach Tacca, a novel covalent MTA to ADCs to cause stabilizing or destabilizing microtubules to cause cancer cells to go into apoptosis. This approach will enable the creation of an improved treatment option for TNBC patients.