Professor Andrew Scott and Associate Professor Hui Gan from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne have created a unique antibody that targets Gliobastoma Multiforme (GMB), and developed a way to link drugs to this antibody so they can be delivered directly into brain tumour cells.
This antibody drug conjugate, called ABT-414, has been trialled on patients with GBM and shown remarkable results.
However it does not work in all patients. With support from Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation, Professor Scott and Associate Professor Gan are working on the second generation of these antibody-drug conjugates to improve their effectiveness and reduce side effects for people with GBM and other high-grade brain cancers.