Research activities :

As in many other areas involving patient care, moving from a “1 size fits all” approach toward an individualized “precision medicine” approach makes sense, and is the near reasonably achievable future of therapy for cardiac disease. The ultimate goal of personalized cardiac medicine is thus to supply optimized medical care and outcomes for each individual, as personalized medicine allows the clinician to provide a better therapy for each patient in terms of efficiency, safety and to reduce associated costs.

Our research activities are thus dedicated towards personalized medicine to prevent and target cardiovascular diseases thanks to:

I- New imaging biomarkers,

II- Leucocyte DNA sequencing,

III- Immunometabolism phenotyping of the myocardium,

IV- Quantifying (with aptamer GFET sensors) cardiac biomarkers in biological samples from patients with very low, and presently undetectable levels,

Our translational research, spanning from rodent models to patients, aims at improving the understanding of cardiac remodeling pathophysiology, refine cardiovascular risk stratification, benefit/risk associated therapeutic strategy not only in patients with history of cardiovascular disease but also in patients with cardiovascular risk factors such as tobacco use, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and obesity, even in the absence of cardiovascular medical history or symptoms.

Our projects focus on cardiac function, metabolism and remodeling in patients suffering from diabetes and/or heart valvulopathy, and aims at improving patient stratification and develop personalized cardiovascular medicine.

 

Role/Profile of key people

Prof. David Montaigne (M.D., Ph.D., HDR) is a 44-year-old academic cardiologist (MD thesis in 2007) on a position of full Professor in cardiac physiology at the School of Medicine of Lille (Université de Lille, France) since 2016. He obtained his Doctoral Thesis of Biological Sciences in Physiology (PhD) in 2010 (Université Lille) and is accredited to supervise research (HDR in 2014). He has joined the INSERM unit UMR1011 (Lille), headed by Prof. Bart Staels since 2013. In this team, David Montaigne leads “cardiovascular translational research” projects focused on cardiac function, metabolism and remodeling in patients suffering from diabetes and/or heart valvulopathy, and aims at improving patient stratification and personalized cardiovascular medicine.

David Montaigne is also in charge of the Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Echocardiography at the University Hospital CHU Lille since his return from a post-doctoral fellowship in London in 2014 (Bart’s Hospital, Prof A Tinker,QMUL and Prof D Hausenloy,UCL). He is the principal investigator of several clinical cohort, e.g. POMI-AF NCT#03376165, and co-investigator of several academic and industrial clinical study.

He has published 106 papers in the field of translational and clinical research regarding cardiac (patho)physiology, and imaging since 2008 (H-index 27) with recent first-author publications in Lancet, JAmCollCardiol, JAMA Cardiol, Circulation, Circulation Research, JACC Cardiovasc Imaging and Heart. He signed 20 of the 106 published articles as first author, and 29 as (co)senior author.

His research is supported by grants from INSERM, Transatlantic Leducq consortium LEAN, Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR-CALMOS 2018, ANR TOMIS 2019), Institut Pasteur de Lille (CPER-TOMIS-aging), Fédération Française de Cardiologie, Fondation de France and Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale.

He is a member of the scientific committee of the Fédération Française de Cardiologie since 2016 and an elected member of the board of the French Society of Physiology since 2019.

Prof. Bart Staels, PhD. HDR, Full Professor, University of Lille CHU Lille, is director of the Inserm Unit UMR 1011 with laboratories on the campus of the Institut Pasteur de Lille and the Health Faculty of the University of Lille, Lille, France.

B. Staels earned his doctorate at the Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Leuven, Belgium. He completed postdoctoral work at the Metabolic Research Unit, University of California, San Francisco and was postdoctoral research fellow of the BioAvenir Project, Paris, France. He was Senior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France (2011-16). He is co-founder and board member of the European Genomic Institute for Diabetes (EGID, Lille). He is appointed European corresponding member of the National Academy of Pharmacy (2011-) and received the International Francqui Professor Chair (2013). B. Staels is also co-founder of Genfit SA, and president of its Scientific Advisory Board.

B. Staels has been awarded the Young Investigator Award of the European Atherosclerosis Society, the Bronze Medal of the CNRS, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the British Atherosclerosis Society, the pharmaceutical “Barré” 207 prize from the Faculté de Pharmacie of Montreal (2007), the French “JP Binet” prize from the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (2011), the “Distinguished Leader in Insulin Resistance” award from the International Committee for Insulin Resistance (ICIR; 2012) and the Laurens van Deenen lecture award at the International Conference on the Bioscience of Lipids (ICBL; 2017).

B.Staels’ research covers the fields of obesity, diabetes, hepatic and cardiovascular diseases focussing on molecular pharmacology of these cardio-metabolic diseases. He particularly studies the role of nuclear receptors in the control of inflammation and lipid and glucose homeostasis as well as the transcriptional mechanisms involved.

To date, B. Staels has published >900 papers (including 220 review articles), abstracts and book chapters. He received the ISI citations award, ranked in the top 35 highest publishing French researchers in the French 2007 Necker Institute dossier (2000-2005), in the 2018 Highly Cited Researchers list of Clarivate Analytics; #314 in the Google Scholar h-index 2019 list. In 2022, he was ranked #177 in the world and #1 in France in the Top 1000 Scientists ranking in the field of Medicine by Research.com (https://research.com/scientists-rankings/medicine).

Prof. Gilles LEMESLE, MD, PhD. Birth: 01/04/1977. Dpt. of Cardiology – Intensive cardiac care unit and catheter laboratory – University Hospital of Lille FRANCE. Gilles Lemesle, is a 45-year-old academic cardiologist (MD thesis in 2007) on a position of full Professor in Cardiology at the School of Medicine of Lille (Université de Lille, France) since 2017. He performed a fellowship in Washington DC in 2008-2009 (Pr Ron Waksman and Augusto Pichard, Washington hospital centre, USA). He obtained his Doctoral Thesis of Biological Sciences (PhD) in 2015 (Université de Lille) and is accredited to supervise research (HDR in 2016). He has joined the INSERM unit UMR1011 (Lille), headed by Prof. Bart Staels since 2016. In this team, Gilles Lemesle leads “cardiovascular translational research” projects focused on myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and antithrombotic management in patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Gilles Lemesle is also in charge of the Department of Intensive cardiac care unit at the University Hospital of Lille.

He has published 176 papers in the field of translational and clinical research focused on myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and antithrombotic management since 2008 (H-index 39, SIGAPS 2012). He signed 40 of the 176 published articles as first author, and 17 as senior author.

He is member of the GRRC group (Groupe de Réflexion en Recherche Cardiovasculaire, FRANCE) since 2013 and is now vice president of the group since 2021. He is also member of the FACT group (French Alliance for Cardiovascular Trials, FRANCE) since 2016. He is member of the SFC (Société Française de Cardiologie), GACI (Groupe Athérome coronaire et Cardiologie Interventionelle), ESC (European Society of Cardiology) and EAPCI (European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Intervention).

 

Associate Prof. Augustin COISNE, MD, PhD, is a 38-year-old academic cardiologist (MD thesis in 2013) on a position of Associate Professor in Cardiology at the School of Medicine of Lille (Université de Lille, France) since 2018. He obtained his Doctoral Thesis of Biological Sciences (PhD) in 2018 (Université Lille) and is accredited to supervise research (HDR in 2021). He has joined the INSERM unit UMR1011 (Lille), headed by Prof. Bart Staels since 2013. In this team, Augustin Coisne is involved in “cardiovascular translational research” projects focused on cardiac function, metabolism and remodeling in patients suffering from diabetes and/or valvular heart disease.

Augustin Coisne is also in charge of Cardiac Unit of the Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and echocardiography at the University Hospital CHU Lille since 2018. He did a post-doctoral fellowship at the Clinical Trial Center and the Skirball Center for Innovation of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York City, NY, USA in 2021 (Dr Juan Granada).

He has published 83 papers in the field of translational and clinical research regarding cardiovascular disease and imaging since 2013 (H-index 17) with first-author publications in JAMA Cardiology, JACC Cardiovascular Intervention, JACC Cardiovasc Imaging and Heart journals. He signed 17 of the 83 published articles as first author, and 4 as senior author.

He is member of the Council of the French Society of Cardiovascular Imaging, Past France Ambassador for the Heart Imagers of Tomorrow (HIT) of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), Ex-Officio Board Member of ESC Council on Valvular Heart Disease and member of the PCR Tricuspid Working Group.

 

Dr Sandro NINNI, MD, PhD. is a 35-year-old academic cardiologist (MD thesis in 2016) on a position of associate Professor in cardiology at the School of Medicine of Lille (Université de Lille, France) since 2020. He obtained his Doctoral Thesis of Biological Sciences (PhD) in 2021 (Université Lille). He has joined the INSERM unit UMR1011 (Lille), headed by Prof. Bart Staels since 2017. In this team, Sandro NINNI developed “cardiovascular translational research” projects focused on cardiac arrhythmia and its association with inflammatory response and metabolic disorders.

Sandro NINNI is also involved in the Department of Cardiovascular medicine with a specific expertise in the field of cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac electrophysiology. Sandro NINNI is also performing a post-doctoral fellowship in Montréal (Institut Cardiologique de Montréal, Dr Nattel’s lab) in order to develop new skills in the field of cellular electrophysiology.

He has published 33 papers in the field of translational and clinical research regarding cardiac (patho)physiology, and cardiac arrhythmias since 2015 (H-index 8). He signed 9 of the 33 published articles as first author.

He is an elected member of the scientific committee of the Société Française de Cardiologie: Groupe de Réflexion sur la Recherche Cardiovasculaire since 2022.

 Dr Samy Aghezzaf (31 y/o), male, is MD in the department of Cardiovascular Explorations & Physiology at Lille University hospital with a training in echocardiography. He is PhD student since 2022 under the supervision of Prof. D Montaigne. His main research interests focus on cardiac valve diseases and global health. He has joined the INSERM unit UMR1011 (Lille), headed by Prof. Bart Staels and obtained a master degree under the supervision of Prof. David Montaigne in 2019. He has been involved in the UMR1011 publications since then.

Eloïse Woitrain, 34 year old, is a study engineer at the University Hospital of Lille. She obtained her master degree at the University of Lille (France) in 2013. At the end of her studies, she joined the INSERM unit UMR1011 (Lille), directed by Prof. Bart Staels. In this unit, Eloïse Woitrain first joined the team working in the field of metabolic liver pathologies for 5 years. In 2018, she  joined the team of Prof. David Montaigne to work on translational research projects focused on metabolism and cardiac remodeling in patients with valvulopathy and/or diabetes.All this work allowed her to participate in 13 scientific publications.

 

Laura BUTRUILLE is a 34-year-old postdoctoral researcher. She studied Biology and defended a Physiology thesis in 2013 in the University of Lille. She first worked as research     and development engineer in the field of « pain evaluation in non-communicated patients »  in the start-up Mdoloris Medical Systems. She then worked in Prof. Laurent Storme’s lab to identify perinatal mechanisms which could explain metabolic adult diseases. In 2018, she joined the INSERM Unit UMR1011 directed by Prof. Bart Staels and worked since 2020 in the « Heart group », leaded by Prof. David Montaigne. She develops research projects focused on cardiac remodeling induced by metabolic diseases such as NAFLD/NASH in preclinical models. She signed 8 of 30 international publications as first   author (H index 13).

 

Zouriatou GOUDA, 31 years old, is a study engineer at the Pasteur Institute of Lille. She obtained her Master's degree in Genomic Biotechnology and Biotherapy at the University of Limoges (France). She first worked at the Atomic Energy Center (CEA Paris Saclay) in the production of monoclonal antibodies. Then she joined the INSERM UMR 1016 (Paris) directed by Dr Agnès LEHUEN working on the immunology of diabetes for 3 years. In 2021, she joined UMR1011 (Lille), directed by Prof. Bart Staels, in the team of Pr David Montaigne to work on translational research projects focused on metabolism and    cardiac remodeling in an immunological context....

 

Maud LE DELLIOU HESPEL (48 years old), is a clinical research nurse. She obtained her nursing diploma in december 1996, at CHRU of Lille and was hiring in the Cardiac Hospital of CHRU of Lille in 1997.

She worked 23 years in the cardiology intensive care unit. She joined the research department of Professor Montaigne in September 2020. She obtained her university degree in cardiac echography in June 2022.

She has an important part in the screening, the inclusion, the performance of paramedical technical gestures and the follow-up of patients in the three protocoles: POMI-AF, RIGID-MI and PRECI-DIAB.

Philippine ALPHAND (35 years old), is a clinical research nurse. She graduated in 2009, at Catholic University of Lille. She started working at CHU of Lille in February 2010 in the cardiology intensive care unit, where she worked for 6 years.

Between 2016 and 2018 she worked for health care providers.

Then she joined the clinical research at CHU of Lille in March 2018, where she works in collaboration with the cardiac surgery team and the cardiovascular functional explorations team by Pr Montaigne, on many projects concerning heart valves.

She obtained her university degree in cardiac echography in June 2022.

 

CHU-Lille is a referral university hospital located in the largest health campus Northern Europe. The hospital ensures care to 1.4 million patients each year. Thanks to our state-of-art technical platform and medical expertise, CHU-Lille offers a wide range of treatments from primary to complex and innovative care. Its surrounding campus enables a research continuum from bench to bedside with close partnership with ULille, CNRS, Pasteur Institute and Inserm and strategies partnership with the industrial sector (Technology and Transfer Organisations (Eurasanté, Inserm transfer, Satt Nord)).

The resources dedicated to research is 1200 researchers supported 330 professionals from the Research and Innovative Department. There are 20 research centers, 1 clinical Investigation Center authorized for phase I trial, 1 Biological Resources Center (ISO 90001 certified), and 1 Health data warehouse (GDPR compliant). A hospital is dedicated to the Covid-19 with medical care and Intensive unit care. The diagnostic of Covid-19 is established in a level 2 room at the “Centre Biologie et Pathologie” located in the center of the campus

 

  1. TOMIS and POMI-AF clinical project funded by the Young researcher grant of French Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR TOMIS-Leukocyte: ANR-CE14-0003-01) and the Leducq Foundation LEAN Network 16CVD01. The project is dedicated to better understand post-operative complications (e.g. myocardial infarction, heart failure and atrial fibrillation) after cardiac surgery, with a specific interest in understanding the impact of surgery time-of the day on outcomes.
  1. Preci-Diab Heart clinical project as part of the National Center for Precision Diabetic Medicine www.precidiab.org and funded by the French Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR-18-IBHU-0001). The project is dedicated to improve patient phenotyping thanks to new biomarkers and cardiac imaging to tailor personalized cardiac medicine in type 2 diabetic patients.
  1. RIGID-MI project (PI Prof G Lemesle) This clinical project is dedicated to better understand cardiac remodeling and complications (e.g. myocardial infarction, heart failure and atrial fibrillation) after myocardial infarction.
  1. VALVENORD project (PI Prof C Bauters) This clinical project is dedicated to better understand cardiac remodeling and complications (e.g. myocardial infarction, heart failure and atrial fibrillation) in outpatients suffering with aortic valve stenosis (from mild to severe) across the Nord-Pas de Calais. The project is granted by the Fédération Française de Cardiologie.
  1. CALMOS translational project (coll. With J Fauconnier Univ Montpellier) is funded by a grant of French Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR CALMOS: ANR 18-CE17-0003-02). This project is dedicated to better understand the role of cardiac mitochondria in cardiac arrhythmias.
  1. LivImmCar translational project is dedicated to unveil the interaction of non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH) and its immune alterations with cardiac remodeling in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease. The project is granted by the Fédération Française de Cardiologie and the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale.
  1. CEPHEA: To assess the safety and performance of the Cephea Mitral Valve and Transseptal Delivery System for the treatment of symptomatic moderate to severe degenerative or functional mitral regurgitation in patients who are poor candidates for surgery.

 

  1. COLIBRI: A prospective, single arm clinical investigation evaluating safety and performance of the Colibri Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valve System for the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis via transfemoral access in high surgical risk patients.
  1. LOW RISK: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement With the Medtronic Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement System In Patients at Low Risk for Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.
  1. TENDYNE: The purpose of this expanded clinical study is to evaluate the performance and safety of the Tendyne Mitral Valve System in the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation in patents with functional disability greater than or equal to NYHA Class II, who are not suitable candidates for surgical replacement with otherwise available devices.
  1. RESOLVE-MR: The Tendyne RESOLVE-MR study (Real World Study of the Tendyne™ Mitral Valve System to Treat Mitral Regurgitation) is a prospective, single arm, multi-center, study, which will be used to support the CE Mark requirement of monitoring safety and performance for any complications or issues arising in a post-market setting.

 

 

  1. REVERSE-MR : « Randomized comparison of Early mitral ValvE Repair versus watchful waiting forasymptomatic SEvere degenerative Mitral Regurgitation due to leaflet prolapse »
  1. RHEIA : « Randomized researcH in womEn all comers wIth Aortic stenosis »  

A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Female Patients who have Severe Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis Requiring Aortic Valve Replacement.

 

  1. TRI-FR: Multicentric randomized evaluation of tricuspid valve percutaneous repair system (clip for the tricuspid valve) in the treatment of severe secondary tricuspid disorders.

 

  1. TWELVE: Evaluation of the Safety and Performance of The Medtronic Intrepid™ Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement System inHigh Risk Patients with Severe, Symptomatic Mitral Regurgitation.

 

1. Electrochemical and electronic detection of biomarkers in serum: a systematic comparison using aptamer-functionalized surfaces.

Mishyn V, Rodrigues T, Leroux YR, Butruille L, Woitrain E, Montaigne D, Aspermair P, Happy H, Knoll W, Boukherroub R, Szunerits S. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2022 Jul;414(18):5319-5327. doi: 10.1007/s00216-021-03658-0. Epub 2021 Oct 1. PMID: 34595559 (IF=4.5)

 

2. Highly performing graphene-based field effect transistor for the differentiation between mild-moderate-severe myocardial injury. T. Rodrigues, V. Mishyn,Y. R. Leroux, L. Butruille, E. Woitrain, A. Barras, P.Aspermair, H. Happy, C. Kleber, R. Boukherroub, D. Montaigne, W. Knoll, S. Szunerits (2022). Nano Today, 43, 101391 (IF=22)

 

3. Daytime variation of perioperative myocardial injury in cardiac surgery and its prevention by Rev-Erbα antagonism: a single-centre propensity-matched cohort study and a randomised study.

Montaigne D, Marechal X, Modine T, Coisne A, Mouton S, Fayad G, Ninni S, Klein C, Ortmans S, Seunes C, Potelle C, Berthier A, Gheeraert C, Piveteau C, Deprez R, Eeckhoute J, Duez H, Lacroix D, Deprez B, Jegou B, Koussa M, Edme JL, Lefebvre P, Staels B. Lancet. 2018 Jan 6;391(10115):59-69. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32132-3. Epub 2017 Oct 26. PMID: 29107324 Clinical Trial. (IF=79)

 

4. Myocardial contractile dysfunction is associated with impaired mitochondrial function and dynamics in type 2 diabetic but not in obese patients.

Montaigne D, Marechal X, Coisne A, Debry N, Modine T, Fayad G, Potelle C, El Arid JM, Mouton S, Sebti Y, Duez H, Preau S, Remy-Jouet I, Zerimech F, Koussa M, Richard V, Neviere R, Edme JL, Lefebvre P, Staels B. Circulation. 2014 Aug 12;130(7):554-64. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.008476. Epub 2014 Jun 13. PMID: 24928681 (IF=39)

 

5. Mitochondrial dysfunction as an arrhythmogenic substrate: a translational proof-of-concept study in patients with metabolic syndrome in whom post-operative atrial fibrillation develops.

Montaigne D, Marechal X, Lefebvre P, Modine T, Fayad G, Dehondt H, Hurt C, Coisne A, Koussa M, Remy-Jouet I, Zerimech F, Boulanger E, Lacroix D, Staels B, Neviere R. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013 Oct 15;62(16):1466-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.03.061. Epub 2013 May 1. PMID: 23644086 (IF=29)

Operational capacity

CHU Lille has full operational capacity at the time of submitting the proposal.