TIGIT-Binding Agents for Cancer Immune Evasion

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current immunotherapies face challenges in effectively modulating immune responses to target cancer cells, as cancer cells often evade immune recognition and existing treatments lack specificity and efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth.

Innovation Solution

Development of agents, including antibodies and heterodimeric molecules, that specifically bind to TIGIT, a protein involved in immune regulation, to enhance immune responses and inhibit tumor growth by blocking TIGIT's interaction with its ligands, thereby promoting an effective anti-tumor immune response.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current immunotherapies are used to treat cancer, then immune responses are modulated, but cancer cells evade immune recognition and treatment efficacy is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment efficacyVSAvoidcancer cell evasion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces TIGIT-binding agents as intermediary molecules that specifically target the TIGIT protein on immune cells. These agents act as mediators to block the interaction between TIGIT and its ligands (such as PVR and PVRL2) on cancer cells, thereby preventing cancer cell evasion mechanisms while enhancing immune recognition and attack effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If existing immunotherapies are applied, then immune system is activated, but specificity and efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetumor growth inhibitionVSAvoidtreatment specificity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs TIGIT-binding agents that exhibit local quality through highly specific binding to the TIGIT protein. This specificity ensures that the therapeutic effect is concentrated precisely at the tumor site where TIGIT-expressing immune cells interact with tumor cells, rather than causing systemic immune activation. The agents demonstrate enhanced ability to inhibit tumor growth with minimal off-target effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If broad immune activation is achieved, then cancer cells may be targeted, but lack of specificity reduces treatment effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmune response effectivenessVSAvoidtarget recognition specificity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The TIGIT-binding agents serve as specific intermediaries that bridge immune cells and tumor cells through precise molecular recognition. By targeting the TIGIT protein specifically, these agents ensure that immune activation occurs only at sites where TIGIT-positive immune cells encounter tumor cells expressing TIGIT ligands, thereby achieving both broad immune activation and high target recognition specificity simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4011907A1Tigit-binding agents and uses thereof
Publication Date: 2022.06.15 MEREO BIOPHARMA 5 INC
  • EP4011907A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4011907A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4011907A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Agents that specifically bind TIGIT are disclosed. The TIGIT-binding agents may include polypeptides, antibodies, and/or bispecific agents. Also disclosed are methods of using the agents for enhancing the immune response and/or treatment of diseases such as cancer.