Immuno-pharmacology and interactomics
The Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics group focuses on the mechanisms that lead to cellular signaling disregulation and their impact in health and disease.
Activities
Altered cellular signalling and immune dysregulation are hallmarks of most auto-immune, inflammatory and chronic viral diseases. The expression, signalling and activity of chemokines and IFN are often altered in these pathologies but the molecular mechanisms and fine regulation at play are not completely understood. Most viruses have evolved strategies to hijack, bypass or lure these signal transducers and cellular effectors to favour their replication and/or to corrupt or evade immunity.
Our research interests revolve around two axes:
- Fundamental research aiming at gaining new insights into the complex structural and cellular mechanisms that lead to altered cellular signalling and cell transformation.
- Translational research aiming at developing novel tools and therapeutic approaches to interfere or modulate these processes and viral replication.
Projects & clinical trials
Some of the group’s research projects include:
- Studying the structure and function of human chemokine receptors CXCR4, CXCR7 and CXCR3 and viral receptors and deciphering homeostatic and pathogenic molecular interactions, signalling and intracellular trafficking induced by their endogenous and viral ligands.
- Designing novel chemokine-receptor inhibitors interfering with chemokine receptor signalling as well as with HIV entry and developing viral tools for applied research and for determining viral tropism as well as resistance to entry inhibitors.
- Studying the molecular mechanisms of HIV assembly and viral protein trafficking, paying particular care to the impact of subtype-related variability.
- Investigating the molecular mechanisms leading from chronic inflammation to cancer development in chronic viral infections, focusing on the role of the Interferon-induced proteins APOBEC3 and SAMHD1 in cellular DNA damage, viral integration of DNA viruses and cellular homeostasis.
Featured team members
Ana
Alonso Bartolomé PhD Student
Alonso Bartolomé PhD Student
Nadia
Beaupain Laboratory Technician
Beaupain Laboratory Technician
Ester
Cassano PhD Student
Cassano PhD Student
Andy
Chevigne Group Leader
Chevigne Group Leader
Manuel
Counson Laboratory Technician
Counson Laboratory Technician
Joy
Darcis PhD Student
Darcis PhD Student
Max
Meyrath Postdoctoral Fellow
Meyrath Postdoctoral Fellow
Christie
Palmer Postdoctoral Fellow
Palmer Postdoctoral Fellow
Scientific publications
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Retinal determination network reactivation drives chemoresistance and blocks myeloid differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia – 22/01/2026
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Regulation of the orphan G-protein–coupled receptor GPRC5B by MLC1 and the cell adhesion molecule GlialCAM in megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy – 27/11/2025
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Deciphering Opioid Peptide Binding Modes at Atypical Chemokine Receptor 3 – 29/12/2025
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Inhibition of constitutive activity of the atypical chemokine receptor 3 by the small-molecule inverse agonist VUF16840 – 01/12/2025
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Co-occurrence of memory impairment and fatigue distinguishes post COVID from pandemic-related health effects in the 4-year CON-VINCE cohort study – 27/10/2025
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Directed-Complement Activation as a Novel Immunotherapeutic Approach for HER2-Breast Cancer – 05/09/2025
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Biased antagonism of a series of bicyclic CXCR2 intracellular allosteric modulators – 14/07/2025
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Encoding and decoding selectivity and promiscuity in the human chemokine-GPCR interaction network – 21/04/2025
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GPR15LG binds CXCR4 and synergistically modulates CXCL12-induced cell signaling and migration – 20/05/2025
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Extended repertoire of CXC chemokines acting as agonists and antagonists of the human and murine atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 – 23/04/2025
Related News
Job vacancies
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PhD Student in Pharmacology – Microbiome (JA/PHD0526/AC/INF2)
Department of Infection & Immunity – Immuno-Pharmacology & Interactomics