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‹ Thu · 21 May 2026
Promising but preliminary

A PBD-dimer containing antibody drug conjugate targeting CCRL2 for high-risk MDS/AML including TP53-mutated disease

A new drug candidate targets a protein overexpressed in the most treatment-resistant leukemias while sparing healthy blood cells, offering hope for a notoriously difficult-to-treat population.

Johns Hopkins group introduces CCRL2 as a novel ADC target selectively overexpressed in high-risk MDS/AML including the TP53-mutated subset — one of the most treatment-refractory leukemia populations with extremely poor outcomes. The anti-CCRL2 PBD-dimer ADC outperformed approved agents in preclinical models while sparing normal hematopoietic progenitors, supporting clinical development.

What the study was

Study design
Preclinical translational study (cell lines, primary patient samples, xenograft mouse models)
Population
High-risk MDS/AML patients including TP53-mutated subsets (primary samples and PDX models)
Category
Drug Development
Maturity
Exploratory
Journal
Blood Advances

Why it surfaced

Novel ADC target for TP53-mutated MDS/AML (major unmet need); score capped at 5 per non-human-only study rule; Johns Hopkins group with strong translational track record; CCRL2 is a genuinely novel target.

A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.