The University of Queensland’s Associate Professor Fernando Guimaraes said the antibody recognizes a unique part of the ROR1 protein, which is found on many aggressive cancers but rarely on healthy cells.

“The antibody precisely targets cancer cells, helping the immune system kill cancer more effectively while aiming to spare healthy tissue,” Dr. Guimaraes said. “This could translate to treatments that are both more effective and gentler.”

Dr. Guimaraes, whose group at the Frazer Institute led the research, said the new antibody activated natural killer (NK) cells—a type of immune cell that destroys tumors. The researchers found the antibody worked best when combined with treatment that blocked a cancer immuno-suppressing signal—Transforming Growth Factor-beta or TGF-β. The research is published in the journal Molecular Therapy.