EpiL-003: A Novel Antibody-Drug Conjugate for Colorectal Cancer Therapy

In collaboration with Prof. Kendra Carmon, Center for Translational Cancer Research, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

In a recent project, we synthesized and evaluated EpiL-003, a novel therapeutic designed for a specific epigenomic subtype of colorectal cancer. Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) represent a powerful class of targeted therapies, selectively delivering cytotoxic agents to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues. Building on this approach, we conjugated an epigenetic inhibitor targeting BRD domains to an antibody against LGR5, a marker of stem-like cells in colorectal cancer. This ADC demonstrated effective targeting of colorectal cancer cells characterized by a particular epigenomic signature, with minimal impact on normal colon cells, highlighting its potential as a precise and less toxic therapeutic option for epigenetically distinct subtypes of CRC.

This compound is validated in CRC cell lines for its specific targeting of LGR5+ cells as well as its impact on the specific genomic sites.