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- The laboratory led by Dr. Eduard Batlle has been awarded an ASPIRE grant from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, co-funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC).
- The project aims to understand how the metastatic microenvironment evolves and why it develops resistance to immunotherapy.
- The research will be carried out in collaboration with the laboratories of Dr. Holger Heyn (CNAG) and Dr. Ido Amit (Weizmann Institute of Science).
The Colorectal Cancer Laboratory led by Dr. Eduard Batlle at IRB Barcelona has been awarded an ASPIRE grant from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, which supports innovative, internationally-driven research projects. The project has also received funding from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), which supports the Spanish research teams involved.
The study, entitled “Temporal Evolution of the Immune Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer Metastasis”, aims to decipher how the environment surrounding metastatic cells changes over time, and particularly, how these changes contribute to resistance to immunotherapy—an approach that activates the patient's own immune system to fight cancer.
"We know that the tumour microenvironment evolves over time and that these changes are a key reason why immunotherapy is less effective in advanced stages of cancer. Our goal is to understand these mechanisms in order to develop more effective treatments," explains Dr. Eduard Batlle, ICREA Research Professor, CIBERONC researcher, and Director of the Oncology Programme at IRB Barcelona.
Metastases resistant to the immune system
While there has been progress in treating colorectal cancer, survival rates for patients with metastatic disease remain low. Dr. Batlle's lab has shown that in their early stages, metastases may be more susceptible to immunotherapy. However, as the disease progresses, the surrounding microenvironment undergoes changes that impair immune system activity.
To explore this process, the project will bring together three internationally recognized laboratories: Dr. Batlle's team at IRB Barcelona; Dr. Ido Amit’s group at the Weizmann Institute of Science; and Dr. Holger Heyn’s lab at CNAG. The teams will apply state-of-the-art single-cell analysis technologies in experimental models that closely resemble human tumours.
The grant is part of The Mark Foundation’s ASPIRE programme, which supports highly innovative, collaborative research.
"This project is an example of how international collaboration can accelerate biomedical research and bring new therapies closer to patients. We are deeply grateful for the support of the Spanish Association Against Cancer and The Mark Foundation," adds Dr. Batlle.
More information: https://www.irbbarcelona.org/es/news/institucionales/irb-barcelona-coordina-un-proyecto-internacional-para-investigar-la
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
