Immunology, hematology and pneumology

The Institute is working on an approach that is both multidisciplinary and systemic to gain greater insight, at cell and molecule level, into the mechanisms that maintain or disrupt the internal balance of a biological system.

Scientific challenges

The main scientific challenge for the whole of IHP is the development of a systemic approach shedding light on the homeostasis (maintaining internal equilibrium), at cell and molecule level, of a biological system and the disruption of this balance leading to illness.

This involves multidisciplinary research carried out by biologists, physicians, mathematicians, physicists and computer technicians with a view to modeling the complexity of molecular and cellular interactions in the immune and hematological systems. This progress should give us a better understanding of the emergence of the most common multifactorial diseases.


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Interview of Paul-Henri Roméo, Director of the thematic multi-organization institute Immunology, hematology and pneumology

 

Medical challenges

Great leap forwards have been made in fundamental and clinical research in the hematology and immunology fields, resulting in the emergence of innovative biotherapies:

  • Hematopoietic stem cell transplants;

  • Identification of over 120 genes concerning 150 types of immune diseases;

  • Development of the first specific inhibitor of certain tyrosine-kinases, opening up greater possibilities for treating different cancers in particular;

  • First retroviral gene therapy trials.

Other specialties covered by this Institute, such as pneumology and dermatology, are also major public health challenges. Respiratory diseases affect millions of people in France and their incidence is on the rise. Obstructive chronic pulmonary disease alone is already the third cause of death in Europe and the sixth worldwide.

The prevalence of allergies has doubled over the last twenty years and more than a quarter of the European population has a sensitivity to one or more allergens. The WHO recognizes this as a major research field, placing it fourth in the list of priority diseases requiring development for public health means.

Dermatologists are the first port of call for treating allergic diseases: atopic dermatitis, contact eczema, occupational dermatoses, photoallergies, urticaria and skin accidents due to general administration of a drug. They also provide health care, that can be long and often difficult in the severe forms, for chronic inflammatory diseases (psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, alopecia, etc.).

Hemostasis is also a major challenge for research and public health. The prevalence of thrombotic diseases is high with arterial (ischemic diseases) and vein (thromboembolic disease) thrombosis being the main cause of death worldwide.


Director : Paul-Henri Romeo

Paul-Henri Romeo’s biography (10.4 ko)  ReadSpeaker

Deputy Director : Evelyne Jouvin-Marche
Policy Officer : Armelle Regnault

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