Quraxia is a leading Contract Research Organization (CRO) specializing in ADC development, monoclonal antibodies, and genomic and proteomic profiling using MALDI-Mass Spectroscopy for lung, neck, throat, and pancreatic cancers. Our team of experienced scientists and researchers are experts in all aspects of these fields.
Cancer treatment has seen remarkable advances in recent years, and targeted therapies like Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) are at the forefront of this revolution. ADCs represent a novel class of cancer therapeutics that blend the precision of monoclonal antibodies with the lethal potency of cytotoxic drugs, offering a powerful approach to selectively destroy cancer cells while minimizing harm to healthy tissues.
How ADCs Work
ADCs are composed of three critical components:
Antibody: This is designed to specifically recognize and bind to a tumor-associated antigen or marker on the surface of cancer cells.
Cytotoxic Drug: A highly potent agent that can effectively kill cancer cells, even at low concentrations.
Linker: A chemical bridge that connects the antibody to the cytotoxic drug, ensuring that the drug remains inactive until the ADC reaches its target.
Upon administration, the ADC circulates in the bloodstream, homing in on cancer cells by binding to the tumor marker. Once bound, the ADC is internalized by the cancer cell, where the cytotoxic drug is then released. This targeted delivery mechanism enables the direct destruction of cancer cells, thereby reducing collateral damage to normal, healthy cells
The Advantages of ADCs
ADCs hold significant promise due to their unique mode of action and several key benefits:
Enhanced Specificity: Unlike traditional chemotherapy that affects both cancerous and healthy cells, ADCs selectively target cancer cells, reducing the risk of severe side effects.
Overcoming Drug Resistance: ADCs can be effective against cancer types that have developed resistance to conventional therapies, offering a new line of attack for stubborn tumors.
Precision Delivery: The use of antibodies allows ADCs to reach difficult-to-access cancer cells, enhancing the overall efficacy of the treatment.
The development and testing of ADCs
The development and testing of ADCs including:
Design and synthesis of ADC linker molecules
Conjugation of linker molecules to antibodies and cytotoxic drugs
Chemical characterization of ADCs
In vitro and in vivo testing of ADCs for their biological actions
Assessment of the safety and efficacy of ADC
R & D Qurexia Pharmaceuticals offer a comprehensive range of ADC development and testing services, including:
Feasibility studies: We can help you assess the feasibility of developing an ADC for your target disease.
Lead optimization: We can help you optimize your ADC lead compound to improve its safety and efficacy.
Preclinical testing: We can conduct all of the necessary preclinical testing to evaluate the safety and efficacy of your ADC drug candidate in cell based (in vitro) and animal (in vivo) models.
Manufacturing development: We can help you develop a manufacturing process for your ADC drug candidate so that it can be produced at scale for clinical trials:
The identification of reliable biomarkers for cancer detection and therapy response is crucial, especially for aggressive cancers such as those of the lung, neck, throat, and pancreas. Early diagnosis is key to reducing patient mortality, and genomic and proteomic profiling offers a promising approach for identifying such biomarkers.
Advancements in Biomarker Detection
In recent years, extensive research has focused on discovering genomic and proteomic biomarkers, including DNA methylation patterns, microRNAs (miRNAs), antitumor antibodies, and plasma protein profiles. These biomarkers are valuable for early cancer detection and can serve as indicators of therapeutic efficacy, especially in lung cancer. For instance, patients are increasingly being tested for specific genomic alterations like:
- Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations, Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) rearrangements, ROS1 and HER2 mutations, BRAF gene mutation etc.
Additionally, germline mutations such as EGFRT790M, TP53 BRCA, HER2, YAP1, and CHECK2 have been linked to lung cancer syndromes, underscoring the importance of comprehensive genetic testing.
MALDI-Mass Spectroscopy for Precision Profiling
Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) Mass Spectroscopy offers a cutting-edge approach to combine genomic and proteomic data, providing a deeper understanding of cancer biology. This technique enables the precise profiling of genomic alterations and protein expression, facilitating the detection of unique cancer signatures. By integrating these profiles, MALDI-Mass Spectroscopy can help in identifying new biomarkers, predicting therapeutic responses, and guiding personalized treatment strategies for cancers of the lung, neck, throat, and pancreas.
The application of MALDI-Mass Spectroscopy in cancer profiling is a promising advancement, opening new avenues for early diagnosis, personalized therapy, and improved patient outcomes. We offer many genomic and proteomic biomarkers such as DNA methylation, micro RNA (miRNA) anti tumor antibodies and plasma proteins.
Monoclonal antibodies (mAB) are one of the most effective cancer treatments due to their high specificity and ability to target distinct molecular pathways involved in cancer. This has led to the newest therapeutic option known as Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs). The development of a monoclonal antibody against the targeted protein could serve both purposes, a diagnostic tool for the early detection of various cancer, and a therapeutic agent (as ADC) to inhibit tumour growth and prevent metastasis. Since several target proteins are overexpressed in various stages of cancer, targeting those proteins which are expressed during early stage of cancer, could provide a sensitive method for identifying cancer at a stage when diagnosis is most crucial. On the other hand, antibody-mediated inhibition of both early and late stage proteins will help to disrupt cancer cell proliferation and invasion, providing a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent disease progression.
