Scientists at Northwestern Medicine have developed an antibody that counters pancreatic cancer's sugar-based disguise, enabling the immune system to attack tumors more effectively. In mouse studies, the therapy slowed tumor growth by restoring immune activity. The team is preparing the antibody for human trials.
Pancreatic cancer stands out as one of the deadliest malignancies, with a five-year survival rate of just 13 percent, largely due to its resistance to immunotherapies and late-stage diagnosis. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have identified a key mechanism behind this resistance: tumors coat a surface protein, integrin α3β1, with sialic acid, mimicking healthy cells to signal immune cells via Siglec-10 receptors to avoid attack.
The team, led by Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, an associate professor in infectious diseases, spent six years uncovering this glyco-immunological trick and engineering a monoclonal antibody to block the interaction. In preclinical tests using two mouse models, the antibody reactivated immune cells, particularly macrophages, which then engulfed cancer cells, significantly slowing tumor progression compared to untreated controls.
"It took our team about six years to uncover this novel mechanism, develop the right antibodies and test them," Abdel-Mohsen said. "Seeing it work was a major breakthrough."
The findings appear in the January 2026 issue of Cancer Research. Now, the researchers are optimizing the antibody for human use, exploring combinations with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and developing diagnostics to identify suitable patients. Abdel-Mohsen envisions full remission as the goal, estimating the therapy could reach clinics in about five years. The approach may also apply to other tough cancers like glioblastoma and immune-misregulation in non-cancer conditions.
Abdel-Mohsen's lab at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center specializes in how sugars shape immune responses, positioning Northwestern to translate these insights into broader treatments for cancer and beyond.
