The project

Every 6 seconds around the world someone dies from diabetes. A veritable epidemic that had been silent for a long time but yet very deadly, this disease is a major cause of early mortality and disability : blindness, end-stage kidney disease, amputations and cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes affects 420M people worldwide, and will hit 700M in 2030. In France, 5 million people have diabetes, and at least 700,000 people have diabetes and don’t know it. Current treatments for diabetes are incapable of long-term control of blood sugar levels and stopping the development of complications.

To progress, it is essential to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of diabetes in order to prevent the disease and develop innovative drugs. This is why the EGID Laboratory of Excellence (European Genomic Institute for Diabetes) relies on integrative translational approaches to provide solid scientific foundations for optimized and personalized management of diabetics. Composed of 5 research units, EGID has a critical mass of more than 250 employees.

Since 2011, EGID has shown that precision diabetes medicine is necessary and possible. EGID researchers have demonstrated the importance of circadian rhythms, receptors located in the bilio-digestive tract and liver, and immune cells in adipose tissue in the development of type 2 diabetes, and have shown that restoring d ‘An adequate functional mass of insulin-secreting cells was possible and brings new hope to patients.

Fundamental research

Fundamental research will be the heart of the institute’s activity, it will initially bring together 5 highly competent research teams which will form the founding nucleus of EGID and will work in synergy to provide the essential bases for understanding and diagnosis. and the treatment of these diseases:

  • UMR 1283/8199 “(Epi) Functional genomics and Molecular Physiology of Diabetes and Associated Diseases” Directed by Philippe Froguel (INSERM, CNRS, Univ Lille, IPL, CHU Lille).
  • UMR 1011 “Nuclear receptors, lipoproteins and atherosclerosis” directed by Bart Staels (INSERM, Univ Lille, CHU Lille, IPL).
  • UMR 1190 “Translational Research on Diabetes” directed by François Pattou (CHU Lille, INSERM, Univ Lille, IPL).

In 2020, EGID is welcoming world-class research teams through the “project hotel”. An innovative concept, the project hotel’s function is to temporarily host international-level research teams with complementary expertise to the 3 founding teams in order to allow the institute to acquire new skills and promote research efficiency.

  • UMR 1177 “Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems” Led by Benoit Deprez (INSERM, IPL, Univ Lille).
  • UMR 1172 “Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain” Directed by Vincent Prevot (INSERM, Univ Lille, CHU Lille).

Dissemination of knowledge

Indispensable to ensure the continuity of excellent research, the knowledge acquired through the research work of the institute is disseminated through a graduated program of international teaching of precision medicine for students but also by through continuing education programs for health professionals.

Industrial recovery

EGID’s work relies on very high-level genomics, immuno-phenotyping and bio-therapy platforms. In order to be able to benefit from the results of research, our platforms are open to collaborations with manufacturers as well as regional, national and European partners.

Clinical applications

Because research only makes sense when it directly benefits the improvement of the quality of life of patients, the hospital dimension will be one of the pillars of EGID.

EGID includes a very ambitious but realistic component of optimal use of its results (bio-markers, targets and new therapeutic compounds, methodologies), and the creation of start-ups using the most innovative data. Exceptional downstream and clinical translational research (including therapeutic trials) will be developed with teams from the Lille University Hospital (and beyond) as part of the new PreciDIAB University Hospital Institute created around EGID in 2020 to optimize the impact on a new course of diabetic care. EGID has the ambition to revolutionize the understanding, prevention and management of diabetics towards precision medicine that is Predictive, Preventive, Personalized and Participatory.

Promotion of public health actions

In order to inform and educate the population about the threat that diabetes represents for health, EGID aims to actively participate in campaigns to promote public health actions, in particular at the level of the community. Haut-de-France region, particularly affected by this disease.