Identification and preclinical development of novel therapeutics in a class of so-called Dual Signaling Proteins (DSPs)

This project focuses on developing new drugs that help the immune system better attack cancer. These are special proteins called Dual Signaling Proteins (DSPs) that combine two different functions to enable stronger treatment. An example of this is DSP107, which both makes cancer cells recognizable to immune cells and activates T cells to fight cancer. 

The global immune checkpoint inhibitors market size was valued at 31.4 billion dollars in 2021 and it is expected grow to 148.1 billion dollars by 2030, with a CAGR of 18.81% during the forecast period 2022 to 2030. 

In this project, we designed and tested a new drug, specially made to block two important inhibitory proteins on cancer cells. This blockade activates the immune system to better attack cancer cells.  

Laboratory tests showed that DSP502 worked well: it bound precisely to the right proteins and strengthened the activity of immune cells. The drug was effective in blood cells from both healthy donors and cancer patients, and it inhibited the growth of tumors in mouse models of ovarian and lung cancer. These results suggest that DSP502 may be a promising treatment for difficult-to-treat cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).