Our team was created in 2012 by the reorganization of two teams of the UMR_U911 to associate molecular and cellular expertise on the study of the cytoskeleton and its regulation by redox signaling in tumor progression. The cytoskeleton controls many processes such as mechanical integrity and epidermal cell healing, cell polarity, muscle cell contraction, hearing and balance in inner ear cells, axonal transport in neurons, and the formation of neuromuscular junctions between muscle cells and motor neurons. Therefore, defects in cytoskeletal structures lead to various pathologies such as cancer and neurological disorders. The main goal of the team is to explore the molecular basis of cytoskeletal regulation and cellular plasticity in brain cancer (glioblastoma) and neurodegenerative processes.
Over the past five years, in addition to 52 international publications in the basic and applied sciences. We have identified new anti-microtubule agents (coumarin analogue of combretastatin (patent PCT / FR2012 / 000139 Peyrot et al. 2012), a new compound for bleaching and lowering cutaneous pigmentation isolated from spider venom (EP2705830 A1 and WO 2014037111 A2 Luis et al. 2014) and a new peptide inhibitor of Nox1 now under development to treat patients with xeroderma pigmentosum (Kovacic et al. 2015).
The team members are strongly involved in many teaching programs for research (Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Sciences) and in international programs for the training of PhD students: Maghreb (Arcus, H. Curien, Averroes J. Luis, H Kovacic); Russia (Metchnikov program, Marie Curie Incoming Fellowship, V. Peyrot and F. Devred); Brazil (FAPESP, Arcus EsPACA, H. Kovacic).
Team members are also involved in the interactome platform PINT which is part of the Neuro-Timone Platform (PFNT AMU, 2018-2020).
