Cryo-EM structure of human LRRC15 reveals the basis of therapeutic antibody recognition

Leucine-rich repeat containing 15 (LRRC15) is a structural uncharacterised membrane protein, which is highly upregulated in cancer-associated fibroblasts and enriched in desmoplastic tumours including pancreatic, breast and head-and-neck cancers, where it is associated with therapy resistance. The LRRC15-targeting antibody-drug conjugate samrotamab vedotin has advanced into Phase I clinical evaluation, yet mechanistic understanding of how samrotamab engages its target has remained elusive in the absence of structural data. Here, using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and cryo-electron microscopy, we define the samrotamab epitope on LRRC15 and determine the structure of the LRRC15-samrotamab complex to 2.6 Å resolution – the first high-resolution structure of this receptor. Samrotamab engages a membrane-proximal epitope within the C-terminal leucine-rich repeat region, leaving the canonical concave surface fully exposed for potential interactions. The lateral binding mode of samrotamab and the open arc geometry of LRRC15 provide a structural rationale for why antibody occupancy may leave signalling-competent surfaces intact. Guided by these insights, we computationally designed minibinders targeting the concave surface, identifying multiple binders with nanomolar affinity. Together, our work establishes the first structural framework for LRRC15, defines the molecular basis of therapeutic antibody recognition, and identifies the concave surface as a promising target for next-generation LRRC15-directed therapeutics.