Science
Faron-Supported Research in Theranostics Identifies Secreted Clever-1 (sClever-1) as an Independent Driver of Immune Evasion in Cancer, Deepening the Understanding of Bexmarilimab’s Mode of Action
Study details how bexmarilimab treatment reduces circulating sClever-1 in patients with cancer, a key factor in T-cell suppression and PD-1 therapy resistance TURKU, FINLAND / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2025 / Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AIM:FARN, ...
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[{"type":"text","content":"Study details how bexmarilimab treatment reduces circulating sClever-1 in patients with cancer, a key factor in T-cell suppression and PD-1 therapy resistance","length":158,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"TURKU, FINLAND / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2025 / Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AIM:FARN, First North:FARON), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on tackling cancers through novel immunotherapies, announced the publication of a new study in the peer-reviewed journal Theranostics . The research identified a secreted, truncated form of the Clever-1 receptor (sClever-1) as a key immunosuppressive mediator in cancer that impaired T-cell responses and was associated with resistance to anti-programmed cell death protein -1 (PD-1) immunotherapies.","length":560,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The study, supported by Faron Pharmaceuticals and grants from leading international funding bodies, including Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, the Research Council of Finland, and the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, provided significant new insights into the biology of Clever-1, the target of Faron's wholly owned, first-in-class immunotherapy asset, bexmarilimab . Clever-1 is an immunosuppressive receptor found on macrophages leading to tumor growth and metastases (i.e. helps cancer evade the immune system).","length":555,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"In this study, researchers analyzed plasma samples from breast cancer patients (n=139) and bexmarilimab -treated clinical trial participants (n=193) as well as healthy donors and discovered that a secreted form of Clever-1 or sClever-1 was significantly enriched in the plasma of cancer patients compared to healthy individuals.","length":328,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Our research unveils a previously unrecognized mechanism of immune suppression in cancer, where a secreted form of Clever-1 actively hinders T-cell responses," said Maija Hollmén, senior author of the study, MediCity Research Laboratory and InFLAMES Flagship, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. "We have shown that sClever-1 operates independently of the cellular receptor and contributes to an immunosuppressive environment. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of cancer immunology but also strongly validates Cl...