Author Archives: 瑶 翟

Sep. 2026 saw a series of licensing agreements, acquisitions and strategic investments across oncology, autoimmune, metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), oral and long-acting metabolic therapies, AI drug discovery and innovative delivery platforms were among the areas attracting attention.

Affinity and fusion tags make recombinant proteins easier to express, purify, and detect. Yet a tag can also become an experimental variable. For studies that depend on the target’s structure, activity, or molecular interactions, a tag-free final product may be preferable. This article explains what tag-free means, when tag removal is useful, how it is done, and which properties still need to be verified after purification.

Kir7.1, an inwardly rectifying potassium channel encoded by the KCNJ13 gene, is a member of the Kir channel family. In 2026, Kir7.1 research advanced rapidly in both structural biology and precision therapeutic development. Multi-state Cryo-EM structures revealed how phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂), cholesterol, and bioactive steroids modulate channel conformation; prime editing of the KCNJ13 L144P variant restored channel function; and anticodon-engineered transfer RNA (ACE-tRNA) promoted targeted readthrough of the W53X premature termination codon and improved electroretinographic responses in Leber congenital amaurosis type 16 (LCA16) mouse model [1–3]. Additional structural studies clarified the molecular basis of the R162W loss-of-function phenotype and the pore-blocking mechanism of ML418 [5,10]. Together, these advances position Kir7.1 at the intersection of retinal ion homeostasis, channel structural biology, and precision therapy.

Epithelial Membrane Protein 2 (EMP2) is emerging as a promising membrane protein target in cancer therapy. Recent studies have explored EMP2-targeting strategies, including siRNA delivery systems, monoclonal antibodies, and ADCs, demonstrating potential in suppressing tumor progression and modulating the tumor immune microenvironment.

DIMA Biotechnology provides in-stock biotin-labeled full-length membrane proteins prepared using Nanodisc technology. Expressed in mammalian cells to preserve native conformation and biological function, these proteins effectively support SPR/BLI binding analysis, antibody discovery, CAR-T positivity assessment, and research on challenging membrane protein targets.

The approval of the world’s first CAR-T therapy for solid tumors not only marks a new milestone in CAR-T treatment, but also brings CLDN18.2 into the spotlight as a highly attractive target. During CAR-T development, accurately and reliably detecting CAR positivity is an important foundation for evaluating product quality and functional performance.

With updated Phase III clinical data released by Roche in 2025, trontinemab has emerged as a leading example of TfR1-mediated blood–brain barrier delivery, achieving high amyloid clearance with low ARIA-E incidence in Alzheimer’s disease patients. By exploiting TfR1-dependent transcytosis, this bispecific antibody highlights TfR1/CD71 not only as a central regulator of iron metabolism, but also as a highly promising gateway for CNS therapeutic delivery.

Site-specific protein ligation is increasingly critical in applications such as protein labeling, antibody conjugation, and multifunctional fusion protein construction. Sortase A (SrtA), a transpeptidase from Gram-positive bacteria, is widely used for its LPXTG motif recognition and efficient ligation with oligoglycine substrates, with engineered variants further improving catalytic efficiency and control.

SLC7A11 (xCT), the functional subunit of the cystine/glutamate antiporter System xc⁻, plays a central role in tumor redox balance by mediating cystine uptake for glutathione (GSH) synthesis, thereby protecting cancer cells from oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Recent studies published in *Cell* and *Nature* in 2025 further revealed that SLC7A11 can also trigger disulfidptosis under specific metabolic conditions, highlighting a context-dependent vulnerability in cancer cells. These findings position SLC7A11 at the intersection of ferroptosis, metabolic stress, and emerging cell death pathways, making it a promising therapeutic target. This article summarizes the structural features of SLC7A11, its regulatory role in ferroptosis, and recent advances in related therapeutic strategies.

In this review, we present an integrated overview of TREM2, covering its structure, expression patterns, biological functions, disease relevance, and the current landscape of TREM2-targeted drug development, with the aim of clarifying its potential as an emerging therapeutic target.

In antibody drug development, early discovery is often the most time-consuming stage. Immunization, screening, validation, and sequence processing can delay a project by weeks or even months, affecting program initiation, partnership timing, and competitive positioning.

In November 2025, business development (BD) activities in the biopharmaceutical industry slowed slightly compared with October, yet the month still delivered several high-value and strategically important deals. Overall, November’s BD landscape can be summarized by two major themes: large-scale M&A and high-impact licensing agreements. Global pharma companies pursued acquisitions to strengthen pipelines in rare diseases,…

Using multiple recombinant protein fragments from the same target—such as extracellular domains, functional regions, and membrane-proximal segments—has become an essential strategy in therapeutic antibody discovery. This approach improves epitope diversity, enhances screening accuracy, reduces conformational bias, and accelerates the identification of high-value antibodies including blockers, agonists, and internalizing antibodies.

On January 10, Harbour BioMed and Kelun-Biotech out-licensed the overseas rights of their jointly developed TSLP antibody HBM9378/SKB378 to Windward Bio. The deal reached a total value of up to USD 970 million. HBM9378/SKB378 is a fully human anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody co-developed by Harbour BioMed and Kelun-Biotech, designed to regulate immune responses by inhibiting the thymic…