An enhanced version of an immunotherapy drug has shown significant promise against aggressive cancers in phase-1 trials, according to researchers. 

While CD40 agonist antibodies -- a class of cancer drugs -- have, over the past 20 years, been effective at activating the immune system to kill cancer cells in animal models, they have also caused dangerous systemic inflammatory responses, low platelet counts, and liver toxicity, among other adverse reactions -- even at a low dose in humans.

However, in 2018, a team of US researchers led by the Rockefeller University enhanced the CD40 agonist antibody to improve its efficacy and limit its serious side effects.