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ALK-Targeted Monoclonal Antibodies for Lung Cancer, Neuroblastoma, and Other Tumors

Useful antibodies for identifying ALK expression on the cell surface, for both research and clinical usage in therapeutics and diagnostics

  • Therapeutics
  • Diagnostics

Project Overview

  • Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a molecular target that is highly expressed in some tumors but not normal tissues.
  • Antibodies against ALK may have roles in both therapeutics and diagnostics.
  • Dana-Farber scientists have created several ALK-targeted monoclonal antibodies which are available for licensing.

Technology

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (“ALK”) is an important therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. ALK is typically overexpressed in 90% of primary neuroblastoma tumors and mutationally activated in 8% of these tumors. ALK has high expression mainly in tumors but not normal tissues, thus it also may be an antigenic target for immune-directed therapy in neuroblastoma. ALK is also present in non-small cell lung cancer, inflammatory myofibroblast tumors and anaplastic large cell lymphoma where it forms part of the oncogenic fusion protein. 

The invention claims three monoclonal antibodies comprising 8G7, 5H3, and 7F7. These antibodies recognize the N-terminal portion of the human ALK protein and have shown a high affinity for ALK in western blotting. 8G7 recognizes ALK on the cell surface by immunofluorescence. A pilot study also showed that 8G7 recognizes circulating ALK extracellular domain fragments in sera of patients with ALK-expressing neuroblastoma. 

The claimed antibodies are superior to that of the commercially available antibodies currently available in their specificity for ALK.

Team Members: Rani E. George, MD, PhD, Edward Greenfield, PhD, Bandana Sharma, PhD, Craig Bensics, PhD

Applications

  • The antibodies will be useful for identifying ALK expression on the cell surface, for both research and clinical usage. 
  • The antibodies can be used for immunotherapy as they have the characteristic of an immune target and can block the ALK receptor. 
  • They may also help diagnose and detect tumor recurrence by detecting ALK as a tumor biomarker in patients with ALK-expressing neuroblastoma. 
  • Along with non-small cell lung cancer and neuroblastoma, ALK is also associated with other tumor types, including anaplastic large cell lymphomas, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors, and breast and renal cell carcinomas.

Opportunities

The antibodies are available for licensing as a research reagent and potentially as therapeutic or diagnostic antibodies. 

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Team Members