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IMMUcan, Petit Bruxelles (2025)

10/10/2025

What is spatial transcriptomics, and why does IMMUcan use it?

Traditional sequencing tells us what genes are expressed, but not where. Spatial transcriptomics adds this missing layer by mapping gene activity in its original tissue context.

In IMMUcan, this means we can:

➡️See where immune cells and tumour cells “talk” to each other
➡️Identify hotspots of resistance or immune evasion
➡️Link spatial patterns to treatment response

It’s like turning a static snapshot into a living map of the tumour microenvironment.

04/10/2025

We are proud to announce that IMMUcan will be showcased at the (26–27 November, Brussels) — the largest European gathering dedicated to patients and patient leadership.

For us, this is a unique opportunity to connect with patients, policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders across Europe. We will explore together how patient-centred preparedness in action can strengthen resilience, equity, and trust in healthcare systems.

Learn more & pre-register here: epfcongress.eu

26/09/2025

Next week, Henoch Hong will carry IMMUcan’s voice to London, where the 2025 Biomarkers and Precision Medicine Conference (30 September – 01 October) gathers leading minds to explore the future of personalised healthcare.

This year’s agenda brings together global leaders to discuss:
🔹 Translating biomarker discoveries into clinical practice
🔹 Multi-omics approaches to precision medicine
🔹 Regulatory frameworks for innovation
🔹 Patient-centric strategies to accelerate impact

Henoch will be presenting on IMMUcan’s European effort to profile immune-oncology biomarkers and how it can help unlock new therapies and deliver personalised care to patients.

At IMMUcan, we believe that breaking silos and working across academia, industry, and patient organisations is the key to transforming the future of oncology.

📍 If you’ll be in London, don’t miss the opportunity to meet Henoch and exchange ideas on how to push precision medicine forward.

12/09/2025

New publication in Cell Reports Methods by Cell Press

The IMMUcan consortium is proud to present our latest work on scalable pipelines for large-scale multiplexed imaging (mIF & IMC) in FFPE tumour tissues.

Over six years, our collaborative effort enabled:

✅ The analysis of over 12,000 slides (7,500 mIF + 5,000 IMC) from more than 2,500 patients across five cancer indications.
✅ The creation of IFQuant, a web-based mIF analyses software designed for large-scale datasets, fully integrated with LIMS allowing reliable sample tracking, standardised analysis, and reproducible results at scale.
✅ The establishment of a public resource of ~340,000 manually annotated cells, which will support benchmarking and accelerate new computational methods for single-cell phenotyping.
✅ Demonstrated consistency between mIF and IMC modalities, and implemented tools & automation to streamline workflows.

This work offers the scientific community not just novel methodologies, but also open resources and tools that can serve as references for future large-scale cancer research. It will aid biomarker discovery, improve patient stratification, and bolster reproducibility in image-based tumour microenvironment studies.

A special thank you to all the authors and contributors of this paper: Nils Eling, Julien Dorier, Sylvie Rusakiewicz, Robin Liechti, Preethi Devanand, Ph.D., Michelle Daniel, Jonas Windhager, Bruno Palau Fernandez, Sophie Déglise, Despland Lucie, Abdelkader Benyagoub, Marcin Możejko, Dawid Uchal, Ewa Szczurek, Alexander Loboda, Daaf Sandkuijl, Nikesh Parsotam, Henoch Hong, Marie Morfouace, Nicolas Guex, George Coukos, Bernd Bodenmiller, Stephanie Tissot-Renaud, Daniel Schulz

Read the article here: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-methods/fulltext/S2667-2375(25)00206-1

02/09/2025

What if we could anticipate a tumour’s next move, even before it happens?

At IMMUcan, that’s exactly what we’re working toward.

By studying the microenvironment in unprecedented detail, we’re learning how cancer adapts, hides, and fights back.

Our -omics analyses across thousands of samples allow us to track how tumours:
🔹 Evade the immune system
🔹 Stop responding to treatment
🔹 Develop resistance over time

Every insight brings us closer to smarter, more resilient .

26/08/2025

The immune system is powerful, but cancer can sometimes outsmart it.

IMMUcan is helping us understand how.

By combining spatial transcriptomics, single-cell sequencing, and proteomics, our researchers are mapping the mechanisms of immune evasion across tumour types.

For example:
-Some tumours suppress antigen presentation.
- Others create immunosuppressive environments.
- Many adapt dynamically under treatment pressure.

Why does this matter?

Because immune evasion is a key driver of treatment failure. The more we understand it, the better we can design therapies that keep the immune system engaged. And the cancer on the defensive.

19/08/2025

What if we could decode what's happening inside a tumour?

At IMMUcan, we’re getting closer to finding out the answer.

By profiling over 2,600 tumour samples using cutting-edge multi-omics technologies, we are creating a high-resolution map of the tumour microenvironment across several cancer types.

What does that mean?
It means we can now see how immune cells and cancer cells interact. We can understand the molecular signals that drive resistance or response. And most importantly, we can predict which therapies might work and for whom.

Imagine a world where every cancer treatment is precisely tailored to the patient’s biology.
That world becomes possible through the kind of insight IMMUcan is building today.

Because the more we learn, the more lives we can change.

08/08/2025

In cancer research, personalised medicine represents a shift in how we understand disease, deliver care, and define outcomes.

In case you missed it: our blog breaks down what personalised medicine means in real-world cancer care, from biomarkers and big data to patient-reported outcomes.

We’ve shared this before, but its insights only grow more relevant as IMMUcan’s datasets mature and open new paths for individualised cancer treatment.

Revisit the post here: https://bit.ly/4oyKJpx

What does “personalised” mean to you — as a researcher, patient, or policymaker?

01/08/2025

❓Did you know?
IMMUcan has profiled over 2600 tumour samples using multi-omics technologies, including RNA sequencing, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry?

This unprecedented effort allows researchers to map the tumour microenvironment in high resolution, showing how immune cells, cancer cells, and molecular signals interact across different cancer types.

✅ Why it matters?
These insights support the development of personalised immunotherapies by identifying biomarkers that predict how individual patients respond to treatment. It's a step toward more targeted, effective cancer care.

25/07/2025

So far in 2025, the IMMUcan project has been presented at two of the most prominent cancer research events: the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meetings. These appearances reaffirmed IMMUcan’s core mission: to decode the complexity of the tumour microenvironment and improve therapeutic outcomes for patients.

✅ AACR 2025 – Tackling Tumor Immune Suppression

At the AACR Annual Meeting, Marie Morfouace presented in the mini-symposium “Overcoming Tumor Immune Suppression”. The presentation, delivered in collaboration with Henoch Hong, shed light on novel mechanisms driving immune evasion and how they can be strategically targeted. This talk contributed to a broader conversation on reshaping the tumor-immune interface and optimising immunotherapy efficacy across solid tumors.

✅ ASCO 2025 – Mechanisms of Resistance in Head and Neck Cancer

Just weeks later, Athenais van der Elst represented IMMUcan at the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago with a poster presentation titled "Mechanisms of resistance to anti-PD1 treatment in recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN): A multi-omics IMMUCAN/EORTC analysis."

This work explores the molecular underpinnings of resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. A key insight was the potential of B2M expression as a predictive biomarker for anti-PD1 response. The data also propose new therapeutic strategies aimed at reversing acquired resistance, which could significantly benefit patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN.

These engagements highlighted the value of collaborative, multi-omics research in shaping next-generation immuno-oncology strategies. With more publications expected this year, IMMUcan remains committed to translating these insights into clinical impact.

18/07/2025

It’s been more than a year since the study by Amelie Franken and colleagues was featured on the cover of Immunity (Cell Press), and its relevance to the research community continues to grow.

Using IMMUcan’s unique resources, the team applied high-resolution single-cell technologies (cRNA-seq, scT/BCR-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and proteomics) to dissect the immune microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Key discovery: Early response to anti-PD-L1/anti-CTLA-4 combination therapy hinges on CD4+ T cell activation and lymph node-derived recruitment, rather than solely intratumoral events. This insight has opened new research avenues into spatially and temporally orchestrated immune dynamics.

Over the past year, we’ve seen growing evidence of this study’s scientific traction and translational potential. More publications based on IMMUcan data are expected later this year, deepening our understanding of immune landscapes across cancers and accelerating translational insights.

Revisit the original article here: https://www.cell.com/issue/S1074-7613(23)X0004-1 #

26/05/2025

Hello from the IMMUcan team! 👋 The consortium gathered last week for our annual General Assembly. We had two days knowledge exchange, scientific updates, and future planning.

Key moments included:

🔹 A comprehensive overview of curated clinical, molecular, and cellular data;
🔹 In-depth sessions on colorectal, lung, head & neck, breast, and renal cancers cohort analyses;
🔹 AI-based analysis of H&E images;
🔹 Discussions on deep profiling, biosamples access, data upload, and trial integration;
🔹 A look ahead at final deliverables, sustainability plans, and public data sharing;
🔹 And a focus on communication and dissemination.

As IMMUcan enters its final year, these discussions shape how we share data, publish findings, and build a sustainable research legacy.

Thank you to our host, GSK, and to all consortium partners for their continued contributions and collaboration!

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