Technology

Research in Oasis

To explore the mechanisms of response, resistance, and toxicity related to ADCs, OASIS employs a set of cutting-edge technologies rarely combined within a single project.

What are Antibody-Drug-Conjugates

ADCs are an exciting new type of cancer treatment that combine:

• A monoclonal antibody that specifically targets proteins found on cancer cells.
• A powerful chemotherapy drug attached to that antibody.
• A linker that holds them together until the drug is delivered inside the cancer cell.

This approach allows ADCs to deliver toxic drugs directly into tumor cells, minimizing harm to healthy tissues.

Several ADCs are currently approved, and many hundreds are in clinical development. ADCs are increasingly used for breast cancer, lung, ovarian, bladder, and gastric cancers.

ADCs have significantly improved outcomes for many cancer patients. However, in some cases, tumors stop responding to treatment over time – a process known as resistance. Understanding and overcoming this resistance is the core mission of the OASIS project.

Why and how does resistance to ADCs develop?

Cancer is constantly evolving. Over time, cancer cells may find ways to escape the effects of treatment, meaning resistance occurs.

In the case of ADCs, resistance can arise from different processes:

• the target protein on the cancer cell surface may disappear or become altered, making it harder for the ADC to bind.
• the cancer cell may stop absorbing the ADC effectively, preventing the drug from reaching its destination.
• cancer cells can develop ways to pump the drug back out before it can act.
• the payload (chemotherapy) might be degraded or inactivated too early.
• the tumor environment – including surrounding tissue or immune cells – may block or neutralize the treatment.
• finally, genetic mutations in the tumor may change how it responds to therapy altogether.

These mechanisms are complex and often overlap in the same patient. Traditional clinical tests cannot capture this complexity – which is why OASIS is using next-generation technologies.

Which technologies are used in OASIS?