Kaohsiung Medical University / Prof. Chih-Hung Chuang

 Pain Points Solved 

• Conventional immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as Yervoy®, are prone to causing systemic immune-related adverse events, which limit their clinical applicability and overall treatment safety.
• In patients with low tumor antigen expression, existing immune checkpoint inhibitors often show limited efficacy and fail to induce sufficient T-cell activation and antitumor immune responses.
• The highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment frequently leads to tumor immune evasion, thereby reducing the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
• This technology integrates interferon (IFN-γ) and immune checkpoint inhibitors using a dual pro-antibody platform, enabling tumor-specific activation within the tumor microenvironment while reducing systemic immune toxicity, thereby significantly improving both therapeutic efficacy and safety.

 Technology Introduction 

• Technical Background

This technology combines interferon and immune checkpoint inhibitors, utilizing a dual pro-antibody platform to enhance tumor specificity, promote T-cell activation within the tumor microenvironment, reduce systemic immune toxicity, and improve ICB efficacy in patients with low tumor antigen expression.

• Technical Description and Advantages

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is one of the most promising strategies for clinical cancer treatment. Yervoy® functions by binding to CTLA-4 on T cells, leading to T cell proliferation and activation. However, Yervoy® can cause systemic immune-related adverse effects or tumor immune evasion, limiting its clinical application. In this study, we developed a fusion antibody, IFN-γ-Yervoy, and demonstrated that IFN-γ does not alter the fundamental properties of Yervoy®. Functionally, IFN-γ-Yervoy is activated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and enhances the IFN-γ signaling pathway. In the future, more immunotherapies may require such antibodies to locally activate cancer cells or immune cells, improving both the efficacy and safety of cancer treatment.

 Application Examples 

Applicable to immune-cold tumors such as melanoma and colorectal cancer, particularly in PD-L1 low-expression or ICB-resistant patients. It can be used as monotherapy or in combination with other ICBs to enhance treatment response rates and reduce side effects.

 Related Links 

None

 Patent Name and Number 

PCT/CN2025/084866

 Industry-Academia / Tech Transfer Partner 

None

 Honors and Awards  

21st National Innovation Award-Academia & Research Innovation Award

 Technical Contact  

Mr. Hung, Assistant Manager

Kaohsiung Medical University 
Tel: +886 7-3121101 ext. 2360
Email: R121084@kmu.edu.tw