Instructor

"I would like to pursue the field of gene therapy and participate in the establishment of therapeutic strategies for human patients."

Education

2013 PhD in Biology, College of Medicine, Nantes, France; "AAV-based gene transfer in skeletal muscle: impact of vector delivery methods on host immune system", Advisors: Dr Philippe Moullier, Dr Oumeya Adjali
2009 MSc in Biology, College of Medicine, Paris XII, France
2007 BSc in Biology and Biochemistry, College of Sciences and Technological Sciences, Nantes, France

Research interests

Gene transfer, immunology, translational research, molecular biology, viral vectors

Project

Immune responses against AAV capsids are not fully understood in at least one instance in a clinical trial for liver gene transfer where the capsids elicited cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) responses leading to clearance of transduce hepatocytes. On the other hand in clinical trials with AAV delivery to the muscle, capsids elicited a regulatory T-cell response leading to sustained stable expression in patients for more than 3 years. My project will be to characterize what type of immune response is elicited against an AAV capsid after CNS delivery. Also I will be looking at the innate and adaptive responses to AAV in the CNS and the impact this may have on gene transfer and AAV re-administration as well as the persistence of intact capsids and capsid epitopes after rAAV delivery. In collaboration with the Flotte lab I will also further characterize regulatory T-cell response to AAV capsid in future clinical trials with rAAV1 for alpha-1 antitrypsin.