RESEARCH PROJECT IN NEUROIMMUNOLOGY

This research project constitutes an original joint-venture between the Divisions of Neurology and Immunology/Allergology. This platform has for ultimate objective the development of new intervention strategies based on the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of neuro-immunological diseases.

Renaud A. Du Pasquier, M.D. Associate Professor 2011-present: Associate Professor, Médecin adjoint Head of the Laboratory of neuroimmunology Division of Neurology, Dpt of clinical neurosciences and Division of Immunology and Allergy, Dpt of internal medicine, CHUV, Lausanne.

2005-2011: Assistant Professor, Médecin associé Divisions of Neurology and of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne. September 2007-June 2008: Acting Chairman in the Division of Neurology, CHUV, Lausanne. 2005: Recipient of the Swiss National Foundation Professorship. 1999-2004: Post-doc, then Instructor (Neurology and Division of Viral Pathogenesis, Prof. I.J. Koralnik), BIDMC, Harvard Medical School, Boston Massachusetts, USA. Research project: "Study of the role of CD8+ T cells in Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by the polyomavirus JC". 2004: Board-certified in Internal Medicine. 2001: Board-certified in Neurology. 1997: Thesis in Medicine, University of Geneva. 1992: Diploma of Medicine, University of Geneva.

Amandine Mathias, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow   2012-present: Post-doctoral Fellow, Division of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne.

2008-2011: PhD entitled "Secretory IgA and intestinal epithelial cells at the interface between homeostasis regulation and protection against infection" R&D laboratory, Division of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne. 2008: AgroParisTech Engineer Master in Sciences for Biological Industries Engineer School Master thesis entitled: Inflammatory responses induced after interaction between Toll like receptors and bacterial toxins. Research Laboratory Pierre FABRE, Toulouse, France. 2007: Diploma work entitled: Comparative genomics of wheat and barley powdery mildew fungi. John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. 2007: Internship work entitled: Construction of a library of Erwinia amylovora mutants and enrichment in mutant of interest. INRA, Paris, France.

Guillaume Perriard Ph.D. Student   May 2011-present: PhD thesis entitled "Characterization of IL-26: a new player in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis ?", Division of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne.

2009-2011: Master of Science in Biology, major Microbiology and Immunology, ETH Zürich, Prof. A. Oxenius. 2006-2009: Bachelor of Science in Biology (minor : Biochemistry), University of Fribourg, Prof. F. Müller.

				Samanta Simioni Medical Assistant in neuropsychology   2005-present: Medical Assistant in neuropsychology, Division of Neurology, CHUV, Lausanne.
				2004: DESS in Clinical Psychology, University of Geneva. 2002: Master in Psychology, University of Geneva.

Mathieu Canales Technician   2008-present: Technician, Division of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne.

2008: Lab Assistant in Biology in the "laboratoire des liquides biologiques", HUG Geneva. 2004-2007: Lab Assistant in Biology Apprenticeship, Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW, Nyon.

Awards:

• 2010:
  Faculty Price 2010 (Faculty of Biology and Medicine - FBM, University of Lausanne) for the E. Jaquiéry's work entitled: "Intrathecal immune response to EBV in early MS" published in European Journal of Immunology.
   
• 2009:
  Best Poster in Basic Clinical Research at the Annual Congress of the Swiss Society for Allergology and Immunology 2009, Geneva. Increased EBV Reactivation in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Early Multiple Sclerosis
  (E. Jaquiéry, first author, R. Du Pasquier, last author).
   
• 2008:
  First BIOGEN DOMPE award for Clinical Research into Multiple Sclerosis
  (S. Jilek, first author and R. Du Pasquier, last author).
   
• 2007:
  Recipient of the Abbott prize for the second best project submitted to the Swiss HIV Cohort Study in 2006
  (R. Du Pasquier, principal investigator).

Selected publications:

• Schwab N., Höhn K.G., Schneider-Hohendorf T., Metz I., Stenner M.P., Jilek S., Du Pasquier R.A., Gold R., Meuth S.G., Ransohoff R.M., Brück W. and Wiendl H. Immunological and clinical consequences of treating a patient with natalizumab. Mult. Scler. 2012, 18:335-344.
   
• Guarda G., Braun M., Staehli F., Tardivel A., Förster I., Farlik M., Decker T., Du Pasquier R.A., Romero P. and Tschopp J. Type I IFN inhibits IL-1 production and inflammasome activation. Immunity 2011, 34:213-223.
   
• Kuntzer T., Carota A., Novy J., Cavassini M. and Du Pasquier R.A. Rituximab is successful in an HIV-positive patient with IRIS-induced MuSK myasthenia gravis. Neurology 2011, 76:757-758.
   
• Lysandropoulos A., Jaquiéry E., Jilek S., Pantaleo G., Schluep M. and Du Pasquier R.A. Vitamin D has a direct immunomodulatory effect on CD8⁺ T cells of patients with early multiple sclerosis and healthy control subjects. J. Neuroimmunol. 2011, 233 :240-244.
   
• Cvetkovic-Lopes V., Bayer L., Dorsaz S., Maret S., Pradervand S., Dauvilliers Y., Lecendreux M., Lammers G., Donjacour C., Du Pasquier R.A., Pfister C., Petit B., Mühlethaler M., and Tafti M. Tribbles homolog 2 as an autoantigen in human narcolepsy. J. Clin. Invest. 2010, 120:713-719.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A. A promenade along the stream of demyelination. Curr. Opin. Neurol. 2010, 23:203-204.
   
• Jaquiéry E., Jilek S., Schluep M., Le Goff G., Garcia M., Pantaleo G. and Du Pasquier R.A. Cytokine mRNA profile of Epstein-Barr virus-stimulated highly differentiated T cells in multiple sclerosis: A pilot study. J. Neuroimmunol. 2010, 225:167-170.
   
• Jaquiéry E., Jilek S., Schluep M., Meylan P., Lysandropoulos A., Pantaleo G. and Du Pasquier R.A. Intrathecal immune responses to Epstein-Barr virus in early multiple sclerosis. Eur. J. Immunol. 2010, 40:878-887.
   
• Jilek S., Jaquiéry E., Hirsch H.H., Lysandropoulos A., Canales M., Guignard L., Schluep M., Pantaleo G. and Du Pasquier R.A. Immune responses to JC virus in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with natalizumab: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Lancet Neurology 2010, 9:264-272.
   
• Lysandropoulos A.P. and Du Pasquier R.A. Demyelination as a complication of new immunomodulatory treatments. Curr. Opin. Neurol. 2010, 23:226-233.
   
• Simioni S., Cavassini M., Anonni J.-M., Rimbault-Abraham A., Bourquin I., Schiffer V., Calmy A., Chave J.-P., Giacobini E., Hirschel B. and Du Pasquier R.A. Cognitive dysfunction in HIV patients despite long-standing suppression of viremia. AIDS 2010, 24:1243-1250.
   
• Jilek S., Schluep M., Meylan P., Vingerhoets F., Guignard L., Monney A., Kleeberg J., Le Goff G., Pantaleo G. and Du Pasquier R.A. Strong EBV-specific CD8⁺ T cell response in patients with early multiple sclerosis. Brain 2008, 131:1712-1721.
   
• Jilek S., Kuhle J., Meylan P., Reichhart M.D., Pantaleo G. and Du Pasquier R.A. Severe post-EBV encephalopathy associated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-specific immune response. J. Neuroimmunol. 2007, 192:192-197.
   
• Jilek S., Schluep M., Rosseti A.O., Guignard L., Le Goff G., Pantaleo G. and Du Pasquier R.A. CSF enrichment of highly differentiated CD8⁺ T cells in early multiple sclerosis. Clin. Immunol. 2007, 123:105-113.
   
• Vulliemoz S., Lurati-Ruiz F., Borruat F.X., Delavelle J., Koralnik I.J., Kuntzer T., Bogousslavsky J., Picard F., Landis T. and Du Pasquier R.A. Favourable outcome of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in two patients with dermatomyositis. J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry 2006, 77:1079-1082.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A., Stein M.C., Lima M.A., Dang X., Jean-Jacques J., Zheng Y., Letvin N.L. and Koralnik I.J. JC virus induces a vigorous CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cell response in multiple sclerosis patients. J. Neuroimmunol. 2006, 176:181-186.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A., Autissier P., Zheng Y., Jean-Jacques J. and Koralnik I.J. Presence of JC virus-specific CTL in the cerebrospinal fluid of PML patients: rationale for immune-based therapeutic strategies. AIDS 2005, 19:2069-2076.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A., Schmitz J.E., Jean-Jacques J., Zheng Y., Gordon J., Khalili K., Letvin N.L. and Koralnik I.J. Detection of JC virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in healthy individuals. J. Virol. 2004, 78:10206-10210.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A., Kuroda M.J., Schmitz J.E., Zheng Y., Jean-Jacques J. and Koralnik I.J. A prospective study demonstrates an association between JCV-specific CTL and the early control of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy. Brain 2004, 127:1970-1978.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A., Schmitz J.E., Jean-Jacques J., Zheng Y., Gordon J., Khalili K., Letvin N. and Koralnik I.J. Detection of JC Virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in healthy individuals. J. Virol. 2004, 78:10206-10210.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A., Kuroda M.J., Schmitz J.E., Zheng Y., Martin K., Peyerl F.W., Lifton M., Gorgone D., Autissier P., Letvin N. and Koralnik I.J. Low Frequency of cytotoxic T lymphocytes against the novel HLA-A*0201-restricted JC virus epitope VP1_p36 in patients with proven or possible Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy. J. Virol. 2003, 77:11918-11926.
   
• Du Pasquier R.A., Corey S., Margolin D.H., William K., Pfister L.A., Mc Key J.J., De Girolami U., Joseph J.T. and Koralnik I.J. Productive Infection of Cerebellar Granule Cell Neurons by JC Virus in an HIV-infected Individual with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy. Neurology 2003, 61:775-782.
   
• Jilek S., Walter E., Merkle H.P. and Corthésy B. Modulation of allergic responses in mice using poly(lactide co-glycolide) biodegradable microparticles. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2004, 114:943-950.
   
• Jilek S., Barbey C., Spertini F. and Corthésy B. Antigen-independent suppression of the allergic immune response to bee venom phospholipase A(2) by DNA vaccination in CBA/J mice. J. Immunol. 2001, 166:3612-3621.