PLT012, a Humanized CD36-Blocking Antibody, Is Effective for Unleashing Antitumor Immunity Against Liver Cancer and Liver Metastasis

Sheue-Fen Tzeng; Yi-Ru Yu; Jaeoh Park; Janusz von Renesse; Huey-Wen Hsiao; Chen-Hsuan Hsu; Josep Garnica; Jintian Chen; Lu-Ting Chiu; Jonas Santol; Tse-Yu Chen; Pei-Han Chung; Lana E Kandalaft; Patrick Starlinger; Rodney Cheng-En Hsieh; Ming-Chin Yu; Pei-Wen Hsiao; Santiago J Carmona; Hung-Kai Chen; Zhen Meng; Yun-Han Lin; Jingying Zhou; Chin-Hsien Tsai; Ping-Chih Ho

doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-24-1409

PLT012, a Humanized CD36-Blocking Antibody, Is Effective for Unleashing Antitumor Immunity Against Liver Cancer and Liver Metastasis

Cancer Discov. 2025 Apr 28:OF1-OF21. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-24-1409. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Sheue-Fen Tzeng^#^{1

2}, Yi-Ru Yu^#^{3

4

5}, Jaeoh Park^{4

5}, Janusz von Renesse^{4

5}, Huey-Wen Hsiao⁶, Chen-Hsuan Hsu², Josep Garnica^{4

5

7}, Jintian Chen⁸, Lu-Ting Chiu³, Jonas Santol^{9

10

11}, Tse-Yu Chen^{12

13}, Pei-Han Chung⁶, Lana E Kandalaft¹⁴, Patrick Starlinger^{10

15

16}, Rodney Cheng-En Hsieh^{12

13}, Ming-Chin Yu¹⁷, Pei-Wen Hsiao¹⁸, Santiago J Carmona^{4

5

7}, Hung-Kai Chen⁶, Zhen Meng¹⁹, Yun-Han Lin³, Jingying Zhou⁸, Chin-Hsien Tsai^{2

20

21}, Ping-Chih Ho^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Tumor Immune Analysis Core, Office of Research & Development, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
² Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Pilatus Biosciences SA, Epalinges, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Fundamental Oncology, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.
⁵ Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research Lausanne Branch, Epalinges, Switzerland.
⁶ Elixiron Immunotherapeutics Inc., Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁸ School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁹ Department of Surgery, HPB Center, Vienna Health Network, Clinic Favoriten and Sigmund Freud Private University, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁰ Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
¹¹ Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
¹² Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Cancer Genome Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
¹³ Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Genome Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
¹⁴ Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹⁵ Division of Visceral Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁶ Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
¹⁷ Department of surgery, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital (Built and Operated by Chang Gung Medical Foundation), New Taipei City, Taiwan.
¹⁸ Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹⁹ Society of Toxicology, Reston, Virginia.
²⁰ International Ph.D./Master Program for Translational Science, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
²¹ The Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 40294022
PMCID: PMC7617665 (available on 2025-07-28)
DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-24-1409

Abstract

Despite the success of cancer immunotherapies, like immune checkpoint inhibitors, many patients still fail to demonstrate significant responses because of metabolic constraints in tumors. PLT012 rejuvenates antitumor immunity by targeting metabolic pathways to reprogram the immune landscape of liver cancer and liver metastasis, with potential to influence future HCC immunotherapy.

Abstract

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