A collaborative research led by Zhao Qi, associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at the University of Macau (UM), and Leung Kam Tong, assistant professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has been awarded a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva for the development of the ‘Fc-engineered CD9 antibody for blood cancers’.

The research aims to address the thrombosis side effects commonly associated with existing CD9 antibody treatments for leukaemia. The research team has successfully developed an Fc-engineered antibody that effectively reduces platelet toxicity while maintaining therapeutic efficacy against refractory leukaemia. This breakthrough has the potential to overcome bottlenecks in the development of CD9-targeted therapies.

The International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva is the world’s largest exhibition of inventions, where all entries undergo rigorous evaluation by an international jury of 135 experts. This year’s exhibition showcased over 1,050 inventions from 38 countries and regions, representing a diverse array of innovative ideas from around the world.