Folate receptor alpha
Folate receptor alpha is a vitamin receptor that ovarian cancer cells carry in large numbers, used as the docking site for the ADC mirvetuximab.
FRα is overexpressed in high-grade serous ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and lung adenocarcinoma. Mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) is approved in FRα-high platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (MIRASOL). Next-generation FRα ADCs with topoisomerase-I payloads (ZW191, luveltamab tazevibulin, rinatabart sesutecan) target lower-expressing tumours.
- Target · the protein and the cell it sits on
- Drug · antibody, small molecule, cell or radioligand
- Effect · signal, damage or kill
In plain words · Folate receptor alpha is a vitamin receptor that ovarian cancer cells carry in large numbers, used as the docking site for the ADC mirvetuximab.
- 1 · What it is
Folate receptor alpha is a vitamin receptor that ovarian cancer cells carry in large numbers, used as the docking site for the ADC mirvetuximab.
- 2 · What goes wrong in cancer
GPI-anchored folate transporter; limited to apical surfaces in normal kidney, lung, and choroid plexus.
- 3 · How drugs use it
4 products aim at Folate receptor alpha: antibody-drug conjugates and imaging agents. 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.
Biology
GPI-anchored folate transporter; limited to apical surfaces in normal kidney, lung, and choroid plexus.
- High-grade serous ovarian (~80% any expression)
- Endometrial
- NSCLC adenocarcinoma
- TNBC (subset)
How common it is, by cancer
| Cancer | Prevalence | Measure | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-small-cell lung cancer | 70-80% | Adenocarcinoma, any expression | Wikipedia | |
| Endometrial cancer | 60-80% | IHC, any expression | Wikipedia | |
| Ovarian cancer | 35-40% | FRα-high (PS2+ in >=75% of cells) | MIRASOL eligibility; ~80% any expression | Wikipedia |
Approximate, population-level figures; the measure column says what was counted. Ranges show the midpoint as a bar.
A folate-receptor ADC designed to work across low and high receptor levels, in a pivotal ovarian cancer trial.
Mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) is the first ADC for ovarian cancer, for tumours with high folate receptor alpha.
An injected dye that makes ovarian and lung cancer deposits glow during surgery so surgeons can find lesions they would otherwise miss.
Rinatabart sesutecan is a next-generation folate-receptor ADC with a topoisomerase payload that responds in both ovarian and endometrial cancer regardless of receptor level.
Latest papers
topQuery for this target: (TITLE:"Folate receptor alpha" OR ABSTRACT:"Folate receptor alpha" OR TITLE:"FOLR1" OR ABSTRACT:"FOLR1") AND (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 Folate receptor alpha, not a curated reading list.
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