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Epithelial cell adhesion molecule-targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy

Manuel Simon1, Nikolas Stefan, Andreas Plückthun

  • 1University of Bern, Institute of Pharmacology, Friedbühlstrasse 49, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.

Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery
|January 16, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a promising target for cancer therapy. Novel EpCAM-targeted drug delivery systems show potential for effective and safe treatment of solid tumors.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Drug Delivery

Background:

  • Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is highly expressed in epithelial tumors, cancer stem cells, and circulating tumor cells.
  • EpCAM's role in oncogenic signaling makes it an attractive target for cancer therapy.
  • Its abundance and function have driven interest in EpCAM-targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the biological, therapeutic, and technical aspects of EpCAM-targeted drug delivery for cancer treatment.
  • To critically assess the therapeutic potential of novel EpCAM-targeting agents.
  • To highlight recent advancements in EpCAM-targeted therapy development.

Main Methods:

  • Review of seminal findings on EpCAM's oncogenic function and expression.
  • Analysis of recent trends in engineering anti-EpCAM antibodies and alternative binding proteins.
  • Assessment of drug conjugates derived from EpCAM-targeting molecules.

Main Results:

  • EpCAM is a validated target for antibody and drug conjugate-based cancer therapy.
  • Advances in protein engineering and drug formulation have yielded numerous EpCAM-targeting agents.
  • Several EpCAM-targeted therapies demonstrate significant preclinical and clinical promise.

Conclusions:

  • EpCAM-targeted drug delivery systems offer a promising strategy for safe and effective solid tumor treatment.
  • Various EpCAM-targeting agents, including antibodies and drug conjugates, have shown therapeutic benefits.
  • Ongoing research and development are poised to deliver advanced, tailor-made EpCAM-targeting therapies.

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