The new immunological target to stop the spread of leukemia that was born in Oviedo

The Tumor Immunology Group of the University of Oviedo , which belongs to the University Institute of Oncology of the Principality of Asturias (IUOPA) and is also part of the Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), has identified a new immunological target with therapeutic potential in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of leukemia in adults.

The study, led by Professor Segundo González and with Dr. Christian Sordo Bahamonde and predoctoral researcher Alejandra Martínez Pérez as lead authors, has highlighted the role of the LILRB4 molecule in the development and progression of this disease, as reported by the IUOPA in a statement.

Clinical teams from HUCA and Cabueñes Hospital participated in the research. Researchers discovered that LILRB4 is abnormally elevated in the tumor cells of patients with CLL, especially in advanced stages, and that it helps these cells escape the body's immune response .

Furthermore, blocking LILRB4 in experimental models allowed the immune system to restore its activity against the tumor, opening up new avenues for the design of targeted therapies that boost the immune response and slow disease progression.

The work also points out that a soluble form of this protein , detectable in blood, is associated with an unfavorable clinical evolution, which makes it a promising biomarker to identify patients with a worse prognosis .

As detailed by the organization, this research has been possible thanks to funding from the Carlos III Health Institute of the Principality of Asturias and the fundamental support of the Asturian association Xti Xtod@s.