This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395), will support rigorous preclinical evaluation of a novel radioimmunotherapy (RIT) targeting the active conformation of integrin beta-2 (AITGB2) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Specifically, the $678,101 grant will fund a research team at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to 1) assess the preclinical efficacy of the 7065-based RIT, 2) evaluate its preclinical toxicity profile, and 3) investigate its combination efficacy with the standard AML therapy venetoclax, as well as potential resistance mechanisms. This work aims to generate a comprehensive data package supporting the near-term clinical translation of this innovative RIT approach for AML patients, who currently face a dismal 5-year survival rate of only ~30% with existing therapies. The project will leverage UCSF's expertise in hematologic malignancy research, cancer immunotherapy, and radionuclide-based theranostics to advance this promising therapeutic towards clinical trials.