Lucas Treps, CRCI²NA, Nantes

Lucas Treps, PhD, CRCN
CRCI²NA
Nantes

The results point to a significant role for blood vessels in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis. In particular, a CFTR defect in these vessels could exacerbate the systemic inflammation observed in patients and contribute to emerging comorbidities (Declercq et al ERJ 2020; Treps et al J Cys Fibrosis 2021). Through in vitro co-culture systems and scRNA-seq approaches in patient explants the impact of CFTR in endothelial cell has been documented. These results contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis and could pave the way to new therapeutic opportunities for patients with cystic fibrosis.

Biography

Since the beginning of his scientific career, Dr Lucas Treps has always been intrigued by blood vessels and their dysfunction in various human diseases and pathological microenvironments. After completing his doctorate at the Cochin Institute, Paris (Dr Julie Gavard's team), he did his post-doctorate in the team of Prof Peter Carmeliet (VIB Leuven, Belgium), a scientist internationally renowned for his fundamental research on angiogenesis. During his time there, Lucas was able to characterise the heterogeneity of endothelial cells in lung cancers, and identify new endothelial populations with immunomodulatory potential (Goveia et al Cancer Cell 2020). Similarly, through a collaboration with Prof Peter Witters (UZ Leuven, Belgium), he has been able to characterise in detail the role of CFTR, the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis, in endothelial cells.