Solute carrier family 12 member 7 (SLC12A7) tumor-specific splice variant (sv-SLC12A7)

Solute carrier family 12 member 7 (SLC12A7), also known as KCC4, is an electroneutral potassium-chloride cotransporter that plays a critical role in regulating intracellular chloride concentrations and cell volume (UniProt: Q9Y666). The sv-SLC12A7 target specifically refers to a tumor-specific splice variant of this protein that presents a unique extracellular epitope, which is absent or inaccessible in the wild-type protein expressed in healthy tissues (Soteria Biotherapeutics, 2024). This variant is highly expressed in several aggressive malignancies, including cervical, ovarian, and lung cancers, where it is associated with increased cell migration, invasion, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (Hsu et al., 2007; Chen et al., 2019). Because the epitope is tumor-restricted, it serves as a promising neo-antigen for precision immunotherapies, such as the bispecific T-cell engager SOT-201 (Soteria Biotherapeutics, 2024). These therapeutic agents are designed to bind the extracellular epitope of sv-SLC12A7 and the CD3 receptor on T-cells, thereby inducing a targeted immune response and selective destruction of malignant cells while sparing healthy tissues. Consequently, sv-SLC12A7 represents a novel therapeutic target for treating refractory solid tumors that express this specific splice variant.

Other names

KCC4Potassium-chloride cotransporter 4sv-KCC4SLC12A7-svTumor-specific KCC4 variant

T-cell redirection and recruitment via bispecific antibody binding to the tumor-specific extracellular epitope of sv-SLC12A7 and the CD3 receptor on T-cells.