On April 17, 2025, the very first edition of the Cancer and Immunology Institute’s “Innovation Stories” seminars took place!

Guests of honor at this inaugural event included Xavier Morelli, co-leader of the Structural Biology and Integrated Chemistry-Biology (iSCB) team and director of the “HiTS” high-throughput screening platform (IPC/CRCM). During this seminar dedicated to innovation, he presented his project, ORTHOS Therapeutics ( ORTHOS X), under the title “Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Presentation through the Creation of ORTHOS Therapeutics.”

This project aims to develop small molecules that target a key enzyme in the nucleotide salvage pathway, a mechanism essential for the survival of certain tumor cells or hyperproliferative cells, such as T lymphocytes involved in autoimmune diseases.

 

The second guest was Frédéric Bard, head of the GLYcosylation, iNterfaces cellulaires et nouvelles THERApies (GLYNTHERA) laboratory at the Marseille Cancer Research Center (CRCM). He presented his project, Albatroz Therapeutics, under the title “From bench to biotech, from GALA to Albatroz.”

The goal of this project is to prevent the degradation of the extracellular matrix, which is a key factor in the pathogenesis of cancer and arthritis.