INSERM (France)

The French Bioethics Law

Since 2004, 25 research groups obtained the authorizations from the Ministry of Health to import hESC lines, to derive new hESC lines from supernumerary embryos, and to develop research projects with hESCs. According to the French Bioethics Law, research projects should:                                            

The Biomedicine Agency supervises the research to ensure that it strictly conforms to legal regulations. The Bioethics Law prohibits activities including human cloning (both therapeutic and reproductive) and the creation of IVF embryos for research purposes. The Biotethics Law passed in 2004 should be revised in 2010.

INSERM laboratories and platforms involved in hESC and iPS cell research. 

I-Stem, Evry.

I-Stem research activity is dedicated to hESC/iPS cell-based cell therapy of monogenic diseases, including Huntington’s disease, Steinert’s disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Clouston’s disease. I-Stem benefits from a strong support from AFM (Association Française contre les Myopathies). Current research activities include:                                                                                                                            

 http://http://www.istem.eu/ewb_pages/e/english.php

Stem cell and cardiogenesis, Genopole, Evry

It investigates the molecular (genetic and epigenetic) and cellular mechanisms controlling the commitment of hESCs to the cardiac lineage, and the evaluation of the therapeutic potential of hESC-derived cardiac progenitors in the treatment of ischemia and other cardiomyopathies. Furthermore, it is searching for pharmacological targets that could relieve the defects in cardiac development in the laminopathies using hESC and iPS cell models.

Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Lyon.

Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute SBRI investigates the development, function and repair of neuronal circuits involved in cognition, motor control and biological rhythms and researches the structural foundations of computation in the cortex. It seeks to develop pluripotent stem cell based therapies so as to reverse the effects of brain lesions leading to the motor and cognitive deficits found in neurological disease including Parkinson's. Current research projects include:                                                                       

http://http://www.sbri.fr

INSERTECH, INSERM U898, Nice.

INSERTECH’s research activity is dedicated to the study of the molecular mechanisms that control epithelial physiopathology. Current projects aim;

http://http://www.insermtechnion.com

Institute for Research in Biotherapy (IRB), Montpellier.

IRB research activity is dedicated to research and development in the field of regenerative medicine. Current research activities on hESCs include:

http://http://irb.chu-montpellier.fr/en/introduction.html

Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Cancer (ISCBC), IAL Paul Brousse, Villejuif, University Paris Sud 11.

ISCBC investigates the genetic and epigenetic regulation of proliferation and differentiation of stem cells and cancer cells. Research activities on hESC is supported by a Core Facility which aims to explore the therapeutic potential of hESC and iPS cells in hematology, immunology and hepatology. Current research projects include:

http://http://www.vjf.cnrs.fr/newial

http://http://pfcs.free.fr

Institut of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC).

The team investigates the mechanisms of pluripotency in ES and EG cells. It has also developed a core facility to derive hESC cells from PGD embryos with the aim of creating a bank of hESC for the study of monogenic pathologies (in collaboration with I-Stem).

http://http://www.igbmc.fr/recherche/Dep_BCD/Eq_SVivi/index_uk.html

Recent achievements

 

http://http://www.inserm.fr/
 

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