I-Corps: Single-domain antibody platform to develop cancer immunotherapies for the treatment of both canine and human cancers

Award ID: 2040609

The broader impact/commercialization potential of this I-Corps project is the development and translation of a drug discovery platform for the treatment of both canine and human cancers. The proposed technology defines the requirements for harnessing the ability of immune-based cancer therapies to target and eradicate cancer with a drug platform that may be manipulated to create new and powerful therapies. Developing immune-based cancer therapies may result in the production of a number of cost effective and safe treatments that may be easily administered to patients, potentially making a significant commercial impact. The proposed technology is expected to translate the understanding of cancer progression using the dog as an animal model for clinical investigations. This approach would be a first for canine therapies and is expected to impact development of human cancer therapeutics. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a single-domain antibody platform to develop cancer immunotherapies for the treatment of both canine and human cancers. Cancer immunotherapies based on a single-domain antibody platform have yet to be approved for human use and the development of the proposed canine agents may provide valuable insight into the pharmacologic behavior of this type of agent in the appropriate disease setting. In addition, physically combining single-domain antibodies with other cancer treatment agents, may add a novel way immune molecules may be used to fight cancer growth. The proposed technology has the potential to result in tailored cancer therapies for patients of all types. Thus, this advancement of the state-of-the-art has the potential to quickly bring novel, effective products to all cancer-patients, with marked potential for high commercial and societal impact. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman