Antibodies to Tumor Endothelial Marker 8 (TEM8)

- Better and more specific tumor vascular targeting- May overcome challenges with existing technologies that only block some of the tumor endothelial growth pathways

Tumor Endothelial Marker 8 (TEM8) is a cell surface receptor found on tumor-associated blood vessels. Tumor blood vessels have become a major target of anti-cancer therapy due to their role in promoting tumor growth via angiogenesis.  This invention concerns a new anti-TEM8 humanized antibody, called cAF334, that is able to recognize all forms of TEM8 on the surface of live cells. Further, an antibody drug conjugate (cAF334-MMAE) has been developed for improved anti-tumor activity, and cAF334-MMAE is a potential tool for TEM8-based therapeutic targeting.

This invention concerns a particular antibody for use in the detection, prevention, and treatment of diseases and disorders associated with abnormal angiogenesis. This humanized antibody, called cAF334, can detect tumor endothelial marker 8 (TEM8) in its native and cell-surface expressed form. And the cAF334-MMAE drug conjugate can deplete TEM8-positive tumor cell lines. Targeting TEM8 could be an effective strategy for combating cancers which are dependent upon angiogenesis for survival, which has become a major strategy for combating cancer and other diseases. Unlike current vascular-targeted therapies, TEM8 appears to be selectively overexpressed in tumor-associated host vasculature only during pathological conditions. Thus, the selective targeting of TEM8 may result in fewer off-target side effects compared with current anti-angiogenic agents in clinical

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