Team 10: Chemokines in Inflammatory Pathologies

Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI Paris)

Pr Christophe Combadière et Philippe Deterre

Inflammation is an immune response common to many human diseases. One of its main features is the deployment of immune cells at the site of injury. Our work focuses on the mechanisms modulating this redistribution. The long-term challenge is to identify molecules that can specifically block the redistribution of cellular subpopulations that induce pathogenic processes while maintaining intact the migration and activation processes of leukocytes responsible for protective immunity. Chemokines (CK) are mediators of inflammation and immunity that not only allow rapid and coordinated migration of leukocytes in response to hazard signals but also control various immune cell functions. CK and their receptors (CKR) are crucial in the inflammatory response and are therefore priority targets for the pharmaceutical industry. Our research program aims to establish the evidence that CK-based therapies are an excellent strategy for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Our approach is based on four areas of work:
  • the analysis of structure-function relationships of inflammatory CK and CKR,
  • ex vivo studies that determine the roles of CK/CKR in leukocyte subpopulations in human disease,
  • in vivo studies that analyze the roles of CK/CKR in mouse models of inflammatory disease, and
  • the development of therapeutic tools based on CK/CKR structures and their interactions.
This research program is part of an approach ranging from molecular analysis to the development of new therapeutic tools by demonstrating the relevance of chemokinic treatments in preclinical mouse models. It is based on the discovery of small antagonistic peptides that have already demonstrated their strong ability to limit monocyte infiltration in different organs.     Website: http://www.cimi-paris.upmc.fr/fr/les-equipes/les-chimiokines-dans-les-pathologies-inflammatoires.html Affiliations: UPMC/Inserm UMR_S1135 centre de recherche en Immunologie et Maladies Infectieuses Contact: Christophe.combadiere@upmc.fr