Technology Commercialization Center of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Transfers Professor Kye Il Joo’s AAV N
- 작성처
- Date2026.09.29
- 234
Technology Transfer Agreement Signed for AAV Capsid Protein Variant Technology
Ewha’s Outstanding Biotechnology Research Translated into Next-Generation Gene Therapy Development
The Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation (Director: Noh Taeyoung) has signed a technology transfer agreement worth a total of KRW 1.1 billion for the technology related to “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Capsid Protein Variants and Uses Thereof,” developed by Professor Joo Kyeil Joo of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. The agreement is significant as it represents a case in which Ewha’s outstanding biotechnology research outcomes were connected with actual industry demand and led to a large-scale technology transfer, with potential to contribute to the development and commercialization of next-generation gene therapies.
The Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation (Director: Noh Taeyoung) has signed a technology transfer agreement worth a total of KRW 1.1 billion for the technology related to “Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Capsid Protein Variants and Uses Thereof,” developed by Professor Joo Kyeil Joo of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. The agreement is significant as it represents a case in which Ewha’s outstanding biotechnology research outcomes were connected with actual industry demand and led to a large-scale technology transfer, with potential to contribute to the development and commercialization of next-generation gene therapies.
In particular, Professor Joo’s research team has identified AAV capsid variants specific to chondrocytes and developed a gene delivery platform that can be applied to the treatment of osteoarthritis and other conditions. By enabling more selective delivery of genes to target tissues, the technology is expected to expand the applications of existing AAV-based gene delivery technologies and contribute to the development of gene therapies for various intractable diseases.
Professor Joo has continued to conduct research on next-generation gene delivery platforms, including the development of AAV vectors optimized for specific tissues and diseases using Directed Evolution technology. Based on tissue-specific gene delivery technology utilizing AAV capsid variants, his research is expanding toward platform technologies applicable to a wide range of diseases.
The technology transfer is also significant in that it went beyond identifying outstanding research outcomes and securing intellectual property rights to facilitate commercialization and ultimately led to the adoption of the technology by an actual company. The Technology Commercialization Center of Ewha Womans University continues to provide comprehensive support for the commercialization of research outcomes, including identifying promising technologies, securing intellectual property rights, developing commercialization strategies, identifying companies seeking relevant technologies, and negotiating technology transfer agreements.
Professor Joo said, “I hope this technology transfer will serve as an important opportunity for the AAV platform technology developed in our laboratory to lead to the development of actual therapeutic products. We will continue to advance next-generation AAV platforms capable of effectively delivering genes to target tissues and expand the therapeutic possibilities for various intractable diseases.”
The Technology Commercialization Center (Director: Song Hyun Eui plans to further strengthen its comprehensive support for technology commercialization, from identifying promising technologies and securing intellectual property rights to technology advancement, industry collaboration, and technology transfer, so that researchers’ outstanding research outcomes can lead to industrial and social value.