Validating Small Molecule Synthetic Immunotherapeutics with BLI Technology

There are several biological approaches to cancer immunotherapy that are currently FDA approved and in the market. However, antibody therapies can suffer from immunogenicity and lack of retention at the tumor site, which in turn affects the efficacy of the treatment.

Antibody Recruiting Small Molecules (ARMS) is a synthetic approach to cancer immunotherapy that relies on synthetic engagers to interact with tumor cells and redirect host endogenous serum antibodies to generate an anti-tumor response in vivo. Once bound to the tumor receptor, the synthetic molecule then binds endogenous antibodies to the antigen, decorating the tumor surface with bound antibodies and inducing targeted cytotoxicity or phagocytosis. For such an approach it is vital to understand the underlying kinetics as they heavily impact the efficacy and duration of response.

In this video, Dr. Anthony Rullo, Assistant Professor, McMaster University, discusses their immune protein covalent labeling technology to study synthetic molecules and their ability to redirect the immune response. The group at McMaster University required an assay to determine covalent linkage to antibodies whilst also establishing binding affinity. The Octet^® system is ideal for determining binding and kinetics because:

• The Octet allowed equilibrium measurements of 3 component binding
• At sub-saturating Ab concentrations, it is possible to observe labeling in real time
• The system is label-free and so small-molecule aggregation (which can drastically alter the thermodynamics of the interaction) is avoided.

Want to learn more about how the Octet system can enable real-time, label-free analysis for determining affinity, kinetics and protein/antibody concentration? Contact us here.

Watch the video to learn more about Dr Rullo’s synthetic approach to cancer immunotherapy.