Warm congratulations to Prof. Terence Lee and his research team on this remarkable research breakthrough!
As Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), he has led a groundbreaking study on the treatment of metabolism-related liver cancer, with its findings published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Liver cancer is one of the three deadliest cancers worldwide, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, commonly known as fatty liver disease) is an important risk factor for the disease. Current treatment options for MASLD-induced liver cancer remain limited, with the efficacy of existing immunotherapies being suboptimal.
Prof. Lee’s team identified adipocyte-secreted FABP4 (fatty acid-binding protein 4) as a key driver of tumour growth, with MASLD-induced liver cancer patients exhibiting markedly elevated FABP4 levels in their serum. They successfully developed a monoclonal antibody that neutralises FABP4, inhibiting the proliferation of FABP4-driven cancer stem cells and boosting the anti-tumour capacity of immune cells. Funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Hong Kong SAR Government, PolyU has filed a non-provisional patent for the antibody and is further optimising its binding affinity to facilitate future clinical applications. This novel antibody provides a complementary strategy to current immunotherapies, bringing new hope to patients with metabolism-related liver cancer.
Source: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/rio/news/2026/20260203---polyu-develops-novel-antibody-targeting-fat-cell-protein/?sc_lang=en
