Armand BENSUSSAN PhD Research Director
Course and current status
Education
1981: Ph.D. Thesis. Diploma of Studies and of Research in Human Biology, University Paris Diderot - Paris 7, France
1981: Advanced course of Immunology, Pasteur Institute, University Paris Diderot - Paris 7, France
1987: Thesis-Doctorate of State in Human Biology, University Paris Diderot - Paris 7, France
Doctoral and Post-Doctoral training
1979/1981: Doctoral training at the Department of Human Immunogenetics (Pr. Jean DAUSSET, Nobel Prize 1980),Saint-Louis Hospital (Paris, France)
1982/1984: Post-doctoral training as research associate at the Department of Tumor Immunology (Pr. Stuart C. SCHLOSSMAN), Harvard Medical School (Boston U.S.A)
Academic Appointment
1985/1989: Researcher at INSERM (tenure-track position at assistant professor level). Team leader at INSERM U93, St Louis Hospital, Paris, France
1990/1994: Director of Research second class at INSERM (tenure-track position at professor level). Team leader at INSERM U93, St Louis Hospital, Paris, France
1995: Director of Research first class at INSERM. Team leader at INSERM U93, St Louis Hospital, Paris, France
1996/1999: Director of the INSERM Unit 448, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France
2000/2004: Team leader at INSERM Unit 448, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France
2005/2006: Director of the INSERM Unit 659, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France
2007/2008: Director of Immunology, Dermatology and Oncology Department at
INSERM Research Center 841, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France
2009/2021: Director of the Skin Research Center, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France
2009/2021: Director of the INSERM Unit 976, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France
Since 2010: Scientific Director, Institut Jean Godinot, Reims, France
2011/2021: Director of Research exceptional class at INSERM
Since 2021: Research Director Emeritus at INSERM
Since 2021: Affiliated Professor University Mohammed IV Polytechnic, Ben Guérir, Morocco
Awards
1986: French Academy of Sciences award
1989: Clinical investigation award, Foundation for the Medical research
1995: Bernard Halpern award
1998: Cancerology award from "Conseil Général du Val de Marne"
2003: French Academy of Sciences award
2009: National award of projects leaders for the creation and/or the development of highly innovative technology companies
2020: Prix Galien, France
Member of International Committee
Since 2006: Member of Human Cell Differentiation Molecules Council (CD nomenclature)
Since 2009: Member of European Monoclonal Antibodies Network
Professional Societies
Since 1984: Member of the American Association of Immunology
Since 1985: Member of the French Society of Immunology
2007/2009: President of the French Society of Immunology
Since 2010: Honorary member of the Argentinian Society of Immunology
Scientific summary
RESEARCH FOCUS
We are interested in two research themes, which are the oncodermatology and the chronic skin inflammation. We combine molecular, functional and genetic approaches to identify new targets for the diagnostic and the therapy of pathologies associated with the skin such as melanomas, cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) and psoriasis. Thus as an example, we have shown atypical expression of KIR3DL2 at the cell membrane of CTCLs. For the past few years our work contributed to demonstrate that this functional receptor was involved in the pathophysiology of the tumor and constituted a reliable therapeutic target using a specific monoclonal antibody IPH4102 developed with the biotechnology company Innate Pharma. A phase II study of IPH4102 in patients with Sézary syndrome is ongoing. The studies of the molecular signaling recruited in melanoma cell proliferation allowed us to propose an original therapeutic approach that we are testing now in animal models.
MAIN CONTRIBUTIONS
We have identified CD158k/KIR3DL2 as a new phenotypic marker for circulating Sézary cells in patients with Sézary syndrome (SS). We have shown that CD3+ CD158k+ phenotyping is a reliable and objective marker to monitor the blood tumor burden in patients with SS both in routine practice and as a response marker in therapeutic response. Moreover, we studied the role of mutants of the c-Kit receptor in the transformation of melanocytes to show that melanocytes require a specific epigenetic environment to be transformed by c-Kit mutants highlighting a distinct molecular mechanism of melanocyte transformation. Our data showed that c-Kit mutants were bona fide oncogenes in melanocytes and good therapeutic targets. Finally, we identified and described initially on NK lymphocytes and subsequently on activated T and endothelial cells, CD160-GPI, a receptor specific for MHC class Ia/Ib molecules and HVEM. For the endothelial cells, we developed a unique anti-CD160 monoclonal antibody that is capable in vivo to react with tumor vasculature and to induce its normalization. Thus, we propose CD160-GPI as a target for a novel antiangiogenic and vascular normalization therapy. Further, although CD160-GPI is not expressed on normal resting or activated B lymphocytes we reported its expression on B-CLL. We now studied the possibility to use CD160-GPI as a potential therapeutic target for B lymphocyte malignancies. In addition, we described an additional isoform of CD160, CD160-TM, that expression is restricted to activated NK lymphocytes.
