Scientists from an international consortium led by Dr. Eduard Batlle, head of the Colorectal Cancer laboratory at IRB Barcelona, ICREA researcher and group leader of CIBER de Cáncer (CIBERONC), together with the Dutch company Merus N.V., reveal the preclinical data that has led to the discovery of MCLA-158 and its mechanism of action on cancer stem cells. Named Petosemtamab, the antibody MCLA-158 prevents the onset of metastasis (that is, the spread of cancer to other vital organs) and slows the growth of primary tumors in experimental models of cancer.

Published today in Nature Cancer, the study also lays the groundwork for the use of organoids in the drug discovery process undertaken by pharmaceutical companies. Organoids are patient-derived samples that can be grown in the laboratory, and they reproduce certain aspects of the tumor compartment. Until now, their usefulness was being explored in personalized cancer medicine—meaning their value in helping physicians make decisions about the best treatment for each patient. However, for the selection of MCLA-158, a biobank of organoids from cancer patients was used for the first time to discriminate which new antibody, among hundreds, was most effective and believed to be most suitable for the majority of patients.

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