PROGRAM LEADERS
Pr Jérôme LARGHERO, is Professor of cell biology at University Paris Cité school of medicine. He participates to scientific board of the Hematology-Oncogenesis-Biotherapies (HOP) Doctoral School of Paris Cité University. He serves as associate editor of Current Research in Translational Medicine journal. He is a member of the French Academy of Medicine and of the French Academy of Pharmacy. He is regularly invited to give scientific seminars for ASH, ASCO, ESMO annual congresses on cell therapies and engineering.
Dr Camille MAHEUX, PharmD, is the head of the Innovating therapy production unit at Meary Center. She was initially trained at Caen Pharmacy School, University of Caen-Normandie, where she obtained her Pharm. D. She also obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at IAE Caen (Business administration school of Caen), and then moved to Paris where she obtained her Master in Pharmaceutical biotechnology and therapy from University of Paris-Sud. She first acquired an industrial experience at Cellectis R&D department, then at Invectys, before being recruited as the pharmacist responsible for Cell therapy Unit of Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière at AP-HP. She then moved to Saint-Louis where she now leads the production unit for innovating cell therapies.
Dr Miryam MEBARKI, PharmD, PhD, is a lecturer of cell therapy and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) at Universty Paris Cité, school of pharmacy. She is researcher in the INSERM U976 unit, team 7, working on the development of mesenchymal stromal cells-based ATMPs. She is also the head of ATMP activity at the Cell Therapy Unit – Saint-Louis hospital, which constitutes with the Pharmacy the « pharmaceutical Hub » for CAR T-cells at AP-HP. She is regularly invited to give scientific seminars on ATMPs and CAR T-cells.
STRENGTHS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS
Cancer Care:
The department of biotherapies of Saint-Louis Hospital comprises:
1/ The Cell Therapy Unit (CTU)
- – The Saint-Louis Hospital CTU has been historically in charge of the preparation and control of allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic cell grafts for the hematology departments of Saint-Louis (representing more than 30% of the whole bone marrow transplant activity of the AP-HP), Robert Debré (pediatrics), Avicenne, Tenon, and Trousseau (pediatrics) Hospitals, all belonging to the Great Paris University Hospital (AP-HP). In 2018, the Pitié-Salpêtrière CTU was merged and transferred to Saint-Louis, thereby doubling the activity of Saint-Louis CTU, which now takes in charge the preparation of grafts dedicated to patients of Pitié-Salpêtrière and Saint-Antoine AP-HP Hospitals, but also Corbeil-Essonnes, Argenteuil, and Troyes general Hospitals. In December 2016, the Saint-Louis CTU became the first center in Europe to inject CAR-T cells in patients from the hematology and AYA departments of Saint-Louis and Robert Debré Hospitals, in close collaboration with the pharmacy and apheresis teams, representing 50% of the whole CAR-T cell activity of the AH-HP network. Thus, the Saint-Louis CTU along with the pharmacy team constitutes a « pharmaceutical hub » for CAR-T cells at the AP-HP. Indeed, after young adults and pediatric patients, all hematology departments began to use CAR-T cells in their therapeutic strategy, first in Saint-Louis, then in Pitié-Salpêtrière, Henri Mondor, and Saint-Antoine AP-HP network Hospitals. More recently, CAR-T cells were proved to be efficient in multiple myeloma treatment; as a consequence, the Saint-Louis CTU takes in charge apheresis samples and CAR-T cell reception (in tight link with the pharmacy department) for 150 to 200 patients each year for the AP-HP network of Paris university hospitals. The Saint-Louis CTU also hosts the AP-HP cord blood bank, which activities rely on a network of eight maternities. The Saint-Louis CTU is JACIE-accredited since 2005.- Beyond hematological malignancies, the Saint-Louis CTU is also the only center of the Great Paris region (Ile-de-France) able and authorized to prepare Langerhans islet grafts for treating type 1 diabetes.
2/ The AP-HP MEARY center for Cell and Gene therapy (https://centremeary.aphp.fr/)
Integrated within the largest university hospital in Europe (Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, AP-HP), the MEARY center for cell and gene therapy is the AP-HP manufacturing center of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP). It offers all the most advanced services and skills in the fields of gene and cell therapy and tissue engineering. Human-sized and nestled in the heart of an ecosystem of healthcare and research structures, it is based on a dynamic of innovation that has led to several world firsts and on privileged links with the medical and pharmaceutical sector. Located on the first floor of the MEARY building, the MEARY center for cell and gene therapy aims to produce, control, and release batches of ATMPs for biomedical research.
The MEARY center has a:
– GMO agreement No. 5691 from MESRI (French Ministry for Research).
– GMP agreement from ANSM (French regulation agency), authorization No. TIE/19/O/001 (EUDRA GMP Certificate) for experimental ATMP manufacturing (production and quality control).
The MEARY center team has expertise and skills in the various aspects related to ATMP manufacturing and quality control. The center already put in place cell and gene therapy clinical trials and partnerships with both academic teams and private companies. It is labeled « Intégrateur Industriel » by the Grand Défi Biomédicament, laureate of the PIA Sésame Filière from the Ile-de-France region, and member of two Carnot Institutes and of the CAR-T group of the EUHA (European Alliance of University Hospitals).
Research:
- 2 PHRC: Pr. N. Boissel; Pr. A. Baruchel
- 1 ARC grant: Pr. Caillat-Zucman
RHU EpCART with Curie Institute: CAR-T cell stemness reprograming for clinical use in refractory cancers
Basic science:
- Team: Stem cell biotechnologies (Pr. J. Larghero), U976
- Team: Lymphocyte differentiation and lymphoid disorders (Dr. JC Bories), U976
- Team: Immune responses in immunocompromised host: tolerance vs GVHD (Pr. S. Caillat-Zucman), U976
- Team: Endothelium, inflammation & allo-reactivity (Dr. N. Mooney), U976
- Team: Physics of cytoskeleton & morphogenesis (Dr. M. Thery), U976
The MEARY center is participating to multiple academic research projects, both in the cancer field and in non-cancer diseases, making the most of its skills in cell and tissue preparation and culture:
– Concerning academic projects: two early phase trials related to CAR-T cell transplantation in hematology have been selected (Pr. Boissel, Saint-Louis Hospital), two others in the field of T-reg cells in the management of organ transplantation (Dr. Myara, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital), one based on the transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells for the treatment of ocular burns (Pr. Gabison, Rotschild Ophthalmic Foundation), one related to the injection of extracellular vesicles for the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy (Pr. Menasche, Georges Pompidou Hospital), and one based on stromal vascular fraction transplantation for the treatment of Crohn’s disease (Pr. Grimaud, Marseille Hospital).
In addition, the MEARY center is a partner of the EpCART RHU project, coordinated by the Curie Institute, which has been selected for funding in 2021 (CAR-T cells in solid tumors).
– Concerning industrial partnerships, the MEARY center is involved in several projects with different companies, for clinical trials or for the development of bioproduction processes: EMERCELL (NK cell transplantation), SMARTIMMUNE (T-progenitor transplantation), TREEFROG THERAPEUTICS (industrialization of encapsulated iPS cell production), BIOMERIEUX (microbiological quality control of ATMPs), EVERZOM (manufacturing of extracellular vesicles), HONING BIOSCIENCE (cell engineering), MNEMO THERAPEUTICS (CAR-T in solid tumors), and ASTRAVEUS (optimization of bioproduction processes by microfluidics).
Education:
Pr. LARGHERO is professor of cell biology at the University Paris Cité faculty of medicine. He participates in the scientific board of the Hematology-Oncogenesis-Biotherapies (HOP) doctoral school of Paris Cité University.
He serves as an associate editor of the Current Research in Translational Medicine journal.
He is a member of the French Academy of Medicine and of the French Academy of Pharmacy.
He is regularly invited to give scientific seminars on cell therapies and engineering at ASH, ASCO, and ESMO annual congresses.