CV Science

NATHALIE MIGNET DR1 CNRS, Nanomedicines, imaging, biomolecules delivery

Course and current status

Dr Mignet obtained a PhD on the pro-oligonucleotide approach with Pr Imbach in 1996. She then worked with Dr Gryaznov on the synthesis of oligonucleotide phosphoramidate in the company Lynx Therapeutics in San Francisco. She then joined the chemistry department of Sheffield to work on aptamer selection with the synthesis of modied nucleotides. She was hired by the company Capsulis in Bordeaux to work on oligonucleotide encapsulation in spherulites together with the lab of Dr C. Hélène. Shen then joined the lab of Dr D. Scherman in Aventis Pharma and was hired by the CNRS in 2000. She is now director of research at the faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Paris, and lead the laboratory UTCBS: Chemical and Biological Technologies for Health CNRS/ INSERM/University mixed lab, composed of 3 tems interested in drug delivery systems, in particular nucleic acid delivery and the immunological role of therapeutic cytokines. Her team Vectors for Molecular Imaging and targeted Therapy is very active in nanomedicine with the creation of the European Nanomed master and the French Society for Nanomedicine, in optical imaging with the creation of the optical imaging platform on small animals as well as new chemical and thermal analysis methods for the charcaterisation of nanomedicines.

Scientific summary

Nucleic acid are biomolecules which require vectors to be internalised in cells. I focused my research on autoassembled lipids. I developed non cationic lipids able to interact with DNA by hydrogen bonds.  More recently, with my team vector for molecular imaging and targeted therapy, we concentrated on nanoparticles for imaging, novel contrast agents and local drug delivery systems.