The Incit teams
Team 1
Modulation of immune and inflammatory responses
CNRS EMR 6001
Objectives of the research programs
Our team is interested in understanding the development and modulation of immune responses by the gut microbiota in various inflammatory contexts , such as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and gastrointestinal GvHD. Our project aims in particular to use regulatory immune responses as new targets for the development of original immunotherapy protocols applied to pathologies associated with severe inflammatory events.
Research projects
Our project consists of studying the modulation of inflammatory immune responses by the gut microbiota. It is developing along three main lines:
- The study of a population of regulatory T cells (DP8α) that react to the microbiota under homeostatic conditions and in pathological contexts, and their targeting or use for the development of innovative immunotherapy approaches (area coordinated by E. Godefroy/F. Altare).
- the development of synthetic immunomodulators to control inflammatory responses, partly via the modulation of DP8α Tregs (axis led by B. Pitard).
- The development of targeting tools (e.g., affitines) to redirect immune responses (led by F. Pecorari, https://intercept.cnrs.fr/)
Graphic summary
Highlights
Godefroy et al. Human gut microbiota-reactive DP8a regulatory T cells prevent acute graft-versus-host disease in a CD73-dependent manner. JCI Insight, 2024.
Themes addressed
Characterization of T-cell responses induced by the microbiota and applications for immunotherapy of inflammatory conditions.
Coordinated by E. Godefroy, F. Altare,
Development of nucleic acid vaccination vectors and use of these vectors as tools to modulate inflammation.
Coordinated by B. Pitard
Development of Affitins for the targeting of molecules of diagnostic or therapeutic interest.
Coordinated by F. Pecorari
The team
5 researchers
2 teacher-researchers
2 PhD students
- M. De Seilhac
- Mr. Verdon
5 ITA
- A. Breiman, IR CHU
- P. Cossard, IE Inserm
- E. Ekaza, IR Inserm
- J. Rocher, TCN Univ
- C. Vignes, IE Inserm
4 post-docs
- A. Patinec
- C. Terciolo
- J. Chen
- R. Leau
Scientific publications
Find the major publications of the team in recent years.
Deciphering and harnessing gut microbiota-associated immune regulation in acute graft-versus-host disease.
Godefroy E, Altare F.
Current Opinion in Immunology. 2025
Human gut microbiota-reactive DP8a regulatory T cells prevent acute graft-versus-host disease in a CD73-dependent manner.
Godefroy E., Chevallier P., Haspot F., Vignes C., Daguin V., Lambot S., Verdon M., De Seilhac M., Letailleur V., Jarry A., Pédron A., Guillaume T., Peterlin P., Garnier A., Vibet M.-A., Mougon M., Bourgeois A., Jullien M., Jotereau F., Altare F.
JCI Insight 2024
A microbiota-modulated checkpoint directs immunosuppressive intestinal T cells into cancers.
Fidelle M., […] Jarry A., Gervois N., Godefroy E., Labarrière N., […] Kroemer G., Zitvogel L.
Science 2023
Human gut microbiota-reactive DP8α regulatory T cells, signature, and related emerging functions.
Jotereau F., Alameddine J., Teusan R., Pédron A., Jouand N., Altare F., Godefroy E.
Frontiers in Immunology 2022
Human CD4+/CD8α+ regulatory T cells induced by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii protect against intestinal inflammation.
Touch S., Godefroy E., Rolhion N., Danne C., Oeuvray C., Straube M., Galbert C., Brot L., Alonso Salgueiro I., Chadi S., Ledent T., Chatel J.-M., Langella P., Jotereau F., Altare F., Sokol H.
JCI Insight, 2022
Contact
Contact
Frédéric ALTARE
frederic.altare@inserm.fr
Website
Nantes
Location
Health Research Institute of the University of Nantes - IRS 2
22 Boulevard Benoni Goullin, 44200 Nantes
About us
Created in 2022, the INCIT(Immunology and New Concepts in Immunotherapy) research unit, directed by Frédéric Altare, is based on the desire to focus thescientific expertise of the immunology and immunotherapy teams on different pathological contexts: inflammation, cancer and infectious diseases.