About
The Innate Immunity group, established in 2009, is focused on the study of Innate Immunity in health and disease. The team is located at IGTP and is part of the CIBERehd Consortium of the Spanish Government (ISCIII) and the AGAUR Research Quality Group 2021-SGR- 01186.
The group is conducting research on three important aspects of human pathology: liver disease, cancer and bacterial infection.
The aim of its researchers is to define the role of innate immunity proteins as prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers of disease. They are also engaged in the study of macrophages as central drivers of innate immunity and developing new therapies that modulate their responses. In this context, tehir interests are at present mostly centred on the role of macrophage protein CD5L in the control of immune homeostasis and inflammatory disease.
Keywords: Liver, cancer, infection, macrophage, CD5L.
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Group Leader
Research lines
Role of innate immunity in liver disease
The group is exploring the potential of several innate immunity proteins as biomarkers for the improvement of patient management and for the better understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying liver disease.
Novel cancer immunotherapy strategy targeting macrophages
Macrophages are the most abundant immune cells in tumors, and since they are immunosuppressive in most solid cancers, they are a promising cell target in immuno-oncology. The team is developing new immunotherapies based on monoclonal antibodies directed against tumor macrophages.
Role of macrophage protein CD5L in infection, with a focus on Mycobacterium tuberculosis
The innate immune response is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. The group is devoted to understand the complex interplay between host defense and pathogen evasion. Its studies include the role of CD5L in modulating macrophage responses to bacterial products, from inflammatory molecules (eg LPS) to whole organisms, such as Escherichia coli or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This research line opens the door to the discovery of new therapeutic targets.
Active projects
RImAb, a novel immunotherapy strategy for targeting macrophages in solid cancers
Funding agency: Caixa Impulse Consolidate
Agency code: CI22-10181
Start date: Dec 2022
End date: Dec 2024
RImAb, a novel macrophage checkpoint inhibitor for cancer immunotherapy
Funding agency: Caixa Impulse Validate
Agency code: CI20-00152
Start date: Nov 2020
End date: May 2022
Decodificando la complejidad del macrófago en cirrosis y cáncer hepatocelular para generar nuevas estrategias terapéuticas y de estratificación
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: FISPI19/00523
Start date: Jan 2020
End date: Dec 2023
Grup de recerca translacional en patologia hepàtica i immunitat innata
Funding agency: Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR)
Agency code: SGR 2017-SGR-490, 2021-SGR-01186
Fisiopatología de la cirrosis y sus complicaciones
Funding agency: CIBERehd
Agency code: CB/06/04/033
SMA-TB: A novel Stratified Medicine Algorithm to predict treatment responses to host-directed therapy in TB Patients
More information
Funding agency: Horizon 2020 - European Union
Agency code: 847762
Start date: Jan 2020
End date: Dec 2024
Decoding macrophage complexity in hepatocellular carcinoma
PI: Tony Paul
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: FI20/00115
Start date: Jan 2021
End date: Dec 2024
Novel immunotherapy for cancer targeting macrophages. Contrato Juan de la Cierva Formación
PI: Lídia Sánchez
Funding agency: Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Agency code: FJC2019-041213-I.MINECO
Start date: May 2021
End date: May 2023
Ajuts Margarita Salas
PI: Clara Martori
Funding agency: UAB-IGTP
Agency code: FJC2019-041213-I.MINECO
Start date: Mar 2022
End date: Mar 2024
Scientific publications
Martori C, Sanchez-Moral L, Paul T, Pardo JC, Font A, Ruiz de Porras V, Sarrias MR. Macrophages as a Therapeutic Target in Metastatic Prostate Cancer: A Way to Overcome Immunotherapy Resistance? Cancers (Basel). 2022 Jan 16;14(2):440. DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020440.
Sánchez-Rodríguez MB, Téllez É, Casulleras M, Borràs FE, Arroyo V, Clària J, Sarrias MR. Reduced Plasma Extracellular Vesicle CD5L Content in Patients With Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure: Interplay With Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators. Front Immunol. 2022 Mar 7;13:842996. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.842996.
Masnou H, Aguilar A, Iborra I, Sala M, Torner M, Clos-Parals A, Ardèvol A, Giménez M, Fortuny M, Sarrias MR, Morillas RM, Domènech E. Incidence, risk factors and clinical outcomes of multidrug-resistant microorganism infections among patients admitted for decompensated cirrhosis: A prospective study. Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Apr;46(4):288-296. English, Spanish. DOI: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2022.09.001.
Masnou H, Luna D, Castillo E, Galindo M, Ardèvol A, Clos A, Sarrias MR, Armengol C, Bargalló A, Morillas RM, Domènech E. Prevalence and outcomes of acute-on-chronic liver failure among cirrhotic patients admitted for an acute decompensation. Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Jun-Jul;45(6):424-431. DOI: 10.1016/j.gastrohep.2021.05.007.
Innovation
The group has two active patents:
Method and kit for the diagnosis and/or prognosis of inflammatory conditions EP18382808
Sarrias MR, Aran G, Téllez E, Vilaplana C, Borrás FE
IGTP Publication Number: WO/2020/099613
Publication Date: 22/05/2020
International Application No.PCT/EP2019/081427
Anti-CD5L antibody and uses thereof EP17382725
Sarrias MR, Sanjurjo L, Aran G
IGTP Publication Number: WO/2019/086480
Publication Date: 09/05/2019
International Application No. PCT/EP2018/079751
News
New immunotherapy targeting tumour macrophages to tackle lung cancer
Researchers from the Innate Immunity group at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) have developed a new immunotherapy based on a monoclonal antibody directed against tumour macrophages. The results obtained lay the foundations for a new treatment for patients with lung cancer, with the potential to be applied to other solid tumours. The study has been published in the journal eBioMedicine.
A project that develops a new immunotherapy based on a monoclonal antibody to treat cancer is one of the three initiatives chosen by CaixaResearch Consolidate
A project that develops a monoclonal antibody for cancer treatment, led by the Innate Immunity Research Group at the IGTP, is one of the three selected in the CaixaResearch Consolidate call of “la Caixa” Foundation to cutting-edge innovative biomedical projects.
Contact
Maria Rosa Sarrias
(+34) 93 554 3060 extn 6320