The PyroCure project
Pancreatic cancer is on the sharp rise and remains one of the most difficult to treat, as current therapies are largely ineffective. Unlike other cancers where immunotherapy—which stimulates the body’s natural defenses—has revolutionized treatment, it does not work well against this type of tumor.
To better understand how to rouse the immune system against pancreatic cancer, we are investigating a specific process of cancer cell death: pyroptosis. This recently discovered mechanism causes diseased cells to literally explode, releasing alarm signals capable of activating the immune response. The concept is that this “inflammatory” form of cell death could help defense cells—such as dendritic cells and T cells—recognize and attack the tumor.
Our project aims to create an innovative “tumor-on-a-chip” model that reproduces both the biological and mechanical environments of a human pancreatic tumor in the laboratory. Within this system, we will trigger pyroptosis using a cutting-edge tool and observe the immune system’s response in real time within a 3D environment.
Ultimately, this research could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies to reactivate the immune system and better combat pancreatic cancer.
Project leaders:
Virginie PETRILLI
Virginie Petrilli (CNRS Research Director, DR2) has been a team leader at the Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon since 2012. She heads the “Inflammasome and Cancer” team, which was initially supported by the ATIP/Avenir program. An expert in the fields of inflammasomes and pyroptosis, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to research in this area through her collaborative work with biophysicists Sylvain Monnier (ILM) and Charlotte Rivière.
Charlotte RIVIÈRE
Charlotte Rivière, a physics professor at Lyon 1 Université, is a member of the biophysics team at the Lumière Matière Institute (ILM). She also spends part of her time at the Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), where she established a new platform—the Plateforme µFab—to assist and support researchers wishing to adopt new types of in vitro models utilizing microfabrication and microfluidic systems. Additionally, she co-directs the M2 Cancer Bioengineering track within the University of Lyon 1’s Master’s program in Cancer Studies.
Her research focuses on multidisciplinary projects that enable the analysis of cells using tools derived from physics and a better understanding of the role of mechanics in tumor progression. In particular, she develops microsystems to analyze cellular behavior in controlled environments that model the tumor microenvironment.
