Monique Capron’s group is interested in effector mecanisms of immunity involved in inflammatory bowel disease.
Based on skills acquired in the field of immunoparasitology and the concept of helminthic therapy, the team showed that a parasite enzyme molecule from the helminth Schistosoma, P28GST, has anti-oxidant properties and pro-Th2 immunogenicity that can decrease inflammation in experimental colitis.
Polynuclear eosinophils with regulatory activities are involved in this mechanism and their role has also been studied in a model of colonic carcinoma. A multicenter phase 2 clinical trial (ACROHNEM) is currently ongoing to assess the ability of P28GST to maintain remission in moderate to severe Crohn Disease (CD).