SL Science Presents Preclinical Data at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cancer Association Showing γδ T Cells Target Chemotherapy-Resistant Glioblastoma

New findings highlight the therapy’s ability to preferentially destroy MGMT-positive tumor cells, the specific population that survives standard treatments and drives disease recurrence.

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SL Science Holding Limited (“SL Science” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SLBT), a Taiwan-headquartered biomedical company specializing in developing innovative cellular and gene therapies, today announced new preclinical data evaluating unmodified human γδ T cells in glioblastoma (GBM) — the Company’s unmodified γδ T cell therapy platform (the “GDT platform”). The findings are being presented as poster P-2017 at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cancer Association, held from September 24–26, 2026. The research was conducted in collaboration with investigators at Taipei Medical University (TMU), JY BioMed, and HeXun Biosciences.

Key Data Presented

The presentation features several data points that demonstrate the GDT cell platform's potential:

• Targeting Resistant Cells: In advanced laboratory models, γδ T cells showed preferential cytotoxicity toward O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT)-positive GBM cells, which are typically resistant to standard chemotherapy.
• Rapid Tumor Elimination: Real-time analysis across three distinct GBM cell lines (U87MG, T98G, and LN229) showed a dose-dependent drop in tumor cells upon the addition of γδ T cells.
• Superior Efficacy: The γδ T cells exhibited higher cancer-killing activity than conventional αβ T cells in direct in vitro comparisons.
• In Vivo Survival: Contextual data confirmed that the therapy reduced tumor size and prolonged survival in an intracranial GBM model, with without obvious tolerability issues or macroscopic adverse findings.
  

Overcoming Standard Chemotherapy Limits 

Glioblastoma is traditionally treated with surgery, radiotherapy, and the chemotherapy drug temozolomide. However, tumors reliably return. A key driver of this recurrence is the MGMT repair enzyme: cancer cells expressing this enzyme can reverse the DNA damage caused by chemotherapy, allowing them to survive treatment.

The new data show that SL Science's γδ T cells directly address this chemo-resistant population. Because γδ T cells recognize general stress signals on cancer cells rather than relying on a single antigen, their cancer-killing ability is not hindered by the tumor's DNA-repair mechanisms. In short, the cells are active against the exact fraction of the tumor that standard chemotherapy struggles to eliminate.

A Clear Development Pathway 

This presentation marks the third recent milestone in a defined development sequence for the Company. It follows a July presentation in Melbourne demonstrating the therapy's ability to control tumor growth in vivo, and an August peer-reviewed publication outlining the clinical development requirements for this modality. The current data helps answer a crucial third question: identifying which patients and tumor types are suited for this approach.

“Showing that something kills tumor cells is the beginning of the work, not the end of it,” said Mr. William Wang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SL Science. “What we are presenting in Japan is a highly practical result: these cells appear active against the MGMT-positive fraction, which is the fraction temozolomide leaves behind. If that holds up, it tells us where this therapy belongs in the treatment sequence and which patients it is matched to. These remain preclinical findings, and we are presenting them where they can be rigorously examined by the field.”

About SL Science Holding Limited

SL Science Holding Limited is a biomedical company specializing in developing innovative cellular and gene therapies. Established with a commitment to advancing regenerative medicine and cancer treatment, the Company hopes to utilize immune cell technologies to target cancer, thus potentially offering expansive medical applications for its products. With proprietary technologies such as Gamma Delta T cells targeting solid tumor indications including pancreatic and brain cancers, SL Science aims to create cellular therapies that we believe have the potential to revolutionize the cell therapy and immuno-oncology sector within the broader biopharmaceutical industry. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://www.slbtgroup.com/ and follow SLBT on X, LinkedIn, FB, IG and Threads.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the business of SL Science. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. The data described above are preclinical and do not establish the clinical safety or efficacy of any product; preclinical results are frequently not predictive of clinical outcomes. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially, including the ability to implement the Company's business plans and clinical trials; to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals and rights under its license arrangements; the potential for its products to reach commercialization; and the Company's need for additional capital. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.

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