Globo H (tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen)

Class

Glycoconjugate cancer vaccine (Globo H-CRM197 conjugate, administered with OBI-821 saponin-based adjuvant)

Pathway

Induces anti-Globo H antibody and immune response against Globo H-expressing tumor cells

Globo H is a carbohydrate antigen—a branched sugar structure attached to lipids on the cell surface—that is expressed at high density on the surface of many epithelial tumor cells (including breast, gastric, lung, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers) but only sparsely on normal tissue. Because it is largely restricted to malignant cells, it has been explored as a target for active immunotherapy, in which the goal is to train a patient's own immune system to recognize and attack cells displaying this marker. Since carbohydrate structures alone are poor at provoking a durable immune response, the antigen is chemically linked to an immunogenic carrier protein, forming a glycoconjugate vaccine, and given together with an immune-stimulating adjuvant. This combination is intended to generate antibodies against Globo H, along with broader immune activation, that can then recognize and act against Globo H-expressing tumor cells throughout the body. This approach differs from an infused antibody drug in that it relies on the body's own machinery to produce and sustain the immune response over time. Tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen vaccines like this are studied across a range of solid tumor types where the target is commonly overexpressed, with the underlying premise that broad, low expression on normal tissue combined with high, consistent expression on cancer cells creates a favorable window for selective immune attack.