α-ray targeted internal radiotherapy based on a precise cancer cell recognition platform using glycan-lectin pattern recognition

"Precise cancer recognition" independent of genetic mutations: Advancing toward uncharted treatments with α-ray therapy

The objective of this research project is to establish a platform for the precise recognition of cancer cells based on "glycan-lectin pattern recognition" on the cell surface. By combining this with α-ray targeted internal radiotherapy technology, we aim to pioneer highly efficient cancer treatment strategies.

Through the fusion of these two modalities, we aim to provide new therapeutic options for patients who currently have no treatment available even after being diagnosed with genetic mutations via OncoPanels.

Technology for selectively targeting and treating various cancers without side effects is the most important issue in the life sciences field. Current antibody drugs and molecular targeted therapies target only cancer cells that express specific proteins defined by genes and are ineffective against cancer cells that do not express such proteins. Furthermore, even when a diagnosis is made via an OncoPanel, cases where a therapeutic drug corresponding to the genetic mutation exists account for less than 20%. Additionally, cancer cells possess diversity due to various genetic mutations, making it difficult for existing technologies to treat them systematically.

Therefore, by screening cell surface patterns corresponding to various genetic mutations to find common surface patterns and treating them based on those patterns, we believe it is possible to target a patient's diverse types of cancer cells, rather than targeting cells expressing specific proteins, as in the past.

To date, the principal investigator and collaborators have succeeded in recognizing the structural diversity of surface lectins on individual cells through patterns by constructing glycan cluster structures consisting of multiple types of glycans on serum albumin (referred to as glycan-albumin).

In this research project, we will develop a versatile cancer cell recognition technology based on "glycan-lectin pattern recognition" on the cell surface. We will develop a platform to obtain glycan complexes that precisely recognize cancers with specific genetic mutations, cancers not defined by genes, or cancer-related cells.

In this project, by utilizing for the first time the new information of unique "glycan-lectin recognition patterns" on the surface of individual cells, in addition to the genetic information of cancer cells, we will realize a groundbreaking, precise cancer recognition platform. Furthermore, by labeling the glycan-albumin selective for cancer cells with specific genetic mutations, obtained through this precise cancer recognition platform, with α-emitting radionuclides such as Astatine, we will realize a tailor-made α-ray nuclear medicine therapy for individual cancers, and we aim to step up to the clinical stage.

In this way, we hope to provide innovative therapeutic means from the fields of glycoscience and organic synthetic chemistry to patients who currently have no treatment options even after their genetic mutations are diagnosed by OncoPanels.