Boostimmune Secures Japanese Patent for TCTP-Targeting Antibody Technology to Advance Cancer Immunotherapy
Key Insights
Boostimmune (search) has been granted a Japanese patent for antibody technology that inhibits TCTP (search) released from dead tumor cells to suppress MDSC (search) accumulation in the tumor microenvironment.
The granted claims are defined by function and therapeutic use rather than being limited to specific antibody CDRs or amino acid sequences, broadening the patent's scope.
The patent strengthens intellectual property protection for BIO101, a novel immuno-oncology candidate designed to restore antitumor immune activity by modulating immunosuppressive MDSCs.
Boostimmune (search), a South Korea-based oncology-focused biotechnology company, announced on July 13, 2026 that it has secured a Japanese patent covering technology that uses antibodies to inhibit the function of translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP (search)) released from dead tumor cells, thereby suppressing the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the tumor microenvironment.
The patent represents a significant expansion of Boostimmune (search)'s intellectual property portfolio, as the granted claims are not expressly limited to the individual complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) or amino acid sequences of a specific antibody. Instead, they functionally define an anti-TCTP (search) antibody that inhibits the activity of TCTP released from dead tumor cells and suppresses MDSC (search) accumulation in the tumor microenvironment. The claims also cover inhibition of polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC) accumulation and cancer therapeutics or therapeutic compositions containing the inhibitor as an active ingredient.
"This Japanese patent is significant because it is not limited to the sequence of a single BIO101 antibody," said Gwanghee Lee, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Boostimmune (search). "Rather, the granted claims are centered on the function of inhibiting TCTP (search) released from dead tumor cells to suppress MDSC (search) accumulation in tumors, as well as the related therapeutic uses and compositions."
Scientific Rationale and Mechanism of Action
TCTP (search) has primarily been known for its intracellular functions; however, it can be released into the extracellular space during tumor cell death. Extracellular TCTP may act on immunosuppressive myeloid cells, promote the recruitment and accumulation of MDSCs within tumors, and contribute to the suppression of antitumor immune responses. Boostimmune (search) is developing a therapeutic strategy that blocks extracellular TCTP with an antibody, aiming to reduce MDSC (search) accumulation in tumors and restore antitumor immune activity.
BIO101 is a novel immuno-oncology program designed to regulate MDSCs, one of the major immunosuppressive cell populations in the tumor microenvironment.
Research Origins and Development
BIO101 originated from research conducted by the laboratory of Tadatsugu Taniguchi, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and a globally recognized immunologist. Professor Taniguchi's research team demonstrated that extracellular TCTP (search) released from tumor cells can act on immunosuppressive myeloid cells and promote the accumulation of MDSCs within tumors. These findings were published in Nature Immunology in 2021. Professor Taniguchi is also a co-founder of Boostimmune (search).
Building on this foundational research, Boostimmune (search) has identified antibodies that block TCTP (search) function and has advanced candidate optimization and preclinical development based on antibody binding properties, inhibition of MDSC (search) accumulation, and activation of antitumor immune responses.
Strategic Implications
Through this patent, Boostimmune (search) has strengthened its intellectual property position in Japan not only for its proprietary BIO101 antibody candidate, but also for the development of therapeutics that modulate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment through the claimed TCTP (search)-targeting mechanism. The company believes that the newly granted patent may represent an important intellectual property right to consider in connection with the clinical development, licensing, and commercialization in Japan of TCTP-targeting antibody therapeutics based on the same or a similar mechanism of action.
Dr. Lee added, "Because this patent may be relevant to the development and commercialization of therapeutics that use TCTP (search) antibodies to regulate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment through the same or a similar mechanism, we intend to accelerate the development of BIO101 while actively pursuing strategic collaborations with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies."
Boostimmune (search) was co-founded in 2021 by Gwanghee Lee and Professor Tadatsugu Taniguchi. The company is developing multiple biologics-based oncology programs, including BIO101, an immuno-oncology program targeting TCTP (search), as well as novel antibody-drug conjugate programs.