Reprogramming of Tumor Stroma to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy

Project Information

REACT

Grant agreement ID: 101158040

DOI

10.3030/101158040

Project closed

EC signature date 12 March 2024

Start date 1 June 2024

End date 30 November 2025

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 150 000,00

Coordinated by

INSTITUT PASTEUR
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - REACT (Reprogramming of Tumor Stroma to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy)

Reporting period: 2024-06-01 to 2025-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and CAR T cells can induce durable responses in some cancers, yet their efficacy in solid tumors remains limited. A major driver of resistance is the hostile tumor microenvironment (TME), which restricts effector immune-cell infiltration or can suppress their function even after they reach the tumor. Although several combination strategies have been developed to boost immunotherapy activity, many are associated with substantial toxicity, underscoring the need for new approaches that selectively target TME components that shape anti-tumor immunity.

Building on our ERC Consolidator Grant project, the overall objectives of this proposal were to develop novel therapeutic strategies targeting structural components of the TME and evaluate combination regimens designed to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies in solid tumors.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During this project, we characterized therapeutic agents targeting the TME of solid tumors in collaboration with industrial partners. Our key achievements were the identification of lead agent candidates that induced anti-tumor activity in vivo, together with the optimization of a window for co-treatment when combined with current standard therapies. In parallel, we initiated collaborations with experts to expand the translational aspects of these efforts

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We identified novel therapeutic agents to improve the treatment of solid tumors. These findings have generated renewed interest from potential investors and industrial partners to further advance this concept and, potentially, extend it to additional mechanisms of resistance in solid tumors, opening new avenues for research and therapeutic development.