Reposted by The Batlle LabEACR - European Association for Cancer Research @helloeacr.bsky.social · 22/06/2026Already excited for next year's congress? Make sure to save the date in your calendars, and sign up for #EACR2027 updates! eepurl.com/dvcaQf 033
Reposted by The Batlle LabIRB Barcelona @irbbarcelona.org · 22/06/2026📌 Join us in our plenary #seminar this week, with Hugo Snippert, from @themaximacenter.bsky.social. 🤝 Host: @batllelab.bsky.social Register here ➡️ shorturl.at/pWcSN #IRBBarcelona #CancerResearch 031
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Thrilled and grateful 🙏 🌟We have been awarded a new ERC Adv Grant to launch #PlasticCRC, a project that will explore how tumour cell plasticity 🧬🔄 drives adaptation and resistance in metastatic CRC. 🙌🏼Many thanks to everyone in the lab and collaborators. ➡️Looking forward to the science ahead! 281
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 12/02/2026🙏Thank you to Ràdio Barcelona for the Toresky Award 🎙️ 🏆Although it recognizes a “personality,” the lab’s discoveries are the result of my team’s dedication and passion 🥼PhDs, postdocs, & senior members work relentlessly to make possible the breakthroughs being recognized today 🙌 ✨Huge thanks to all 0103
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 12/12/2025Leuven at this time of the year was an extra bonus. 010
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 12/12/2025At the Tumor Heterogeneity, Plasticity & Therapy conference in Leuven! 🌟🇧🇪 Huge thanks to the organizers for the invitation. 🙌 Tumour heterogeneity and plasticity are critical areas that are reshaping how we understand therapy resistance and tumour evolution.🔬 www.vibconferences.be/events/tumor...vibconferences.beTumor Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Therapy (3rd edition)10-12 December 2025, Leuven, Belgium 180
Reposted by The Batlle LabIRB Barcelona @irbbarcelona.org · 26/11/2025Yesterday in Valencia Dr. @nlbigas.bsky.social received the 2025 Premio Rei Jaume I in Biomedical Research. Her work on how cancer mutations arise and evolve has earned major recognition! Congratulations, Núria! 🙌 #ReiJaumeI #CancerResearch @cerca.cat @icreacommunity.bsky.social @bbglab.bsky.social 0178
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 26/11/2025This is a major finding by various independent teams. Cell Plasticity could be exploited therapeutically Please see also aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...aacrjournals.orgA plastic EMP1⁺ to LGR5⁺ cell state conversion as a bypass to KRAS-G12D pharmacological inhibition in metastatic colorectal cancerAbstract. Inhibitors of the oncogene KRAS hold promise for treating metastatic CRC (mCRC). Here we show that a selective, covalent small molecule inhibitor of the active (ON) conformation of RAS-G12D,... 020
Reposted by The Batlle LabSociedad Española de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (SEBBM) @sebbm.bsky.social · 25/11/2025PODCAST: Conversaciones del Premio Nobel Producida por Nobel Prize Outreach y la @fundacionareces.bsky.social, los podcast de la serie "Conversaciones del Premio Nobel " proponen acercar a la sociedad española los logros de estos científicos y sus historias personales. 011
Reposted by The Batlle LabThe Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20251/17 🧵 🙌Thrilled to share our first hard-core immunology paper out today in Nature Genetics! 👇 ➡️We unravel how TGFβ suppresses the innate and adaptive immune system in microsatellite stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC). Very proud of the team and efforts behind it. www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comTGF-β builds a dual immune barrier in colorectal cancer by impairing T cell recruitment and instructing immunosuppressive SPP1+ macrophages - Nature GeneticsTargeting TGFBR1 in transplantable mouse colorectal tumor organoids improves response to anti-PD-L1 therapy. Mechanistically, TGF-β abrogates clonal expansion of T effector and memory phenotypes and i... 14714
Reposted by The Batlle LabThe Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 27/10/2025Our recent Cancer Discovery study (Centonze et al.) shows that within hours, metastatic CRC cells switch from an EMP1⁺ invasive state to an LGR5⁺ stem-like program, highlighting that Plasticity is a dynamic, regulated cell-state decision #Bluetorial below👇🏼 #KRAS #Plasticity #ColorectalCancer 0196
Reposted by The Batlle LabCNAG @cnag-eu.bsky.social · 17/11/2025⏳Countdown to the 14th #CNAGSymposium! 🗣️Don’t miss Dr. Eduard Batlle from @irbbarcelona.org (@icreacommunity.bsky.social), sharing his insights on “Plasticity, therapy resistance, and immune evasion in metastatic colorectal cancer” 🗓️Dec 16, BCN 📎 www.cnag.eu/events/14th-... @batllelab.bsky.social 065
Reposted by The Batlle LabThe Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/2025🧵1/17 📣Thrilled to share our latest study just out in Cancer Discovery! ➡️ aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...aacrjournals.orgA plastic EMP1⁺ to LGR5⁺ cell state conversion as a bypass to KRAS-G12D pharmacological inhibition in metastatic colorectal cancerAbstract. Inhibitors of the oncogene KRAS hold promise for treating metastatic CRC (mCRC). Here we show that a selective, covalent small molecule inhibitor of the active (ON) conformation of RAS-G12D,... 14116
Reposted by The Batlle LabIRB Barcelona @irbbarcelona.org · 07/11/2025🔬 #ColorectalCancer evades #immunotherapy using a dual barrier: A study by #IRBBarcelona & @cnag-eu.bsky.social reveals how metastatic colorectal tumours block the immune system through two complementary mechanisms. 📰 @natgenet.nature.com ➡️ bit.ly/49BJaC0 #IRBScience @batllelab.bsky.social 🧪 2174
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202517/17 📖 Read the paper: Henriques et al., Nature Genetics “TGF-β builds a dual immune barrier in colorectal cancer by impairing T cell recruitment and instructing immunosuppressive SPP1 macrophages.” www.nature.com/articles/s41... ➡️Full Text available here: rdcu.be/eOLi6nature.comTGF-β builds a dual immune barrier in colorectal cancer by impairing T cell recruitment and instructing immunosuppressive SPP1+ macrophages - Nature GeneticsTargeting TGFBR1 in transplantable mouse colorectal tumor organoids improves response to anti-PD-L1 therapy. Mechanistically, TGF-β abrogates clonal expansion of T effector and memory phenotypes and i... 040
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202516/17 This research was supported by the @erc.europa.eu, the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC), @caixaresearch.bsky.social , Worldwide Cancer Research, La Marató de TV3, CIBERONC, AGAUR, Fundación Olga Torres, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. 210
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202515/17 We thank all members of the BatlleLab and our collaborators @irbbarcelona.org & @cnag-eu.bsky.social. Special mention to A. Riera and C. Sanchez for TGFβ inhibitor synthesis. We acknowledge the dedication of technical platforms, the bioinformatic unit, and the animal facility. 130
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202514/17 Our work shows that TGFβ coordinates immune suppression across the adaptive and innate compartments, generating a two-layer defense that tumors use to resist immunotherapy. Breaking this dual barrier — targeting TGFβ alongside PD-1/PD-L1 — can turn CRCs into immunotherapy-sensitive disease 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202513/17 TGFβ inhibition (via SMIs: galunisertib, LY3200882, or vactosertib) had dramatic effects on these models: ✅ It dismantled the collagen network produced by CAFs ✅It opened the path for peripheral CD8⁺ T cells to enter metastatic lesions ✅It made refractory tumors responsive to aPD-L1 therapy 120
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202512/17 We validated these findings in liver metastases generated by mouse tumor organoids carrying 3 or 4 driver mutations (Apc, Kras, Trp53, ±Tgfbr2 or Smad4). 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202511/17 In the absence of Osteopontin - (Spp1 KO) - metastases remained T cell infiltrated and checkpoint blockade exerted potent therapeutic responses, suggesting therapeutic agents against Osteopontin, could be tested as a proxy for TGFβ inhibition. 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/202510/17 By generating macrophage-specific Tgfbr2 knockout mice, Ana Henriques showed that this population limits T cell proliferation in the TME. 📌Remarkably, we discovered that SPP1 production is necessary for this immunosuppressive macrophage response. 120
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20259/17 In parallel, single-cell profiling of the myeloid compartment revealed that TGFβ instructs an immunosuppressive macrophages population characterized by the expression of SPP1 (osteopontin). 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20258/17 Meanwhile, aPD-L1 did something remarkable but incomplete: it boosted T cell motility allowing infiltrated cells to move and engage targets. TGFβ inhibition enabled their entry but not their movement. ✅Only combination therapy achieved both, unleashing a fully active antitumor immune response 120
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20257/17 In experimental models of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC), we showed that TGFβ signaling on T cells prevented the influx of memory-like T cells from the lymph nodes into the metastatic TME. 🔴Without TGFβ inhibition, the number of T cells is insufficient to eradicate metastatic disease. 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20256/17 @hoheyn.bsky.social and @paulanietog.bsky.social identified diverse CD8⁺ T cell states — from naïve-like and progenitor to effector and exhausted — and together with Maria Salvany-Celades, they traced how TGFβ inhibition restores clonal expansion and effector differentiation. 120
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20255/17 To understand the immune landscape at single-cell resolution, @hoheyn.bsky.social and @paulanietog.bsky.social from @cnag-eu.bsky.social led an extensive scRNA-seq + TCR-seq analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and myeloid cells in models of metastatic CRC under treatment. 121
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20254/17 We had shown that TGFβ inhibition in CRC enabled T cell infiltration & synergized with immune checkpoint blockade to eradicate metastases 👇. www.nature.com/articles/nat... ➡️Now we dove into the immunology of metastatic disease: how does TGFβ inhibition reshape the immune landscape of mets?nature.comTGFβ drives immune evasion in genetically reconstituted colon cancer metastasis - NatureA combination of TGFβ inhibition and checkpoint-inhibition therapy provokes a potent cytotoxic response against metastatic tumours derived from colorectal cancers in mice. 120
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20253/ 👌A tremendous team effort led by Ana Henriques, Maria Salvany-Celades, & Alejandro Prados in the BatlleLab, in collaboration with @paulanietog.bsky.social and @hoheyn.bsky.social, with the help of amazing multidisciplinary teams at @irbbarcelona.org, and @cnag-eu.bsky.social. Kudos to all 🔝🔝🙌🙌 141
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20252/17 Through genetic dissection in model systems of advanced CRC, integrated single-cell profiling, and analyses of patient data, we reveal that TGFβ builds a dual immune barrier that blocks both the recruitment and expansion of memory T cells in liver metastases. www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comTGF-β builds a dual immune barrier in colorectal cancer by impairing T cell recruitment and instructing immunosuppressive SPP1+ macrophages - Nature GeneticsTargeting TGFBR1 in transplantable mouse colorectal tumor organoids improves response to anti-PD-L1 therapy. Mechanistically, TGF-β abrogates clonal expansion of T effector and memory phenotypes and i... 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 07/11/20251/17 🧵 🙌Thrilled to share our first hard-core immunology paper out today in Nature Genetics! 👇 ➡️We unravel how TGFβ suppresses the innate and adaptive immune system in microsatellite stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC). Very proud of the team and efforts behind it. www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comTGF-β builds a dual immune barrier in colorectal cancer by impairing T cell recruitment and instructing immunosuppressive SPP1+ macrophages - Nature GeneticsTargeting TGFBR1 in transplantable mouse colorectal tumor organoids improves response to anti-PD-L1 therapy. Mechanistically, TGF-β abrogates clonal expansion of T effector and memory phenotypes and i... 14714
Reposted by The Batlle LabVIB Training & Conferences @vibtrainconf.bsky.social · 05/11/2025Could understanding how #cancer cells talk to their neighbours help stop the disease? Johanna Joyce, a regular at #VIBConf, will uncover these new ways to predict, prevent, and treat cancer. Join #THPT25 before 26 Nov and decode the therapies that outsmart cancer: vibbio.tech/3Le9oAr #tumorbiology 253
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 06/11/2025At the Oncode Annual Conference 2025. Fantastic Meeting. Thanks for the invite. Catching up with many colleagues and friends. www.oncodeinstitute.nl/events/oncod...oncodeinstitute.nlOncode Annual Conference 2025 | Oncode InstituteRegistration is closed!There are roadworks, so the public transport route is different from previous years. For up-to-date information, please use Reisplanner | GVB or Plan je reis met het OV en deelv... 000
Reposted by The Batlle LabEACR - European Association for Cancer Research @helloeacr.bsky.social · 29/10/2025Registration for Cancer Cell Plasticity closes on Monday 03 November! Join us online to explore the fundamental mechanisms that control cancer cell plasticity at multiple biological levels: eacr.org/conference/c... 055
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 29/10/2025🙌🏼 What a fantastic meeting this was! Congrats to everyone who contributed! #EESOrgan @events.embo.org 🔝 A huge thank you to the organizers for the invitation, and for putting together such a memorable conference. 📸 A remarkable aspect was seeing together five generations of Clevers’ Lab!! 030
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 29/10/2025📣 Last chance to register for the EACR virtual conference on Cancer Cell Plasticity You’ll gain new insights into fundamental mechanisms controlling cancer cell plasticity as well as innovative approaches to target them ➡️https://eacr.org/conference/cancercellplasticity2025 @helloeacr.bsky.social 010
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 27/10/2025Our recent Cancer Discovery study (Centonze et al.) shows that within hours, metastatic CRC cells switch from an EMP1⁺ invasive state to an LGR5⁺ stem-like program, highlighting that Plasticity is a dynamic, regulated cell-state decision #Bluetorial below👇🏼 #KRAS #Plasticity #ColorectalCancer 0196
Reposted by The Batlle LabThe Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 24/10/2025➡️ This important video was missing from yesterday’s #Bluetorial. CRC organoids under treatment with KRAS inhibitor RMC-9945, rapidly acquire a LGR5+ cancer stem cell-like phenotype, allowing them to bypass KRAS inhibition, and eventually resume growth. Centonze et al., in #CancerDiscovery #AACR 0136
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 24/10/2025➡️ This important video was missing from yesterday’s #Bluetorial. CRC organoids under treatment with KRAS inhibitor RMC-9945, rapidly acquire a LGR5+ cancer stem cell-like phenotype, allowing them to bypass KRAS inhibition, and eventually resume growth. Centonze et al., in #CancerDiscovery #AACR 0136
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/202517/17 Last but not least, we acknowledge our funding sources. This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC), Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), La Caixa Foundation, CIBERONC, Horizon Europe, Revolution Medicines and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. 010
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/202516/17 We are deeply grateful to Revolution Medicines, both for great input, research support and for the invaluable opportunity to work with the KRAS-G12D inhibitor RMC-9945. 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/202515/17 We thank all our collaborators at IRB, VHIO, CNAG, the IMP in Vienna, and Imperial College London. Special mention to Marc Martí-Renom (CNAG-CRG) for the chromatin and transcription factor occupancy analyses. We also thank the technical platforms, bioinformatics units, and animal facilities.media.tenor.coma group of minions are standing next to each other in a classroom with their mouths open .ALT: a group of minions are standing next to each other in a classroom with their mouths open . 140
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/202514/17 📌 Key takeaway message: KRAS is not only an oncogenic driver — it is also a cell-state regulator. By mapping this plasticity, we identify new therapeutic angles and combination strategies for KRAS-mutant metastatic CRC. 100
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/202513/17 Recent preclinical studies have investigated resistance to KRAS inhibitors in LUAD, PDAC, and NSCLC models. All three tumour types harbor tumor cells in states with different degrees of oncogenic KRAS dependency, suggesting tumor cell plasticity could be at the core of therapeutic resistance. 110
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/202512/17 Our results reveal a functional interplay: upon KRAS inhibition, CRC cells lean on WNT/β-catenin signaling for survival and growth. ➡️ We thus tested a combination approach: KRAS-G12D inhibition plus targeted removal of LGR5⁺ cells, which led to stronger tumor control and prolonged survival. 120
The Batlle Lab @batllelab.bsky.social · 23/10/202511/17 Mechanistically, Marc Marti-Renom and Meritxell Novillo-Font (CNAG-CRG) analysis of 3D chromatin and TF occupancy studies showed a switch in transcriptional control, without the need for major chromatin reorganization: • AP-1 factors (HRC-linked) ↓ • TCF/LEF factors (WNT/CSC-linked) ↑ 110