Research DIRCOM ERC Synergy Grant 2023 for Immunotherapy of liver metastases

An international team of four distinguished immunologists, including Professor Eric Vivier of the Centre d'immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CNRS/Inserm/AMU) has been awarded one of the most generously funded research grants from the EU: the ERC Synergy Grant. Leading in their respective fields of research, they aim to combine their expertise to explore new avenues for immunotherapy of liver metastases - a condition that affects approximately half of all cancer patients. A significant proportion of cancer patients do not succumb to the initial tumor but rather to the resulting metastases. The growth of these secondary cancer sites is often challenging to curb with conventional therapies. Colorectal tumors, as well as many other types of tumors, frequently metastasize to the liver. Therefore, new treatment approaches are urgently needed and would benefit many patients. "We aim to combine our expertise and techniques to investigate the local immune system of the liver: how do various cell types communicate and function in the healthy organ, and how do they change in the diseased tissue.