Oncode Investigator Linde Meyaard, UMC Utrecht, identified the inhibitory immune receptor LAIR-1 and has been working on it for over 20 years. Biotech company NextCure (USA) developed NC410, a product candidate based on the LAIR family of molecules, and reached out to Linde to collaborate. Their joint paper Cancer immunotherapy by NC410, a LAIR-2 Fc protein blocking human LAIR-collagen interaction is now published in eLife. NC410 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical study in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors.
Linde explains: “Sol Langermann from NextCure reached out to me to collaborate while I was a visiting scientist at Yale Medical School in 2016-2017. Because of the short travel distance, I was able to meet the NextCure team multiple times in person during that year and subsequently we have been collaborating intensively on the science behind NC410.”
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In their latest paper, Linde’s group and the team from NextCure show that NC410 may work as an immunotherapeutic in cancer. NC410 is a derivative of the human LAIR-2 molecule, which is an endogenous blocker of LAIR-1 activity. In their research, they show that treatment of humanized mice with NC410 unleashes cytotoxic T cells, which results in decreased tumor growth. In addition, they screened human tumor specimens for the capacity to bind NC410 and show that multiple tumor types are potential candidates for NC410 therapy, especially those rich in collagen which prevents immune cells from entering the tumor site. These so-called immune-excluded tumor types are not adequately addressed by current checkpoint immunotherapies and could thus potentially be targeted by this new therapeutic.
Linde concludes: “I’m very proud of this collaboration and received valuable support from the Oncode Valorization Team. Emil Pot, business developer at Oncode Institute, coordinates the several collaborations I have with private companies, including this one with NextCure. For this collaboration, Emil facilitated the smooth handling of contracts and agreements. He also coordinated the contacts with the legal department. His input is essential to organize and nurture these collaborations.”