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Dr. Eduard Batlle, leader at the Colorectal Cancer laboratory at IRB Barcelona. Photo / IRB Barcelona
 10.06.2025

IRB Barcelona leads an international project to investigate resistance to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer metastasis

The Colorectal Cancer laboratory led by Dr. Eduard Batlle at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), located at the Barcelona Science Park, as been awarded an ASPIRE grant from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, co-funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in collaboration with the laboratories of Dr. Holger Heyn (CNAG) and Dr. Ido Amit (Weizmann Institute of Science) which supports innovative, internationally-driven research projects.

The project aims to understand how the metastatic microenvironment evolves and why it develops resistance to immunotherapy.

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,” affirms Dr. Batlle.

» Link to the news: IRB Barcelona website [+]