Health · Medical Research · 1 hr ago
POSTECH team finds drug candidate may boost ADC cancer treatment
Researchers at South Korea’s POSTECH and Quriant tested a way to strengthen cancer treatment.
They found that combining mocasiklib, a drug candidate Quriant is developing, with antibody-drug conjugates increased anti-cancer effects.
Antibody-drug conjugates carry powerful drugs to cancer cells using antibodies.
These drugs damage cancer cells’ DNA, but the cells can repair that damage and reduce the treatment’s effect.
Mocasiklib blocks CDK7, an enzyme involved in making proteins, and reduced activity linked to cancer growth and DNA repair.
The researchers said the approach could be useful for patients with low levels of treatment target proteins, those who need lower doses because of side effects, or those who use several antibody-drug conjugates in sequence.
The findings suggest a possible treatment strategy, but do not establish that it benefits patients.
A POSTECH team reported that mocasiclip, an experimental drug candidate, may improve the effectiveness of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) against cancer.
The researchers worked with a team from Qurient, which is developing mocasiclip.
The team said the drug candidate blocks CDK7, reducing activity of proteins that drive cancer growth and the expression of genes used to repair DNA damage.
ADCs deliver powerful cancer drugs to cancer cells, but DNA repair by those cells can reduce treatment effectiveness.
POSTECH professor Kim Tae-kyung said the approach could offer a treatment strategy for some patients with low levels of target proteins, dose-limiting side effects or sequential ADC use.
- Who
- Researchers from POSTECH and Qurient, including POSTECH professor Kim Tae-kyung and graduate student Jeong Hye-rim.
- What
- They reported that mocasiclिप, used with an ADC, increased anticancer effects by blocking CDK7.
- When
- October 15, 2026.
- Where
- POSTECH in Pohang, South Korea.
- Why
- The approach aims to reduce cancer growth and the DNA repair activity that can weaken the effect of ADC treatment.
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- Drug candidate
- Mocasiclिप
- Target enzyme
- CDK7
- Research institution
- POSTECH, Pohang
- Collaborator
- Qurient
- Reported date
- October 15, 2026
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What people are saying
It could become a new treatment strategy for patients with low levels of target proteins, those who need to reduce the dose because of side effects, and patients who use several ADCs in sequence.