CV Science

David Durantel Molecular and Cellular Virologist, PhD, HDR

Course and current status

I have obtained my PhD in Molecular and Cellular Virology at the University of Montpellier in 1997. After three postdoctoral trainings respectively at Oxford Brookes University (with Pr Linda King and Robert Possee, UK), University of Oxford (with Pr R.aymond Dwek and Dr Nicole Zitzmann, UK), and INSERM (National Institute for Health and Medical Research; with Pr Fabien Zoulim), I have obtained a tenured position in 2005 at INSERM, then my Habilitation to direct research in 2008 from the University of Lyon (UCBL1), and was finally promoted Director of Research in 2016. During all these years, I worked on numerous research projects related to drug discovery (on both Direct Acting (DAA) and Host-Targeting Agents (HTA)) in the viral hepatitis field.As a reward of my dedication to the antiviral research field, I received the 2021 William Prusoff award from the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR) and currently serve the society as chairman of the Finance Committee.

I currently leads a team at the International Center for Research in Infectiology (CIRI –INSERM U1111, http://ciri.inserm.fr/; Lyon), on a program of research aiming at better understanding the interplay between HBV/HDV and liver innate immunity in order to contribute to the development of novel host-targeting agents, in particular immune-therapeutics.

I have authored/coauthored 130 PubMed-recorded articles/reviews, as well as numerous proceedings/book chapters & was/am inventor in a dozen of patents. I acts as reviewers for many journals, including Gastroenterology, Gut, Hepatology, J. Hepatol, PlosPathogen, antiviral journals, et caetera…

Between 2014 and 2023, I served as senior Editor for the Antiviral Research journal, section viral hepatitis (around 500 papers edited), and, associated to this function, have co-organized several international antiviral conferences, including the local .

I was recently nominated to organize the 2022 edition of the International HBV meeting.

I contribute to the French coordination on viral hepatitis research at ANRS (French Agency for AIDS and Hepatitis Research), by seating in the board of several ANRS “study section” and “concerted action” committees as well as routinely organizing workshops/conferences at national level. I seat in the International HBV meeting's previous organizer committee (POC), following the organisation of the meeting in Paris in September 2022.

I was member of the executive board of the French Association for Liver Studies (AFEF) between 2015-2018, and am a current member of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR).

Scientific summary

I currently head a team of around 15 (+/-3) people working on the understanding of the interplay between the 2 hepatotropic oncoviruses HBV and HDV and liver innate immunity in order to identify host-factors that could be targeted for antiviral and anticancerous therapeutic strategies. We work on the development of those host targeting agents (HTA) from early stage to preclinical devopment using relevant mouse models we contibuted to develop and characterise. Some HTA can have a combined antiviral and anticancerous properties this defining what we call HTAC.

Our ultimate goal is to team-up with industrial partners or spin-off an activity to move forward an HTA or an HTAC to the clinic and improved upon current therapies against chronic viral hepatitis and related liver diseases.

Setected recent publications:

1. Lucifora J, Alfaiate D, Pons C, Michelet M, Ramirez R, Fusil F, Amirache F, Rossi A, Legrand AF, Charles E, Vegna S, Farhat R, Rivoire M, Passot G, Gadot N, Testoni B, Bach C, Baumert TF, Hyrina A, Beran RK, Zoulim F, Boonstra A, Büning H, Verrier ER, Cosset FL, Fletcher SP, Salvetti A*, Durantel D *. Hepatitis D virus interferes with Hepatitis B virus RNA production via interferon-dependent and independent mechanisms. J Hepatol. 2023 Jan 24:S0168-8278(23)00016-8.

2. Desmares M, Delphin M, Chardès B, Pons C, Riedinger J, Michelet M, Rivoire M, Verrier B, Salvetti A, Lucifora J*, Durantel D*. Insights on the antiviral mechanisms of action of TLR1/2 agonist Pam3CSK4 in hepatitis B virus  (HBV)-infected hepatocytes. Antiviral Res. 2022 Oct;206:105386.

3. Michelet M, Alfaiate D, Chardès B, Pons C, Faure-Dupuy S, Engleitner T, Farhat R, Riedl T, Legrand AF, Rad R, Rivoire M, Zoulim F, Heikenwälder M, Salvetti A, Durantel D*, Lucifora J*. Inducers of the NF-kB pathways impair hepatitis delta virus replication and strongle decrease progeny infectivity in vitro. JHEP Rep. 2021 Dec 14;4(3):100415.

4. Chabrolles H, Auclair H, Vegna S, Lahlali T, Pons C, Michelet M, Couté Y, Belmudes L, Chadeuf G, Kim Y, Di Bernardo A, Jalaguier P, Cosset FL, Fusil F, Rivoire M, Arnold LD, Lopatin U, Combet C, Zoulim F, Grierson D, Chabot B, Lucifora J, Durantel D*, Salvetti A*. Hepatitis B virus Core protein nuclear interactome identifies SRSF10 as a host RNA-binding protein restricting HBV RNA production. PLoS Pathog. 2020 Nov 12;16(11):e1008593. *Co-correspondance.

5. Lucifora J, Michelet M, Rivoire M, Protzer U, Durantel D*, Zoulim F*. Two-dimensional-cultures of primary human hepatocytes allow efficient HBV infection: Old tricks still work! J Hepatol. 2020 Aug;73(2):449-451. *Equal contribution.

6. Faure-Dupuy S, Delphin M, Aillot L, Dimier L, Lebossé F, Fresquet J, Parent R,Matter MS, Rivoire M, Bendriss-Vermare N, Salvetti A, Heide D, Flores L, KlumppK, Lam A, Zoulim F, Heikenwälder M, Durantel D*, Lucifora J*. Hepatitis B virus-induced modulation of liver macrophage function promotes hepatocyte infection. J Hepatol.  2019 , 71:1086-1098 (2019). *Co-last/co-corresponding author.

7. T. Lahlali, J. M. Berke, K. Vergauwen, A. Foca, K. Vandyck, F. Pauwels, F. Zoulim, D. Durantel. Novel potent capsid assembly modulators regulate multiple steps of the Hepatitis B virus life-cycle. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 2018, 62(10):e00835-18.

8. J. Lucifora, M. Bonnin, L. Aillot, F. Fusil, S. Maadadi, L. Dimier, M. Michelet, O. Floriot, A. Ollivier, M. Rivoire, M. Ait-Goughoulte, S. Daffis, S. P. Fletcher, A. Salvetti, F. L. Cosset, F. Zoulim, D. Durantel. Direct antiviral properties of TLR ligands against HBV replication in immune-competent hepatocytes. Scientific reports 2018, 8(1):5390. 

9. L. Aillot, M. Bonnin, M. Ait-Goughoulte, N. Bendriss-Vermare, S. Maadadi, L. Dimier, M. Subic, C. Scholtes, I. Najera, F. Zoulim, J. Lucifora, D. Durantel. Interaction between Toll-Like Receptor 9-CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides and Hepatitis B Virus Virions Leads to Entry Inhibition in Hepatocytes and Reduction of Alpha Interferon Production by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy  2018, 62(4):e01741-17. . 

10. J. Lucifora, A. Salvetti, X. Marniquet, L. Mailly, B. Testoni, F. Fusil, A. Inchauspe, M. Michelet, M. L. Michel, M. Levrero, P. Cortez, T. F. Baumert, F. L. Cosset, C. Challier, F. Zoulim, D. Durantel. Detection of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently-closed-circular DNA (cccDNA) in mice transduced with a recombinant AAV-HBV vector. Antiviral Research 2017, 145, 14-19. 

11. A. Diab, A. Foca, F. Fusil, T. Lahlali, P. Jalaguier, F. Amirache, L. N'Guyen, N. Isorce, F. L. Cosset, F. Zoulim, O. Andrisani, D. Durantel. Polo-like-kinase 1 is a proviral host factor for hepatitis B virus replication. Hepatology 2017, 66, 1750-1765. 

12. D. Alfaiate, J. Lucifora, N. Abeywickrama-Samarakoon, M. Michelet, B. Testoni, J. C. Cortay, C. Sureau, F. Zoulim, P. Deny, D. Durantel. HDV RNA replication is associated with HBV repression and interferon-stimulated genes induction in super-infected hepatocytes. Antiviral Research 2016, 136, 19-31. 

13. N. Isorce, B. Testoni, M. Locatelli, J. Fresquet, M. Rivoire, S. Luangsay, F. Zoulim, D. Durantel. Antiviral activity of various interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines in non-transformed cultured hepatocytes infected with hepatitis B virus. Antiviral Research 2016, 130, 36-45.

14. S. Luangsay, M. Gruffaz, N. Isorce, B. Testoni, M. Michelet, S. Faure-Dupuy, S. Maadadi, M. Ait-Goughoulte, R. Parent, M. Rivoire, H. Javanbakht, J. Lucifora, D. Durantel*, F. Zoulim*. Early inhibition of hepatocyte innate responses by hepatitis B virus. J Hepatol. 2015, 63, 1314-1322. *Co-last/co-corresponding author.

15. S. Luangsay, M. Ait-Goughoulte, M. Michelet, O. Floriot, M. Bonnin, M. Gruffaz, M. Rivoire, S. Fletcher, H. Javanbakht, J. Lucifora, F. Zoulim*, D. Durantel*. Expression and functionality of Toll- and RIG-like receptors in HepaRG cells. J Hepatol. 2015, 63, 1077-1085. *Co-last/co-corresponding author.