The Cellular Technology Laboratory has two functions: service activities and applied research. The first function is two-fold. Firstly, the laboratory produces high density cells and recombinant proteins using the baculovirus-insect cell expression system. In particular, a large quantity of dengue virus proteins is currently under production for vaccine. Another project has been find to produce HOXB4 pF19, C19, Dengue 2, yellow fever, MCD1, 2W1S, VUPAT1, IGF BP3 proteins. Applied research, too, is two-fold. The first line of research concerns development of new technological tools : human recombinant antibodies for therapeutic use tumors especially breast tumors; - development of biological applications of radio-imaging to study the pharmaco-distribution of peptides, study of the localization and the quantification of cellular apoptosis.

Obtaining recombinant proteins in the area of hemorragic fever useful for diagnosis or vaccine candidates. (S. Petres)

Several constructions expressing the coding sequence for the envelope protein of the yellow fever virus have been developed.
One construction expressing the glycoprotein E Dengue 2 virus has also been produced.


These proteins should be useful for arbovirus-mosquito interaction studies.

Other recombinant baculovirus coding for the pro-apoptotic sequences of Dengue 1 virus has been obtained.
Recombinant baculovirus of the coding sequences of the West-Nile glycoprotein virus: the corresponding protein obtained should be useful for immunological studies and diagnosis. Furthermore, recombinant baculovirus coding for prM and Eglycoproteins of the same virus has been obtained. These proteins, which are assumed to assemble in pseudo-particle form, could be used as vaccine candidates.


Obtaining recombinant antibodies (ScFv anti-breast and bladder tumors)(E. Monchâtre, C. Girard)

Several constructions of the coding sequence for two antibody ScFv fragments against breast and bladder tumors have been prepared and fused to alkaline phosphatase. Preliminary results have shown a labeling of breast tumor cells using an immunocytochemical test.
These fragments will be linked to peptides for human therapeutic use.

The anti-Rhesus antibody for human therapeutic use in hemolytic new born disease is going to be licenced.
In the domain of cancer, we have analyzed apoptosis markers on breast malignant tumors such as AIF (Apoptosis Inducing Factor) and APAF1 (Apoptosis Activating Factor1). The correlation between AIF expression in intracanelar tumors with nuclear labeling and in infiltrating tumors (which have a bad prognosis) with a punctiform intracytoplasmic labeling is in progress.

Lambrecht Marie-Régine, I.P.

Edelman Léna, I.P.

GIRARD Christel, Ingénieur Technologue, C.D.D I.P.

RAJARATMAN Thomas, Responsable de Préparation, I.P.