At the interface of chemistry and biology, the team co-directed by Doctor Magali Gary-Bobo and Professor Alain Morère is developing new strategies combining targeting, imaging and therapy. More specifically, the aim is to develop synthetic sugars that can effectively target lectins implicated in various pathologies such as lysosomal overload diseases (rare genetic diseases) or solid cancers.

Among lectins, we are particularly targeting the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (RM6P-CI) with stable mannose 6-phosphate analogues. Several families of compounds have been developed in monosaccharide or disaccharide series to vary RM6P-CI affinity and biodistribution. These analogues are functionalized at the anomeric position to enable different types of ligation to multifunctional nanoparticles for cancer imaging and therapy, drug-enzymes for the treatment of lysosomal overload diseases or therapeutic antibodies to improve intracellular antibody routing and enhance their therapeutic efficacy. We are also studying the effect of synthetic or natural molecules on the inhibition of tumor progression in different cancer lines.

We use human cell models (cell lines or primary cultures) derived from healthy or cancerous tissue. These cells, cultured in 2 dimensions (cell mats) or 3 dimensions (spheroids), enable us to carry out experiments to determine the in vitro efficacy of the compounds to be studied. We also have the equipment needed for in vivo experiments on zebrafish embryos for studies of biocompatibility, bioavailability and anticancer therapeutic efficacy, with molecules or nanoparticles that are autonomous or photoactivatable by visible or near-infrared wavelengths.

Our Themes

The members of the team

Magali GARY-BOBO

TEAM LEADER

Magali Gary-Bobo studied at the Montpellier Faculty of Science.  She completed a CIFRE thesis between the Sanofi laboratories and the IGF under the supervision of Mohammed Bensaïd and Joël Bockaert, and obtained her doctorate from the University of Montpellier in 2006. Her thesis focused on the regulation of adiponectin and its role on metabolic syndrome…

Alain Morère

TEAM LEADER

Alain Morère is Professor of Chemistry at the Faculté des Sciences (University of Montpellier). PhD in chemistry (Université de Toulouse III, 1992). Main research activity dedicated to the development of glycoconjugates for the treatment of lysosomal diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancers. Design and development of glycovectors for cell targeting…

ALI Lamiaa
Lamiaa Ali

Technical staff (temporary) ,Temporary position

BETTACHE Nadir
Nadir Bettache

Associate Scientist (permanent staff)

Nadir Bettache obtained his doctorate at the Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris 6, currently Sorbonne University) in 1991 under the supervision of Dr. Ridha Kassab at CRBM, Montpellier. His thesis work was entitled "Interaction of G-actin with the globular head of myosin". He then carried out a postdoctoral internship...

DURAND Denis
Denis Durand

Assistant Professor (permanent staff)

Denis Durand studied at the Faculty of Sciences of Montpellier. Research grantee, he carried out a thesis in Chemistry of Biomolecules on the synthesis of analogues of leukotrienne B4, used as a probe of the RCPG BLT directed by DRs Jean Pierre Girard and Jean Claude Rossi, defended in 2000....

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Khaled El Cheikh

Post-doctoral associate

GARY-BOBO Magali
Magali Gary-Bobo

Associate Scientist (permanent staff)

Magali Gary-Bobo studied at the Montpellier Faculty of Science. She completed a CIFRE thesis between the Sanofi laboratories and the IGF under the supervision of Mohammed Bensaïd and Joël Bockaert, and obtained her doctorate from the University of Montpellier in 2006. Her thesis focused on the regulation of adiponectin and...

HADJ KADDOUR Kamel
Kamel Hadj Kaddour

Engineer (design/devt. eng. | permanent staff)

Kamel Hadj-Kaddour studied at the University of Caen then at the University of Montpellier. He completed a doctorate in parasitology in the Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Montpellier. His research focused on the characterization of new parasite antigens with the aim of developing new...

JOLY Albin
Albin Joly

Graduate student

LICHON Laure
Laure Lichon

Technician (permanent staff)

Laure Lichon graduated from Blaise Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand in 2007 with a degree in Multidisciplinary Biology. After several professional experiences, she was recruited as a UM technical assistant in 2014 within the Glyco and nanovectors for therapeutic targeting team. Since 2018, she has been a CNRS technician. She studies...

MENUT Chantal
Chantal Menut

Emeritus ,Full Professor (permanent staff)

Chantal Menut is Emeritus Professor at the University of Montpellier, at IBMM (team F14: Glyco and Nanovectors for Therapeutic Targeting). PhD (Doctorat d’Etat) in chemistry, 1982 at the Montpellier University. Associate professor at the University of Yaoundé (Cameroon) then from 1986 Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University...

MORèRE Alain
Alain Morère

Full Professor (permanent staff)

Alain Morère is Professor of Chemistry at the Faculté des Sciences (University of Montpellier). PhD in chemistry (Université de Toulouse III, 1992). Main research activity dedicated to the development of glycoconjugates for the treatment of lysosomal diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancers. Design and development of glycovectors for cell targeting, receptor...

MORèRE Élodie
Élodie Morère

Graduate student

NGUYEN Christophe
Christophe Nguyen

Research engineer (permanent staff)

Christophe NGUYEN studied chemistry at the University of Sciences in Montpellier and then at ENSCM. He  worked as an engineer specialized in peptide synthesis at the IPBS in Toulouse, at the CPBS in Montpellier and then at the Sysdiag joint research unit. In 2017, he joined the F14 team: Glyco and...

Team Publications