Animal studyReported positivePreclinical onlyTier 2 · animal
Nature communications · Aug 2025 · xenograft antitumor assays
neuroblastomarhabdomyosarcomacolorectal carcinomamelanomaovarian carcinomabreast carcinoma
This study tested a humanized antibody-drug conjugate called CDX0239-PBD in ALK-expressing cancer models. In cell lines, it was taken up by ALK-positive neuroblastoma cells and killed them in a way that depended on surface ALK expression. In mouse xenograft models, it produced strong antitumor activity and complete responses were maintained in several ALK-expressing cancers.
Key findings
- ALK RNA, protein, and tumor cell surface expression was elevated in multiple pediatric and adult malignancies with minimal expression in childhood normal tissues.
- CDX0239-PBD was internalized in ALK-expressing neuroblastoma cell lines with cell surface expression-dependent cytotoxicity.
- CDX0239-PBD exhibited potent antitumor efficacy including maintained complete responses in ALK-expressing patient and cell line-derived neuroblastoma, fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma, and colorectal carcinoma xenograft models.
Limitations: Preclinical study only; no human treatment data are reported in the abstract.; Efficacy was shown in cell lines and xenograft mouse models, which may not predict clinical benefit.; No quantitative effect sizes, dosing details, or toxicity results are provided in the abstract..
The abstract describes a preclinical anticancer antibody-drug conjugate targeting ALK-expressing tumors.
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jun 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed · Full text
ReviewInconclusiveLimited evidenceTier 4 · clinical
APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica · Jul 2004
uveal melanomacutaneous melanomamucous membrane melanomainflammatory breast carcinomaductal breast carcinomaovarian carcinomaprostatic carcinomasynovial sarcomarhabdomyosarcomaosteosarcomapheochromocytomasoft tissue sarcomamelanoma
This review describes vasculogenic mimicry, where aggressive tumor cells form fluid-conducting channels, and distinguishes two types (tubular and patterned matrix). It reports that patterned matrix channels contain extracellular matrix proteins, connect with blood vessels, are seen in many tumor types, and suggests that tumors with such heterogeneity in microcirculation may not respond to angiogenesis-only therapies.
Key findings
- Vasculogenic mimicry is formation of fluid-conducting channels by highly invasive, genetically dysregulated tumor cells.
- Two types are described: tubular type (morphologically similar to endothelial-lined vessels) and patterned matrix type (does not resemble blood vessels).
- Patterned matrix contains matrix proteins such as laminin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, and collagens IV and VI.
- The patterned matrix anastomoses with blood vessels and systemically injected tracers co-localize to these patterns.
- Patterned matrix vasculogenic mimicry has been identified in multiple tumor types including uveal, cutaneous and mucous membrane melanomas, inflammatory and ductal breast carcinoma, ovarian and prostatic carcinoma, and several soft tissue sarcomas.
- Because tumor microcirculation may be heterogeneous (including incorporated/co-opted vessels, angiogenic vessels, mosaic vessels, and vasculogenic mimicry), therapies that target angiogenesis alone may be ineffective against tumors containing patterned matrices.
Limitations: This is a narrative review rather than primary experimental data reported in this abstract.; No quantitative results, methods, or systematic search/meta-analysis details are provided in the abstract.; Therapeutic implications (ineffectiveness of anti-angiogenesis alone) are presented as a conceptual caution and are not tested within this paper per the abstract..
AI summary of the abstract, human-reviewed · Jun 2026. Describes what this study reported, not medical advice. View on PubMed