UMR 1283/8199
The laboratory “Functional (Epi)genomics and Mechanisms of Type 2 Diabetes and Related Diseases” UMR 1283/8199 (Université de Lille / Inserm / CNRS / Institut Pasteur de Lille / CHU de Lille) located in Lille, France has been established in 1995 by Professor Philippe Froguel, MD, PhD. Additionally, since 2000, Philippe Froguel is the head of Genomic Medicine at Imperial College London.
These two laboratories have a dual and complementary competence: in diabetes research and in innovation technology platforms in genomics of human diseases, supported by strong bioinformatics and statistics with extensive experience on big data analysis and interpretation.
Prof Philippe Froguel has made significant breakthroughs in the elucidation of genetic bases of metabolic diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes and obesity, with more than 730 scientific articles, making him one of the most recognized and cited researcher in diabetes (H-index 173, 136000 citations).
. UMR 1283/8199 owns the unique in France LIGAN-PM genomic center, funded by the Investments for the Future French Program that has become since 2011 a world-renowned high-throughput sequencing and genotyping platform. Its main objective is the development of precision medicine that will enable efficient and personalized treatment, tailored to the characteristics of each patient.
UMR 1011
The laboratory “Nuclear receptors, cardiovascular disease and diabetes” UMR 1011 (Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM, Université de Lille, CHU de Lille) directed by Professor Bart STAELS studies the biological and molecular mechanisms controlling the development and progression of Type 2 Diabetes and its cardiovascular complications, in order to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Over the past years, we have contributed significantly to:
- demonstrate the implication of nuclear receptors in perturbations of metabolism and energy homeostasis which are the hallmark of Type 2 Diabetes;
- demonstrate the regulatory role of nuclear receptors in the inflammatory process in adipose tissue, the liver and vascular wall;
- better understand the molecular mechanisms by which nuclear receptors may modulate the progression to Type 2 Diabetes.
Nevertheless, their molecular action mechanisms, as well as their exact role in the pathophysiology of early (metabolic syndrome) and late stages of Type 2 Diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases remain incompletely understood.
Current research aims at understanding the contribution of nuclear receptors – as regulators of gene expression – to the pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes and, subsequently, at evaluating the therapeutic potential of selective ligands for these receptors in the prevention and treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and its cardiovascular complications.
There to, the UMR 1011 is organized in 5 themes :
- Inter-organ cross-talk in cardiometabolic diseases;
- Disease, flow disturbances and haemostasis;
- Immuno-metabolic cross-talk in obesity and its comorbidities;
- Molecular analysis of gene regulation in cardiometabolic diseases;
- Nuclear receptors in circadian biology.
UMR 1190
The main mission of our joint research unit (UMR), “Translational Research on Diabetes“, UMR1190 (University of Lille, Lille University Hospital, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille), headed by Professor François PATTOU, is the development of innovative therapies for severe forms of diabetes and their clinical application.
Our research strategies are based on a team which brings together academic clinicians and pharmacists, engineers and technicians, research professors and researchers, veterinarians, clinical research assistants, nurses, mathematicians / statisticians and students ( BTS L3, M1, M2, PhD, engineering school).
Our translational research makes it possible to set up, based on basic biology, preclinical studies in animals to then translate them to therapeutic trials.
Our main scientific projects are based on:
- Preclinical research on human islets of Langerhans in vitro and in vivo, notably with studies on SGLT-type glucose transporters, the heterogeneity of human islets and their adaptation in an obesogenic environment.
- The implementation of treatment for severe type 1 diabetes with islet allogeneic transplantation of Langerhans (recognized as routine treatment by the CPAM since 2021).
- The treatment of type 2 diabetes by metabolic surgery by dissecting its impact on the physiology of obese patients and endocrine cell interactions.- Establishment of mathematical models with artificial intelligence to predict our clinical outcomes.
- Thus, we have developed numerous collaborations of various origins (hepatologists, engineers (IMT), mathematicians, start-ups, companies, pharmaceutical groups) allowing us to obtain funding (RHU, ANR, Pearl-iSITE) to initiate and develop research projects primarily focused on therapeutic innovation.
UMR 1172
Our Inserm Research Team “Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain” headed by Vincent Prévot at the Neuroscience & Cognition Research Centre, UMR-S1172 (Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille; Dir. Luc Buée) is renowned for its studies in the field of the neuroendocrine control of reproduction, the metabolic programming of brain development and how circulating metabolic signals reach the brain to exert their feedback onto the neuronal circuits controlling body homeostasis.
Interactions between hypothalamic neuroendocrine systems and peripheral hormones have been increasingly acknowledged to play a fundamental role in postnatal brain development, the impairment of which may lie at the origin of major neurological and psychiatric disorders. In addition, over the last few years, evidence has been accumulating for the involvement of central neurohormone imbalances in both the pathophysiology of cognitive processes « such as certain early-onset dementias» and metabolic and reproductive disorders such as obesity and infertility.
The use of our knowhow in Neuroendocrinology and basic science expertise to tackle human pathophysiology may pave the way for the development of new diagnostic and treatment strategies for patients.
Being on the campus of the University Hospital of Lille, our project benefit both from tight interactions with basic and clinical scientists who are leader in the field of Neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, anatomopathology, endocrinology and reproduction, Neuroradiology and Neonatology with whom we currently develop translational research projects. We can highlight the fact that such a favorable environment has already opened the possibility to build groundbreaking research projects coordinated by members of the team two of which have already been funded by the European Research Council (ERC).
http://lilncog.eu/en/team-development-and-plasticity-of-the-neuroendocrine-brain
UMR 1177
UMR 1177 « Drugs & Molecules for living systems » (INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Université de Lille), directed by Pr. Benoit DEPREZ, is dedicated to drug design, discovery and selection.
The mission of the lab is to pioneer new pharmacological modes-of-action with the aim to provide drug prototypes in areas of unmet medical need.
Working exclusively on novel targets or novel strategies to tackle challenging modes of action, we position ourselves upstream of traditional players (pharma or biotech), assuming risk at early stages of the drug discovery value chain. This positioning aims at combining new knowledge on biology and pharmacology with therapeutic innovation.
To fulfil its mission, the team designs, synthesizes and evaluates novel compounds (both qualitatively and quantitatively) in living systems (cells, organism, human). We design compounds that selectively modulate molecular targets to understand (chemical biology) and treat (drug discovery) infectious, metabolic and autoimmune diseases as well as cancer.
Our lab uniquely combines, in an academic setting, extensive resources in medicinal chemistry (FBDD, libraries, KTGS), bioanalytics and pharmacological screening (UMRS-platform) and pharmacokinetics (ADME-PK platform), enabling continuing commitment from target identification to drug prototype. We operate in a defined quality system with procedures, inspired from GLP, to improve, store, share and protect our data.
The team has a long and sustained history of collaborations with Pharma and biotechs and key successes of drug discovery.
Most of our researchers are faculty members who teach drug discovery, organic and medicinal chemistry, and R&D strategies in PharmD and MSc courses.