Département 1 : INCIT
The immunology department INCIT of the CRCINA (170 people) gathers 8 teams, including an ATIP/Avenir team. Six teams are located in Nantes (4 at the IRSUN et 2 in the new building IRS2) and 2 teams are located in the IRIS building (University Hospital of Angers).
The INCIT department gathers 43 researchers and teaching-researchers, 25 technicians and engineers, almost 50 PhD and post-doctoral students, along with hospital practitioners. In 2015 and 2016, the department hosted new researchers (through mobility or new recruits) bringing new skills, notably in the fields of anatomopathology, epigenetic and infectiology.
Research programs aims at understanding the fundamental aspects of cellular immunity, either for innate or adaptative responses, together with the alteration of these responses in severe diseases such as solid tumors (melanoma, colorectal carcinoma, mesothelioma and ovarian carcinoma), haematogical tumors (B lymphoma) or infectious diseases (mainly focused on mycobacteria and viruses).
In addition to their cognitive contribution, these programs aim at proposing innovative immunotherapeutic strategies.
Most of the teams established excellent partnerships with clinical groups of the University Hospitals of Angers and Nantes, allowing the connection between fundamental, translational research and clinical practices and ensuring a continuum between research and clinical applications.
Resarch programs developed by the different teams are as follows:
– Immuno-oncology:
o Immunobiology of αβ et γδ T lymphocytes T and applications in immunotherapy
o Anti-tumor immunosurveillance and immunotherapy
o Immunogenic cell death and anti-cancer treatments
o Innate immunity and immunotherapy
o Clinical and translational research in coetaneous cancers
– Immuno-infectiology:
o Host-pathogen interactions in the regulation of immune responses
o Molecular mechanisms of chronic inflammation and haematological diseases
o Immunopathology of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli ulcer).
In order to ensure the successful implementation of these different programs and to facilitate clinical applications, the INCIT department contributed to the development of several facilities of flow cytometry (Cytocell in Nantes and PACeM in Angers), cell imaging (Micropicell), production of recombinant proteins (P2R) and transcriptomic analyses (PACeM). Furthermore, all the teams have full access to facilities and technical resources depending on the Federative Research structures (SFR) of Nantes and Angers (SFR Bonamy; www.sfrsante.univ-nantes.fr and SFR ICAT; www.icat4208.univ-angers.fr), on the Clinical Investigation Center (CIC) of Nantes University Hospital and on the Clinical Research Center (CRC) of Angers University Hospital.
Since 2010, teams from INCIT department published more than 310 articles and set up clinical trials directly derived from research programs: MELSORT NCT02424916, TIL in melanoma NCT00200577 (clinicaltrials.gouv).
In terms of result exploitation, teams from the INCIT department applied for more than 10 patents since 2010. Moreover, research findings also led to the development of biotechnology societies (Innate Pharma, Cytune Pharma, OncoVita), ensuring a strong interface the development area. Finally, most of the teams also have scientific collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Several teams of the INCIT department are part of the PIA2 excellence network LabEx IGO (Immuno-graft Oncology, co-led par N. Labarrière, team “anti-tumor Immunosurveillance and Immunotherapy”), of the FHU Goal (Grand-Ouest Acute Leukemia, led par N. Ifrah ; member of the team “Innate Immunity and Immunotherapy”) and of the ARMINA program on infectious immunity (led by F. Altare, team “Host-pathogen interactions in the regulation of immune responses”).
Several teams are also part of the network “Immunotherapies” of the “Canceropole Grand Ouest”, coordinated by Yves Delneste.
Equipe 01 : Immunobiology of Human αβ and γδ T cells and Immunotherapeutic Applications (team’s leader : Emmanuel Scotet)
L’équipe 1 est spécialisée depuis de nombreuses années dans l’immunologie des lymphocytes T humains de type αβ et γδ. Ses projets sont axés sur le plan fondamental (ex : caractérisation de nouveaux antigènes et des modalités d’activation), technologique, préclinique et clinique en immunothérapie antitumorale. L’ensemble de ces travaux vise à mieux comprendre la biologie de ces lymphocytes T humains permettant de proposer des stratégies de ciblage optimal en immunothérapie.
Equipe 02 : Clinical and translational research in skin cancer (team’s leader : Brigitte Dréno)
L’équipe 2 s’intéresse au développement de l’immunothérapie dans les tumeurs cutanées par : a- la réalisation des études cliniques de thérapies cellulaires et ciblées dans le mélanome, b- l’étude du microenvironnement tumoral visant à lever l’anergie vis-à-vis des cellules tumorales, c- l’étude des facteurs prédictifs de la réponse thérapeutique des patients.
Equipe 03 : Anti-tumor immunosurveillance and immunotherapy (team’s leader : Nathalie Labarrière)
Team 3 is specialized in the study of conventional and non-conventional anti-tumor T cell responses, and of their regulation within tumor microenvironement. Our research program is also focused on the characterization of relevant antigens and on our their expression control. Our final objective is the development of innovative immunotherapeutic strategies in solid tumors, espescially adoptive cell transfer.
Equipe 04 : Mort cellulaire immunogénique appliquée aux traitements du mésothéliome (team’s leader : Marc Grégoire)
L’équipe 4 s’intéresse plus particulièrement aux modalités d’induction de mort cellulaire immunogène des cellules cancéreuses au sein des tumeurs, soit après injection du vaccin de la rougeole, soit par traitements par drogues épigénétiques. Les propriétés recherchées sont les effets oncolytiques associés à l’induction d’une réponse immunitaire antitumorale.
Equipe 05 : Host-pathogen interactions in the regulation of immune responses (team’s leader : Frédéric Altare)
L’équipe 5 cherche à évaluer comment notre adaptation à des pathogènes comme les virus entériques via le polymorphisme génétique des glycannes épithéliaux génère des différences dans nos capacités à moduler les réponses inflammatoires et anti-infectieuses par l’intermédiaire de populations particulières de lymphocytes Treg induites par des bactéries du microbiote.
Equipe 06 : ATIP AVENIR / ATOMycA (team’s leader : Estelle Marion)
Team 6 research uses a global approach to increase our understanding of the circulation of micro-organisms and to elucidate transmission routes, but also to decipher the mechanisms underlying human colonisation. It focuses on two bacterial families in particular: (i) mycobacteria, principally Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causal agent of Buruli ulcer and (ii) multidrug-resistant bacteria, for which the ecology and dissemination mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated.
Equipe 07 : Innate Immunity and Immunotherapy (team’s leader : Yves Delneste)
Notre équipe est spécialisée dans la biologie de l’immunité innée humorale et cellulaire. Les projets, qui associent recherche fondamentale et translationnelle, sont développés en étroite collaboration avec les cliniciens du CHU d’Angers.
Nous nous intéressons plus particulièrement à la biologie des cellules myéloïdes et leur rôle dans l’immunité adaptative et l’homéostasie tissulaire ainsi qu’aux molécules solubles de l’immunité innée. Au-delà des connaissances fondamentales, la compréhension du rôle de ces effecteurs et de leur altération dans des pathologies sévères (cancer, inflammation chronique) permet de mettre en place des approches thérapeutiques innovantes.
Equipe 16 : Molecular Mechanisms of Chronic Inflammation in Hematological Diseases (team’s leader : Sylvie Hermouet)
L’équipe 16 étudie les causes génétiques et infectieuses de l’inflammation chronique observée dans les hémopathies malignes. Les modèles de travail sont les néoplasies myéloprolifératives chroniques (NMPs), les maladies congénitales associées aux NMPs, les MGUS et le myélome.
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