Please check out the results (in press in Kidney International) of our latest study where we develop a urinary peptide classifier based on molecular signatures similar in mice and humans that will, we believe, significantly speed up preclinical drug research. A major issue in drug research is that many potential drugs work fine in animal models but do significantly less well in humans (or not work at all). To improve on the validity of preclinical observations we have developped a non-invasive multimolecular humanized readout in mice based on molecular signatures similar in mice and humans. Such read-out will allow to find out at an early stage (eg preclinical) whether a new drugRead More →

Today, Bénédicte Buffin-Meyer presented her work on urinary metabolome analysis by CE-MS to discover metabolite-based biomarkers of UPJ obstruction and the 10th meeting of the French metabolomics network in Montpellier (http://10-js-rfmf.sciencesconf.org/).              Most metabolomics studies use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (LC/MS). In contrast, capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE/MS) has been rarely used for metabolome analysis due to issues related to stable coupling of CE to the MS instrument and the limited loading capacity of CE columns. Here, we report an optimized CE/MS setup and data analysis pipeline that allows comparingRead More →

Please meet the first 100% RF-lab baby (her hands): Juliette. Congratulations to the happy parents Audrey and Ben!    

Stéphane and Stan obtained a new grant of 20 kEuro from the “Agence de la Biomédecine” to pursue their genetic research in HNF1beta. Congratulations!    

            The RF-lab was again present at the ERA-EDTA, held in Vienna this year. One of our PhD students, Theofilos Papadopoulos, financed by the EU project iMODE-CKD (http://www.imodeckd.org/), presented a highly successful poster on the potential role of miRNAs in the progression of chronic kidney disease. “miRNAs are short non coding RNAs that regulate mRNA expression. Similar to other diseases, miRNAs have been found to be modified in renal tissue and urine during kidney disease and therefore could serve as markers or provide information on the pathophysiology of disease. In this study, in the context of the European project iMODE-CKD, we aimedRead More →

For the 5th consecutive year, on 13 May, Inserm has opened the doors of its laboratories to students from primary to high school, in several cities in France. The operation “Destination Labo” gives annual opportunity for school to come discover the world of biomedical research and exchange with researchers, engineers and technicians on their job in order to refine their career plans and encourage vocations. A window on the usually impenetrable places! In Toulouse, in collaboration with the Academy of Toulouse, the Institute of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (INSERM UMR / UPS 1048 – I2MC) hosted one classe of the “Lycée des Arennes” in Toulouse.Read More →

Urinary peptidomics focuses on endogenous urinary peptide content. Many studies now show the usefulness of this approach for the discovery and validation of biomarkers in kidney diseases that are as varied as chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, congenital anomalies of the kidney and the urinary tract, and polycystic kidney disease. Most studies focus on chronic kidney disease and demonstrate that urinary peptidome analysis can substantially contribute to early detection and stratification of patients with chronic kidney disease. A number of multicenter studies are ongoing that aim further validation in a clinical setting and broaden the applicability of urinary peptides. The association of urinary peptidesRead More →

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection, and is a major cause of sensorineural hearing loss and neurological disabilities. Evaluating the risk for a CMV infected fetus to develop severe clinical symptoms after birth is crucial to provide appropriate guidance to pregnant women who might have to consider termination of pregnancy or experimental prenatal medical therapies. However, establishing the prognosis before birth remains a challenge. This evaluation is currently based upon fetal imaging and fetal biological parameters, but the positive and negative predictive values of these parameters are not optimal, leaving room for the development of new prognostic factors. Here, we comparedRead More →

The result of the study advocate dedicated transplantation management in patients with HNF1B mutations: (a) consider combined kidney-pancreas transplantation even in nondiabetic individuals with HNF1B mutations, (b) individualize the immunosuppressive regimen avoiding Calcineurin inhibitors and minimizing steroids. Further studies in a larger cohort are now required to confirm the increased risk of diabetes mellitus, liver disorders, and acute oxalate deposits after transplantation in HNF1B patients.   Calcineurin Inhibitors Downregulate HNF-1β and May Affect the Outcome of HNF1B Patients After Renal Transplantation. Faguer S, Esposito L, Casemayou A, Pirson Y, Decramer S, Cartery C, Hazzan M, Garrigue V, Roussey G, Cointault O, Ho T, Merville P,Read More →

The traditional Christmass lunch of the RF-lab was held on Monday 14 December. Presents were exchanged and we are ready for 2016 !!