Inflammation is responsible for a wide range of diseases. It involves a complex network of cellular interactions including cell surface receptors, ion channels and distantly communicating inflammatory mediators. The lack of true disease-targeting treatments remains a major problem, although examples of efficacy of such treatments begin to emerge in rheumatoid arthritis and some other inflammatory diseases. The INFLAMEX network comprises Partners working on major inflammatory diseases including nephritis, obstructive and fibrotic lung diseases (asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), diabetes, liver cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, vasculitis, scleroderma, myelofibrosis etc.

Based on the above, INFLAMEX has defined a research program that is divided into five WPs:

• WP1: Define pathophysiological and immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in the initiation and the progression of inflammatory diseases as a well as fibrosis development led by Gilles Chiocchia (Partner 8).
• WP2: Identify key common and specific inflammatory biomarkers led by Nadine Varin-Blank (Partner 10).
• WP3: Develop cellular and animal models for preclinical assays led by Agnès Lehuen (Partner 7).
• WP4: Develop analytical mathematical models to identify therapeutic targets led by Hatem Zaag (Partner 11).
• WP5: Develop new tools for treatment and assessment of preclinical trials led by Marina Pretolani (Partner 3) and Luc Mouthon (Partner 9).

WP1 and WP2 mainly cover fundamental research projects, while projects conducted in WP3 and WP4 create new tools to better understand and transfer data into preclinical studies. Finally WP5 proposes projects that focus largely on testing the effect of new drugs or compounds on cellular or animal models and in samples from patients.

INFLAMEX aims at creating an Institute for Inflammatory diseases. To that end it is essential to establish a dense network of collaborations between Partner laboratories to potentiate our faculty to create research of excellence and to develop innovative tools for research and valorization. Therefore the various scientific projects within INFLAMEX are all aimed at strengthening our network through collaborations, exchange of data and information, sharing of expertise and a focus on valorization to better diagnose, treat and predict the onset, the development and the outcome of various pathological diseases.