Research program : Extracellular vesicles and metabolic diseases

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Therapeutic strategies against cardio-metabolic dysfunctions: impact of nutrients

The aim is to approach the impact of plant variability in an integrative way to guide production management towards an optimized composition of nutrients beneficial to human health. We have developed a multi-parametric screening on cellular models associated with vascular and metabolic dysfunctions – endothelial and smooth muscle cells, hepatocytes, adipocytes, and macrophages – in relation to the levels of polyphenols, carotenoids, and sugars. This approach has been validated in the case of apples and carrots. This platform can be extended to all nutrients, and we will add cardiomyocytes as another target cells.

  1. Selection and production of compounds of interest: study of the influence of the genetic origin of plant material, production conditions and post-harvest conservation on nutritional quality
  2. Study of the impact of these nutrients on cell models of interest including hepatocytes, adipocytes, cardiomyocytes, macrophages, and endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Identify the metabolic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cell proliferation effects and decode the mechanisms involved. This approach has made it possible to set up adequate experimental protocols for screening the most effective active molecules.
  3. Evaluation of their effects in insulin resistance syndrome (hepatic and muscular steatosis, carbohydrate, and lipid dysmetabolism, vascular dysfunction, atheroma) on animal models.
  4. Opening of targeted clinical studies on the nutritional approach resulting from the most effective products in terms of “nutraceutical basket” in the preventive or curative effects of metabolic diseases.
  5. Therapeutic strategies based on ethno-pharmacological approaches resulting from epidemiological studies of medicinal plants for traditional use.

Fundings