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Mechanism of Pathway: Phosphatidylserine, an Immune-Modulating Checkpoint, Ushers in the Next Wave of Immuno-Oncology Targets

  • Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an immune checkpoint distinct from PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4, and other antagonists or agonists of T-cell activation
  • Tumors compromise the body’s normal immunosuppressive process of clearance/disposal of dying cells through PS-signaling mechanisms to evade immune detection
  • PS exposure in the tumor microenvironment is immunosuppressive and increases in response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy
  • Bavituximab is an investigational monoclonal antibody that targets PS and is believed to override PS-mediated immunosuppressive signaling in tumors prevalent in the tumor microenvironment, as well as to provide an immune-activating signal through Fc-γ receptor signaling