CV Science

Helene Castel Expertises in Cancer Neurosciences and Neuroimmunology

Course and current status

Hélène Castel, PhD in Neuroscience,

French, 54 yrs, married, 3 children

Current position - Research Director at the Inserm Institute

Team Leader “Genetics, Biology and Plasticity of Brain Tumors", Inserm U1245, Cancer and Brain Genomics, University of Rouen Normandie, France.

She is expert in Neurosciences and Neuro-oncology, co-founder of the Cancer and Cognition Platform at the University of Rouen Normandie, President of the Scientific council of the Normandie Ligue contre le Cancer and recently co-scientific director of the North-West Cancéropôle. She received a PhD in cell electrophysiology in the field of GABA-GABA_AR in Neuroendocrinology at the University of Rouen Normandie. She has then worked on NMDAR and activation kinetics by fast concentration jump and patch-clamp techniques at University College of London as Postdoc in the David’s Colquhoun lab. After being hired as Researcher at Inserm in France, her team has contributed to understand the role of some chemopeptide GPCRs and G protein couplings in the context of brain gliovascular pathologies and glioma development. Now, she is head of the Team Genetics, Biology and Plasticity of Brain Tumors “NeuroGlio” at the Cancer and Brain Genomics (CGB) Research Institute of Rouen. She was an active member of the REGPEP society, and currently involved in the International Cognition and Cancer Task Force ICCTF, the COST action NET4BRAIN and the French GoPa network of ANOCEF, and core team of the INCA Labrex CHANGING.

 Academic background

1995-2000: PhD in Sciences, Cell Biology and Neurosciences – Electrophysiology (Dr Hubert Vaudry), URN

1995-1998 : Research Fellow Ministère de l’Enseignement et de la Recherche (MENRT) – Moniteur; URN, France

1998-2000 : Attaché Temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche (ATER), URN, France

2000-2002: Post-doc fellow in electrophysiology (Prof. D. Colquhoun), Welcome Trust Fellow, at University College London, London, UK

2002: INSERM CR2 and CR1, INSERM U413-Rouen

2010-2021: INSERM U982/1239 (Dr Youssef Anouar), Rouen

2011 :  Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR), URN

2010: Team Leader: Astrocyte and Vascular Niche, INSERM U982-Rouen

2016: Research Director Inserm (DR2), INSERM U1239-Rouen

2016:  Head of the preclinical axis of the Cancer and Cognition platform

2018-2025: President of the Scientific Council of Ligue Contre le Cancer Normandie

2022: Team Leader: Genomic, Biology and Plasticity of Brain Tumors NeuroGlio - INSERM U1245-CBG (Pr Gaël Nicolas) Rouen.

2026: Co-Scientific Director of the NorthWest Cancéropôle

Prize – PhD SNE-SERVIER (2000)

Certificates - Hygiene and safety (1995), I started to develop different variants of the electrophysiological technique in the laboratory of Dr Vaudry (U413 Inserm) during my PhD, and biochemical approaches (Western-blot, second messengers measAccreditation for investigation on animals n° 76-98 (2008), Surgery Level (2014).
Teaching - Masters 1 and 2 “Biologie-Santé” (2003-2010), 40h eq. TD/y. Co-Head of the DIU Can,cer and Cognition

Thesis and Master Supervision - More than 40 Master 2, including 15 clinicians, and 15 PhD, past and present

Appraisal activity

International expert for Foundation Brain Canada (1 M euros/per project), Wallenberg Foundation (1.5 M euros), French national evaluation of a Laboratory national HCERES,  Canceropole Siric APHP-Emerging grant, ANRGeneric - CE14 - Physiologie et physiopathologie, Vici-grants Fundamental Research, ZonMw, Netherlands (5 Million Euros /5 years per project), International reviewer for Prof Recruitment of a senior researcher: University of Sydney, Australia, Marie-Curie Slodowska fellowships, H2020 Eur Transcan-jtc (around 2 Million Euros /per project), Conseil Régional Acquitaine (each year), Canceropole Siric PACA (each year), Europ. NSC Poland (1 Million euro/project), Europ. Tyrol. Sci. Foundation (1 Million euro/project), Ligue contre le cancer Normandie,Grand Est, Grand-Ouest, Ligue contre le cancer Grand-Est (each year), North-West Canceropole (Emergence and structuring, each year)

2003-2005 : Elected member of the Commission Administrative Paritaire of Inserm
2008-2012 : Elected member of the Commission Scientifique Spécialisée CSS1 INSERM-Neurosciences
Since 2008 : Member of recruiting committees of MCU (Amiens, Lille, Caen, Rouen), chaires d'excellence (Rouen; 3 different chaires) and Professor (Lille, Caen, Amiens)
2012-2014 : Member of the Jury Bpi France
2012-2015 : Member of the Comité de Recherche en Matière Biomédicale et de Santé Since 2012 : Member of jury of selection and audition board of the ‘programmes structurants” of the North-West Canceropole
Since 2012 : Member “Commissions de Spécialistes” (66 ème - 69ème sections) of the University of Rouen Normandy
2013 : Member of the Comité Contrat d’Interface Hospitalier INSERM
2015 : ad hoc consulting for Novartis International (Zurich, December 2015)
2015-2018 : Elected Member of the department of biology of the University Rouen Normandie
2015-2017 : Inserm representative of the CRBSP- of Rouen, France
2020 : Coordination of a Working TaskForce “Tumeur Cérébrales” within the North-West Cancéropole
2020 : Member of the COPIL of the PAIR Tumeurs Cérébrales (2020)
2022-  Member of the ALBA network- volunteer applicant/ambassador current application
2022-  Member of the French network Femmes et Sciences
2023    ad hoc consulting for Gilead France (May 2023)
2024- Inserm representative of the CRBSP- of Rouen, France
2026- Jury member of the SD-Cancer FRFT 2026

Scientific summary

The team was renewed in January 2022, composed of 1 Inserm researcher, 2 Professors, 2 Assistant Professors, 5 MD’s (PhDs) with clinical activity, 1 Inserm engineer, 1 post-doc, 1 IE on contract and 6 PhD students. Furthermore, it hosts a number of undergraduate students including cliniciens (Master 2) every year. The reinforcement of the team with active clinicians allowed the establishment of translational and applied research projects.

The  activity aims at characterizing new therapeutic targets in the context of brain tumors, between therapeutic efficacy and preservation of cognition and brain functions, through evaluation of cancer therapies on cognitive functions, neuroinflammation and brain plasticity. I’m specialized in cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or immunotherapy on cognition/brain functions and on brain tumors, neuro- and immune microenvironment guided chemopeptide GPCRs and G protein by and cognitive dysfunctions in preclinical models. She develops preclinical models of PDX tumors and cancer surgery, and investigates the role of the cancer-derived myeloid cells, exosomes and systemic markers on brain plasticity and cognitive functions. By means of brain tumor organoids and iPS-derived cerebroids, she recently initiated programs on genetic impact of brain tumor developments and treatment neurotoxicities, as well as strategies of functional rehabilitation in preclinical models. Together, our research strength with NeuroGlio’s team members lies in complementary, multi-disciplinary expertise with access to patient tumors and clinical information and with the wet lab dealing with the development of behavioral cancer-bearing mouse models, animal models of glioma resection and recurrence, and also the implementation of neuroscience methods such as brain organoids bearing brain tumors and electrophysiology and optogenetics tools and skills.

 Key publications

Patents (P):

P1- “Agonists of urotensin II receptor for the treatment of vascular dysfunctions during septic choc” PCT (N°EP2012/051166), 2012. International.

P2- «Ligands analogues de l’urotensine II pour la prévention des déficits neurologiques post-hémorragie sous-arachnoïdienne» (FR1356995, 16.07.2013).

P3-«Urotensine II : Biomarqueur diagnostique du vasospasme après hémorragie sous-arachnoïdienne» (FR1358502, 05.09.2013).

P4. Patent-WO/2025/087667; PCT/EP2024/077717. Castel H, Mutel A, Morin F, Lecointre C, Bonin MC, Leduc R. Construct comprısıng or consıstıng of a peptıde sequence capable of ınhıbıtıng the ınteractıon of fılamın a wıth the UT receptor - pharmaceutıcal composıtıon and related products.

Key Publications

1. Nicola C, Pedard, Dubois M, Desrues L, Neveu P, Riou G, Johnston I, Dembele PK, Lecras P, Vaudry D, Adriouch S, Joly F, Hilber P, Wurtz O, Castel H. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Therapy Triggers Cognitive Deficits and Anxiety-Like Behaviors Through Tumor-Initiated Neuroinflammatory Niches in Male Mice. Bioarchive. doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.03.673981.
   

2. Pedard M, Prevost L, Carpena C, Holleran B, Desrues L, Dubois M, Nicola C, Gruel R, Godefroy D, Deffieux T, Tanter M, Ali C, Leduc R, Prézeau L, Gandolfo P, Morin F, Wurtz O, Bonnard T, Vivien D, Castel H. The urotensin II receptor triggers an early meningeal response and a delayed macrophage-dependent vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage in male mice. Nat Commun. 2024 Sep 29;15(1):8430. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52654-2.

3. Parment R, Dubois M, Desrues L, Mutel A, Dembélé KP, Belin N, Tron L, Guérin C, Coëffier M, Compère V, Féger C, Joly F, Hilber P, Ribet D, Castel H. A Panax quinquefolius-Based Preparation Prevents the Impact of 5-FU on Activity/Exploration Behaviors and Not on Cognitive Functions Mitigating Gut Microbiota and Inflammation in Mice. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Sep 10;14(18):4403. doi: 10.3390/cancers14184403.

4. Campisi D, Desrues L, Dembélé KP, Mutel A, Parment R, Gandolfo P, Castel H, Morin F. The core autophagy protein ATG9A controls dynamics of cell protrusions and directed migration. J Cell Biol. 2022 Mar 7;221(3):e202106014. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202106014. Epub 2022 Feb 18.

5. Le Joncour V, Guichet PO, Dembélé KP, Mutel A, Campisi D, Perzo N, Desrues L, Modzelewski R, Couraud PO, Honnorat J, Ferracci FX, Marguet F, Laquerrière A, Vera P, Bohn P, Langlois O, Morin F, Gandolfo P, Castel H. Targeting the Urotensin II/UT G Protein-Coupled Receptor to Counteract Angiogenesis and Mesenchymal Hypoxia/Necrosis in Glioblastoma. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Apr14;9:652544.

6. Nicola C, Dubois M, Campart C, Al Sagheer T, Desrues L, Schapman D, Galas L, Lange M, Joly F, Castel H. The Prostate Cancer Therapy Enzalutamide Compared with Abiraterone Acetate/Prednisone Impacts Motivation for Exploration, Spatial Learning and Alters Dopaminergic Transmission in Aged Castrated Mice. CANCERS (Basel). 2021 Jul 14;13(14):3518.

7. El Amki M, Dubois M, Lefevre-Scelles A, Magne N, Roussel M, Clavier T, Guichet PO, Gérardin E, Compère V, Castel H. Long-Lasting Cerebral Vasospasm, Microthrombosis, Apoptosis and Paravascular Alterations Associated with Neurological Deficits in a Mouse Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Mol Neurobiol. 2018 Apr;55(4):2763-2779. doi: 10.1007/s12035-017-0514-6.

8. Coly PM, Perzo N, Le Joncour V, Lecointre C, Schouft MT, Desrues L, Tonon MC, Wurtz O, Gandolfo P, Castel H, Morin F. Chemotactic G protein-coupled receptors control cell migration by repressing autophagosome biogenesis. Autophagy. 2016 Dec;12(12):2344-2362. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2016.1235125.

9. Lecointre C, Desrues L, Joubert JE, Perzo N, Guichet PO, Le Joncour V, Brulé C, Chabbert M, Leduc R, Prézeau L, Laquerrière A, Proust F, Gandolfo P, Morin F and Castel H. Signaling switch of the urotensin II vasosactive peptide GPCR: prototypic chemotaxic mechanism in glioma. Oncogene. 2015 Sep 24;34(39):5080-94. doi: 10.1038/onc.2014.433.

10. Brulé C, Perzo N, Joubert JE, Sainsily X, Leduc R*, Castel H*, Prézeau L*. Biased signaling regulates the pleiotropic effects of the urotensin II receptor to modulate its cellular behaviors. FASEB J. 2014 Dec;28(12):5148-62. doi:10.1096/fj.14-249771. 

11. Jarry M, Lecointre C, Malleval C, Desrues L, Schouft MT, Lejoncour V, Liger F, Lyvinec G, Joseph B, Loaëc N, Meijer L, Honnorat J, Gandolfo P, Castel H. Impact of meriolins, a new class of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, on malignant glioma proliferation and neo-angiogenesis. Neuro Oncol. 2014 Nov;16(11):1484-98. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/n