Biography:Eduard Batlle

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Eduard Batlle
Born
Eduard Batlle Gómez
Alma materUniversity of Barcelona
Known forResearch on colorectal cancer, intestinal stem cells, and metastasis
AwardsMember of the Academia Europaea (2025)
EMBO Membership (2024)
Rei Jaume I Award (2021)
Scientific career
FieldsCancer research, Molecular biology, Cell biology
InstitutionsInstitute for Research in Biomedicine
Doctoral advisorAntonio García de Herrero

Eduard Batlle is a Spanish biomedical scientist and cancer researcher known for his work on colorectal cancer (CRC), intestinal stem cells, and metastasis. He is an ICREA Research Professor and Principal Investigator at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, where he heads the Cancer Science Programme.

Education and early career

Batlle earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Barcelona in 1993 and completed his PhD in Biology there in 1999, conducting research at the Institut Municipal d’Investigació Mèdica (IMIM). He then carried out postdoctoral work with Miguel Beato at the Institut für Molekularbiologie und Tumorforschung (Marburg, Germany) and with Hans Clevers at the Hubrecht Laboratory (Utrecht, Netherlands).[1]

Academic and research career

Batlle joined the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in 2004 as an ICREA Research Professor and Principal Investigator. He later became Programme Coordinator of the Cancer Science Programme and a member of the IRB Barcelona Executive Committee.[2]

His research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive colorectal cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. His laboratory investigates the relationship between intestinal stem cells and tumor development, as well as the evolution and plasticity of metastatic cells.[3]

Batlle’s early work identified the transcription factor Snail as a repressor of the E-cadherin gene during epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key process in cancer invasion and metastasis.[4] His group later established the connection between intestinal stem cells and colorectal tumorigenesis and revealed the architecture and cellular hierarchy of colorectal tumors.[5]

In subsequent research, Batlle and his team uncovered the role of the TGF-beta signaling pathway in stromal cells in promoting immune evasion and metastatic colonization.[6] In 2022, Batlle’s group identified the cell of origin of metastatic relapse in colorectal cancer.[7]

Batlle has collaborated with the pharmaceutical industry to translate his laboratory findings into potential cancer treatments. One of the most notable examples is the development of petosemtamab (MCLA-158), an antibody targeting cancer stem cells, in collaboration with MERUS N.V.[8] The antibody showed therapeutic activity in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the U.S. FDA. It is currently being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials.

Honors and awards

  • 2025 – Member of the Academia Europaea[9]
  • 2024 – Catalan National Research Award[10]
  • 2024 – EMBO Membership[11]
  • 2023 – Gold Medal of the Red Cross by Spanish Red Cross[12]
  • 2022 – Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher[13]
  • 2021 – Rei Jaume I Award in Medical Research[14]
  • 2019 – City of Barcelona Award in Life Sciences from City Council of Barcelona[15]
  • 2018 – International Foundation Olof Palme Medal[16]
  • 2017 – Francisco Cobos Foundation Award in Biomedical Research[17]
  • 2016 – Carmen y Severo Ochoa Foundation Award[18]
  • 2016 – Lilly Foundation Award in Pre-clinical Studies[19]
  • 2014 – Pezcoller Foundation–EACR Cancer Researcher Award[20]
  • 2013 – Josef Steiner Cancer Research Award[21]
  • 2013 – National Cancer Research Award “Doctores Diz-Pintado”[22]
  • 2006 – Life Sciences Award from Debiopharm and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne[23]

Selected publications

  • Calon, A., et al. (2012). "Dependency of colorectal cancer on a TGF-β–driven program in stromal cells." Cancer Cell.
  • Calon, A., et al. (2015). "Functional immunosuppression by TGF-β in colon cancer stem cells." Nature Genetics.
  • Tauriello, D.V.F., et al. (2018). "TGF-β drives immune evasion in colorectal cancer metastasis." Nature.
  • Cañellas-Socias, A., et al. (2022). "The cell of origin of metastatic relapse in colorectal cancer." Nature.
  • Herpers, B., et al. (2022). "Petosemtamab (MCLA-158), a bispecific antibody targeting cancer stem cells in epithelial tumors." Nature Cancer.

References

  1. ↑ "Stem cells could be a key factor in cancer | IRB Barcelona" (in en). 2 October 2007. https://www.irbbarcelona.org/en/news/stem-cells-could-be-a-key-factor-in-cancer. 
  2. ↑ "Eduard Batlle" (in en). https://www.irbbarcelona.org/en/research/eduard-batlle. 
  3. ↑ Mouzo, Jessica (23 February 2024). "Eduard Batlle, molecular biologist: 'Tumor cells are high-speed evolution machines'" (in en-us). https://english.elpais.com/health/2024-02-23/eduard-batlle-molecular-biologist-tumor-cells-are-high-speed-evolution-machines.html. 
  4. ↑ Massagué, Joan; Batlle, Eduard; Gomis, Roger R. (January 2017). "Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving metastasis". Molecular Oncology 11 (1): 3–4. doi:10.1002/1878-0261.12024. ISSN 1878-0261. PMC 5423223. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28085221/. 
  5. ↑ Cañellas-Socias, Adrià; Sancho, Elena; Batlle, Eduard (September 2024). "Mechanisms of metastatic colorectal cancer" (in en). Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 21 (9): 609–625. doi:10.1038/s41575-024-00934-z. ISSN 1759-5053. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41575-024-00934-z. 
  6. ↑ Henderson, Emily (9 November 2022). "Researchers discover residual tumor cells responsible for colon cancer relapse" (in en). https://www.news-medical.net/news/20221109/Researchers-discover-residual-tumor-cells-responsible-for-colon-cancer-relapse.aspx. 
  7. ↑ Cañellas-Socias, Adrià; Cortina, Carme; Hernando-Momblona, Xavier; Palomo-Ponce, Sergio; Mulholland, Eoghan J.; Turon, Gemma; Mateo, Lidia; Conti, Sefora et al. (November 2022). "Metastatic recurrence in colorectal cancer arises from residual EMP1+ cells" (in en). Nature 611 (7936): 603–613. doi:10.1038/s41586-022-05402-9. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 7616986. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05402-9. 
  8. ↑ "An international consortium reports the discovery of MCLA-158, the first clinical candidate screened in organoids targeting cancer stem cells of solid tumors -" (in en). https://ecancer.org/en/news/21812-an-international-consortium-reports-the-discovery-of-mcla-158-the-first-clinical-candidate-screened-in-organoids-targeting-cancer-stem-cells-of-solid-tumors. 
  9. ↑ "Batlle Eduard". https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Batlle_Eduard. 
  10. ↑ "El investigador del cáncer Eduard Batlle gana el Premi Nacional de Recerca" (in es). 15 February 2024. https://www.lavanguardia.com/ciencia/20240215/9520076/investigador-cancer-eduard-batlle-gana-premi-nacional-recerca.html. 
  11. ↑ "Eduard Batlle". https://people.embo.org/profile/eduard-batlle. 
  12. ↑ "Queen Letizia attends World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day event". 13 October 2025. https://ufonomore.com/blog/2023/5/30/queen-letizia-attends-world-red-cross-and-red-crescent-day-event. 
  13. ↑ "2022 Honours and Awards". ICREA. https://memoir.icrea.cat/2022-honours-and-awards/. 
  14. ↑ "EDUARD BATLLE GÓMEZ" (in es-ES). https://fprj.es/premiado/eduard-batlle-gomez/. 
  15. ↑ Berea, Azucena (1 February 2022). "Three researchers at IRB Barcelona receive the 2021 City of Barcelona Award". https://www.pcb.ub.edu/en/three-researchers-at-irb-barcelona-receive-the-2021-city-of-barcelona-award/. 
  16. ↑ "Ada Colau presideix l'acte de lliurament de Medalles de la Fundació Internacional Olof Palme – Servei de Premsa". https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/premsa/2018/04/09/ada-colau-presideix-lacte-de-lliurament-de-medalles-de-la-fundacio-internacional-olof-palme/. 
  17. ↑ "Award ceremony of the XI Francisco Cobos Award for biomedical research". Spanish National Research Council. https://www.cib.csic.es/news/outreach/award-ceremony-xi-francisco-cobos-award-biomedical-research. 
  18. ↑ "Carmen and Severo Ochoa Award for Research in Molecular Biology" (in es-ES). https://www.carmenyseverochoa.es/premio.php. 
  19. ↑ "Los profesores Eduard Batlle y Luis Alberto Moreno Aznar, Premios Fundación Lilly de Investigación Biomédica 2016". 2016. https://ia2.unizar.es/sites/ia2/files/archivos/documentos/Prensa/2016-06-14-www-fundacionlilly-com-premios_2016-genud.pdf. 
  20. ↑ "The Pezcoller Foundation-EACR Translational Cancer Researcher Award" (in en). https://www.eacr.org/pezcoller-foundation-awards/translational-cancer-researcher-award. 
  21. ↑ "Joan Seoane and Eduard Batlle receive 'Josef Steiner' award for cancer research" (in en). 24 October 2013. https://www.biocat.cat/en/current-news/news/joan-seoane-and-eduard-batlle-receive-josef-steiner-award-cancer-research. 
  22. ↑ "25 Years at the Forefront of Cancer Research in Salamanca". 2025. https://www.cicancer.org/media/3140/cic_dossier25th_eng.pdf. 
  23. ↑ "Debiopharm and EPFL honour Dr Eduard Batlle with the "Debiopharm Life Sciences Award"". 11 October 2006. https://www.debiopharm.com/press-release/debiopharm-and-epfl-honour-dr-eduard-batlle-with-the-debiopharm-life-sciences-award/. 



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