
 
 
 Proposition de sujet de thèse à l’appui d’une demande de contrat doctoral 2017-2087 
 
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Nom, prénom du directeur de l'unité de recherche : Di SANTO JAMES 
Numéro de l'unité de recherche (et établissement de rattachement) : Institut Pasteur : INSERM U1223 
Physiopathologie Du Système Immunitaire  
Nom, prénom du responsable de l'équipe d'accueil (EAD) : POL Stanislas 
Nom, prénom du directeur de thèse : LAGAYE Sylvie 
Titre du sujet de thèse proposé: (en anglais) Study of the implication of immune cells, Th17-type 
cytokines and biomarkers in the human hepatic fibrogenesis process and evaluation of anti-fibrotic 
treatments 
Citer 5 mots clés : immune cells, fibrosis, Liver, ex vivo model, anti-fibrosis drugs 
(key words) 
 
Candidat pressenti :    OUI          NON 
 Contenu scientifique du programme de la thèse (en anglais)   
 
We propose to establish an ex vivo model of adult human liver slices culture allowing to identify the different 
immune cell populations (lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages ...) intra-hepatic and to quantify anti-
inflammatory cytokines like IL-10 and pro-inflammatory (IL-17A), Hepatoprotective (IL-22) produced by the 
Th17 cells released into the culture supernatants: 
1- from healthy human liver cultures to establish a "gold standard" compared to blood samples; 
2- from pathological human liver cultures from patients with liver fibrosis at different stages compared to 
blood samples. The characterization and quantification of the lymphocyte populations will be carried out 
by  the  real-time  RT-qPCR  technique  as  well  as  by  flow  cytometry,  histochemical  marking  and  the 
quantification of cytokines by the ELISA technique. 
This established ex vivo model of culture of normal and pathological human liver slices should allow us: 
1- to know the intrahepatic immune cell repertoire from healthy liver and fibrotic liver and to study the role 
of lymphocyte cells and the role of IL-17A and IL-22 in liver fibrosis. 
2-with or without exposure to the main toxic substances in the liver, to evaluate the effectiveness of the 
various anti-fibrotic drugs alone or in combination. 
 
Indiquez les cinq meilleures publications récentes de l’équipe: 
1. Lagaye S, Brun S, Gaston J, Shen H, Stranska R, Camus C, Dubray C, Rousseau G, Massault 
PP,Courcambeck J, Bassisi F, Halfon P, Pol S. Anti-hepatitis C virus potency of a new autophagy inhibitor 
using human liver slices model. World Journal of Hepatology. 2016;8:902-14.  
2. Sultanik P, Mallet V, Lagaye S, Casrouge A, Dorival C, Barthe Y, Fontaine H, Hezode C, Mottez E, 
Bronowicki  JP,  Carrat  F,  Theodorou  I,  Abel  L,  Gayat  E,  Fontanet  A,  Pol  S,  Albert  ML.  Plasma 
apolipoprotein H limits HCV replication and associates with response to NS3 protease inhibitors-based 
therapy. Liver international:2015 Jul;35(7):1833-44.  
3. Pol S. Hepatitis: HBV vaccine-the first vaccine to prevent cancer. Nature reviews Gastroenterology & 
hepatology. 2015 Apr;12(4):190-1.  
4.  Pol  S,  Sulkowski  MS,  Hassanein  T,  Gane  EJ,  Liu  L,  Mo  H,  Doehle  B,  Kanwar  B,  Brainard  D, 
Subramanian GM, Symonds WT, McHutchison JG, Nahass RG, Bennett M, Jacobson IM. Sofosbuvir plus 
pegylated interferon and ribavirin in patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus in whom previous therapy 
with direct-acting antivirals has failed. Hepatology 2015 Jul;62(1):129-34.  
5.Lagaye S, Shen H, Saunier B, Nascimbeni M, Gaston J, Bourdoncle P, Hannoun L, Massault PP, Vallet-
Pichard A, Mallet V, Pol S. Efficient replication of primary or  culture hepatitis C virus isolates in human 
liver slices: a relevant ex vivo model of liver infection. Hepatology  2012 Sep;56(3):861-72.