Guillem Pascual Pastó

Guillem Pascual-Pasto is currently a Researcher at the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), where he leads a research line focused on the development of new immunotherapies for childhood cancer. His academic background includes studies in molecular and cellular biology, immunology, and preclinical models, with a career oriented toward translational research in pediatric oncology.

He completed his PhD at IRSJD under the supervision of Dr. Ángel M. Carcaboso (2013-2018), where he developed innovative retinoblastoma models and demonstrated the preclinical efficacy of new therapies, including oncolytic viruses that contributed to the initiation of clinical trials in humans. He subsequently carried out his postdoctoral training at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP, USA), in the laboratory of Dr. Kristopher R. Bosse (2018-2025), focusing on the development of advanced immunotherapies for neuroblastoma, such as next-generation CAR-T cells, antibody-drug conjugates, and lipid mRNA nanoparticles.

Throughout his career, he has secured competitive funding as Principal Investigator from several international institutions, including Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Kate Amato Research Foundation, and the RNA Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He has recently been awarded the prestigious Ramón y Cajal fellowship under a talent recruitment program to return to IRSJD, supporting his incorporation and consolidation as an independent researcher in Spain.

He is the lead author of publications in high-impact international journals such as Science Translational Medicine, Nature Communications, Clinical Cancer Research, and Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer, among others. His career has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Schweisguth Prize from the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), as well as the Emerging Innovator in Collaborative Science and the Global Scientific Excellence Award granted by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Last publications

1. Strijker, J. G., Pascual-Pasto, G., Grothusen, G. P., Kalmeijer, Y. J., Kalaitsidou, E., Zhao, C., ... & Wienke, J. (2025). Blocking MIF secretion enhances CAR T-cell efficacy against neuroblastoma. European Journal of Cancer, 218, 115263. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2025.115263

2. Pascual-Pasto, G., McIntyre, B., Hines, M. G., Giudice, A. M., Garcia-Gerique, L., Hoffmann, J., ... & Bosse, K. R. (2024). CAR T-cell-mediated delivery of bispecific innate immune cell engagers for neuroblastoma. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51337-2

3. Pascual-Pasto, G., McIntyre, B., Giudice, A. M., Alikarami, F., Morrissey, A., Matlaga, S., ... & Bosse, K. R. (2024). Targeting GPC2 on intraocular and CNS metastatic retinoblastomas with local and systemic delivery of CAR T cells. Clinical Cancer Research. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-24-0221

4. Pascual-Pasto, G., McIntyre, B., Shraim, R., Buongervino, S. N., Erbe, A. K., Zhelev, D. V., ... & Bosse, K. R. (2022). GPC2 antibody-drug conjugate reprograms the neuroblastoma immune milieu to enhance macrophage-driven therapies. Journal for immunotherapy of cancer. DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004704