Innovative upcoming Preclinical model for small cell lung cancer

Biotrial, Parean Biotechnologies, and the “Oncogenesis Stress Signaling” laboratory (U1242 INSERM/Université de Rennes) located in Brittany are collaborating to develop a new preclinical model for small cell lung cancer. This 3-year project, named MESHCAP, aims to create an innovative model of small cell lung cancer that combines a controlled microbiota, a human immune system, and tumor cells from patients.

Lung cancer is one of the world’s most deadly cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 15%. Immunotherapies, which seek to boost the immune system’s ability to target cancer cells, have shown promising results in treating various cancers. In addition, the composition of the gut microbiota has been shown to influence the effectiveness of immunotherapy. It is now widely accepted in the scientific community that the gut microbiota is essential for a variety of functions and plays a crucial role in modulating immune responses. Thus, gut microbiota is a new parameter to be considered when developing new therapeutical strategies in the cancer field. The MESHCAP preclinical project will enable researchers to control and study the influence of microbiota on immune responses fighting tumor progression. By considering the interactions between the microbiota, the immune system, and cancer cells, this project will lead to the development of more reliable, reproducible, relevant and thus, more effective immunotherapy strategies for cancer treatments.