Medical Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered and developed a new antibody drug for treating patients with triple-negative breast cancer, which to date has the worst prognosis due to limited treatment options.
Triple-negative breast cancer currently accounts for 15% of all breast cancer cases and occurs when a patient tests negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and also has low protein levels of HERS2
The research led by Xiongbin Lu at the Vera Braley Foundation has now been published in various publications. Lu’s team combines Trastuzuman with alpha-amanitin ( a molecule found in toxic mushrooms) to create a new drug T-Ama,
The research team discovered that the new drug is effective at destroying breast cancer cells with triple-negative symptoms led that the ultimate goal is to create a drug that could effectively kill cancer cells and enhance the immune response of tumors to cancer immunotherapy.
Currently, the T-Ama, developed by group effort as disclosed by Lu, has been awarded a U.S Patent. It is expected that the drug can be used as a standalone or in combination with the current immune checkpoint inhibitors.