JY BioMed Announces Publication of Breakthrough Preclinical Study on Unmodified Gamma Delta T Cell Therapy for Liver Cancer

Taipei, Taiwan – February 2026 — Ji Yan Biomedical Co., Ltd. (JY BioMed), a biotechnology company focused on next-generation cell-based immunotherapies, today announced the publication of a landmark preclinical study demonstrating the potent antitumor activity of unmodified gamma delta (γδ) T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The study, entitled “Unmodified γδ T cells exhibit potent antitumor activity in hepatocellular carcinoma and are enhanced by PD-L1 blockade,” has been published in Immunobiology (Elsevier, 2026), a peer-reviewed international journal specializing in cellular and molecular immunology.

Addressing Unmet Needs in Advanced Liver Cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with limited treatment options for patients diagnosed at advanced stages. While immune checkpoint inhibitors have transformed the therapeutic landscape, their clinical benefits are restricted to a subset of patients due to the highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of the liver.

In this study, researchers from JY BioMed and Taipei Medical University conducted an integrated bioinformatic, in vitro, and in vivo evaluation of unmodified γδ T cells as a novel adoptive cell therapy platform for HCC.

Key Scientific Findings

The research demonstrated that ex vivo–expanded, unmodified γδ T cells:

• Exhibit strong, dose-dependent cytotoxic activity against human HCC cell lines in vitro

• Suppress tumor growth effectively in xenograft mouse models, particularly in PD-L1–low tumors

• Maintain a favorable safety profile, with no observable systemic toxicity in preclinical models

Importantly, the study identified adaptive PD-L1–mediated immune resistance as a critical mechanism limiting the durability of γδ T cell efficacy in PD-L1–positive tumors. The addition of PD-L1 blockade significantly restored and enhanced γδ T cell–mediated antitumor activity, providing a strong mechanistic rationale for combination strategies.

In parallel, bioinformatic analyses revealed that expression of TRGV3, a γδ T-cell receptor variable gene, correlates with improved overall survival in HCC patients, suggesting that endogenous γδ T-cell infiltration may play a clinically meaningful role in tumor immune surveillance.

Strategic Implications for γδ T Cell–Based Immunotherapy

Unlike conventional αβ T cells or genetically engineered CAR-T therapies, γδ T cells possess MHC-independent tumor recognition, low basal PD-1 expression, and innate-like cytotoxic properties. These features position γδ T cells as a promising “off-the-shelf” immunotherapy platform with the potential to overcome key limitations of existing T cell–based approaches in solid tumors.

“This study provides strong preclinical evidence supporting unmodified γδ T cells as a viable and scalable immunotherapy platform for liver cancer,” said Dr. Ethan Shen, Chairman of JY BioMed. “Equally important, our findings highlight immune checkpoint blockade as a rational strategy to further enhance therapeutic durability in PD-L1–positive tumors.”

Looking Ahead

JY BioMed is continuing to advance its γδ T cell technology platform through further preclinical development and translational studies, with the long-term goal of enabling next-generation combination immunotherapies for solid tumors with high unmet medical needs.

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