New combo strategy sharpens antibody-drug conjugates against advanced prostate cancer

UCLA researchers report that pairing DNA-damaging antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with BCL-XL inhibitors boosts cancer cell death and slows tumor growth in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, shown in lab and mouse models. The work highlights co-targeting proteins B7-H3, PSMA, and STEAP1 to reach more cancer cells and notes that tumors with intact TP53 respond best, suggesting genetic testing could guide patient selection. The study provides a framework for next-generation, multi-payload, multi-target ADCs to improve durability of prostate cancer therapies, pending clinical trials.