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- Dr. Luke Lairson joins IRB Barcelona from Scripps Research (USA), bringing his expertise in chemical biology and the use of small molecules to understand and control cell behaviour.
- His laboratory will investigate ways to selectively target treatment-resistant cancer cells, regulate immune responses and promote myelin repair in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
- The new laboratory will join IRB Barcelona's Ageing and Metabolism research programme, expanding the Institute's capabilities in therapeutic discovery.
Cells constantly adapt their behaviour in response to signals from their environment. These changes are essential for processes such as tissue repair and immune defence, but they can also contribute to the development of diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disorders. Understanding how to control these cellular changes could open up new possibilities for treating disease.
Dr. Luke Lairson joins IRB Barcelona from Scripps Research in California (USA) to establish the Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Discovery Laboratory. His research focuses on identifying small molecules capable of changing how cells behave, helping researchers uncover biological mechanisms and develop new therapeutic strategies.
Unlike approaches that begin with a specific protein or molecular target, Dr. Lairson's laboratory starts by looking for compounds that produce a desired change in cells. Once these molecules are identified, the team investigates how they work, which proteins they interact with and how their effects might be used for therapeutic purposes.
“One of the most exciting things about this approach is that a molecule can reveal biological mechanisms we didn't know about. Understanding an unexpected cellular response may point us towards entirely new therapeutic targets,” says Dr. Lairson.
From cancer to immune regulation and tissue repair
The laboratory will focus on three main areas. In cancer, Dr. Lairson's team aims to identify molecules that selectively kill aggressive or treatment-resistant tumour cells, building on previous findings in glioblastoma and other cancers.
In immunology, the researchers will explore ways to boost the immune system's ability to fight cancer or reduce excessive immune responses involved in autoimmune diseases. Previous work by Dr. Lairson identified a compound that showed antitumour activity in animal models, in research published in Science in 2020.
The third area focuses on multiple sclerosis, exploring ways to repair myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibres. Dr. Lairson's earlier research, published in Nature in 2013, helped pave the way for a Phase II clinical trial that found evidence consistent with myelin repair in patients.
Dr. Lairson's arrival strengthens IRB Barcelona's expertise in chemical biology and therapeutic discovery, complementing existing research programmes in cancer, cell signalling and cellular plasticity. His laboratory will become part of the Ageing and Metabolism research programme (nodes???), bringing new opportunities for collaboration across the Institute.
About Dr. Luke Lairson
Before joining IRB Barcelona, Dr. Lairson was a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research, where he established an interdisciplinary research programme at the interface of chemistry and biology. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia (Canada) and subsequently carried out postdoctoral research at Scripps Research. His research has been published in leading scientific journals, including Nature, Science, Nature Chemical Biology and Nature Communications.
“IRB Barcelona offers an outstanding environment for connecting chemical biology with fundamental discoveries in cell biology and disease. I'm particularly excited about the opportunities to collaborate with researchers working in cancer, immunology and cell plasticity, and to explore new therapeutic possibilities together,” Dr. Lairson concludes.
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).
