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The network and its partners
History of transplantation  |
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The scientific program
Click on aims of the chart for more information
AIM 1 – STUDY OF THE MECHANISMS
OF ALLOGRAFT TOLERANCE IN EXPERIMENTAL MODELS AND IN HUMANS
One of CENTAURE’s major objectives is to understand the phenomenon of induction and maintenance of immune tolerance to allografts in humans and animal models in a simultaneous approach of “bench to clinic” and “clinic to bench”. The induction of allograft tolerance is an objective that, if successful, will not only decrease the inherent problems with immunosuppressors but will also compensate for the overall lack of organs by increasing the overall long-term success of transplantation. Successful tolerance induction would also make it possible to bring an end to issues of risk/benefit ratios for the transplantation of non life-saving organs such as composite tissue, pancreas or pancreatic islets in diabetic patients without renal failure. Focusing on the induction or recognition of a tolerant state is a major challenge of both basic and clinical research and is currently only supported by the academic sector, for obvious reasons.
[For more, please refer to this aim described in details in the science of transplantation section of the Site]
AIM 2 – UNDERSTANDING AND DISSECTING THE CAUSES OF LATE GRAFT LOSS
This aim uses the transversal nature of experimentation to clinic to a maximum, with special attention paid to the analysis of parameters in humans: ischaemia reperfusion, chronic rejection (cellular and humoral components), recurrence of initial disease and medication toxicity. Protocols used include systematic histological evaluation and post-genomics. In the long term, this aim should generate tools for “personalized medicine” for the early prediction of immunological risk after transplantation and an optimization of immunosuppressive treatments. Chronic graft dysfunction (CGD), which is the leading case of graft loss after one year, is a multi-factorial phenomenon. Assessing the number of etiological factors that contribute to this complex process is a necessary prerequisite for the masterminding of preventative strategies opening up the possibility of personalized medicine. Three major cases of CGD will be addressed in this networ k:
- The cellular (T and B) and humoral components and endothelial cell activation in chronic rejection;
- the mechanisms of recurrence of certain diseases and
- understanding and preventing ischaemia/reperfusion lesions.
AIM 3 – TO ESTABLISH A EUROPEAN CENTER OF REFERENCE IN THE FIELD OF TRANSPLANTATION IN DIABETIC PATIENTS INCLUDING COMBINED KIDNEY/PANCREAS TRANSPLANTS, ISOLATED PANCREAS TRANSPLANTS AND ISLET OF LANGERHANS TRANSPLANTS
Pancreas transplantation, for which the team at Lyon was pioneered in Europe, is currently the reference treatment for diabetic patients with renal failure or an unstable metabolic state. France however is behind in this field with twice as few grafts as in Germany for example. One of the key objectives of the CENTAURE network, which currently performs more than two thirds of pancreas transplants in France, is to revitalize the CENTAURE cooperation of this type of transplantation and to increase it’s field of application. Our project firstly aims at optimizing the logistics of pancreatic transplantation by systematically collaborating at the level of recovery and surgical aspects between the two pancreas transplantation centres within CENTAURE. We wish to identity and widen the indications for isolated pancreas transplantation in Type1 diabetics.
[For more, please refer to this aim described in details in the science of transplantation section of the Site]
AIM 4 – NEW FRONTIERS IN TRANSPLANTATION: SETTING UP INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS
The CENTAURE project has a key role in several innovative programs:
- To become a world leader in composite tissue transplantation,
- To enable France to become one of the first countries to bring xenotransplantation to the clinic,
- To develop novel immunosuppressive molecules and to make headway in the programs aiming at personalized medicine.
These three programs, and especially the first two, are unique in France and highlight the CENTAURE network’s specializing in transplant innovation. Such programs will establish our network in the international arena in the long-term.
[For more, please refer to this aim described in details in the science of transplantation section of the Site]
AIM 5 – TO DEVELOP THE FIRST EUROPEAN VALIDATED DATA BANK FOR TRANSPLANTATION
Advances in the results and the quality and relevance of healthcare, and in the diffusion of knowledge, requires the perfect command of the analysis of large, multi-centric clinical data banks. The CENTAURE project will make it possible to consolidate and strengthen the first European validated data bank created in 1996 through a collaboration between Nantes and Necker (joined by Lyon in 2007), providing our network with an unrivalled tool, not only for the clinical research but also for the diffusion of knowledge to general practitioners and even the patient (participating centres: Nantes, Necker, Nancy, Montpellier, Toulouse and Lyon).
[For more, please refer to this aim described in details in the science of transplantation section of the Site]
AIM 6 – VALORISATION - COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY. TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH BIOTECHNOLOGY AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IN THE FIELD OF TRANSPLANTATION
The CENTAURE network, which is based on 3 competitivity centres tightly linked to biotechnology: “Atlantic Biothérapies” in Nantes, “Biopôles” in Lyon and “Medicen” in Paris, has several major advantages in the interaction with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. CENTAURE wishes to dynamise the culture of collaboration with industry in the domain of transplantation science. CENTAURE has also a head start for the development of interactions with the large pharmaceutical industry: amalgamation of a cohort of 500 transplants per year, competitive immunomonitoring platforms and the DIVAT data bank (kidney/paediatrics/pancreas transplants).
[For more, please refer to this aim described in details in the science of transplantation section of the Site]
AIM 7 – TEACHING – DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE - TO DEVELOP THE TEACHING OF TRANSPLANTATION SCIENCE FROM THE BEDSIDE TO THE BENCH. SET UP AN ORGANIZATION TO MINIMISE THE TIME NECESSARY FOR THE APPLICATION OF RESEARCH DISCOVERIES TO THE CLINIC. TO INCREASE THE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF THE CENTAURE NETWORK.
The teaching of transplantation science and the diffusion of knowledge in this domain are hampered by the lack of a specific section specialized in this field at the National University Governing Board. It is absolutely necessary for a large transplantation network to provide a transfer of specialized knowledge, even more so as this is a multi-disciplinary field under continual progression. CENTAURE organizes an international conference on an annual basis, specifically devoted to transplantation: NAT (Nantes Actualités Transplantation – http://www.nat.nantes.inserm.fr/). This conference is primarily aimed at researchers working in the field of transplantation immunology but also at clinicians and transplant surgeons. The CENTAURE network also benefits from the “Actualités Jean Hamburger”, an annual conference where at least one session is devoted to transplantation, and from international training courses provided by the Hespéris Association created in 1989 (J. Dubernard/H.Kreis) currently organize by ESOT.
[For more, please refer to this aim described in details in the science of transplantation section of the Site]