Institut de la santé et de la recherche medicale

This partner has extensive experience of using animal models, among them SCID mouse models (with implanted human synovium) for the identification and validation of targets for therapy. Under the leadership of the partner PI (Professor Christian Jorgensen), gene therapy and other methods for validation of targeted therapies will be used.

The group consists of 7 people and has clinical experience in immunotherapy in patients with RA. Basic research is headed by Prof. Christian Jorgensen and comprises the use of murine arthritis models to evaluate cytokine gene transfer. The models are the hu/SCID model, collagen-induced arthritis in DBA1 mice, transgenic KRNxNOD mice. F Apparailly has experience in adenovirus and rAAV construction, preparation, and in vivo administration. She has recently developed non viral method for gene transfer using in vivo electroporation. Besides targeting cytokines, they have developed angiogenesis inhibitors and MMP3 inhibitors (TIMP-1) though adenovirus gene transfer. D Noel is developing cartilage repair through engineered MSC injection in SCID joints. Using this model she has been able to demonstrate cartilage formation in vivo , and to show that the newly formed tissue is related to the injected progenitor cells. C Jorgensen has organised the last Meeting on Gene and Cell therapy in Osteoarticular Diseases in May 2001 and has set up the International Society for Gene Therapy in RA.

C Jorgensen coordinates the Genostem integrated project of the FP6 project Adult mesenchymal stem cells engineering for connective tissue disorders. From the bench to the bed side, contract 503161 for: Life sciences, genomics and biotechnology of health, in the Key action LSH 1.2.4-3.

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