Treatment for cancer using monoclonal antibodies

Maria Rosa Sarrias

Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Spain

The World Health Organisation names cancer as a leading cause of death worldwide: nearly 10 million people died from tumours in 2020 alone. Although multiple treatment options are available, few offer curative solutions.

The immune system acts as a sentinel for the appearance and growth of tumours. However, some tumour cells manage to "manipulate" this sentinel, "educating" it so that it does not recognise them as malignant and works in their favour, by producing blood vessels to supply them with nutrients and oxygen, for example. In response to this, therapies aimed at “re-educating” and boosting the immune system's reaction have been developed in recent decades, leading to a major breakthrough in the treatment of tumours for which there was previously no cure.

Immune cells known as macrophages play a key role in these treatments. These cells are also the most prevalent in tumours, making them a promising target for immune therapies.

In this project, the researchers aim to develop a new immunotherapy based on a molecule (monoclonal antibody) directed against tumour macrophages that could become a first-in-class treatment for cancer patients. The monoclonal antibody targets a critical checkpoint protein and reprogrammes macrophages for anti-tumour activity. In preclinical trials, administration of the antibody prevented lung tumour growth.

The project will enable the researchers to advance in studies of the effects of the antibody in cancer treatment and in its development as a preliminary step towards potential use in patients.