The Incit teams
Team 2
Clinical and translational research in proliferative and inflammatory skin diseases.
Objectives of the research programs
Our projects aim to improve the management of patients with skin cancers and severe skin dysbiosis, ranging from epidemiology to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies, including artificial intelligence.
Research projects
Our work is organised around 5 programmes, grouped into two main research areas:
Melanoma and Immunotherapy
Clinical research, focused on the development of immunotherapies in cutaneous cancers, the implementation of clinical trials in inflammatory pathologies involving the cutaneous microbiome, such as acne; the optimisation of production processes for therapeutic TILs, and the monitoring of a national database on clinical data from melanoma patients (RicMel). Coordinated by A. Khammari and B. Dreno
The identification of molecular/immunological signatures associated with clinical responses and severe adverse events in patients treated for melanoma, and the development and validation of artificial intelligence algorithms that enable the characterization of peri-scar heliodermia as a substitute marker for TMB to predict patient response to immunotherapy, by exploring the immune and molecular mechanisms underlying this correlation, as part of the European MULTIR project. Coordinated by L. Boussemart.
The epidemiology and prevention of melanoma, with the development of new methods of analysis and the optimization of prevention strategies. Coordinated by G. Quereux
Skin inflammation
Characterisation of the diversity and interactions of skin commensal bacteria such as acnes and S. epidermidis on the control of cutaneous innate immunity using acne as a model. Coordinated by S. Corvec and B. Dreno
The development of a regenerativeskin dressing based on a secretome of immortalised foetal keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Coordinated by B. Dreno and A. Khammari
Graphic summary
Highlights
Real-world outcomes of adjuvant therapies in stage III/IV melanoma: Insights from the French RIC-MEL cohort.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025
Efficacy of imiquimod in the management of lentigo maligna.
Themes addressed
Clinical research in skin diseases
Coordinated by A. Khammari and B. Dreno
Artificial intelligence and melanoma
Coordinated by L. Boussemart
Epidemiology and prevention of melanoma
Coordinated by G. Quereux
Control of cutaneous innate immunity by skin commensal bacteria
Coordinated by S. Corvec and B. Dreno
Regenerative Skin Dressing
Coordinated by B. Dreno and A. Khammari
The Research Team
4 University professors / Hospital practitioners
5 Engineers
- K. Ducoin, IR
- F. Marouf, IR
- C. Berthebaud, IR
- J. Saenz, IR
- T. Roret, IR
Post doc
- ________
1 project manager
1 Doctoral student
- Louise Ruffier d'Epenoux
Lecturer / Hospital practitioner
The Clinical Team
6 Clinical Research Assistants
- J. Cassecuel
- C. Dabrowski
- V. Rousselet
- Mr. Thabot
- Roxane Mathieu
6 ITA
- S. Charpentier, IE
- A. Daminette-Normand, TCH
- C. Leroy, TCH
- A. Mordelet, TCH
- A. Vallee, IE
- L. Minier, TCH
2 Clinical research nurses
- A. Boisrobert
- C. Montfort
Scientific publications
Find the major publications of the team for the last 2 years.
Real-world outcomes of adjuvant therapies in stage III/IV melanoma: Insights from the French RIC-MEL cohort.
Vuillemey M., Goronflot T., Celerier P., Legoupil D., Misery L., Dupuy A., Le Corre Y., Hainaut E., Cassecuel J., Khammari A., Quereux G.
European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2025
NIVO-TIL: combination anti-PD-1 therapy and adoptive T-cell transfer in untreated metastatic melanoma: an exploratory open-label phase I trial.
L’Orphelin J.-M., Lancien U., Nguyen J.-M., Coronilla F. J.S., Saiagh S., Cassecuel J., Boussemart L., Dompmartin A., Dréno B.
Acta Oncologica 2024
Efficacy and Tolerability of Tebentafusp in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma: A Real-life Retrospective Multicenter Study.
Vitek L., […] Khammari A., Mortier L., Quereux G.
Acta Dermato-Venereologica. 2024
Phase I/II clinical trial of adoptive cell transfer of sorted specific T cells for metastatic melanoma patients.
Dréno B, Khammari A, Fortun A, Vignard V, Saiagh S, Beauvais T, Jouand N, Bercegay S, Simon S, Lang F, Labarrière N.
Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2021 Oct;70(10):3015-3030. doi: 10.1007/s00262-021-02961-0.
Effectiveness and safety of nivolumab in patients with advanced melanoma: A
multicenter, observational study.
Monestier S, Dalle S, Mortier L, Dutriaux C, Dalac-Rat S, Meyer N, Leccia MT, Mansard S, Montaudié H, Saiag P, Combemale P, Guillot B, Skowron F, Duval Modeste AB, Bénéton N, Hainaut E, Robert C, Arnault JP, Le Corre Y, Jouary T, Ameur N, Varey E, Khammari A, Dréno B; RIC-Mel network.
Int J Cancer. 2021 Jun 1;148(11):2789-2798. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33467. Epub 2021 Feb 19.
Contact
Centre
Nantes
Location
IRS2, Nantes University
22 Boulevard Benoni Goulin
44000 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.