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At the French Symposium for Young Researchers in Cystic Fibrosis #CFJC2025, Sandra Khau, a PhD student at CEPR, received the ‘My Thesis in 3 Minutes’ award! In addition, the Michel Chignard prize, awarded prior to the conference, went to Benoit Briard, a researcher at CEPR. Congratulations to him! On 4 February, nearly 150 participants gathered at the Imagine Institute to discuss scientific advances in cystic fibrosis. Post-doctoral researchers, engineers, medical interns and master’s students presented their work through oral presentations and poster sessions, making it a particularly dynamic day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOB4XQxUVDA

The EU-funded FAIR project has reached a major milestone with the start of a Phase I clinical trial for FLAMOD, an innovative therapy targeting respiratory infections. The trial is being conducted at the Clinical Investigation Centre of the Academic Hospital of Tours, France, led by Prof. Antoine Guillon. Unlike traditional antibiotics, FLAMOD boosts the body’s own immune response and is designed to work alongside antibiotics to improve their effectiveness. Derived from flagellin—a natural bacterial component—FLAMOD is delivered via aerosol using an Aerogen mesh nebulizer to directly stimulate lung immunity without triggering widespread inflammation. “This is a novel approach that directly addresses the challenge of antibiotic resistance,” said Prof. Guillon, highlighting the burden of respiratory infections, which cause around 3 million deaths globally each year. Dr. Valérie Gissot, Head of the Investigation Centre, emphasized the unique academic origins of the project: “Unlike most drug developments, FLAMOD was conceived and advanced by researchers and clinicians within academia, made possible by EU funding.” The NEBUFLAG trial crowns five years of collaborative work under the FAIR project. Coordinator Dr. Jean-Claude Sirard praised the team’s efforts: “This marks the first human trial with nebulized flagellin. Our progress in preclinical studies, dose modeling, and trial design has been exceptional.” The trial is expected to conclude by the end of 2026, with early results already showing promise.

Today, January 28, the Nebuflag study is being launched at the CHRU in Tours, France. This is the 3rd stage of a larger research project, led by a consortium of European researchers*, and financed by European funds, notably Horizon 2020. This study is the 1st to be carried out on healthy, spontaneously breathing volunteers. One of the aims is to test the human response to the treatment currently being developed, called FLAMOD. This is a flagellin aerosol therapy for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial pneumonia.Pneumonia is a type of respiratory tract infection that causes inflammation of the pulmonary alveoli – in short, it prevents breathing. Pneumonia is currently the third leading cause of death worldwide, and particularly affects children and the elderly. A major complicating factor for effective treatment is the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where the bacteria responsible for pneumonia are resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat and eliminate the infection.The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that bacterial infections due to antimicrobial resistance will become the leading cause of death worldwide by 2050. Our researchers are working hard to find effective alternative therapies. This is the challenge facing the FAIR** consortium, which is studying therapies that could be used as an alternative to antibiotic treatment of pneumonia. PODCAST HERE Our experts today are : Valérie Gissot, delegated physician, CIC clinical investigation center, CHRU Tours. Antoine Guillon, intensive care physician, Tours University Hospital, INSERM U110 Centre d’Étude des Pathologies Respiratoires. They tell us more about the NEBUFLAG study, which is being launched today at the CHRU de Tours. * Consortium members: Inserm Freie Universität Berlin, Epithelix, Aerogen, Statens Serum Institut, CHU Tours, Amsterdam UMC, Université de Lille, University of Southampton, European Respiratory Society, Inserm | Cellule Europe, Inserm Transfert **Flagellin aerosol therapy as an immunomodulatory adjunct to the antibiotic treatment of drug-resistant bacterial pneumonia (FAIR) The consortium is coordinated by Jean-Claude Sirard, Team Leader at the Lille Center for Infection and Immunity.

Announcement symposium “Epithelial cells: the conductors of inflammation” 📅 Date: March 15, 2025; https://gremi.asso.fr/PGE2uk/uk_registration.htm Preliminary Program Printable Poster (A4, pdf) of the One-Day GREMI meeting Abstract deadline: January 20th, 2025 Conference site: Pasteur Institute (Paris) – Duclaux Lecture Theater (access: 205 rue de Vaugirard, Paris 15ème). At the entrance of the Pasteur Institute, your ID card will be requested.Registration payment includes lunch. Abstracts, posters (1m height x 0.70m large) and slides will be in English. Oral communications will preferably be in English or eventually in French. The poster size will be specified later. Suggested Hotel (Pasteur Institute rate, will be updated). The reservation of your room must be done directly with the hotel selected. Early reservation is recommended. Preferential rate granted to the Institut Pasteur according to the availabilities of the hotel. To take advantage of it, give the reference « Rate Institut Pasteur » when you book your room. The registration fees are 150 euros (full price) and 70 euros reduced price for the students, postdoc (<35 y/o) and ITA (technicians).For the students and technicians, in these cases a signed letter from their advisor verifying their status must be sent by email to xavier.norel@inserm.fr GREMI is a non-profit association exempted from commercial taxes, VAT non applicable