Immunotherapy is making a meaningful impact on clinical outcomes but only a small fraction of patients achieve durable benefits because cancer can become invisible to the body’s immune system. Our team is developing a novel antibody to Heat shock protein (HSP)-70 created at MD Anderson that works by increasing the ability of dendritic cells, which are key to starting immune reactions, to better recognize the presence of cancer cells. As a result, T-cells become activated to kill cancer cells, and our studies show that this antibody, known as ASY-77A, is active against models of solid tumors such as breast, colon cancer, and melanoma, and against blood-related cancers like multiple myeloma. W...

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Immunotherapy is making a meaningful impact on clinical outcomes but only a small fraction of patients achieve durable benefits because cancer can become invisible to the body’s immune system. Our team is developing a novel antibody to Heat shock protein (HSP)-70 created at MD Anderson that works by increasing the ability of dendritic cells, which are key to starting immune reactions, to better recognize the presence of cancer cells. As a result, T-cells become activated to kill cancer cells, and our studies show that this antibody, known as ASY-77A, is active against models of solid tumors such as breast, colon cancer, and melanoma, and against blood-related cancers like multiple myeloma. We plan to convert ASY-77A into a drug that can be given to patients, and start clinical trials to show both its safety and efficacy for patients with cancer who do not have remaining curative options. Encouraging initial trial results will support the broader testing and use of this drug in many tumor types and at earlier stages of disease since it uses a mechanism of action that should work against all cancers. This work will be done by our company, Asylia Therapeutics, which is based in Texas to take advantage of the great medical and research resources in this state. As a result, Asylia will add to the development of a sustainable biotechnology industry in Texas and, importantly, improve outcomes for cancer patients in Texas and beyond whose current therapies are failing them.

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