2025/11/20

“La Caixa” Foundation funds GlycoTARGET, an international project to boost cancer immunotherapy

The initiative, which brings together institutions from Spain and Portugal, will use advanced nanotechnology to turn cancer-associated glycans into new therapeutic targets and strengthen the immune system’s response against cancer.

The “la Caixa” Foundation has selected and funded GlycoTARGET project, an international consortium led by the Cooperative Research Center in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of BRTA, under the 2025 CaixaResearch Health Research Call, with a total budget of €998,670. This funding recognizes the scientific excellence of the project and its potential impact on public health.

The consortium brings together leading institutions from Spain and Portugal, including the University of the Basque Country (EHU), the Biofisika Institute (UPV/EHU – CSIC), the Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Rovira i Virgili University (URV), and the Champalimaud Foundation (Portugal). Scientific leadership at the Basque institutions is provided by Ikerbasque researchers June Ereño-Orbea, Edurne Rujas, and Maria M. Caffarel, while Omar Boutureira and Carlos Minutti represent Rovira i Virgili University and the Champalimaud Foundation, respectively. Coordinated by CIC bioGUNE, the consortium will develop innovative cancer immunotherapy strategies over the next three years, combining nanotechnology and immunology to transform cancer-associated glycans into new therapeutic targets.

Cancer cells often display glycans, sugar molecules on the cell surface, that act as a molecular “camouflage,” helping cancer evade detection by the immune system. GlycoTARGET aims to overcome this challenge using GlycoDISCs, lipid nanodiscs engineered to present glycans clearly and prominently to the immune system.

These nanodiscs are designed to deliver glycans specifically to dendritic cells, which initiate adaptive immune responses, while simultaneously releasing fragments that activate T cells and other immune signals. They also incorporate components that enhance immune activation, including selected adjuvants to boost overall immune response, creating a versatile platform. Beyond cancer, this technology has potential applications in antibody discovery, vaccine development, and precision diagnostics for targeting other diseases.

“Thanks to the support of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, we will be able to apply our technology, which has the potential to transform how the immune system recognizes glycans and, consequently, expand therapeutic opportunities for patients with diseases such as cancer“, explains June Ereño-Orbea, principal investigator of the Cancer Glycoimmunology Laboratory at CIC bioGUNE and project leader.

The support from the “la Caixa” Foundation reflects its commitment to outstanding biomedical research and to fostering initiatives that integrate basic and translational science. The funding will enable the consortium to advance ex vivo and in vivo studies, optimize adjuvants, evaluate immune responses, and explore the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of this technology.

This project underscores the importance of international collaboration, combining CIC bioGUNE’s scientific leadership with the complementary expertise of Spanish and Portuguese institutions to generate innovative solutions in the fight against cancer.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organization conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, chemical, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About Ikerbasque

Ikerbasque - Basque Foundation for Science - is the result of an initiative of the Department of Education of the Basque Government that aims to reinforce the commitment to scientific research by attracting, recovering and consolidating excellent researchers from all over the world. Currently, it is a consolidated organization that has over 350 researchers/s, who develop their work in all fields of knowledge.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of over 4,000 professionals, executes 22 % of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version