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Author

Yichen Zhu

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Open access Aug 2026

Scalable generation of hematopoietic stem cell-engineered off-the-shelf mono-specific cytotoxic T cells targeting solid tumors.

Adoptive T cell therapy for solid tumors is limited by autologous manufacturing complexity and, in allogeneic settings, risks including graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), HLA restriction, and donor variability. We develop a scalable, feeder-free platform to differentiate gene-engineered hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) into allogeneic, NY-ESO-1-specific cytotoxic T (AlloESO-T) cells. Product phenotype, function, tumor homing, and safety are assessed against solid tumor models and benchmarked to peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-derived TCR-engineered T cells. AlloESO-T cells display a uniform cytotoxic phenotype, with dual tumor targeting through a transgenic TCR and natural killer receptors. Relative to PBMC-derived counterparts, AlloESO-T cells show superior cytotoxicity, selective solid-tumor homing, durable killing persistence, and resilience to immune evasion. They also maintain low GvHD and cytokine release syndrome risk, while retaining stable hypoimmunogenic features. These findings establish HSPC-derived AlloESO-T cells as an off-the-shelf, mono-specific cytotoxic T cell therapy with scalable manufacturing, enhanced efficacy, and improved safety, which support broad applicability of AlloESO-T cells across solid tumors.

Yichen Zhu, Jiaji Yu, Y. J. Kim et al. · 0 citations
Open access Jul 2026

Advances in antibody-drug conjugates in cancer: latest updates from the 2026 AACR annual meeting

Highlights from the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting demonstrate significant advances in ADC design, including dual- and multi-payload constructs, multispecific targeting strategies, and immunostimulatory payloads, with the potential to improve clinical outcomes across diverse cancer types.

Yan-Ruide Li, Yichen Zhu, Yuning Chen · 0 citations