Publisher: College of Life Sciences and Technology  

Date: September 14, 2024

Professor Chen Liang and his research team from the School of Life Sciences and Technology at Jinan University have made significant strides in cancer immunotherapy with the publication of their paper titled Human/mouse CD137 agonist, JNU-0921, effective shrinkage tumors through enhancing the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells in cis and in trans. The research appears in the prestigious journal Science Advances, recognized as a top-tier publication by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with an impact factor of 11.7.

(Screenshot of the paper)

This study marks a pivotal development in tumor immunotherapy, presenting JNU-0921 as the first small molecule agonist targeting CD137. The paper outlines how this compound enhances the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, thus contributing to effective tumor shrinkage. This innovative approach showcases the potential of CD137 agonists in cancer treatment, offering new avenues for clinical applications.

The corresponding authors of this influential article are Professor Chen Liang, Researcher Ding Ke, and Associate Researcher Zhou Qian, all affiliated with Jinan University. The co-first authors include Liu Lu (PhD, postdoctoral student at Jinan University), Chen Fenghua (MD, Jinan University), Li Shan (PhD, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences), and Yang Tong (doctoral student at Jinan University).

For those interested in further details, the original paper can be accessed [here]:

 (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp8647).