{
  "abstract": "Background: The MAGE-A3 oncological antigen, a member of the cancer-testis protein family, is markedly overexpressed across various types of malignant tumors. Affibody molecules, a novel class of compact targeting proteins (~6.5 kDa), have been established as potent agents for molecular imaging and targeted cancer therapy. This study evaluates the designed an affibody molecules as novel agents by fusing a MAGE-A3 affibody molecule with modified Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE38KDEL) and a cell-penetrating peptide (cpp) to develop an affitoxin, ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp, and evaluated its anti-tumor efficacy.\n\nMethods: we verified the expression of ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp by SDS-PAGE. MAGE-A3-positive cells was selected by qPCR. The internalization of ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp was detected using fluorescence imaging. Cell viability was detected using cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assay. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. The in vivo targeting ability of ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp was analyzed by near-infrared (NIR) imaging.\n\nResults: ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp demonstrated precise binding to the MAGE-A3 protein in living cells. Moreover, the accumulation of DyLight755-labeled ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp in MAGE-A3-positive tumors was observed as early as 1 hour post-injection, with clearance by 48 hours. ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp effectively suppressed the viability and induced apoptosis of A375 and A2058 cells. The results from xenograft model indicated that ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp effectively repressed in vivo tumor growth.\n\nConclusion: Our findings support the potential of the ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp as a molecular imaging and therapeutic agent for MAGE-A3 positive cancer.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Urology II, Handan First Hospital",
    "Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University",
    "Department of Vascular Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University",
    "Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hongjing Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Kui Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Li Shi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yan-Ru Guo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Dong-Yin Xu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xiang-Tao Zheng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Li-Fang Zhang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2kcskgv7n5wme.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fonc.2026.1862676",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2kcskgv7n5wme",
  "issns": [
    "2234-943X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1862676/full",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2403|Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224102396",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1862676/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-28",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2kcskgv7n5wme.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:14Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fonc.2026.1862676",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1862676/full"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2403|Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp has great potential for targeting therapy of tumors",
  "title_text": "The ZMAGE-A3 affitoxin 172-cpp has great potential for targeting therapy of tumors",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:14Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2kcskgv7n5wme",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Oncology",
  "versions": []
}