Team presentation

EA 7509 "Immuno-regulation in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer" (IRMAIC) is a research unit of the Reims Champagne-Ardenne’s University.

The unit's scientific project focuses on a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The aim is to propose new biomonitoring, diagnostic and treatment strategies.

The project applies to several pathologies:

• Autoimmune diseases with cutaneous manifestations: Bullous pemphigoid and systemic scleroderma
• Pulmonary diseases or diseases with a pulmonary component: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory infections with Respiratory Syncitial Virus and SARS-CoV-2; primitive humoral deficiency.
• Cancers: triple-negative breast cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, COPD-associated lung cancers

Members

11 teacher-researchers, 1 full-time researcher, 2 hospital doctors, 6 BIATSS staff, 2 clinical research associates and 4 PhD students.

Key words

Immunoregulation, Elastin peptides, Emphysema, Cytokines, chemokines, immune checkpoints, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, Bullous Pemphigoid, Systemic sclerosis, CLL, COPD, Breast cancer.

Research topics

Influence of the inflammatory response in the immune and non-immune cell response of the host: role of the cytokines associated with the IL-17 pathway.

Know-how

• Translational research in connection with the Rare Diseases Reference Centre " Autoimmune Bullous Diseases" located in the Dermatology Department of the Reims University Hospital, the Pathology laboratory of the Jean Godinot Institute and the Department of Respiratory Diseases of the CHU R Debré.
• Technical skills: Flow cytometry and cell sorting, immunological profiling by PCR-Array, BP model of cellular trans-differentiation from blood to skin lesion, murine models of pulmonary inflammation, molecular modelling.

Equipment

• Cell culture labs
• Histopathology and molecular biology equipment
• Autoclave

Patents

• Utilisation des peptides dérivés de l’élastolyse dans la protection et la régénération du parodonte
• Antagonist peptides of the elastin receptor
• Methods and pohamaceuticlas compositions for enhancing NK cell killing activities
• Combinations therapies for the treatment of cancer

Partnerships

Private

Janssen-Cilag (ongoing contract)

Academic

• Reims: Reims university hospital (Departments of dermatology, respiratory diseases, internal medicine and immunology-biology); Jean Godinot Institute; Rare Diseases Reference Center " Malibul, INSERM UMR-S 125
• Paris: INSERM UMR976 Unit, Saint-Louis Hospital; (Dr Bensoussan A) ; Unité UMR_S1016 - UMR8104, ICGM (Pr Batteux F) ; Unité ("IABV") Institut Pasteur (Dr Gougeon ML)
• Lille: INSERM Unit U995 (Pr D. Betbeder, Nanomedicine groupe, Lille International)
• Toulouse : INSERM U1043 (Dr Zazilleau N)
• Europe: Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Germany
• USA: Division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, St Louis, USA (Pr Richard Pierce)

Specificities

Translational research

Organizational chart