Application for cancer therapy of the novel myeloid immune checkpoint receptor CLEC-1. – C_LECT_INHIB

One of the issues in the treatment of cancer is to destroy tumor cells without damaging healthy tissue. In recent years, immunotherapy has become the most promising approach to fight cancer: tumor cells can be targeted and destroyed by the immune system of the patient. It is clearly established now that cancer cells use control points or immunological checkpoints to annihilate immune defenses. The critical roles of these inhibitory checkpoints in obstructing antitumor immunity have been illustrated by the remarkable success of the blockade with antibodies of T-cell immune checkpoints. Despite this, a significant percentage of patients do not respond or develop resistance. Therefore, eliciting effective antitumor immune responses in patients who fail checkpoint inhibitor therapy is a critical challenge in cancer immunotherapy, and in such patients, myeloid cells are promising therapeutic targets.

UMR 1064 team identified a receptor expressed by tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells capable of restricting their activation and an effective immune response. Moreover, preliminary results show the involvement of this receptor in tumor immune escape. Therefore, this receptor represents a potential therapeutic target to boost myeloid cells and anti-tumor response. Thus, in a consortium with the biotech OSEimmunotherapeutics, the UMR 1064 proposes the C_LECT_INHIB project of 3 years which aims to:

1. Better understand the mechanisms of this receptor in myeloid cells and biological functions in cancer; and

2. Investigate whether antagonists of this receptor, represent novel treatment paradigm for cancer immunotherapy.

The C_LEC_INHIB consortium gathers strong skills thanks to the INSERM UMR1064 specialized in immunointervention and OSE Immunotherapeutics, a French Biotech company specialized in Research and Development of therapeutic molecules.