AP-HM
«Histopathology is critical to establish a diagnosis based on microscopic tissue examination, but is also of great importance to medical research protocols such as The PIONeeR Project. At Hôpital Nord, we are in charge of processing PIONeeR patient biopsies and performing primary histopathological examination.»
Trained as a laboratory technician, I joined the pathology laboratory at Hôpital Nord 16 years ago, where I specialized in immunolabeling techniques and am today in charge of histopathology processing for The PIONeeR Project.
To summarize sample processing at our service, we typically receive either a biopsy or a surgical resection that we dehydrate before embedding in paraffin blocks. The embedded tissue is sectioned into slices of 3 to 4 µm and mounted on glass slides. A subset of these slides is used for HPS staining – a technique that uses a combination of three stains, hematoxylin, phloxine and saffron, to reveals the histology of a sample – and is analyzed by pathologists within the service to establish a diagnosis. Other slides are used for complementary analyses, including immunolabeling, immunofluorescence and various molecular biology techniques.
Histopathological analyses are critical to establish a diagnosis based on microscopic tissue examination, but are also of great importance in the context of medical research protocols, for example to identify biomarkers that would predict response to a given treatment. In the case of the PIONeeR Project, we are confronted with one challenge, which is that we need to be able to prepare at least 22 slides from each patient biopsy in order to complete the full panel of biomarker analyses dictated by the project’s protocol. Among the 22 slides, 3 are used for HPS staining to assess the histology of the sample throughout the sections, and 1 is used to reveal PD-L1 and CD8 proteins by immunolabeling. The rest of the slides are sent off to HalioDx to explore the potential of new biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in lung cancer patients.
#clinique #recherche“Projects like PIONeeR allow us to contribute to the understanding of resistance to immunotherapy while opening clinical research to patients in Corsica, who, until recently, had no choice other than to fly to Marseille or Paris for such opportunities.”
Stéphane PROVENT
Centre Hospitalier, Clinique Maymard, Bastia
This is the DNA of the cluster to feed local excellence, including, of course, fundamental and applied immunology, and to support the emergence of sector initiatives with strong potential.
Émilie ROYERE
Eurobiomed
The Explore covid-19 project was born from combining the forces of Marseille Immunopôle. It should lead us to better understand this new disease and improve the prognosis of our patients.
Julien CARVELLI
AP-HM
Marseille Immunopole is born from the will of all partners to do even better and progress faster, and thus allow patients always to keep one step ahead of the disease.
Éric VIVIER
AMU, AP-HM, CIML, INNATE PHARMA