Dr. Niklas Klümper, resident on the Clinic for Urology and dealing group leader on the Institute for Experimental Oncology on the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), was awarded the C. E. Alken Prize in recognition of his outstanding scientific uro-oncological work. The 30 -year-old is investigating which patients with metastatic bladder cancer profit from a recent oncological type of therapy, the antibody-drug conjugates, so as to find a way to make use of these promising drugs efficiently. His recent findings were published this December within the renowned oncology journal Clinical Cancer Research.
Chemotherapies used to treat aggressive advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma are sometimes related to many unintended effects. Recently, a recent class of medicine, called antibody-drug conjugates, have been approved for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Antibody-drug conjugates consist of an antibody directed against the tumour cell surface conjugated with a highly toxic chemotherapeutic agent. This combines the selectivity of targeted antibody therapy with the cytotoxic potential of conventional chemotherapy, representing an progressive and recent oncological therapeutic approach.
Use of antibody-drug conjugates
The Department of Urology on the UKB can also be using this recent drug to treat patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
Enfortumab vedotin is the primary approved antibody-drug conjugate and a really promising drug for the treatment of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Nonetheless, we still understand little about who really advantages from this therapy, which may cause severe unintended effects reminiscent of skin irritation or nerve disorders.”
Dr. Niklas Klümper, assistant physician on the Clinic for Urology on the UKB
Targeted therapy doesn’t reach all tumor cells
“We were in a position to show for the primary time that the surface molecule for the targeted delivery of the chemotherapeutic agent in metastatic urothelial carcinoma is usually decreased or absent. Lack of this surface structure, which will be detected by conventional immunohistochemistry, is related to resistance to enfortumab vedotin, so these patients could also be higher treated with alternative therapies. Our work is subsequently a step towards precision oncology for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma”, says Dr Klümper. His goal is to be sure that these potentially toxic drugs are only used for patients who may profit from the therapy.
Award for outstanding research
For his highly relevant findings for more precise therapy of urological tumour patients, Dr. Klümper was awarded the celebrated C. E. Alken Prize in November 2022. The C. E. Alken Foundation promotes clinical and experimental research in urology by awarding an annual prize for outstanding scientific work to excellent German-speaking researchers who’ve made a major contribution to the sector of urology. “This award is of outstanding importance within the urology field. The undeniable fact that Dr. Klümper receives this award as a young resident is special and speaks once more for his significant and highly progressive research into the therapy of bladder cancer,” says Prof Manuel Ritter, Director of the Clinic for Urology and Paediatric Urology on the UKB.
Dr. Klümpers’ experiences with the brand new drug, which may very well be highly relevant for treatment, are shared with a network of other university hospitals and clinics as a part of the studies, in order that they reach as many patients as possible as a therapy optimisation.
Source:
University Hospital of Bonn (UKB)
Journal reference:
Klümper, N., et al. (2022) Membranous NECTIN-4 expression continuously decreases during metastatic spread of urothelial carcinoma and is related to enfortumab vedotin resistance. Clinical Cancer Research. doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-1764.