1. The microbial basis of Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis (ASUC). In this project we focus on a subset of IBD patients with acute severe UC flares arising suddenly and often with fatal outcome.
2. The role of the microbiome in immune checkpoint inhibitors-mediated immune-related adverse events.
3. How co-medications that modulate the microbiome impact ICI efficacy. This project is based on a clinical observation in our team who studied the Bordeaux cohort of cancer patients receiving ICIs and who identified several co-medications that blunt the efficacy of these immunotherapies.
4. The composition and function of the local tumor microbiota. It has been recently reported that tumors harbor a local microbiota, particularly live intracellular bacteria. Such a local microbiota was detected in 7 different types of human cancers. In this project, we wish to characterize tumor microorgnaisms and how they colonize the tumors.