Research

This project aims to address the high unmet needs in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) which is the most common pediatric cancer, with T-cell ALL (T-ALL) accounting for about 15% of cases and associated with poor prognosis. The team developed a diphtheria toxin-based bivalent anti-human CD47 immunotoxin (bi-CD47-IT) using a unique yeast expression system. This bi-CD47-IT targets T-ALL and other CD47+ cancers, showing significant effectiveness in mouse models without causing adverse effects in human red blood cells. This promising drug candidate offers a targeted therapy option for relapsed/refractory T-ALL and other CD47+ cancers.

Collaborators: Zhirui Wang, PhD, Jihong Ma, MD, and Zhaohui Wang, DVM, MA