Tokyo, Japan, August 25, 2026 - United Immunity Co., Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging its Myeloid Targeting Platform™ to develop in vivo genetically engineered macrophages, announced today that it has secured an exclusive global license from Columbia University to develop and commercialize genetically engineered in vivo TIM4 macrophages for the prevention and treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The licensed asset was developed in the laboratory of Dr. Ira Tabas, Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
TIM4 is a phosphatidylserine receptor in the Eat-Me signaling pathway, playing a critical role in efferocytosis, the clearance of pathogenic dead cells. Loss of TIM4 expression in liver macrophages has been observed in MASH patients, while restoration of TIM4 expression has been shown to improve liver fibrosis in preclinical models.
“MASH is one of the fastest-growing liver diseases globally, fueled by rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and an aging population,” said Naozumi Harada, Scientific Founder and Chief Technology Officer of United Immunity. “There remains a significant unmet need for therapies that address the underlying causes of this disease. In vivo engineering of liver macrophages to express TIM4 is expected to treat MASH effectively and resolve associated liver fibrosis via TIM4-enhanced efferocytosis, without significant toxicity.”
United Immunity also announced recently the acquisition of macrophage assets from Carisma Therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and liver fibrosis, as well as initiation of a Phase 1/2 clinical study of UI-102, a pullulan nanoparticle–encapsulated TLR7/8 agonist, in patients with advanced solid tumors. PDF