Teams

• Principal Investigator: Corinne Bousquet (INSERM, CRCT Toulouse)
• Overview: MICROPANC studies how pancreatic tumors interact with their surrounding stroma to develop resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The team focuses on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their communication with tumor and immune cells.
• Research Focus:
  • Using patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and immunocompetent mouse models.
  • Transcriptomics, spatial profiling, and matrisome analysis.
  • Functional validation of tumor-stroma interactions in 3D organoid co-cultures.
• Collaborations & Impact: Integrated within CRCT Toulouse, partnering with clinicians, IRIT (AI analysis), LAAS (organ-on-chip), and industry partners including Roche, BMS, and Amgen. Focus on translating findings into therapies.
• Website: https://www.crct-inserm.fr/micropanc/

• Principal Investigators: Sophie Vasseur / Richard Tomasini (INSERM, CRCM Marseille)
• Overview: DISARM investigates metabolic reprogramming in pancreatic tumors and stromal-tumor crosstalk that drives chemoresistance and metastasis.
• Research Focus:
  • Extracellular vesicles and stromal communication.
  • Tumor cell metabolic adaptation in nutrient-restricted environments.
  • Preclinical testing of metabolic inhibitors and combination therapies.
• Collaborations & Impact: CRCM Marseille, ERC and national grants, partnerships with translational teams. Focused on translating discoveries to clinical strategies.
• Website: https://crcm-marseille.fr/departement-comet/equipe-dialogue-cellules-stromales-tumorales-et-reprogrammation-metabolique-dans-les-cancers-du-pancreas-departement-comet/

• Principal Investigator: Ilaria Cascone (INSERM U955, Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Paris Est)
• Overview: I-Biot studies immune regulation in pancreatic and hematological cancers to enhance immunotherapy efficacy.
• Research Focus:
  • Targeting immunosuppressive cells (Tregs, MDSCs, TAMs).
  • Single-cell transcriptomics of tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
  • Testing immunomodulatory therapies in mouse models.
• Collaborations & Impact: Integrated with the Mondor Institute (IMRB), national and international partnerships, access to cutting-edge genomics and imaging platforms.
• Website: https://imrb.inserm.fr/equipes/j-cohen/

• Principal Investigator: Ana Hennino (INSERM U1052 CNRS5286, CRCL Lyon)
• Overview: SIIC explores how stromal components in tumors modulate immune activity, focusing on βig-h3-mediated immune suppression and microenvironment stiffness.
• Research Focus:
  • Interaction between stromal cells and immune cells.
  • Development of therapeutic antibodies (StromaCare biotech).
  • Mechanistic studies of stroma-induced chemoresistance.
• Collaborations & Impact: Fully integrated within CRCL Lyon, collaborating with clinical partners and translational teams. Focused on innovative stromal-targeting therapies.
• Website: https://www.crcl.fr/en/research-teams/oncopharmacology/jordheim-dumontets-team-a-henninos-group/

Currently

EpiCARe

• Principal Investigator: Audrey Vincent (U1366 - CRCLille, Université de Lille)
• Overview: Audrey Vincent’s team investigates the role of epigenetic mechanisms in cancer cell plasticity and stemness.
• Research Focus:
  • Epigenetics: DNA methylation and histone code.
  • Cancer stem cells in colorectal cancers and pancreatic adenocarcinomas.
• Responsibilities: Head of the 3D cell culture platform OrgaRES, ORGALille and OrgaNO.

PancResT

• Principal Investigator: Nicolas Jonckheere (U1366 - CRCLille, Université de Lille)
• Team: Chemoresistance and Therapeutic Targeting in Pancreatic Cancers (PancResT, Inserm 2026–2030)
• Overview: PancResT investigates the roles and cellular mechanisms of MUC4 in pancreatic cancer, aiming to propose MUC4 and its membrane partners as therapeutic targets.
• Research Focus:
  • Role of MUC4 and its membrane partners (ErbB2 oncoreceptor, ion channel TRPM7) as therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer, combining in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo approaches.
  • PLBio24 project (2025–2027): functional interaction between MUC4 and ion channel TRPM7, associated molecular mechanisms and master regulators.
  • Emerging project (since 2021): chemoresistance and classifications of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
• Website: https://pro.univ-lille.fr/nicolas-jonckheere/axes-de-recherche

Formerly

CANTHER

• Principal Investigator: Isabelle Van Seuningen (INSERM UMR9020 CNRS-U1277, Lille)
• Overview: CANTHER investigated mechanisms underlying tumor heterogeneity and chemoresistance, with a focus on pancreatic cancer.
• Research Focus:
  • Role of MUC4 and RTK signaling in tumor-stroma interactions.
  • 3D organoid and microfluidic co-culture models.
  • Epigenetic regulation and predictive biomarkers.
• Collaborations & Impact: Embedded in ONCOLille, with translational access to patient material and collaborations in bioinformatics, pharmacology, and cohort studies.
• Website: https://www.canther.fr

• Principal Investigator: Stephane Servais (INSERM UMR1069, Tours)
• Overview: Focused on cancer-induced malnutrition/cachexia, studying host metabolism and its impact on treatment outcomes.
• Research Focus:
  • Mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue.
  • Mechanisms of myosteatosis and metabolic dysfunction in PDAC.
  • Translational studies to improve clinical management.
• Collaborations & Impact: International collaboration with University of Alberta; aims to inform clinical interventions in cachexia.
• Website: https://n2cox.univ-tours.fr/home

• Principal Investigators: Gianluca Severi / Therese Truong (INSERM U1018, CESP)
• Overview: Investigates how environmental exposures and genetic background interact to influence cancer risk.
• Research Focus:
  • Lifecourse exposome and lifestyle factors.
  • Omics integration to identify pre-diagnosis biomarkers.
  • Population-based cohort studies (E3N-Generations, EPIC, UK Biobank).
• Collaborations & Impact: Large-scale international epidemiology studies; translational potential for cancer prevention.
• Website: https://cesp.inserm.fr/fr/node/3

• Principal Investigator: Cyrille Delpierre (UMR 1295 CERPOP)
• Overview: Focuses on social determinants of health and inequalities in care, particularly in cancer pathways.
• Research Focus:
  • Life course and embodiment of social factors.
  • Healthcare access and efficiency analysis.
  • Methodological innovations in social epidemiology.
• Collaborations & Impact: Collaborates with national health databases and population studies; informs health policy.
• Website: https://cerpop.inserm.fr/cyrille-delpierre-biographie

• Principal Investigator: Pierre Cordelier (INSERM, CRCT Toulouse)
• Overview: Develops gene therapy, virotherapy, and precision medicine approaches in PDAC.
• Research Focus:
  • Gene expression remodeling and resistance to DNA-breaking agents.
  • Intracellular antibodies targeting oncogenic proteins.
  • Mechanisms of resistance to oncolytic viruses.
• Collaborations & Impact: CRCT Toulouse, clinical translational partnerships, preclinical industry collaborations (NeoVirTech, Roche-Genentech).
• Website: https://www.crct-inserm.fr/impact/

• Principal Investigators: Nelson Dusetti / Juan Iovanna (INSERM UMR1068, CNRS UMR7258, CRCM Marseille)
• Overview: Focused on identifying key drivers of PDAC and developing new therapeutic strategies.
• Research Focus:
  • Multi-omics characterization of over 250 preclinical PDAC models.
  • Translational research integrating molecular signatures and drug discovery.
  • Biomarker identification for therapy response prediction.
• Collaborations & Impact: CRCM Marseille, international consortia, early clinical translation.
• Website: https://crcm-marseille.fr/en/translate-it-department/translational-and-therapeutic-research-in-pancreatic-cancer/

• Principal Investigator: Cindy Neuzillet (CNRS 144, Institut Curie, Paris)
• Overview: Studies host-tumor-microenvironment interactions in pancreatic and biliary tract cancers.
• Research Focus:
  • CAFs and microbiota in tumor heterogeneity.
  • Translational studies integrating human samples, organoids, and mouse models.
  • Biomarker development for therapy response.
• Collaborations & Impact: Institut Curie, APHP hospitals, national and international PDAC research networks.
• Website: https://institut-curie.org/person/cindy-neuzillet

• Principal Investigators: Pierre Laurent-Puig / Jean-Baptiste Bachet (Centre de recherche des Cordeliers, Paris)
• Overview: Focuses on tumor heterogeneity, biomarker discovery, and therapy optimization in digestive and other solid tumors.
• Research Focus:
  • Intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity analysis.
  • Circulating tumor DNA biomarkers and precision medicine.
  • Translational genomics applied to pancreatic cancer.
• Collaborations & Impact: Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, CHIC platform, translational oncology networks.
• Website: https://crcordeliers.fr/en/personalized-medicine-and-pharmacogenomics-group-2/

• Principal Investigators: Jérôme Cros (INSERM UMR1149, Paris)
• Overview: Investigates how inflammation triggers digestive tract cancers, particularly pancreatic and liver tumors.
• Research Focus:
  • Inflammatory signaling in epithelial and stromal compartments.
  • Microbiota-cancer interactions.
  • Translational models for therapy testing.
• Collaborations & Impact: Integrated with Beaujon hospital group, part of FHU MOSAIC and SIRIC InSiTu.
• Website: https://cri1149.fr/en//equipes/haumaitre-cros

• Principal Investigator: Remy Nicolle (INSERM ATIP, Paris)
• Overview: Applies computational and systems biology to study tumor heterogeneity and develop predictive genomic biomarkers.
• Research Focus:
  • Multi-omics and spatial analyses in PDAC.
  • Computational pathology and AI for prognostic/theranostic signatures.
  • Translational genomics from bench to clinical applications.
• Collaborations & Impact: FHU MOSAIC, SIRIC InSiTu, RHU OPERANDI, Beaujon Hospital, contributing to national PDAC precision medicine.
• Website: https://cri1149.fr/equipes/nicolle/

• Principal Investigator: Vera Pancaldi (INSERM, CRCT Toulouse)
• Overview: Investigates immune-tumor interactions in pancreatic cancer using network biology, multi-omics, and spatial analyses to improve therapy response prediction.
• Research Focus:
  • Network modeling of intercellular interactions.
  • Epigenomics and chromatin 3D structure in tumor-immune phenotypes.
  • Multi-omics and spatial data integration for precision immunotherapy.
• Collaborations & Impact: CRCT Toulouse, national and international research networks, contributing to immunotherapy development pipelines.
• Website: https://www.crct-inserm.fr/netbio2/