Precision-BTC Network members lead international study identifying a key regulator of tumour immunosuppression

This article is adapted from an original news release published in Campusa Magazine (University of the Basque Country).

An international collaborative study published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy has identified the MARCO receptor as a promising new therapeutic target for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), one of the most aggressive forms of primary liver cancer.

The study reveals that the MARCO receptor plays a pivotal role in promoting tumour progression, immunosuppression, and tumour-associated fibrosis. Expressed on a specific subtype of tumour-associated macrophages, high MARCO levels correlate with poorer patient survival. Crucially, preclinical results demonstrated that blocking the receptor with an anti-MARCO antibody significantly reduced tumour volume, pointing toward a novel immunotherapeutic strategy to reactivate the body’s immune response against iCCA.

This landmark research featured key contributions from numerous Action members across international partner institutions. The study was co-led by Dr. Maria Jesus Perugorria and Dr. Jesus M. Banales (MC Member), with Aloña Agirre Lizaso serving as first author. The Precision-BTC Network is proud to have provided funding support for this publication.

Congratulations to all co-authors on this remarkable collaborative achievement!

Publication details: MARCO expression defines an immunosuppressive macrophage phenotype in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and represents a therapeutic target