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The creation of a pluridisciplinary Institute for the study of migration

Vue rue Waldeck Rochet sud (portion piétonne) de la place du FP vers le nord.

©mir no – Campus Condorcet BD

The current migratory crisis in Europe shows the necessity to have solid scientific data to help public authorities take important decisions, in the context of emergencies and varied political situations. In response to these concerns, Inserm and the CNRS have enlisted five teaching and research institutions (Ined – French National Institute for demographic studies, IRD – French Institute for Development Research, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, EHESS – School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences – and EPHE – School of Advanced Practical Studies), with the aim of creating an interdisciplinary Institute for the study of migration. It will take shape in 2019 on the Condorcet Campus, and will bring together 200 researchers. This organisation will be financed by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research as part of the ‘Instituts Convergence’ call for projects.

1.3 million requests for asylum were registered in Europe in 2015. In France, and elsewhere in Europe, this historic and unprecedented migratory crisis has created new and numerous political and scientific issues.

Following a call for projects “Instituts Convergences” by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research, Inserm and the CNRS have decided to link up with five other French institutions: Ined, IRD, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, EHESS and EPHE to create an institute entirely dedicated to the study of migration. The objective? To strengthen the ties between science and society, to lead high-level scientific research and provide outstanding training. The ‘Institut Convergences’ for migration will be housed from 2019 within the future Condorcet Campus, in the north of Paris. It will be provided with €13.6 million, over ten years François Héran, Director of Research at Ined, is the project leader.

Some 200 scientists, from the founding institutions, but also international collaborators, will come together in this institute dedicated to multi-thematic research such as the economic, demographic and environmental dynamics of migration, the problem of vulnerability and inequality or even questions of integration, exclusion and discrimination.

From the educational aspect, interdisciplinary training at the crossroads of human science, social sciences but also health sciences (statistics, demographics, public health, epidemiology, economy, anthropology, linguistics, law, ethics, gender studies, data science, archivists) will be proposed. The objective is to establish master’s and doctorate programmes dedicated to the science of migration based on, in the first instance, pre-existing components, from the Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, EHESS or EPHE. A new, completely interdisciplinary Master’s degree will be created at the end of this first phase. 

Finally, Inserm and the CNRS are determined to open an Institute for Society. Services for the community, such as help with homework or language learning dispensed to or by migrants, will take shape. The project also aims to put in place campaigns for prevention and care in conjunction with municipal leaders and migrant associations.

The aim of the ‘Instituts Convergences’ call for projects of the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research is to set up several large-scale, high visibility pluridisciplinary scientific sites to respond better to major issues where social and economic challenges cross paths with the questioning of the scientific community. They must bring together, in an organised partnership in a specific place, diversified research abilities with an integrating vision aimed at producing new knowledge, through the combined recruitment of different disciplinary skills and developing, in association with interdisciplinary research, high quality, innovative training at the Master’s and Doctoral levels, in ‘graduate school’ organisations, both for initial training and continuing training.

Endotoxic Shock: the Protective Role of Neutrophil Immune Cells

In blue, the multilobed nuclei of neutrophils. In red, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) contained in cytoplasmic granules.

©Institut Pasteur

Researchers from Institut Pasteur and Inserm, in collaboration with Stanford University, have demonstrated the protective role of immune cells, called neutrophil granulocytes, in endotoxic shock – the component of septic shock related to the action of bacterial toxins. An effect thought to be based on the principal enzyme produced by these cells: myeloperoxidase. This discovery has been published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Responsible for 50% of ICU deaths, septic shock is acute circulatory failure caused by an uncontrolled inflammatory response, which occurs in a context of serious infection. Septic shock involves, among other mechanisms, endotoxic shock: this is more particularly due to the action of the toxins produced by the bacteria responsible for the infection. Of these toxins, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) play a principal role in endotoxic shock by triggering the excessive, prolonged, and unbalanced immune cascade responsible for multiple organ failure.

Neutrophil granulocytes, which are white cells involved in the innate immune response and one of the body’s weapons in the fight against bacterial infection, have already been described as having antimicrobial activity. However, the scientific community thought that they could also have a harmful effect in the event of exposure to bacterial toxins such as LPS by exacerbating the associated inflammation and tissue damage.

Researchers from the “Antibodies in Therapy and Pathology” unit (Institut Pasteur/Inserm), in collaboration with Stanford University, have observed that, on the contrary, these neutrophils play a protective role against the inflammation triggered by LPS. As part of their work, they developed the first mouse model enabling a highly selective, inducible and reversible reduction in the neutrophil count.  With this they showed that neutrophil depletion made the mice more susceptible to the toxic effects of LPS, reducing their chances of survival and strongly activating their production of cytokines, the molecular messengers of inflammation.

More in detail, the researchers show that this protective capacity of the neutrophils is due to myeloperoxidase (MPO), the principal enzyme produced by these cells. “This protein, although routinely used as a marker of inflammation, does not increase it,” emphasizes Laurent Reber, one of the first authors of the paper. “On the contrary, it has a protective role.” “Patients with low MPO levels actually have a poorer prognosis in the event of septic shock,” adds Caitlin Gillis, the paper’s other first author.

“We have solved a paradox, in a way,” concludes Reber. “Neutrophils consistently combine antimicrobial activity and the ability to limit bacterial toxicity. The animal model that we have developed now means that we can continue to investigate the role of neutrophils in mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity. We also want to try to understand how MPO acts in relation to LPS and why it has no effect on other bacterial toxins.”

This research was funded by Institut Pasteur, Inserm, Stanford University, ERC (MyeloSHOCK project) and NIH.

The composition of gut microbiota can predict the efficacy and tolerance of immunotherapy in people with cancer

microbiote

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Teams from AP-HP, INRA, Gustave Roussy and Inserm can demonstrate the role of microbiota in the response of immunotherapy for cancer. They show that in man, the composition of gut microbiota can help to identify the patients who will respond favourably or not to treatment for melanoma, with Ipilimumab. This clinical study, carried out in 26 patients, suggests that a modification of the composition of gut microbiota could improve the efficacy of treatment.

These results are published in the journal Annals of Oncology and constitute a new step towards personalised treatment of cancers.

Gut microbiota is composed of more than 100,000 billion bacteria and plays a key role in the development of the immune system. It represents a burgeoning research subject. French research teams are rallying to discover its function in illnesses in order to improve the efficacy of treatments.

 In this study carried out in humans, Prof. Franck Carbonnel, Head of the Gastroenterology Unit at the AP-HP Bicêtre Hospital, Dr Patricia Lepage from INRA, Prof. Caroline Robert and Prof. Nathalie Chaput from Gustave Roussy have studied the gut microbiota of 26 patients with metastatic melanoma being treated with Ipilimumab monoclonal antibodies.

 

Ipilimumab is an antibody immunotherapy targeting CTLA-4 that activates the patient’s immune system to fight the disease. Treatment is effective in some patients, at the price of serious side effects such as enterocolitis which is similar to Crohn’s disease.

 The teams have shown that the composition of gut microbiota can help to tell in advance the patients for whom treatment will be beneficial or not and those who will go on to develop enterocolitis. The patients with an intestinal flora enriched by Faecalibacterium and other Firmicutes (in particular Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Gemmiger formicilis and other bacteria producing butyrate; profile A) have a better response to treatment than patients whose microbiota is rich in Bacteroides bacteria (profile B). Furthermore, profile A patients are more prone to enterocolitis than profile B patients.

These results confirm the role of microbiota in the response to cancer immunotherapies. They open the way to better identification of patients who could benefit from these treatments. Finally, they constitute a major step towards the manipulation of the composition of intestinal flora in order to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy. Research still needs to be carried out in order to limit the side effects brought on by the treatment.

From 24 to 30 April: World Vaccination Week

vaccin

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On the initiative of WHO, World Vaccination Week is the opportunity to raise public awareness of the vital importance of vaccination throughout life.

The number of children in the world who are not vaccinated or are inadequately vaccinated is 19.4 million, according to WHO.

In France, the latest data from the Institute of Health Monitoring (InVS) indicate that in children, there is vaccination coverage of 91% against diphtheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough. With regard to vaccination coverage of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), it is only 72% in children of 24 months.

To understand the individual and collective challenges of vaccination, in partnership with Muscadier publications, Inserm has published an educational manual explaining the function of vaccines, their role and their benefits but also their limits:

Vaccination: Agression or Protection? “, in the Choc Santé collection, edited by Annick Guimenazes, an Inserm researcher at the Marseille-Luminy Centre of Immunology (CIML) and Marion Mathieu, Doctor of Biology and engineer at ESPCI-ParisTech.

The recent occurrence of epidemics and pandemics – the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and that of Zika in the Americas, have highlighted the urgency of developing vaccines, by creating innovative partnerships between the different participants in global vaccine research.

For Yves Lévy, Chairman and CEO of Inserm: “The Ebola epidemic proved that we can develop vaccines quickly in extremely difficult conditions. It also proved that one of the keys to success is the willingness of all those involved to work hand in hand.”

Inserm, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, LSHTM, in collaboration with the health authorities of Guinea and Liberia, have launched a new clinical trial on the Ebola vaccine candidates, under the aegis of the PREVAC (Partnership for Research on Ebola VACcination) international consortium. 

Read the report “Ebola: a new clinical trial launched in West Africa to assess three vaccination strategies” published on 6 April in the Inserm Press Room.

See also the vaccination file on the Inserm site.

In utero exposure to endocrine disruptors : learning from diethylstilbestrol

Equipe Inserm-CNRS ATIP - Avenir de Céline Colnot, U781, Hôpital Necker - Enfants Malades, Paris

©Inserm/Latron, Patrice

A research team from Université Paris Descartes, Inserm and Centre Hospitalier Sainte‐Anne, led by Prof. Marie‐Odile Krebs, has shown that patients suffering from psychotic disorders, and exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol, presented specific epigenetic changes. These changes correspond to genomic regions notably comprising gene ZFP57, known to play a role in neurodevelopment. Owing to this new project, the researchers examine the broader issue regarding the impact of in utero exposure to endocrine disruptors (including diethylstilbestrol) on neurodevelopment and the emergence of psychiatric disorders.

This study was published in PlosOne on April 13, 2017.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen and endocrine disruptor, was prescribed for dozens of years to pregnant women worldwide, to reduce the risk of miscarriage. Use of this substance, limited over time, at high doses and during a particularly vulnerable period, may be thought to represent the typical pattern of exposure to endocrine disruptors in humans. It is associated with numerous medical conditions, particularly gynecological cancers and urogenital malformations among individuals exposed in utero. It has also been suggested to affect several generations.

The precise mechanism explaining these various syndromes has not been fully elucidated. Altered epigenetic homeostasis1 has been put forward as one hypothesis. Animal studies identified epigenetic changes (notably DNA methylation) after exposure to diethylstilbestrol. The study investigators examined the possibility of a correlation between prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol, associated with DNA methylation, and a possible increase in the risk of onset of psychotic disorders.

The consumer group Hhorages (Halte aux HORmones Artificielles pour les GrossessES) [which means “stop artificial hormones in pregnancy”] helped the team to recruit 247 individuals whose mothers were prescribed diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy, with the aim of creating a cohort. The analyses focused on 69 participants attending face-to-face interviews, which enable psychiatric diagnoses to be made via standard questionnaires. A blood sample was then taken with a view to performing the molecular analyses.

Exposed subjects were compared to their non-exposed siblings. This within-family comparison allowed shared genetic and environmental inheritance to be taken into consideration. Researchers did not observe any significant difference between exposed and non-exposed individuals in terms of DNA methylation.

However, they identified a differentially methylated region comprising gene ZPF57 in a sample of individuals exposed to diethylstilbestrol and suffering from a psychotic disorder (versus exposed subjects not presenting such disorders). This result suggests that altered expression of this gene, which is moreover known to play a role in neurodevelopment, could be linked to the emergence of psychiatric disorders in subjects exposed to diethylstilbestrol.

In conclusion, this study encourages further research efforts on in utero exposure to endocrine disruptors and the possible effects on neurodevelopment.

1 Epigenetic mechanisms are a group of mechanisms, which modulate gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence.

Chocolate, a rich source of antioxydants

Cacao beans, cacao powder and chocolate

© Fotolia

For children as well as adults, Easter is synonymous with chocolate. Known for its antioxydant qualities, among other things dark chocolate reduces the risk of diabetes and cell ageing. A good reason to make the most of it !

Chocolate is a food which is classed as one of the best sources of antioxydants which help to fight against free radicals. These highly reactive compounds, are continuously produced as we breathe.  In small quantities, free radicals maintain the cellular function of our bodies but in too great a quantity they become harmful and damage our organs and tissues, such as the skin. Exposure to oxidative stress (pollution, tobacco, UV, etc.) aggravates this phenomenon. They are also associated with several disorders such as cataracts, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancers.

Chocolate, like coffee, is rich in antioxydants which neutralise free radicals and reduce their harmfulness.  . In its natural state, the cocoa bean contains 8% antioxydants, but the lower chocolate is in cocoa solids, the lower the quantity of antioxydants.  It is therefore necessary to favour “dark” chocolate, with higher cocoa content. Even if the benefits of cocoa have not been studied much, several studies have highlighted the positive effects of chocolate in cardiovascular terms. For example, it was shown that moderate consumption of chocolate by people who survived heart attack helped to reduce the risk of death by 70%. 

Patrizia Carrieri, Inserm research engineer in the area of HIV and viral hepatitis, is studying the effects of the consumption of substances such as alcohol, coffee and chocolate on the health of patients in the ANRS HEPAVIH (the French national prospective cohort of patients co-infected with HIV and HCV) cohort. She says that “in people suffering from HIV and hepatitis C, the daily consumption  of  chocolate is associated with improved liver function”. 

On the other hand chocolate is very calorific, so it must not be abused.

2016 classification of the European Patents Office: double winner for Inserm

Review increase rating

©fotolia

The European Patents Office (EPO) has just published its annual rankings: For the first time, Inserm has taken the top ranking for applicants in the pharmaceutical sector ahead of the big industrial companies and can confirm at the same time its top place as a European academic applicant in biomedical research.

As European leader in the pharmaceutical sector, Inserm submitted 104 patent applications in 2016 in this area and has therefore moved up two places since 2015 to reach the top spot.   In the biotechnology sector, the organisation is in second position with 111 applications (4th position in 2015).

 In total, 292 patent applications were made in the name of Inserm, which means that the Institute has kept its place as the leading European academic organisation in biomedical research.

With regard to the 2016 awards for patent applicants in France through the National Institute for the Protection of Intellectual Property, Inserm is in the top 50 leading French applicants. 

It is essential for our scientific potential to be valued and recognised internationally. That is possible due to the day- to-day investment of the Inserm Transfert teams, for the benefit of Inserm and our partners in the mix. As part of our long-term strategic vision, we want to give a chance to a maximum number of innovations emanating from our laboratories.”  declares Yves Levy, CEO of Inserm.

 “We have the chance of having a very varied portfolio, however we must maintain a rationale of quality patents because, apart from the variety linked to this great performance, the soundness of the patent, which involves professional expertise and confidentiality, will permit the best value in innovation and at the greatest international standards,”  says Pascale Augé, CEO of the Inserm Transfert Board. 

 In fact, Inserm has a portfolio of some 1,550 patent families. Inserm Transfert, its private law subsidiary under a public service contract, is charged with adding value to and the transfer of knowledge from Inserm research laboratories to the industrial sector.

Ebola: New trial launched in West Africa to evaluate three vaccination strategies

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April 3, 2017: Study volunteer receives inoculation at Redemption Hospital in Monrovia on the opening day in Liberia of PREVAC, a Phase 2 Ebola vaccine trial in West Africa. Credit: NIAID

The French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), in collaboration with health authorities in Guinea and Liberia, are launching a large clinical trial of candidate Ebola vaccines under the aegis of the PREVAC international consortium (Partnership for Research on Ebola VACcination). This trial seeks to identify vaccination regimens that hold the most promise to protect people from Ebola virus disease in order to prevent or quickly control a future outbreak. More than 5,000 adults and children living in countries at the epicenter of the 2014-16 West Africa Ebola epidemic will be enrolled. An additional site in Sierra Leone is also being planned. The PREVAC trial results from a research partnership that involves Inserm, NIH, LSHTM, and the West African Clinical Research Consortium[1]. The pharmaceutical companies Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Bavarian Nordic and Merck Sharp & Dohme, Corp (MSD outside USA and Canada), are supplying the experimental vaccines being tested in the PREVAC trial. The trial will compare three experimental Ebola vaccination strategies with placebo regimens. It will be conducted in two stages, the first stage to take place in Guinea and Liberia. In Guinea, the trial is being conducted under the sponsorship of Inserm with the support of NIH and in collaboration with the Guinean authorities, and involves a partnership with the non-governmental organization ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action). The NIH is sponsoring the trial based in Liberia, under its collaboration with the Liberia Ministry of Health in the Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL). Pending confirmation of funding, LSHTM will sponsor the planned site in Sierra Leone working with the University of Sierra Leone’s College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, which would conduct the study. In its first stage, the trial will evaluate one of the three strategies, a prime-boost vaccination combining two different vaccines (one made by Janssen and the other by Bavarian Nordic) compared with a similar placebo regimen. Enrolment into this stage in Guinea and Liberia began on 27th March and 3rd April 2017, respectively. In a second stage, which is expected to start in the second half of 2017, the trial will evaluate all three vaccination strategies, including two additional strategies involving the Merck Sharp & Dohme, Corp vaccine. On 29 March 2016, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern caused by the Ebola outbreak[2]. At the end of this epidemic, although important advances have been achieved, several questions remain regarding the durability of the immune response of candidate vaccines under development. PREVAC trial will evaluate the rapidity, intensity and duration of the immune responses generated by the various vaccination strategies, and the safety and tolerability of the various vaccines, particularly in children.

According to Yves Levy, Inserm Chairman and CEO; Anthony S. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH; and Peter Piot, Director of the LSHTM: “We, Inserm, NIH, and LSHTM, have designed and launched this unique international research partnership with our colleagues from the West African countries most affected by Ebola virus disease to answer remaining questions regarding the safety and immunogenicity of candidate Ebola vaccine strategies and thereby enable us to better fight future Ebola outbreaks.” 

The first stage of the PREVAC study will evaluate a prime-boost strategy that includes the Janssen and Bavarian Nordic experimental vaccines: – Ad26.ZEBOV administered as a first dose followed 8 weeks later by MVA-BN-Filo as a booster dose.[3] This vaccination strategy will be compared to an identical regimen in terms of dosage and duration, but made up of two placebos. The second stage of the PREVAC study will evaluate all three strategies: the one used in the first stage, and two different regimens involving the experimental Merck Sharp & Dohme, Corp vaccine: – rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP[4] administered as a first dose followed 8 weeks later by a booster dose of the same vaccine – rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP administered as a first dose followed 8 weeks later by an inert placebo Each of these vaccination strategies will be compared to an identical regimen in terms of dosage and duration, but made up of two placebos.   PREVAC in brief  Currently, there is no approved vaccine to prevent Ebola virus disease, although some vaccines are at late stages of development. To better prepare for Ebola outbreaks and help contain them in future, it is essential to pursue research on vaccination strategies to prevent Ebola virus disease. PREVAC (Partnership for Research on Ebola VACcination), is a research consortium that brings together the health authorities of three countries in West Africa–Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone–and their international partners, the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in France, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIAID/NIH) in the United States, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in the United Kingdom. Additional partners in the consortium include the NGO field partner Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA). The pharmaceutical companies Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Bavarian Nordic and Merck Sharp & Dohme, Corp (MSD outside USA and Canada), are supplying the experimental vaccines being tested in the PREVAC trial. The PREVAC trial is a Phase 2 clinical trial being conducted in West Africa. It is a randomised trial that aims to compare three experimental Ebola vaccination strategies with placebos in order to determine whether these strategies are safe and able to trigger a durable immune response that can protect against Ebola virus disease. In the first stage, the trial intends to enrol up to 600 participants 12 years or older. In the second stage, the trial intends to enrol 4,900 participants: 3,500 healthy adults aged 18 years or older, and 1,400 children aged 1-17 years. The study will initially be conducted at two sites in Guinea (Conakry/Landréah and Maferinyah) and one site in Liberia (Monrovia), with an additional site in Sierra Leone awaiting confirmation.   The main objectives of the PREVAC Ebola vaccine trial are as follows:

  • To further explore the safety of three Ebola vaccination strategies and their ability to trigger a protective and durable immune response against Ebola virus
  • To assess these vaccination strategies in the general population and in important groups, such as children, for which there is only limited information available
  • To obtain information on the duration of the immune response induced by the vaccines

In Guinea, two vaccination centres have been established, one in Conakry (in an urban area) and the other in Maferinyah (in a rural area). Liberia has one vaccination site in Monrovia. According to Yazdan Yazdanpanah, PREVAC Principal Investigator, “Our challenge is to identify one or more safe, effective, and durable vaccines in order to prevent or control the next Ebola outbreak, for both adults and children.”

“ALIMA’s medical teams were at the front line in caring for patients with Ebola virus disease in Guinea. Today we know that this virus may reappear at any time. We therefore want to continue to support the population by pursuing the search for a vaccine capable of protecting the population from future epidemics,” says Solenne Barbe, Programme Manager for ALIMA. 

After the enrolment period, the participants will be followed up frequently at regular visits for at least 12 months. Teams of physicians, researchers and anthropologists will work in partnership in the field to ensure that the trial runs smoothly, and to answer questions from study participants and potential volunteers. Study staff will monitor participants’ health, record any side effects, and obtain blood samples at follow-up visits after the vaccinations. An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) will closely monitor safety and immune response information throughout the trial. Children under the age of 12 years will not be enrolled initially. The DSMB will first examine data in children ages 12 to 17 years to determine if it is safe to expand the trial to children ages five to 11 years. After another review of safety data, the DSMB will consider whether vaccination of children ages one to four years can begin. There is no risk to participants in this trial of becoming infected with Ebola by the study vaccines. The vaccines being tested are not live Ebola virus. They contain a single gene coding for a single protein from the Ebola virus. This protein cannot cause infection. The principle is the same as for many other existing vaccines. Additional information about the trial can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT02876328.   How does a preventive vaccine work? Preventive vaccination usually involves administering an attenuated or inactivated form of an infectious agent (or one or more of the agent’s components) to a healthy individual. The objective is to trigger an immune response that involves the development of “memory” cells of the immune system that can immediately recognise the pathogen if it subsequently infects the individual. [1] The WACRC—established in 2015 by scientific leaders in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, and now also including Mali—conducts collaborative research to prevent or help respond to future outbreaks of Ebola and other infectious diseases and thereby advance health preparedness and security in this sub-region of West Africa. [2] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2016/ihr-emergency-committee-ebola/en/ [3] The Ad26.ZEBOV vaccine was developed by Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and the MVA-BN-Filo vaccine was developed by Bavarian Nordic A/S. This investigational Ebola vaccine regimen was developed in a collaborative research program with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional funders who have supported development of this vaccine regimen include Europe’s Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  [4] The rVSV ∆G-ZEBOV-GP vaccine was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The vaccine was licensed to NewLink Genetics, and on 24 November 2014, Merck  Sharp & Dohme Corp. (MSD outside USA and Canada) and NewLink Genetics Corp. entered into a worldwide and exclusive licensing agreement in which Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp  assumes responsibility for research, development, manufacture and distribution of the experimental vaccine. The Canadian and US Governments, among others, have contributed financial support.

“Funding provided in part by NCI contract HHSN261201500003I through the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. »

New step towards the treatment of myotubular myopathy: gene therapy restores strength and prolongs lives in affected dogs

A team of researchers in France, led by Dr. Ana Buj-Bello (Genethon/Inserm) and teams at the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School in the United States, achieved a new step towards the treatment of myotubular myopathy by gene therapy. The researchers demonstrated the efficacy of administration of a therapeutic vector by a single intravenous injection and identified the dose that restores long-term muscular strength in a large animal model of the disease.

This work, published today in Molecular Therapy, has been achieved thanks to donations from the French Telethon and the support of the Myotubular Trust.
Myotubular myopathy is an X-linked genetic disease affecting 1 in 50,000 newborn boys. It is caused by mutations in the MTM1 gene encoding myotubularin, a protein involved in the functioning of muscle cells. The severe form of the disease leads to hypotonia, generalized muscle weakness and death in early infancy due to breathing difficulties. Dogs naturally affected by this myopathy also have a reduced life expectancy. To date, there is no effective treatment for this rare disease.

In the present study, Genethon’s team developed and manufactured an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector able to deliver a normal copy of the MTM1 gene in the entire musculature. The AAV product was administrated by a simple intravenous injection in ten week-old dogs manifesting the first symptoms of the disease – instead of the locoregional route of administration used in previous studies (Science Translational Medicine, January 2014).

The treatment restored whole-body muscle strength and function, and prolonged the life of affected dogs. Treated dogs were indistinguishable from normal animals 9 months after product injection.

Dr. Ana Buj-Bello, Genethon/Inserm said: « We report a dose-finding study and show the therapeutic benefit of the vector by a single intravenous injection. It is a clinically-relevant route of administration and represents a step towards a clinical trial in patients”.

Action on dietary behaviours, a collective expert review by Inserm

cute little girl watching advertisement on tv

© Fotolia

The role of nutritional factors (diet and exercise) in the development of overweight and obesity and in the occurrence of many chronic diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis is now scientifically well established. These diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and the number of patients affected continues to rise.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that there were over 1.9 billion overweight adults in 2014, 600 million of whom were obese. In France about one third of adults are overweight, and 15% (7 million) are obese. Apart from the problems encountered by these individuals, overweight and obesity also have an important cost for society. For France, their financial cost was estimated at €4 billion in 2008. According to WHO, the projections indicate that by 2030, 25% of French men and 29% of French women could be obese.

To cope with this rise in obesity in France, the State has, since 2001, established a public policy of nutritional health by launching the French National Nutrition and Health Programme (PNNS). In 2007, an order of the 2004 Public Health Act requires that advertisements for manufactured food products and drinks with added sugars, salt or artificial sweeteners must contain health information. This provision applies to all media (television, radio or advertising displays).

These messages are now well known to the public (5 fruits or vegetables a day, etc.). However, over time, surveys show that they are attracting less and less attention and that their visibility is uneven, depending on the medium. Moreover, the method of disseminating messages generates problems of comprehension, and they are sometimes seen as an endorsement of the products shown in the advertisement.

In late 2013, Santé Publique France requested Inserm to carry out a collective expert review in order to take stock of the scientific knowledge, and to analyse the impact of health messages disseminated by the mass media on cognition, attitudes, intentions and behaviours.

This expert review is based on a critical analysis of the international scientific literature[1] conducted by a multidisciplinary group of ten experts who are researchers in the areas of marketing and management sciences, law, political science, economics, cognitive psychology, social psychology, information and communication sciences, and the neurosciences.

The texts from this expert review are grouped into three parts: the first part provides some background on the legislation and on the impact of marketing on dietary behaviours; the second part provides an update on various aspects of assessing media-based nutrition campaigns; finally, a third part analyses the psycho-cognitive mechanisms involved in the reception and processing of health messages[2] by individuals.

You may download our Press kit below.

[1] See box on page 7 

[2] The term “health messages” used in these recommendations covers the nutrition-related health information placed on banners embedded in advertisements. The term “nutritional messages” covers all the other preventive or health promotional communications actions. Here the concept of nutrition covers diet and exercise. 

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