A collaboration between a US biotech company, researchers from UMC Utrecht, AMOLF and Oncode Institute has uncovered a previously unknown interaction between two immune receptors that could help refine next-generation cancer immunotherapies. The team found that the receptor MARCO directly interacts with LAIR-1 on the same cell, acting as a “brake on a brake” in immune regulation a mechanism not previously observed in tumor-associated immune cells.
The discovery began when a biotech partner detected an unexpected binding signal involving LAIR-1 but could not explain the underlying mechanism. The company contacted the Inhibitory Receptor research group of Prof. Linde Meyaard (Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht and Oncode Institute), known for its work on immune inhibitory receptors, which then joined forces with single-molecule researchers at AMOLF under the leadership of Dr. Kristina Ganzinger (AMOLF and Oncode Institute). Oncode Institute facilitated the collaboration as well as the legal and strategic frameworks.
“We thought LAIR-1 was always the brake, until we saw this brake on that brake. “This changes how we understand immune suppression in tumors and it shows the value of collaborating directly with a biotech partner to answer fundamental questions.”
“We thought LAIR-1 was always the brake, until we saw this brake on that brake,” says Prof. Linde Meyaard (Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht and Oncode Institute). “This changes how we understand immune suppression in tumors and it shows the value of collaborating directly with a biotech partner to answer fundamental questions.”
Using advanced single-molecule imaging, AMOLF researchers were able to visualize MARCO and LAIR-1 interacting on the same immune cell a rare cis-interaction that offers a new perspective on how tumor-associated macrophages suppress immune responses.
Oncode Institute supported the partnership by connecting the groups, resolving legal frameworks and aligning scientific and translational goals. “This case illustrates how breakthroughs arise when academic rigor meets industrial urgency,” says Emil Pot, Business Developer at Oncode Institute. “Our mission is to bring those worlds together at precisely the right moment, so new insights can accelerate toward patient impact.”
Publication
Singh A, Vijver SV, Aglmous-Talibi H, Jukic N, Chen P, Crawley S, Mondal K, Zhou J, Niederauer C, Matharu Z, Li B, Fan B, Van der Vlist M, Kaplan DD, Rivera LB, Sisson J, Sitrin J, Ganzinger KA, Ines Pascoal Ramos M, Meyaard L. The scavenger receptor MARCO is a ligand for the immune inhibitory receptor LAIR-1 and regulates its function in cis. Science Signaling 2025;18:eado2768
