Immune Checkpoints
and Cancer Therapy
Immune Checkpoints
and Cancer Therapy
and Cancer Therapy
Immune checkpoints are molecules expressed on all cells in the body that regulate
the immune system’s self-tolerance, to prevent indiscriminate attack of healthy cells.
Cancer cells overexpress various immune checkpoints, which enables them to camouflage as healthy cells, thereby avoiding detection by immune cells and even suppressing their immune activity.
the immune system’s self-tolerance, to prevent indiscriminate attack of healthy cells.
Cancer cells overexpress various immune checkpoints, which enables them to camouflage as healthy cells, thereby avoiding detection by immune cells and even suppressing their immune activity.
Immune Checkpoints as Targets for Therapy
Usage of blocking agents against inhibitory immune checkpoints represents one of the most significant advances in cancer treatment in the last decade.
The first immune checkpoint therapies targeting T-cell suppressing PD1/PD-L1 interaction, demonstrated efficacy in a broad range of cancers. However, these checkpoint inhibitors are only effective in a small proportion of patients, with many patients failing to respond or showing non-durable responses. In addition, some patients develop immune-related side effects including serious autoimmunity. Importantly, PD-L1 targeting therapies are designed to reduce the cancer’s suppression of T-cells, but do not address the initial evasion of the innate immune system.
As a result of these issues, considerable effort has been invested in developing novel drugs for various targets to selectively recruit the innate immune system to attack cancer cells more effectively. An emerging approach is to remove the cancer’s inhibitory effect on innate immune cells through targeting innate immune checkpoints, such as CD47 and LILRB.
The first immune checkpoint therapies targeting T-cell suppressing PD1/PD-L1 interaction, demonstrated efficacy in a broad range of cancers. However, these checkpoint inhibitors are only effective in a small proportion of patients, with many patients failing to respond or showing non-durable responses. In addition, some patients develop immune-related side effects including serious autoimmunity. Importantly, PD-L1 targeting therapies are designed to reduce the cancer’s suppression of T-cells, but do not address the initial evasion of the innate immune system.
As a result of these issues, considerable effort has been invested in developing novel drugs for various targets to selectively recruit the innate immune system to attack cancer cells more effectively. An emerging approach is to remove the cancer’s inhibitory effect on innate immune cells through targeting innate immune checkpoints, such as CD47 and LILRB.
KAHR’s vision is to utilize immune checkpoints that target the full cycle of innate and adaptive immunity in order to activate or reactivate effective cancer immunity.
NEXT GENERATION CHECKPOINT THERPAY
Multifunctional fusion proteins
Our MIRPs can be used to trigger a targeted and effective immune attack on cancer cells by utilizing their multiple functional arms to simultaneously block the cancer’s inhibitory effects and locally recruit activated immune cells. Through their multiple mechanisms of action, MIRPs can deliver a synergistic immune effect and avoid issues of on target/off tumor toxicities.
Get in Touch
KAHR Dam HaMacbim St 28, POB 9 Modi'in Makabim-Re'ut 7178594, Israel T. +972.73.7969196 [email protected]
