Chung Lab
Principal Investigator: Hokyung Kay Chung
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
Primary Subfield: Immunology
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY Organ transplantation significantly improves survival and quality of life, yet antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) remains a major barrier to long-term graft survival, sensitized transplantation, and xenotransplantation. Current interventions such as plasmapheresis, IVIG, B cell depletion, and Imlifidase (IgG endopeptidase) provide only transient benefit. As our previous study indicate that IgM antibodies contribute critically to AMR, we developed a dual-function endopeptidase, IceMG, that simultaneously cleaves IgG and IgM, effectively suppressing AMR in preclinical models. However, IceMG depletes protective antibodies indiscriminately, including vaccine-induced IgG and IgM, limiting its safety and clinical applicability. To overcome this, we propose a synthetic biology strategy to create signal-inducible, drug-controllable endopeptidases for localized antibody degradation within graft tissue. Leveraging our RASER (Rewiring of Aberrant Signaling to Effector Release) and DrON (Drug-switch ON) platforms, we will generate AMR-resistant organs in which alloantibody binding to MHC molecules triggers endopeptidase expression, with small-molecule control ensuring temporal p…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R21AI202462-01: Designing AMR-resistant Organ via Rewiring of Aberrant Signaling to Effector Release (RASER) (2026)
- 5K01EB034321-04: Next-generation T cell therapy: SMARTER T cells for enhanced and durable anti-tumor immunity (2026)
- 5K01EB034321-03: Next-generation T cell therapy: SMARTER T cells for enhanced and durable anti-tumor immunity (2025)
- 7K01EB034321-02: Next-generation T cell therapy: SMARTER T cells for enhanced and durable anti-tumor immunity (2024)
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