Novel Therapeutics:
PCDH7-Directed Antibody Therapeutics: A New Precision Target for Lung Cancer
Dr. Kate O'Donnell, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biology
- UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dr. Kate O’Donnell’s work has uncovered PCDH7, a previously underappreciated cell-surface protein that is highly expressed in aggressive lung cancers and helps tumors survive and resist therapy. Her lab has shown that PCDH7 sits at a critical control point, linking major cancer drivers to downstream survival signaling, making it an unusually clean and actionable therapeutic target. Because PCDH7 is exposed on the outside of cancer cells, it is well suited for antibody-based drugs, including next-generation monoclonal antibodies and antibody–drug conjugates. Early data suggest that blocking PCDH7 can selectively weaken cancer cells while sparing normal tissue, a key requirement for successful oncology drugs. This creates a clear path to build a focused biotech company around a first-in-class, precision antibody program for lung cancer and potentially other epithelial tumors.
