Overview
- The Nature paper, published July 15, reports that Washington University researchers used rapid trans‑cyclooctene–tetrazine click chemistry to join separately given antibodies and antibody‑drug conjugates inside mice.
- In mouse models of pancreatic, gastric and breast cancer the clicked assemblies accumulated up to 3.2 times more in tumors than standard ADCs and improved survival in treated animals.
- The method works by causing two antibody components to 'click' together on tumor cells, which drives antibody clustering, increases internalization, and delivers more cytotoxic payload into cancer cells.
- The team built the system from existing FDA‑approved antibodies, for example EGFR‑targeting panitumumab and HER2‑directed T‑DXd, so the platform can be retargeted without creating wholly new drugs.
- Researchers report they have reduced off‑target liver uptake through formulation changes and are carrying out further safety, dosing and target‑expansion studies before any clinical trials.