project
Chasing the Clouds
Immunotherapy against osteosarcoma (a highly aggressive bone cancer) and triple-negative breast cancer
details
patients affected (new diagnoses each year)
Colorectal cancer: worldwide ~ 2,000,000 Europe (EU-27) ~ 527,000
Ovarian cancer: worldwide ~ 320,000 Europe (EU-27) ~ 70,000
Triple-negative breast cancer: worldwide ~ 345,000 Europe (EU-27) ~ 56,000
Type of therapy
Immunotherapy
Support already allocated
2 500 000,00 €
Project start
2020
Cloud Chaser
In ovarian, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, tumor cells produce large amounts of a protein called TSP-1. This protein builds up around the tumor and forms a kind of protective cloud that disrupts the immune system’s ability to recognize cancer cells and makes it less effective.
At Apmonia Therapeutics, Dr. Albin Jeanne and his team have designed TAX2, an innovative immunotherapy that targets the TSP-1 protein in order to “chase away the clouds.” By neutralizing this barrier, TAX2 helps the immune system better detect cancer cells and contribute to their elimination.
TAX2 has demonstrated its potential in preclinical phases and will enter the clinic in 2026 to be evaluated in the first patients. This stage will notably make it possible to identify tolerance thresholds and the appropriate dosage, and to measure the treatment’s effectiveness in humans.
Cutting the Connection
Other products are also in development, notably to target triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of the disease.
In this case, the product targets another key protein, cathepsin D, which is known to be overexpressed in several cancers. When it interacts with its receptor, this protein promotes the spread of tumor cells and the growth of the tumor.
This reinforced tumor environment promotes the growth, migration and survival of the tumor, while limiting the effectiveness of immune defenses and certain treatments.
