CD40 agonist antibodies
Antibodies that switch on CD40 on dendritic cells and macrophages to kick-start an immune response against tumours that checkpoint drugs alone cannot reach.
Overview
CD40 is a co-stimulatory receptor on antigen-presenting cells; its activation licenses dendritic cells to prime T cells and can reprogramme tumour macrophages. Agonist antibodies such as sotigalimab and mitazalimab have been tested with chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer and with checkpoint inhibitors, with encouraging response rates but no randomised win yet. Dose-limiting cytokine release and liver toxicity have constrained systemic dosing, prompting tumour-conditional and intratumoural designs.
How it works
Antibodies cluster CD40 on antigen-presenting cells, mimicking CD40 ligand from helper T cells and driving dendritic cell maturation and macrophage activation.
- Acts upstream of T-cell priming
- Can remodel the stroma of poorly immunogenic tumours
- Cytokine release and hepatotoxicity
- Randomised evidence lacking
Latest papers
topQuery for this technology: (TITLE:"CD40 agonist antibodies" OR ABSTRACT:"CD40 agonist antibodies") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about CD40 agonist antibodies, not a curated reading list.