Our latest press releases
The loss of François Jacob, a prominent name in molecular biology
2013/04/22 - It was with great sadness and regret that the Institut Pasteur learned of the death of François Jacob.
A former member of the French Second Armored Division and Companion of the Liberation, François Jacob risked his life to defend the fundamental values of democracy and freedom. He was a brilliant scientist who spent his entire career at the Institut Pasteur and who inspired many researchers who followed in his tracks.François Jacob never missed an opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to the Institut Pasteur. On November 14, 2012, alongside the President of the Republic, he was delighted to be able to inaugurate the new building that bears his name.
Legionellosis: unique host cell reprogramming induced by the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila
2013/04/17 - Scientists at the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, the Institut Curie and Inserm have identified a unique mechanism that enables the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila (the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease or legionellosis) to "reprogram" the gene expression of the eukaryotic cells that it infects.
Atomic-level characterization of the effects of alcohol on a major player of the central nervous system
2013/04/16 - Scientists at the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS and the University of Texas have been able to observe at atomic-level the effects of ethanol (the alcohol present in alcoholic beverages) on central nervous system receptors.
Even in low doses, antibiotics can contribute to the emergence of multi-resistant bacteria
2013/04/11 - Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and CNRS have shown that the use of low dose antibiotics can increase the emergence of resistance among pathogenic bacteria.
Buruli Ulcer: Mechanism Behind Tissue Erosion Revealed
2013/03/18 - Scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research), in collaboration with the Universities of Basel (Switzerland) and Cambridge (UK) have identified the mechanism underlying the formation of Buruli ulcers caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans.
Aids: 14 adult patients in long term functional remission of HIV seven years after being taken off early antiretroviral treatment
2013/03/14 - Newly published scientific study confirms on a larger and durable scale that early therapeutic intervention may be instrumental in HIV remission and has important implications for HIV cure research.
Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
2013/02/07 - Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Study of Phase III Shows Antibiotic Cream Has High Cure Rate, Few Side Effects
Retracing the evolutionary history and emergence of tuberculosis
2013/01/07 - Scientists at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the CNRS, INSERM, the Institut Pasteur of Lille, and Université Lille 2 have recently determined the origin of the emergence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium, the main causative agent of tuberculosis.
The Institut Pasteur inaugurates its new center for research on emerging diseases at a ceremony attended by French President François Hollande.
On November 14, 2012, Professor Alice Dautry, President of the Institut Pasteur, and Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Chairman of the Institut Pasteur Board of Directors, officially opened the Institut Pasteur’s research center for the study of emerging diseases at a ceremony attended by French President François Hollande.
New Finding Helps Explain Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus
2012/11/5 - Researchers at the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, and the University of Tsukuba Faculty of Medicine (Japan) have proven for the first time that activating a specific gene in Staphylococcus aureus enables it to incorporate extracellular DNA and develop resistance to methicillin.
Rooting out the Cause of Blindness in Type 1 Usher Syndrome
2012/10/17 - Researchers from the Institut Pasteur, the Institut de la Vision, Inserm, and the Pierre and Marie Curie University have determined the cause of blindness associated with type 1 Usher syndrome (the most common genetic cause of deafness and blindness in humans).
Malaria Takes a Hit – Two New Molecules Stop P. falciparum in its Tracks
2012/09/27 - Researchers at the Institut Pasteur and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), in collaboration with Imperial College London, have synthesized two molecules capable of quickly and irreversibly stopping the growth of P. falciparum at every blood stage of its life cycle.
Institut Pasteur and WHO join forces in the fight against epidemics
2012/14/09 - On Thursday, September 13, the Institut Pasteur and the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a collaboration agreement in Geneva on epidemic response and global health security.
Dormancy of stem cells enables them to remain viable…many days post mortem
06/12/2012 - Researchers from the Institut Pasteur, the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP), and the CNRS have shown for the first time in humans and mice, the capacity of stem cells to adopt a dormant state when their environment becomes hostile, including several days after death.
This ability to significantly reduce metabolic activity enables them to preserve their potential for cellular division, even after extended periods post mortem. After isolation, they can then be used to repair damaged organs or tissues. This discovery could lead to new therapeutic avenues for treating numerous diseases. The study is being published today in the journal Nature communications.
Bladder cancer treatment with BCG may be improved with new patient protocol
2012/06/06 - Researchers have recently discovered a way to reinforce the effectiveness of BCG in the treatment of bladder cancer
BCG has been the standard treatment for bladder cancer tumors with a high risk of recurrence for the past 35 years. If the efficacy of this new therapeutic protocol is confirmed it would limit relapse of one of the most common cancers in industrialized countries.
A new optical microscopy approach opens the door to better observations in molecular biology
05/16/2012 - Researchers from the Institut Pasteur and CNRS have set up a new optical microscopy approach in order to visualize molecular assemblies at a resolution 10 times better than traditional microscopes.
Researchers from the Institut Pasteur and CNRS have set up a new optical microscopy approach that combines two recent imaging techniques in order to visualize molecular assemblies without affecting their biological functions, at a resolution 10 times better than that of traditional microscopes. Using this approach, they were able to observe the AIDS virus and its capsids (containing the HIV genome) within cells at a scale of 30 nanometres, for the first time with light. This newly developed approach represents a significant advance in molecular biology, opening the door to less invasive and more precise analyses of pathogenic microorganisms present in human host cells.
Learning and memory: the role of neo-neurons revealed
05/14/2012 - Researchers at the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS have recently identified in mice the role played by neo-neurons formed in the adult brain.
By using selective stimulation the researchers were able to show that these neo-neurons increase the ability to learn and memorize difficult cognitive tasks. This newly discovered characteristic of neo-neurons to assimilate complex information could open up new avenues in the treatment of some neurodegenerative diseases.
A new hope in the fight against tuberculosis
19/04/2012 : an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis offers a better protection than BCG to mice
Researchers from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Pisa, have uncovered the key role played by specific proteins in the virulence of the mycobacterium responsible for tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They were able to create an attenuated strain of the mycobacterium, which confers a better protection against tuberculosis than the BCG vaccine to mice. This finding represents a major step forward in the scientific quest to develop a new vaccine, more efficient at fighting the disease.
DENFREE: flying towards the efficient control of dengue
29/02/2012 - Starting in January 2012, the Institut Pasteur will coordinate an ambitious international project called DENFREE that aims at better understanding, and managing, dengue epidemics
“DENFREE is a very ambitious project that aims at studying dengue from many different angles: from epidemiology to immunology, through climatology and geography,” explains Pr Anavaj Sakuntabhai, coordinator of the project at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.
Four Prestigious Awards to Support Innovative Biomedical Research
02/27/2012 - Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and the Institut Pasteur announced today the creation of the Sanofi-Institut Pasteur Awards to encourage scientific excellence in the service of health.
Four hundred and eighty thousand euro (480,000 €) will support four innovative research projects demonstrating real progress in the life sciences and providing answers to major healthcare problems, more specifically in four fields: neglected tropical diseases, vaccine innovation, drug resistance, and therapeutic approaches to ageing and regenerative medicine.
New cancer target identified?
24/02/2012 - A team of researchers from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS has recently identified a protein that can specifically control the activity of an enzyme whose dysfunction has been linked to the development of several types of cancer.
This work reveals a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of certain tumors.
Two stem-cell subpopulations identified in skeletal muscles
22/02/2012 - Researchers from the Institut Pasteur have recently detailed the existence of two populations of stem cells found in the skeletal muscles of mice.
“The identification of these two stem cell subpopulations that show distinct behaviors when faced with trauma to skeletal muscle, is an important step forward", explains head of the Stem Cells and Development Unit at the Institut Pasteur, Professor Shahragim Tajbakhsh.
Europe’s united front against emerging viruses
14/02/2012 - The new PREDEMICS project strives to improve current knowledge on certain emerging infectious diseases and develop effective treatment and prevention resources. The European Union will be financing this project to the tune of €11.7 million over a five year period.
Coordinated by the Institut Pasteur, this collaborative program unites 17 European research and public health institutions. The project targets the study of four viruses originating in animal reservoirs that have a high potential for human transmission in Europe.
Newly characterized dengue virus antibody shows promise
10/02/2012 - Research teams from the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, and Inserm have recently characterized the structure and mechanism of action of an antibody that successfully neutralizes all four strains of the dengue virus in mice models.
Their groundbreaking work represents major progress for research efforts that hope to develop an effective vaccine to combat this disease.
New results underline the importance of synaptic genes in autism
09/02/2012 - Autism has been declared a major national cause for 2012, and will have a high profile in France throughout the whole year. New results show that genetic mutations interfering with communication between neurons are directly involved in the disorder.
“All these results underline the vital importance of synaptic genes in autism spectrum disorders,” explained Professor Thomas Bourgeron, head of the Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit at the Institut Pasteur-CNRS.
Launching of the Institut Pasteur in Laos
23/01/2012 - Today, Monday January 23, 2012, in Vientiane the launch of the Institut Pasteur in Laos was officiated by the Lao Minister of Public Health, professor Som Ock Kingsadat and the President of the Institut Pasteur in Paris, professor Alice Dautry.
This is the Institut Pasteur International Network’s 32nd institute. The new research center for infectious and parasitic diseases aims to reduce the risks of pandemic outbreaks in Southeast Asia where such diseases are rife.
Genetic diversity: crucial for our survival in many ways
19/12/2011 - researchers from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS reconstruct the genetic history of interferons, and put forward potentially innovative ways to improve their clinical use in the treatment of pathologies as diversified as Hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, and some specific cancers.
“By using an evolutionary genetic approach, we were able to identify which interferons could be essential to our survival, and which ones could be less important or have a redundant role,” explains Mr Quintana-Murci, head of the Institut Pasteur/CNRS Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics.
Cerebral malaria, allergy-like mechanisms to blame
04/10/2011 - Researchers from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, in collaboration with Inserm and the Université Paris Diderot, have demonstrated the role an inflammatory reaction plays in the development of cerebral malaria in mice.
Cerebral malaria is one of the most severe forms of malaria primarily affecting young children. If confirmed in humans, this discovery would pave the way for new therapeutic developments to help prevent this disease. This study was recently published online by the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
The first human model for neurodegenerative Sanfilippo syndrome
13/09/2011 - Researchers from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm, in collaboration with the Centre de Biologie Cellulaire in Lyon, have obtained the first human neuron model for Sanfilippo syndrome, an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that occurs in children.
This model is the tool of choice for studying the cellular mechanisms at the root of this disease as well as for identifying therapeutic options. The procedure, which involves stem cells, could also be applied to model other diseases, especially neurodegenerative diseases. This work has been published in the Human Molecular Genetics journal.
The troubling emergence of multi-drug resistant Salmonella
03/08/2011 - As part of a vast international study, researchers from the Institut Pasteur, the INRA and the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance have tracked the sudden and worrying emergence of a Salmonella strain that has developed resistance to almost every possible antibiotic treatment.
Graft rejection at the cellular level filmed in 3D
Using a new and original in vivo imaging technique enabling real-time, in-depth, cellular immune response mechanism investigation in animals, researchers from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm have been the first to observe the process of graft rejection.
AREVA Foundation and Institut Pasteur sign a new partnership agreement for Aids research
1st/04/2011- AREVA Foundation continues to fight Aids alongside the Institut Pasteur in 2011.
• the team led by Professor Olivier Schwartz, who directs the Virus and Immunity Research Unit
• the team of Dr. Michaela Müller of the Retroviral Infection Regulation Unit directed by Professor Barré-Sinoussi, Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Anaphylactic shock: the key players identified
24/03/2011 - Researchers from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm (French National Institute for Health and Medical Research) have recently identified, in animals, the otherwise unexpected culprits responsible for anaphylactic shock.
Powerful human DNA mutators identified
03/07/2011- Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) have shown that a cellular protein, APOBEC3A, known for its antiviral activity, is also capable of mutagenic activity on human cell DNA.
Unsuspected immune arsenal in infants
02 / 21 / 2011 - While completely protected from any infectious germs in their mother’s womb, fetuses spontaneously develop, “in advance”, an immune defense system ready to react to the bacterial colonization of their digestive tract at birth.
This surprising observation made by scientists at the Institut Pasteur and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) also shows that this same mechanism is capable of regulating its antibacterial activity to allow the installation of intestinal commensal flora and establish the indispensable balance between bacteria and the immune system. This discovery sheds new light on the understanding of mechanisms at the root of auto-immune diseases such as Crohn's disease.
Discovery of a new group of highly susceptible malaria mosquitoes in Africa
02 / 04 / 2011 - In the course of a large genetic study of malaria vector mosquitoes in Burkina Faso, West Africa, researchers at the Institut Pasteur, the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and their collaborators have discovered a new subspecies of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, the world’s most important malaria vector.
Discovery of a new bacterial strategy to control immunity
01/25/2011-Researchers at the Institut Pasteur, INRA, Inserm and the CNRS have just identified a mechanism that enables the pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes to reprogram expression of the genes in the host cell it infects to its advantage.
L. monocytogenes secretes a protein that can penetrate the cell nucleus and thus take control of the genes in the host’s immune system. This research was published in the journal Science.
3D structure leads to first decoding of mechanism of action of general anesthetics
01/20/2011 - Two teams from the Institut Pasteur in association with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) have published in the journal Nature the three-dimensional structure of two general anesthetics bound to their membrane receptor.
Hepatitis C : in 2011, a predictive marker for response to therapy
Scientists at Inserm and Institut Pasteur have performed biomarker discovery on patients being treated for chronic hepatitis C infection.
