2012-05-09 // BIO-DrIM a new EU FP7 project
An EU FP7 project on “Personalized minimization of immunosuppression after solid organ transplantation by biomarker-driven stratification of patients to improve long-term outcome and health-economic data of transplantation” (BIO-DrIM).
The central focus of the project is the implementation of biomarker-driven strategies for personalizing immunosuppression (IS) to improve the long-term outcome and to decrease the adverse effects and costs of chronic IS. This includes 5 innovative investigator-driven biomarker clinical trials designed by the consortium with >1800 (screening) /1000 (trial) patients. The following issues will be addressed:
2012-05-03 // New platform for laser microdissection
2012-04-16 // An EU FP7 project on Liver gene and stem cell therapy
"Innovative strategies to generate human hepatocytes for treatment of metabolic Liver diseases: Tools for personalized cell therapy " (InnovaLiv)
Transplantation of donor hepatocytes has become an alternative to liver transplantation for the treatment of liver diseases. However, in addition to the complication imposed by severe shortage of donor livers, adult hepatocytes cannot be expanded in vitro. Autologous transplantation of genetically corrected hepatocytes represents another strategy as it circumvents the need for immunosuppression but this approach requires removal of 20% of the liver to isolate hepatocytes, which is not devoid of risks in patients with metabolic diseases. Therefore, there is a critical need to explore the potential human stem cells such as human Embryonic Stem (hES) cells to generate sufficient quantities of functional human hepatocytes. However, the production of safe and fully functional, human hepatocytes from hES cells under GMP conditions for clinical applications remains to be achieved.
2012-02-22 // Stem cells CENTAURE Meeting (2012-03-22)
The CENTAURE Foundation organizes through our Center a symposium on "Cellules souches appliquées à la transplantation cellulaire et à la médecine réparatrice" at Nantes, March 22 2012. Invited speakers include prominent national and international experts in different types of stem cells.
2012-02-22 // A new program ECOS Sud France - Uruguay (2012-2015)
French partner: Maria Cristina Cuturi, INSERM UMR 1064, Nantes, France
Uruguayan partner: Marcelo Hill, Universidad de la Republica del Uruguay an Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
Title: Tolerogenic antigen presentation in in cancer and transplantation : role of the protein TMEM176B
This collaborative grant aims to study the role of TMEM176B, identified and analyzed at the INSERM UMR 1064, in antigen presentation by dendritic cells. The proposed studies will include the use of mice KO for TMEM176B already available to analyze graft and tumor survival.
2012-02-22 // Funding LABEX TRANSPLANTEX
Two teams of our Center (Team 4: S. Brouard/Laplaud and M. Giral and Team 5: B. Charreau/F. Fakhouri) participate in a LABEX (Laboratoire d’Excellence) project to identify nenovel histocompatibility targets and transplantation biomarkers. This TRANSPLANTEX project includes several other teams from Paris, Strasbourg and San Francisco. LABEX projects are national, competitive and well-funded projects evaluated by an international scientific committee named by the French Ministry of Research.
2012-02-22 // Regional Funding IMBIO-CDs
The Region Pays de la Loire has selected and funded a project on IMmuno BIOthérapies et Cellules Dendritiques IMBIO-CD. This project will cover 3 years of work on the role of dendritic cells in cancer, transplantation, autoimmunity, infectious diseases and allergy of several teams of the Region. Two teams of our Center (Team 1, M. C. Cuturi/R. Josien and F. Halary; and Team 2, I. Anegon) participate to this network in the areas of organ transplantation, autoimmunity and infectious diseases.
2012-02-22 // Funding Infrastructures TEFOR.
Team 2 (I. Anegon) and the Rat Transgenic platform is part of a network of laboratories (Paris, Rennes, Jouy-en-Josas; Versailles; Gif-sur-Yvette; Clermont-Ferrand) on a infrastructure project called TEFOR. This project aiming to generate genetically modified organisms (Drosophila, zebra fish, rats) using gene-targeted nucleases to identify the function of genes.
Infrastructure projects are national, competitive and well-funded projects evaluated by an international scientific committee named by the French Ministry of Research.
2012-02-22 // Funding LABEX IGO
A project on “Immunology-Graft-Oncology” (IGO) proposed by our Center together with INSERM units from Nantes, Angers and Rennes working on cancer immunology has been selected for funding as a LABEX (Laboratoire d’Excellence) project. LABEX projects are national, competitive and well-funded projects evaluated by an international scientific committee named by the French Ministry of Research. The LABEX IGO includes all 5 teams of our Center.
Cancer and organ transplantation have obtained impressive clinical successes with pharmacological approaches. Nevertheless, both face very significant obstacles exemplified in the transplantation field by high incidence of chronic rejection, excessive immunosuppression and side effects of immunosuppressors and in the cancer field by many cancers still without effective treatment and secondary effects of chemotherapy. Thus, both fields share the need of a better understanding of the biology of the same immune mechanisms that hold promises for better treatments.
This project aims to identify different cell types and their downstream mechanisms playing important roles either in suppressing immune responses and therefore promoting graft and tumor survival or, on the contrary, increase immune responses and thus favoring graft and tumor rejection. Destructive immune responses need to be boosted in cancer and inhibited in transplantation and tolerance needs to be inhibited in cancer and increased in transplantation.
The scientific objectives include: 1) Immunobiology of common mechanisms in transplantation and cancer; 2) Animal models; 3) Developments in immunomonitoring; 4) Cell immunotherapy; 5) Cell tracking; 6) Relationships between immunoresistance of tumor and immune cells and apoptosis singalling pathways; 7) Innovative strategies to enhance the efficacy of immunomodulating and immunodepleting therapies.
Technical objectives include: 1) A platform for with mass-cytometry (CyTOF) technology; 2) a platform for human immune system mice.
IGO includes also training and educational programs as well as economical valorization.
2011-12-06 // A new program ECOS Sud France - Chile (2012-2015)
French partner: Helene Boudin, INSERM U643, Nantes, France
Chilean partner: Claudia Riedel, Andrés Bello University, Santiago, Chile
Title: Role of CD3zeta in the alteration of neuronal connectivity from
animals gestated in hypothyroxinemic mothers
This collaborative grant aims to study the cellular and molecular
mechanisms involved in the damage of the nervous system induced by
thyroid hormone deficiency during fetal development. The role of CD3zeta
in the formation of neuronal processes and synapses will be analyzed in
neuronal models derived from progeny gestated in hypothyroxinemic mother.
2011-11-04 // TRIAD: new European FP7 project
TRIAD - Tolerance Restoration In Autoimmune Diseases: New European FP7 consortium headed by INSERM UMR643 Staff.
In response to the HEALTH-2011-1.4-5 call of the F77 European program (New therapeutic approaches in chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases ), INSERM UMR643 scientists have brought together five European laboratories, one Brazilian laboratory and one SME partner to study the therapeutic potential of novel CD28 antagonists in preclinical animal models. The 3-years project will be launched in January 2012. CD28 antagonists assessed by the consortium originate from previous work from the INSERM UMR643.
2011-10-11 // Xenothera project funded by the Région Pays de la Loire
2011-09-30 // A new lab manager : Frédéric Delbos
Frédéric Delbos, an INSERM engineer, joined us from September. He is responsible for the organization and coordination of the whole lab : logistics, protocols, reagents banks, safety, equipments, etc.
2011-09-30 // A new ATIP-Avenir team
Prof. Fadi Fakhouri (team 5 – Cellular kidney dysfunction) obtained this competitive grant devoted to young researchers to consolidate and develop a new thematic and team on it. The amount allocated is 270 000 € for 3 years. He is now coordinator of team 5 together with Béatrice Charreau.
2011-09-30 // A new grant manager : Laurence Salaun
Laurence Salaun will be our new grant manager from October 1st (half-time with another INSERM unit : IMAD). She has been in charge of clinical research in Nantes hospital for 4 years. She has a scientific formation with 2 previous post-docs (one in Oxford, the second in Pasteur) in microbiology.
2011-09-30 // A new assistant engineer
Laurence Delbos, assistant/engineer (INSERM) joined us in September. She has a solid experience in molecular biology, particularly quantitative PCR, and cytofluometry. She will work in team 1 on human dendritic cells.
2011-09-30 // A new engineer : Gaelle Tilly
Gaelle Tilly obtained a permanent position of engineer (University of Nantes), via an external exam. Beforehand, she was an INRA engineer and has been working for our unit since 2008. She has an experience in cellular immunology and animal experiments. She joins the team 5 and will work on nephritic syndrome after a renal transplant.
2011-09-30 // A new Fondation Progreffe post-doc : Dr. Claire Vinatier
Dr. Claire Vinatier is the final successful candidate from an international post-doc call financed by Progreffe Foundation launched in June 2011. Our purpose was the recruitment of a French or foreign researcher for two years. Each applicant has to choose a topic proposed by each team. The selection was done by our Scientific Council in order to avoid any conflict of interest. Two pre-selected candidates out of 34 had an interview and seminar. Claire will join team 4 and work with S. Conchon on liver tolerance.
2011-09-01 // News Archives
Meetings in Nantes
2012-12-12_14 // Meeting of "SFT" - Nantes
Read more...2012-03-22 // Stem cells CENTAURE Meeting
Read more...Progreffe PhD position
Ph.D. Scholarship in Immunology and Transplantation available at UMR 1064/ITUN
Oct 2012-Sept 2015
Deadline for application: May 1st, 2012
Read more...