Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41550974›Full record

ArticleAntibody therapeutics2026

RO4, a high-affinity humanized antibody against the juxtamembrane region of mesothelin for targeted cancer therapy.

Masanori Onda, Xiufen Liu, Wenlong Liu, Jingyu Zhan, Carolyn A Maslanka, Di Xia, Mitchell Ho, Ira Pastan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Antibody therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

8 authors.

Masanori OndaLaboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6805-2152
Xiufen LiuLaboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
Wenlong LiuLaboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
Jingyu ZhanLaboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8940-3663
Carolyn A MaslankaLaboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
Di XiaLaboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
Mitchell HoLaboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9152-5405
Ira PastanLaboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Mesothelin (MSLN) is a surface antigen highly expressed in several solid tumors, including mesothelioma, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. However, therapeutic efficacy of MSLN-targeted agents is often compromised by shed MSLN (SM), which acts as a soluble decoy and accumulates in tumor microenvironments, reducing antibody engagement at the tumor surface. Methods: To overcome this barrier, we generated antibodies targeting the membrane-proximal, non-shed region of MSLN using a peptide encompassing major cleavage sites for rabbit immunization. From 200 B-cell clones, 14 antibodies specific to the juxtamembrane region of MSLN were identified. The lead candidate, RO4, underwent detailed characterization and humanization to improve clinical applicability. Results: Humanized RO4 (hRO4) exhibited enhanced binding affinity to MSLN and specifically recognized tumor-associated, non-shed epitopes. Structural analysis confirmed precise epitope engagement near the cleavage site. hRO4 effectively inhibited mesothelin shedding Conclusions: Targeting a non-shed epitope of MSLN with hRO4 overcomes a critical limitation of conventional MSLN-directed therapies. By avoiding decoy interference and enhancing tumor-specific targeting, hRO4-based therapeutics offer promising clinical potential for improving outcomes in MSLN-positive cancers.

Indexed as

antibodycancerCAR T-cell therapyimmunotherapystructure

Identifiers

PMID41550974
PMCPMC12804178

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.