Overview
Dr. Kwun is currently the Director of Transplant Basic Science Research at the Duke Transplant Center.
Research interests include humoral tolerance to organ transplants in animal model and humans, developing a clinically relevant animal model to study the mechanisms of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), and establishing a conceptual basis that will translate into therapeutic intervention of AMR.
Research interests include humoral tolerance to organ transplants in animal model and humans, developing a clinically relevant animal model to study the mechanisms of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), and establishing a conceptual basis that will translate into therapeutic intervention of AMR.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Professor in Surgery
·
2025 - Present
Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery,
Surgery
Associate Professor of Pathology
·
2023 - Present
Pathology,
Clinical Science Departments
Recent Publications
A Novel IgG- and IgM-Cleaving Endopeptidase, IceMG, for Antibody-Mediated Rejection.
Journal Article Am J Transplant · October 22, 2025 Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) remains a significant barrier to successful outcomes in both allo- and xenotransplantation. In this study, we investigate the efficacy of a novel recombinant endopeptidase, IceMG, which simultaneously cleaves IgG and IgM i ... Full text Link to item CiteAcoustofluidic system for targeted antibody removal in transplantation: Enabling small-volume therapeutic apheresis.
Journal Article Sci Adv · September 5, 2025 Antibody-mediated rejection is a leading cause of allograft failure and mortality in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients. Current apheresis systems require large blood volumes and are primarily designed for adults, making them unsuitable for childr ... Full text Link to item CiteA single dose of a CD137 antibody-drug conjugate protects rhesus macaque allogeneic HCT recipients against acute GVHD.
Journal Article Blood · August 28, 2025 Rapid CD137 upregulation on alloreactive T cells upon allogeneic stimulation suggests that their selective elimination could prevent acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). Here, we developed ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Overcoming humoral rejection after xenotransplantation in sensitized nonhuman primate recipients
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2023 - 2028Promoting Tolerance via In Vivo Expansion of Endogenous Tregs and donor-Specific CAR Tregs with IL-2 Mutein
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Massachusetts General Hospital · 2025 - 2027Simultaneous Targeting of Immunoglobulin G and M Using Endopeptidase for Humoral Rejection in Xenotransplantation
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2025 - 2027View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Wisconsin, Madison ·
2007
Ph.D.