Presentation of UMR1011
The laboratory is a Joint Research Unit (UMR) under the supervision of INSERM, the University of Lille, Lille University Hospital (CHU de Lille) and the Institut Pasteur de Lille and directed by Prof. Bart Staels.
UMR1011 studies the biological mechanisms involved in the development of metabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and MASLD (Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease).
Type 2 diabetes and obesity are major public health challenges today. Beyond their effects on glucose metabolism, they progressively affect several organs, particularly the liver, kidneys and heart, and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.Our unit focuses on the interactions between these different organs in order to better understand how type 2 diabetes and obesity contribute to the progression of metabolic and cardiovascular complications. We therefore develop the concept of Diabetes-Kidney-Liver-Cardiovascular (DKLC) syndrome, which considers diabetes as a systemic disease involving continuous communication between several organs.Particular attention is given to the role of inflammation and the immune system. Metabolic disturbances associated with obesity and diabetes can durably alter the function of immune cells and promote chronic inflammation. This inflammation can, in turn, contribute to damage affecting the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system.
Our research therefore aims to decipher the mechanisms of communication between organs and immune cells, in order to better understand the progression of diabetes-related complications and identify new avenues for the prevention and treatment of these complications.Our objective is thus to adopt an integrated approach to diabetes, considering diabetes, the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system as interconnected components of the same systemic disease.
To address these different challenges, UMR1011 is organized into 8 research themes:
Topic 1 (Inter-organ cross talk in cardiometabolic diseases) studies the metabolic functions of NRs (FXR, Rev-erbα, RORα) and their implication as potential therapeutic targets in pathologies associated with metabolic syndrome.
Topic 2 (Cardiac disorders, blood flow abnormalities and haemostasis) explores the molecular signatures of bleeding disorders (von Willebrand disease, haemophilia), as well as the impact of these conditions on vascular integrity, the occurrence of, and management of, cerebral haemorrhages. Finally, our team is investigating the consequences, causes and treatment of flow abnormalities on the vascular endothelium and the degeneration of valvular bioprostheses.
Topic 3 (Immuno-metabolic dialogue in obesity and its comorbidities) studies the role of RNs in immune system cells such as mast cells and B lymphocytes in the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases, with a particular focus PPARγ.
Topic 4 (Integrated transcriptional analysis of liver diseases) identifies the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation orchestrated by NRs, in order to discover new regulatory pathways and better define molecules for therapeutics strategies.
Topic 5 (Nuclear receptors in circadian biology) has developed a new research topic devoted to circadian regulation of metabolism and inflammation, focusing on the components of the circadian clock and associated nuclear receptors, such as Rev-erbs and RORs.
Topic 6 (LivAdip - Physiomics of the liver and adipose tissue in metabolic diseases) studies the role of the liver and adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of obesity and MASLD, as well as the mechanisms of regression or persistence of the disease following weight loss.
Topic 7 (ENDO-PLAST - Roles of plasticity in endothelial cells and metabolic reprogramming in diseases, Atip-Avenir team) seeks to characterize the role of endothelial cell dysfunction in the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Topic 8 (Sinusoidal and ECM remodelling in liver diseases, ATIP Avenir Team) focuses on the mechanisms that control the progression of liver diseases and liver regeneration, with the aim of identifying new therapeutic strategies to restore normal liver function