Technical platforms
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The goal of our platforms is to increase the level of phenotyping in our cohorts by studying invasive (biopsy) and non-invasive biomarkers to better characterize rejection activity, stage and response to therapy.
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HLA platformThis platform focuses on the study of anti-HLA and non anti-HLA DSA characteristics that have been proven to be associated with allograft survival, such as:
- antibody level and strength by Luminex® Single Antigen - antibody complement-binding capacity (C1qScreen™ by Luminex® xMAP® technology) - antibody subclass composition (IgG1, 2, 3, 4) and affinities - non anti-HLA DSAs Contact: Pr. Jean-Luc Taupin |
TRANSCRIPTOMICS
This platform uses the nCounter Analysis System of NanoString™ to obtain a direct multiplexed measurement of gene expression with high levels of precision and sensitivity. This assay generates high-quality results from challenging sample types like FFPE tissues.
This platform also studies RNA Sequencing by NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) to further explore RNA expression profiles in kidney biopsies. Single-Cell RNA sequencing in tissue is also studied to improve our understanding of disease mechanisms in the allograt after kidney transplantation. It provides a higher resolution of cellular differences and a better understanding of the function of an individual cell in the context of its microenvironment. It is especially interesting in the context of renal transplantation as multiple cells from the tissue and the immune system interact at different levels. Contacts: Pr. Jean-Paul Duong Van Huyen Blaise Robin |
Non-invasive Biomarkers
The NGS technology is used to study HLA mismatches between donors and recipients at the eplet level, e.g. based on the three-dimensional molecular structures and amino acid sequence differences between HLA antigens to define the structural basis of HLA epitopes.
RNA isolated from whole blood in PAXgene® are also studied, allowing to identify candidate genes of rejection as non-invasive biomarkers. Contacts: Dr. Maud Racapé Francine Tacafred |
Pathology platformThis platform is dedicated to multi-organ routine techniques for high quality deep phenotyping of biopsies by routine immunostaining (immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence: masson's trichrome, hematoxilin/eosin, complement and macrophage staining) following the current worldwide diagnosis nomenclature systems.
The platform also works on developing multiplex immunofluorescence staining as a way to improve understanding of localization and kinetics of inflammatory and immunological components in rejection. Allograft gene expression measurments are also studied with the close collaboration of the pathology platform. Contacts: Pr. Jean-Paul Duong Van Huyen Dr. Marion Rabant |
GENOM'ICThis platform is specialized in genomic and transcriptomic studies, integrating data production based on various technical approaches and adapted bio informatic analyses. Real time and digitale PCR, microarrays and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Nanostring and 10X technologies are proposed, covering a large spectrum of analysis : for example, exploratory data obtained from RNA-seq will identify set of molecular markers linked with particular phenotypes of kidney transplantation ; focused analysis of this set with real time PCR or Nanostring technology will then be used to define a specific molecular signature for each phenotype.
Contact: Franck Letourneur |
Picture credits:
The micrograph was taken by Volker Brinkmann with a Leo 1550 scanning electron microscope. Taken from PLoS Pathogens Vol. 1(3) November 2005
A scientist checks a blood sample. 2012. National Eye Institute
Nephron [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons
DNA designed by kjpargeter / Freepik
The micrograph was taken by Volker Brinkmann with a Leo 1550 scanning electron microscope. Taken from PLoS Pathogens Vol. 1(3) November 2005
A scientist checks a blood sample. 2012. National Eye Institute
Nephron [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons
DNA designed by kjpargeter / Freepik