Grant: Project Grant

Cancer cells differ from normal ones in that changes adopted by cancer cells allow their continuous growth unchecked by processes that would limit it. A common adaptation is high level expression of CD47 as a pro-tumour antigen or marker, and that is linked to poor treatment outcomes and poor survivorship. As a convention, CD47 can be targeted therapeutically by blocking its function using inhibitory antibodies. We have discovered an antibody with the potential to not only block the CD47 antigen, but in fact directly trigger tumour cell death. We aim to understand how this process is triggered and to exploit this potential for effective anti-tumour responses for cancers that express high levels of CD47. Instead of CD47 functioning as a marker that supports tumour growth, we will engage its ability to effect self-suicide and develop this as a potential therapy for relapsed forms of childhood leukemia.