Glycoengineering antibodies to improve immune therapies
Official title: Glycoengineering of antibodies to modulate immune functions
Funded at Univ of Maryland, College Park · NIH-11450093 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to make antibody-based therapies more effective and consistent by precisely altering sugar structures and linking drugs to antibodies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2020 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $626,083 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AI155716-06A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11450093 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancer, autoimmune diseases, or infectious diseases who could benefit from improved antibody therapies or upcoming ADC treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit include those not eligible for antibody-based therapies or those for whom these specific conjugates are unsuitable.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on creating methods to produce more uniform therapeutic antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates. Researchers will test new enzymes and engineered proteins to control how antibodies are decorated with sugars and how drugs are attached. The goal is to improve the safety and effectiveness of treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infections. The work combines chemistry and biology to craft better medicines that can be used in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more effective antibody therapies with fewer side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows promise with enzyme-assisted glycoengineering and site-specific bioconjugation, suggesting potential for improved therapeutics.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Maryland, College Park
College Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Lai-Xi — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Wang, Lai-Xi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.