New strategy to enhance the response to immunotherapy in liver tumors
Researchers at Cima of Navarra demonstrate in preclinical models that the SLU7 protein is essential for the survival of cells in various solid tumors.
PhotoManuel Castells/Carla Rojo, María Elizalde, María Arechederra, Carmen Berasain, Aaron Otero, from research Cima of Navarra research group that conducted the study
07 | 01 | 2026
Immunotherapy has changed the treatment of many cancers, but a significant proportion of patients do not respond because their tumors evade the immune system. Researchers at Cima de Navarra have developed a new strategy that enhances the response to immunotherapy in liver tumors.
SLU7 is a protein whose expression is essential for the viability of solid tumor cells such as hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, colon cancer, among others. Its inhibition causes DNA damage, genomic instability, and alterations in the recognition of erroneous RNAs, which favors the appearance of neoantigens and the activation of innate immune response pathways, converting "cold" tumors into more inflamed tumors that are sensitive to immunotherapy.
"In this work confirmed that by reducing SLU7 protein levels in tumor cells, we not only slow down their growth, but also make them more visible to the immune system, allowing them to be recognized by the body's defenses," explains Carla Rojo, a predoctoral researcher in the Hepatology: Carcinogenesis and Liquid Biopsygroup Cima and first author of work. The results have been published in the scientific journalBiomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
RNA-based therapies
Researchers have used different RNA-based approaches, including a chimeric molecule consisting of an aptamer targeting tumor cells linked to an RNA molecule (siRNA) against SLU7. "Our results show that SLU7 is an attractive target both as monotherapy and in combination with current treatments based on immune checkpoint inhibitors, and improves their efficacy," says Dr. Carmen Berasain, principal investigator in Cima Solid Tumors Program Cima director of work.
The work carried out within the framework Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra CCUN) and the area of Liver and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD) and in partnership national and international centers, including the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York) and the Complutense University of Madrid. The research public funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation and financial aid the association Against Cancer (AECC).
reference letter article:
Rojo C, Otero A, Elizalde M, et al. Demonstration of SLU7 as a new cancer target. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2025;193:118854.DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118854
