KLK2 (kallikrein-2)
A relative of PSA that stays attached to prostate cancer cells, used as a T-cell engager address by J&J.
Overview
Human kallikrein-2 (KLK2) is an androgen-regulated serine protease that activates PSA; unlike PSA it is retained on the prostate cell membrane, which makes it a usable address for cell-surface therapies. Expression is nearly universal in prostate cancer and prostate-restricted elsewhere, so a KLK2-directed drug can engage T cells against the tumour with little on-target damage to other tissues. The lead agent is Johnson & Johnson's pasritamig (JNJ-78278343, a KLK2 x CD3 bispecific), which showed low cytokine release and PSA responses in phase 1 and is in phase 3 (KLK2-P3-01) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Open questions are whether KLK2 expression persists in neuroendocrine or AR-independent disease and how it compares with PSMA as an engager target. The plain version: KLK2 is a cousin of PSA that stays stuck to cancer cells, so drugs can grab it.
- Target · the protein and the cell it sits on
- Drug · antibody, small molecule, cell or radioligand
- Effect · signal, damage or kill
In plain words · A relative of PSA that stays attached to prostate cancer cells, used as a T-cell engager address by J&J.
- 1 · What it is
A relative of PSA that stays attached to prostate cancer cells, used as a T-cell engager address by J&J.
- 2 · What goes wrong in cancer
Serine protease activating PSA; androgen-regulated.
- 3 · How drugs use it
No product in this corpus aims at KLK2 (kallikrein-2) yet. Because it sits on the outside of the cell, it can be reached from the bloodstream: antibodies flag the cell, ADCs deliver a toxin, radioligands deliver radiation, and CAR-T or bispecifics bring a T cell.
External identifiers
Biology
Serine protease activating PSA; androgen-regulated.
- Prostate cancer (nearly universal)
Notes
top- Prevalence not recorded: no peer-reviewed KLK2 expression series with a stated denominator was found for prostate cancer; 'nearly universal' rests on KLK2 being an androgen-regulated, prostate-restricted gene rather than on a published positivity rate.
Latest papers
topQuery for this target: (TITLE:"KLK2" OR ABSTRACT:"KLK2" OR TITLE:"kallikrein-2" OR ABSTRACT:"kallikrein-2") AND (radiopharmaceutical OR radioligand OR radionuclide OR theranostic OR "nuclear medicine" OR "molecular imaging" OR radiotracer OR scintigraphy OR cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about KLK2 (kallikrein-2), not a curated reading list.
Similar pages
not linked directly; found by shared links- TargetSTEAP1
Shares Prostate cancer and the tag t-cell-engager-target.
- TargetDLL3
Shares Prostate cancer and the tag t-cell-engager-target.