Microenvironment Cell differentiation, iMmunology And Cancer (MICMAC)

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Research topics & objectives

The laboratory aims to: identify the mechanisms of the host/tumour interaction in B-cell lymphomas, and thus deduce therapeutic targets and potential biomarkers.

Research topics

Germinal centre B-cell lymphomas:

  • Study of the differentiation between normal B cells and tumour B cells in the germinal centre
  • Study of the B-cell lymphoma tumour niche

Lymphoma sub-types

  • Follicular lymphomas (FL)
  • Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL)

Key words

Follicular lymphoma, DLBCL, Hodgkin, Microenvironment, Stromal cells, TFH, Macrophages, Normal B-cell and tumour B-cell differentiation, Blood biomarkers, Epigenetics, Single-cell analysis, Mouse models, 3D culture

Karin Tarte Manager

UMR U1236

Photo de groupe equipe MICMAC Recherche Lymphome
EXPERTISE

BIOLOGICAL TARGETS AND IN VITRO/IN VIVO/EX VIVO MODELS

Targets

  • Anti-CD137 antibodies and lymphomas
  • CXCL12
  • Cell targets (TFH, supporting stromal cells)

Models

  • In vitro  differentiation model of normal human naive B cells
  • In vitro study models (cytometry, microscopy, transcriptomics, functional studies) of the interactions between normal B lymphocytes and tumour B lymphocytes and the actors of the microenvironment (stromal cells, TFH, macrophages)
  • Xenografted mouse models of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas
  • Cultivating stem cells with functional tests
  • Stem/stromal B-cell co-cultures from healthy subjects and patients (survival, proliferation, resistance to drugs…)
  • B-cell/macrophage and PN co-cultures (ADCP)

BLOOD AND TISSUE BIOMARKERS

Program to identify diagnostic and prognostic blood biomarkers in DLBCLs and FLs through transcriptomic, proteomic, phenotypic and functional studies.

EARLY ACTIVITY PHARMACODYNAMIC SIGNALS

Immunomonitoring platform allowing a standard operating procedure (SOP) through multicolour cytometry and functional analyses of patients treated with innovating therapeutic approaches (DC-NK dialogue, Treg activity, IDO activity, characterisation of the T/B/myeloid/stromal sub-populations through multicolour CMF…).

TOOLS, PROCESSES AND PLATFORMS LINKED TO THE CLINICAL RESEARCH

  • Lymphoma tumour bank including frozen samples of viable cells from lymphoid organs and bone marrow of patients and healthy subjects (Rennes Biological Resource Centre).
  • Clinical-biological database (Marguerite program)
  • Phase I trial platform (Rennes Clinical Centre of Investigation)

INNOVATING TECHNOLOGY

  • ADCC
  • Standardised multicolour immunomonitoring (cytometry) of multi-centric studies (tests validated at D+1)
  • Gene capturing technique
  • miR-seq, RNA-seq, ATA-seq, ChIP-seq, methyl-seq
  • Single-cell qPCR et SC-RNA-seq
  • Implementation of stroma/B-cell 3D culture

10 minutes to understand the work of Karin Tarte and her team

“The battle of cancer: the good, the bad and the ugly | Karin Tarte | TEDxRennes”

“Karin Tarte, heads the department of immunology, cell therapy and hematopoiesis at the Rennes University Hospital. Passionate professor, she transmits her cutting-edge knowledge and her enthusiasm to medical students in Rennes. Emeritus researcher, she conducts innovative research at INSERM Its field of predilection: B lymphomas, and more particularly follicular lymphoma, the most developed of them. If we popularize these somewhat barbaric terms, we are talking here about lymph node cancer, which is growing rapidly. Karin’s team brings a different and complementary look to genetic research to advance the fight against cancer “TEDxRennes

Platforms & technical resources

  • Phase I trial platform (Rennes Clinical Centre of Investigation)
  • Immunomonitoring laboratory (SITI): allows multi-centric analyses (core lab)
  • SFR BIOSIT platforms: microscopy (IBISA MRic platform http://microscopie.univ-rennes1.fr/), genomics (Rennes IBISA Biogenouest platform), L3 laboratory (lentiviral vectors), animal studies
  • Gene capturing: SureSelect-Agilent of the haematological laboratory of the Rennes teaching hospital

R&D offer

The laboratory offers collaborative projects on:

  • Stem/stromal B-cell co-cultures from healthy subjects and patients (survival, proliferation, resistance to drugs…)
  • B-cell/macrophage and PN co-cultures (ADCP)
  • ADCC
  • standardised multicolour immunomonitoring of multi-centric studies (tests validated at D+1)