Dr. François Berthod is a professor at the Department of Surgery of the Laval University School of Medicine, and researcher at LOEX, Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus, CHU de Québec-Laval University research center.
The main objective of his research program is to use tissue-engineering techniques of in vitro organ reconstruction to model different diseases that can be induced, or modulated by the nervous system. These models will be useful to better understand the disease mechanisms and to find new therapeutic approaches. In addition, one of his projects aims to repair peripheral nerve injuries through the development of a nerve tube produced by tissue engineering with the patient’s own cells.
Development of in vitro models of diseases by tissue engineering
Many human diseases have causes and mechanisms that are still poorly understood, making it difficult to find more efficient drugs. Using patient cells, it is possible to reconstruct organs affected by these diseases, and recapitulate their effects in vitro to better understand their mechanisms, and use these models to test the efficacy of new drugs.
In the case of modeling psoriasis, Dr. Berthod’s team hypothesized that cutaneous innervation could play a major role in lesion formation, and developed, in collaboration with Dr. Roxane Pouliot, an innervated and immunocompetent psoriatic skin model to study this disease.
To model amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease, Dr. Berthod’s team uses tissue engineering tools. Motor neurons are cultured with astrocytes, microglia, Schwann cells, and myotubes in a compartmentalized three-dimensional construct to recapitulate the neurodegenerative process.
Repair of peripheral nerves by tissue engineering
Peripheral nerve injuries cause paralysis of the affected limbs. The current surgical options for repairing major deficits are ineffective. Dr. Berthod has developed, in collaboration with Dr. Hélène Khuong, neurosurgeon, a project to produce a nerve tube made up of the patient’s own cells, and tailored to bridge the nerve gap. The production of an autologous living tube is a major innovation that should greatly stimulate axonal migration in the graft and promote regeneration of the injured nerve, allowing motor and sensitive recoveries of the limb.
LOEX / CMDGT
R-203
Québec, Québec
Canada G1J 1Z4
Latest news
- Attia, AbirMaster studentHôpital de l'Enfant-Jésusabir.attia@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
1401, 18e rue
Québec, QC
Canada G1J 1Z4 - Galbraith, ToddEmployeeHôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus+1 418-990-8255, extension 61679+1 418-990-8248Todd.Galbraith@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
1401, 18e Rue
R-118
Québec, Québec
Canada G1J 1Z4 - Hayouni, OumaymaDoctoral studentoumayma.hayouni@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
- Lemarchand, MathiasDoctoral studentmathias.lemarchand@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
- Pépin, RémyDoctoral studentHôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus+1 418-525-4444, extension 61704+1 418-691-5439remy.pepin.1@ulaval.caremy.pepin@crchudequebec.ulaval.caremy.pepin@usherbrooke.ca
1401 18 ième Rue
R-203
Québec, QC
Canada G1J 1Z4 - Thibodeau, AlexaneDoctoral studentHôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus+1 418-525-4444, extension 61673alexane.thibodeau.1@ulaval.caalexane.thibodeau@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
1401 18 ième Rue
R-112
Québec, QC
Canada G1J 1Z4
In Vitro Characterization of Motor Neurons and Purkinje Cells Differentiated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated from Patients with Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay
Journal ArticleStem Cells Int, 2023 , 2023.
In vitro glycation of a tissue-engineered wound healing model to mimic diabetic ulcers
Journal ArticleBiotechnol Bioeng, 120 (6), 2023.
Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Mature and Myelinating Schwann Cells
Journal ArticleTissue Eng Part C Methods, 29 (4), 2023.
In Vitro 3D Modeling of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Journal ArticleBioengineering (Basel), 10 (1), 2023.
Tridimensional cell culture of dermal fibroblasts promotes exosome-mediated secretion of extracellular matrix proteins
Journal ArticleSci Rep, 12 (1), 2022.
Tissue-engineered in vitro modeling of the impact of Schwann cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Journal ArticleBiotechnol Bioeng, 119 (7), 2022.
Moyamoya Disease Susceptibility Gene RNF213 Regulates Endothelial Barrier Function
Journal ArticleStroke, 53 (4), 2022.
Repair of peripheral nerve injuries using a prevascularized cell-based tissue-engineered nerve conduit
Journal ArticleBiomaterials, 280 , 2022.
[Tridimensional in vitro models of nervous and immune systems in the skin]
Journal ArticleMed Sci (Paris), 37 (1), 2021.
Lifting the veil on the keratinocyte contribution to cutaneous nociception
Journal ArticleProtein Cell, 11 (4), 2020.
Active projects
- Depicting disease heterogeneity in neurofibromatosis type 1 and the role of microenvironment in NF1-associated skin tumor formation through personalized tissue-engineered 3D models, from 2023-03-01 to 2024-02-29
- Modélisation par génie tissulaire de la modulation de l'angiogenèse par l'innervation sensorielle, from 2018-04-01 to 2024-03-31
- Réparation des lésions des nerfs périphériques par génie tissulaire, from 2021-04-01 to 2026-03-31
- Un environnement sécuritaire pour des animaux immunosupprimés, from 2023-01-01 to 2024-05-24
Recently finished projects
- Conversion directe de fibroblastes en cellules de Schwann pour stimuler la réparation des nerfs périphériques, from 2022-04-01 to 2023-03-31
- Étude de l'impact de l'innervation cutanée dans le Psoriasis, from 2018-04-01 to 2023-03-31
- Pathogenic Pathways and in-vitro modelization of Intracranial Aneurysms in populations of Inuit and French Canadian descent, from 2017-04-01 to 2022-03-31
- Rôle du système nerveux sensitif sur la régénération de tissus vascularisés, from 2021-04-01 to 2022-03-31