Immun4cure: a university hospital institute (IHU) focused on autoimmune diseases
Led by Montpellier University Hospital, Inserm, and the University of Montpellier, and coordinated by Christian Jorgensen, director ofthe IRMB, the Immun4cure project has just been designated a University Hospital Institute. As a result, it has secured €20 million in funding to advance research and care related to autoimmune diseases.
Nearly 80 diseases are caused by a malfunction of the immune system, leading it to attack the body’s own healthy tissues. Systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, and type 1 diabetes are just a few examples. As the second leading cause of chronic pain, these autoimmune diseases—which affect eight times as many women as men—represent a significant public health challenge. Managing them poses a major challenge due to their increasing prevalence, the significant rise in treatment costs, and the difficulties in diagnosis.
Ambitious goals
To meet this challenge, a team has been assembled around Christian Jorgensen, director of the Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy (IRMB), to develop a University Hospital Institute (IHU) dedicated to these systemic autoimmune diseases. Led by the Montpellier University Hospital, Inserm, and the University of Montpellier, Immun4care—as it is called—was selected by the ANR from among 25 applications. It thus joins the seven national IHUs already accredited and receives a grant of 20 million euros as part of the France 2030 plan. This funding will enable the consolidation of Montpellier’s extensive multidisciplinary expertise by bringing together 15 research teams and more than 200 staff members.
This IHU has several objectives, foremost among which are: gaining a better understanding of systemic autoimmune diseases through the modeling of the immune response, as well as enabling earlier detection of these diseases. Through the IHU, the three partners aim to offer patients an optimized care pathway by promoting access to innovative curative therapies, particularly those based on the development of RNA technologies. Thus, in the short term, patients will be able to benefit from cutting-edge medical analyses, participate in personalized, on-demand clinical trials by joining patient cohorts, and gain access to innovative precision immunotherapies and biotherapies. Training is not overlooked, as the IHU will support the creation of a health school to provide training in the use of these new strategies.
Strong local roots
Immun4cure is part ofMedVallée, a global center of excellence in global health led by the Montpellier Metropolitan Area, and benefits from the biotherapy support policy backed by the Occitanie Regional Council. It complements other initiatives such asthe ExposUM Institute,the School of Digital Health, and the University Innovation Hub, and reaffirms the commitment to making Montpellier a key international player in the fields of health, the environment, and food.