AI-powered integration of multi-source data for TAA discovery to accelerate ADC and TCE drug development (I): TAA Target Identification and Prioritization
Tao Xie, Chao-Hui Huang · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025
Abstract The advancement of T-cell engagers (TCEs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) has been hindered by fragmented data landscapes. This paper, the first in a series, introduces an AI-driven framework specifically for tumor-associated antigen (TAA) target identification and prioritization, a critical initial step in TCE and ADC development. Our framework integrates diverse datasets— including multi-omics repositories and information from scientific publications—to systematically enhance the discovery of TAAs. We have developed a graph retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)-enhanced language model that extracts insights from biological and clinical literature, while integrating curated public oncology-related omics databases such as TCGA, GTEx, single-cell atlases, and additional omics datasets. This approach prioritizes TAAs with high tumor selectivity and low on-target/off-tumor risk. By unifying diverse knowledge sources, our method provides a scalable, efficient, and data-agnostic strategy to address attrition challenges in both ADC and TCE drug development pipelines, focusing initially on TAA target identification and prioritization to transform the landscape of cancer therapeutics.