Research HighlightPublished: 02 January 2026Cancer immunotherapyGabrielle Brewer1 Nature Reviews Cancer (2026)Cite this articleSubjectsAntibody therapyCancer immunotherapyImmunosurveillanceThe authors generated GlyTR1 using L-PHA, a tetrameric plant lectin with high specificity for β1,6GlcNAc-branched N-glycans, and GlyTR2 using CD301, a lectin normally found in macrophages and dendritic cells with high specificity for the Tn antigen. Both induced T cell-mediated killing in a target-density dependent manner, independent of major histocompatibility complex expression. Using flow cytometry, both GlyTR1 and GlyTR2 were found to bind to a variety of solid and haematological cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemistry staining of samples from patients with colon adenocarcinoma revealed an increased expression of both TACAs with increasing disease stage.Owing to a binding mismatch between human CD3 and mouse CD3, the authors next used humanized NOD-scid gamma (NSG) mice to test the in vivo efficacy of both GlyTRs. They both exhibited dose-dependent tumour regression in mice xenografted with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), pancreatic adenocarcinoma and ovarian cancer cell lines. Notably, GlyTR exhibited preferential accumulation in the lungs of mice with lung metastatic TNBC, suggesting the potential of GlyTRs for comprehensive disease control.This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institutionAccess optionsAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription27,99 € / 30 dayscancel any timeLearn moreSubscribe to this journalReceive 12 print issues and online access269,00 € per yearonly 22,42 € per issueLearn moreBuy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to the full article PDF.39,95 €Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutReferencesOriginal articleZhou, R. W. et al. Safe immunosuppression-resistant pan-cancer immunotherapeutics by velcro-like density-dependent targeting of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens. Cell 188, 6737–6753.e18 (2025)Article PubMed Google Scholar Related articlePaul, S. et al. Cancer therapy with antibodies. Nat. Rev. Cancer 24, 399–426 (2024)Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Download referencesAuthor informationAuthors and AffiliationsNature Reviews Cancer http://www.nature.com/nrc/Gabrielle BrewerAuthorsGabrielle BrewerView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorCorrespondence to Gabrielle Brewer.Rights and permissionsReprints and permissionsAbout this article