Lectures

Oncology is the biological approach to the transformation of cells into cancer. First developed around 200 years ago, with morphological approaches, it has accelerated sharply in recent decades, with the discovery of the repertoire of genetic anomalies - most often acquired - that trigger disease. Numerous other branches of biology (epigenetics, immunology, cell biology, cellular interactions, etc.) have enriched the discipline. The first years of the Chair's lectures were devoted to a historical approach, from the role of viruses and the control of gene expression by " master genes ", to the links between hormones and cancer. We are now embarking on a new cycle dedicated to a renewed study of the cellular and molecular mode of action of conventional and historical anticancer agents.

Research

The common thread running through our research activities is the exploration of the cellular and molecular bases of response to anticancer treatments in humans. We believe it is essential to elucidate the molecular basis of therapeutic response, because without an understanding of the mechanisms, there can be no optimization. The team's preferred model is a rare form of leukemia, linked to a simple genetic anomaly and associated with extreme sensitivity to therapeutic agents devoid of activity in other forms of cancer : a hormone (retinoic acid) and a toxicant (arsenic oxide). We were able to show that these two agents directly target the protein that triggers this particular form of leukemia and induce its degradation via biochemical pathways that we have elucidated. These studies led us to focus on sub-domains of the cell nucleus, the PML nuclear bodies, which are associated with the stress response and senescence. These domains are disorganized in this leukemia, reformed in response to treatment and essential for a durable therapeutic response. The team has provided essential insights into the formation, biochemical and physiological role of these domains in normal and pathological situations (see CIRB and Hôpital Saint-Louis websites).