- 2025
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Press releases - 26.02.2025
Macrophages: The immune system foodies
Macrophages, key cells of the immune system, play a central role in cleaning the body by ingesting and destroying pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc.) and damaged cells. Scientists from Inserm, CNRS and the University of Bordeaux, in collaboration with international teams, reveal that this well-known role is accompanied by another surprising ability: in order to support their activity and metabolism, macrophages are capable of sourcing nutrients directly via the breakdown of the ingested bacteria.
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Press releases - 20.02.2025
Cognitive biases in healthcare: How generative AI could help improve treatment
Human cognitive biases can particularly affect decision-making when speed is of the essence, such as when lives are at stake in a medical emergency. A research team from Inserm and the University of Bordeaux has tested an advanced method of generative artificial intelligence (AI) , trained with data from patient records corresponding to 480 000 entries to the Bordeaux University Hospital Emergency Department.
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Press releases - 04.02.2025
Lou Gehrig’s disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: sleep alterations occurs prior to motor symptoms
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Charcot’s disease, or Lou Gehrig’s disease is a severe neurodegenerative disease that leads to progressive paralysis of muscles involved in voluntary movement. To date, no curative treatment exists. The disease is typically fatal within three to five years of onset. Researchers from Inserm and University of Strasbourg, at the Center for Biomedical Research, have made progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying ALS. In a new study, they reveal that characteristic symptoms of the disease are preceded by sleep disturbances. Their findings suggest that sleep disorders appear before the onset of motor impairment and respiratory issues. This study highlights a previously unknown role of certain hypothalamic neurons in the emergence of these ALS-related sleep disturbances. Published in Science Translational Medicine, this research identifies new potential therapeutic targets in the brain and explores a novel class of molecules to counteract the effects of sleep deprivation.
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Press releases - 27.01.2025
The microbiota, an ally for predicting individual sensitivity to food additives
Widely used by the food industry, emulsifiers – a type of food additive – are found in many everyday foods. Given their omnipresence in our diet, the health effects of their consumption have become a real public health issue. Benoit Chassaing, Inserm Research Director and leader of the Microbiome-Host Interactions team at Institut Pasteur (Inserm/Université Paris Cité/CNRS), has previously shown that by acting directly on our gut microbiota, these additives could promote the development of chronic inflammatory diseases and metabolic deregulations. In a new study published in Gut, he and his team developed a human microbiota model capable of predicting each person’s sensitivity to an emulsifier, using a simple stool sample.
- 2024
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Press releases - 09.12.2024
MASH Discovery Redefines Subtypes with Distinct Risks : Shaping the Future of Fatty Liver Disease Treatment
MASH, formerly known as NASH, is a serious chronic liver disease that affects around 4-6% of the world’s adult population. A new study reveals that, contrary to what was previously thought, there is not just one form of MASH, but two. They differ both in terms of biological characteristics and progression. One is of genetic origin, while the other is the consequence of metabolic disorders. This discovery, made at Lille University Hospital as part of the RHU PreciNASH, a vast hospital-university research project coordinated by Inserm, required the collaboration of several scientific teams from Inria, CNRS, the university, the university hospital and the Pasteur Institute of Lille.
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Press releases - 25.10.2024
Global Reach: Inserm Celebrates in Washington, DC, 60 Years of Research and Innovation
In celebration of its 60th anniversary, Inserm is emphasizing its scientific collaboration with the United States and Canada. This privileged and fruitful relationship with North America will be highlighted during a day of scientific and institutional exchanges on October 29, 2024, at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. The event will be attended by Professor Didier Samuel, President and CEO of Inserm, along with representatives from numerous partner institutions. The agenda will include the initiation of new collaborations with leading American scientific institutions, the presentation of the 2024 Inserm International Award to a distinguished researcher, the strengthening of Inserm’s presence in Washington, DC, and the launch of the Inserm Abroad Network.
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Press releases - 24.10.2024
Predominance of zoonotic transmission of the mpox virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is highly affected by successive mpox outbreaks. Until now, the extent of genetic diversity of the virus had not been well characterised in this region of the world. For the first time, as part of the AFROSCREEN project and the PANAFPOX project, teams from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in DRC, IRD and Inserm have provided important new information on the genetic diversity of mpox virus circulating in DRC and on the predominant route of transmission.
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Press releases - 15.10.2024
Resistance mutations to nirsevimab are rare in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Nirsevimab is an antibody targeting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Available in France since September 2023, it is indicated in neonates and infants for the prevention of bronchiolitis caused by RSV. However, its widespread use raises the question of the emergence of resistance mutations. The POLYRES study, the largest prospective surveillance study of nirsevimab breakthrough infections to date, has just delivered its conclusions. Scientists have shown that nirsevimab resistance mutations in RSV are very rare.
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Press releases - 11.09.2024
Foods with low Nutri-Scores associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases
Researchers from the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN), with members from Inserm, Inrae, Cnam, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, in collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO-IARC), report an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases associated with the consumption of foods that rank less favourably on the Nutri-Score scale (new 2024 version) within the European cohort EPIC.
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Press releases - 05.09.2024
Ebola: a study in Guinea reveals persistent immunity five years after vaccination
Epidemics of Ebola virus disease occur periodically in several sub-Saharan African countries. Two vaccines have already received WHO prequalification against the Ebolavirus Zaire species. In a new study conducted in Guinea, scientists from VRI, Inserm and Université Paris-Est Créteil (U955 Institut Mondor de recherche biomédicale) have taken a further step in this direction. They have shown that the cellular immune response induced by three different vaccine strategies is maintained for up to five years after vaccination.