Biography

Dr. Kyoji Tsuchikama is an Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, renowned for his pioneering work in antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), a transformative class of cancer therapies. Dr. Tsuchikama received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Waseda University in 2010 and completed postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute (now Scripps Research) in 2014. Since joining UTHealth Houston in 2014, his research group has developed innovative chemical technology platforms focused on ADCs for cancer treatment and beyond. His work has led to numerous high-impact publications, federal and state funding, and two patents. Recognized as a leader in ADC research, he received the Outstanding Academic Investigator Award (2021) and the Best Preclinical Publication Award (2022) from World ADC San Diego, the premier global conference in the field. His patented technologies are now licensed to CrossBridge Bio, a biotechnology company he co-founded, where he also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Tsuchikama’s contributions to ADCs align with the growing prominence of this therapeutic class, exemplified by 12 FDA-approved ADCs and over 100 in clinical trials. ADCs selectively deliver potent drugs to tumor cells, sparing healthy tissues, with the ADC linker—connecting antibody and drug—playing a critical role in potency, safety, and durability. His research has led to branched linkers that facilitate the incorporation of multiple drugs, creating multi-drug ADCs that has the potential to address cancer drug resistance and tumor heterogeneity. Another notable advancement is the development of tripeptide linkers with enhanced stability and desirable pharmacological properties. Dr. Tsuchikama envisions his lab’s ADC technologies as crucial for overcoming unmet challenges in oncology and expanding the pool of drug candidates for future clinical studies.

Educational and Professional Highlights

  • Ph.D. (Organic Chemistry), Waseda University, 2010
  • Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 2010-2014
  • Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston, 2014-2021
  • Associate Professor (tenured), IMM, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston, 2021-present
  • Co-Founder and Scientific Advisory Board Member, CrossBridge Bio, Inc., 2023-present

Education

Ph.D. - Organic Chemistry
Waseda university, 2010
M.S. - Organic Chemistry
Waseda University, 2007
B.S. - Chemistry
Waseda University, 2005

Areas of Interest

Research Interests

Our research goal is to create innovative chemical tools, agents, and approaches for improving current targeted therapies for cancers and infectious diseases, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). We are a research group with interdisciplinary skills and knowledge including organic chemistry, peptide synthesis, chemical biology, pharmacology, and evaluation using animal models.

Publications

  • Anami, Y., Yamazaki, C. M., Xiong, W., Gui, X., Zhang, N., An, Z., Tsuchikama, K.* Glutamic acid–valine–citrulline linkers ensure stability and efficacy of antibody–drug conjugates in mice. Nature Commun. 9:2512 (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04982-3.
  • Tsuchikama, K.*, An, Z. Antibody-drug conjugates: recent advances in conjugation and linker chemistries, Protein Cell, 9, 33–46 (2018). DOI:10.1007/s13238-016-0323-0.
  • Anami, Y., Xiong, W., Gui, X., Deng, M., Zhang, C. C., Zhang, N., An, Z., Tsuchikama, K.* Enzymatic Conjugation Using Branched Linkers for Constructing Homogeneous Antibody–Drug Conjugates with High Potency. Org. Biomol. Chem. 15, 5635–5642 (2017).
  • Tsuchikama, K.*, Shimamoto, Y., Anami, Y. Truncated Autoinducing Peptide Conjugates Selectively Recognize and Kill Staphylococcus aureus. ACS Infect. Dis. 3, 406–410 (2017).