SIRIC: Montpellier's influence in the field of oncology
With the renewal of the SIRIC designation— Research Cancer Research Site”—awarded by the National Cancer Institute to the consortium comprising the Montpellier Cancer Institute (ICM), Inserm, the CNRS, Paul-Valéry University – Montpellier 3, and the University of Montpellier, a third phase is now beginning for this flagship project in cancer research in Montpellier. The project was presented on Wednesday, April 12, during a press conference.
Montpellier is indeed a hub for research and innovation, with deep historical roots in the field of health sciences. Within this highly stimulating ecosystem, SIRIC Montpellier Cancer has spent the past decade building a research center that integrates medical, scientific, and societal research in oncology.
Renewal of the SIRIC certification
Building on the success of their second accreditation (2017), the teams at SIRIC Montpellier Cancer have secured a five-year renewal of the prestigious SIRIC accreditation following a competitive evaluation conducted by an international panel.
The €6 million in funding over five years awarded by INCa, Inserm, and the Directorate General for Healthcare Provision (DGOS) will enable the Montpellier SIRIC to expand its activities through a new, ambitious, and collaborative project that will bring together 20 research teams from eight institutes affiliated with Inserm, the CNRS, Paul-Valéry University, and the University of Montpellier, as well as 25 clinical teams from the two partner healthcare institutions.
3 programs to transform clinical practices
SIRIC Montpellier Cancer now aims to develop integrated research programs (PRI) centered on three key themes, in which Montpellier possesses unique medical and scientific strengths, enabling the pursuit of cutting-edge research capable of transforming clinical practices in the near future:
- The " PRIORITY" PRI will conduct world-class research aimed at optimizing internal and external radiation therapy treatments by combining a multimodal approach that integrates tumor biology, radiobiology, dosimetry, and next-generation AI-driven imaging.
- The " PANACEA" PRI will draw on a unique network of expertise in the psychosocial and behavioral sciences, public health, supportive care, and cancer biology to conduct intervention research aimed at reducing cancer incidence and improving outcomes for cancer patients.
- The " ENERGY" PRI will bring together a consortium of world-renowned medical and scientific leaders in the fields of metabolism, epigenetics, and data modeling to develop innovative therapeutic strategies based on a better understanding of metabolic alterations in cancer cells.
Through these programs, the Montpellier SIRIC aims to reaffirm its role as a catalyst for translational research and interdisciplinary collaborations among physicians, biologists, social science and humanities researchers, and scientists from various fields who are contributing to new ways of defeating cancer. The transfer of scientific advances achieved by SIRIC will rely on an efficient local innovation ecosystem and a network of strategic partnerships with industry. Specific initiatives will facilitate the dissemination of new knowledge for the benefit of professionals, patients, and the general public.
Finally, SIRIC will take another step forward in promoting health democracy by appointing a pair of patient coordinators whose role will be to develop policies to promote health democracy in research.