A researcher at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University is working on a new approach to treat colon cancer, which is projected to cause about 52,000 deaths in the United States in 2025 according to the American Cancer Society.
Shilpa Sharma, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Balveen Kaur’s lab, is developing immunocytokines that target CD73 while localizing the delivery of Interleukin-12 (IL-12). This research is supported by a grant from Paceline.
CD73 is an enzyme found in the tumor microenvironment. It converts adenosine monophosphate into adenosine, which suppresses immune system activity. Cancer cells often produce excess CD73 to weaken immune responses and support tumor growth. Inhibitor therapy aims to block such enzymes or signals to halt cancer progression.
IL-12 has shown promise as an immunotherapy by boosting anti-tumor immune responses. However, its broader use has been limited due to systemic toxicities when not delivered specifically to tumors.
“If we don’t give IL-12 in a tumor-specific manner, it can create chaos in the body,” Sharma said. “The challenge here is having it localized into the tumor so that it will attack the tumor cells and leave the normal cells intact.”
By combining CD73 inhibition with targeted IL-12 delivery, Sharma aims to reduce adenosine levels around tumors and enhance immune attacks against cancerous cells.
“This is a newer treatment approach, but the initial results have been promising,” Sharma said.
Sharma plans to continue gathering data over the next year. The regulation of CD73 and IL-12 relates not only to colon cancer but also other types of cancers, suggesting this strategy could be applied more broadly if successful.
“I am so grateful to Paceline for funding this research and allowing me to create new treatments against cancer,” she said.
Since 2019, Paceline has raised nearly $1.7 million for innovative cancer research and funded over 30 projects at Georgia Cancer Center. This year’s PaceDay fundraising event will include walk and run options along with bike riding on October 5th; details are available on their website.
