IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Targeting glycans for cancer immunotherapy

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker described a new cancer immunotherapy strategy targeting glycans, especially sialic acids, which can function as immune checkpoints through Siglec receptors on immune cells. Cancer cells often overexpress sialic acids to suppress immune attack and resist existing checkpoint inhibitors. Traditional ways to block this interaction—antibodies, decoy receptors, or enzymes that remove sialic acids—have limitations.

To overcome this, the team created antibody-lectin chimeras called <strong>ABLEX</strong>, combining a tumor-targeting antibody with a Siglec decoy receptor. This design concentrates the low-affinity decoy at the tumor surface, allowing it to block Siglec-sialic acid signaling while also enhancing immune effector functions. In cell culture and in humanized mouse models, ABLEX improved cancer cell killing and reduced metastatic burden compared with standard antibodies alone. The platform is modular and can be adapted to different tumor targets and checkpoint combinations, including PD-L1.

Meta Tag

Date April 16, 2026 5:15 PM - 5:30 PM

Room 205

Session Immune Checkpoints and Beyond I

Speaker Jessica Stark

Track Tumor Immunology: Checkpoints, Prevention, And Treatment (TIPT)

Year 2026

Keywords

cancer immunotherapy

sialic acids

Siglec receptors

antibody-lectin chimeras

ABLEX

April 16, 2026 5:15 PM - 5:30 PM

205

Immune Checkpoints and Beyond I

Jessica Stark

Tumor Immunology: Checkpoints, Prevention, And Treatment (TIPT)

2026