Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the hardest breast cancers to treat because it grows quickly, spreads early and often becomes resistant to therapy. In a new preclinical study, researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center developed a humanized antibody that targets SFRP2 — a protein that helps TNBC tumors survive, grow and suppress the immune system.

The antibody tackled TNBC on multiple fronts. It slowed tumor growth, reduced lung metastases, reactivated exhausted immune cells and shifted macrophages into a tumor-fighting state. Importantly, it killed cancer cells that had become resistant to chemotherapy and concentrated in tumor tissue without harming healthy organs.

These findings suggest that blocking SFRP2 could form the basis of a new precision therapy that strengthens the immune response while avoiding the toxicities of current treatments. The antibody has been licensed to Innova Therapeutics, which is advancing efforts toward future clinical trials.