Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41472556›Full record

ArticleMolecular cancer therapeutics2026

Nonglycosylated, Legumain-Cleavable ISACs Drive Potent Antitumor Immunotherapy via a Bystander Effect.

Anqi Zhang, Mohan Reddy Mullapudi, Lina Wu, Michele Yi, Mohammad Asikur Rahman, Aiman A Yaseen, H Kayla Zhong, Tracy A Brooks, L Nathan Tumey

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cancer therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Anqi ZhangSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0000-0002-7158-4256
Mohan Reddy MullapudiSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0000-0002-8528-7973
Lina WuSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0009-0009-9569-6349
Michele YiSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0009-0006-6639-3662
Mohammad Asikur RahmanSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0000-0002-0411-5417
Aiman A YaseenSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0009-0001-2379-3002
H Kayla ZhongSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0009-0009-6384-7667
Tracy A BrooksSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0000-0002-1100-2437
L Nathan TumeySchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.ORCID 0000-0001-8890-7018

Funding

Legumain to the rescue: A new ADC linker strategy to address the limitations of cathepsin cleavageR01GM144450 · NIGMS · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON · PI TUMEY, LAWRENCE · 2022 to 2025
$1.2M
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) R01GM144450NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM144450
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal form of pancreatic cancer, with poor prognosis driven by late diagnosis, therapeutic resistance, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Interactions between tumor cells and immune cells promote immune evasion and tumor progression, limiting the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade and other immunotherapies. Given the high expression of trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) in PDAC, we developed a TROP2-targeted Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist (E104) designed for selective accumulation within the tumor microenvironment to activate antitumor immunity. Although antibody bioactivity is traditionally linked to Fcγ receptor (FcγR) engagement and recruitment of effector cells, our legumain-cleavable, nonglycosylated immune-stimulating antibody conjugates (NG-ISAC) induce robust myeloid activation, cytokine release, and tumor regression without FcγR-mediated functions of NK cells or macrophages. Rather, NG-anti-TROP2-E104-ISACs depend on tumor antigen recognition and TLR7 activation, not FcγR-driven antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) or antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), to elicit tumor regression and adaptive immunity as evidenced by anti-TROP2 antibody generation in a syngeneic model. By incorporating the cell-permeable E104 payload with bystander activity, NG-ISACs can activate immune responses independently of FcγR binding. In vitro, NG-anti-TROP2-E104-ISACs bypass FcγRIIa-mediated ADCC and FcγRIIIa-mediated ADCP while maintaining potency in cocultures of TROP2-positive tumor and effector cells. Moreover, NG-anti-TROP2-E104-ISACs display reduced acute toxicity compared with glycosylated counterparts. Together, these findings delineate the bystander mechanism underlying FcγR-independent immune stimulation and establish a framework for designing ISACs with improved safety.

Indexed as

Bystander EffectCarcinoma, Pancreatic DuctalImmunoconjugatesImmunotherapyPancreatic NeoplasmsAnimalsCell Line, TumorFemaleHumansMiceTumor MicroenvironmentImmunoconjugates

Identifiers

PMID41472556
PMCPMC13044528

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.