University of Lausanne

Description of the legal entity:

The University of Lausanne (UNIL) is a higher education institution (in teaching and research), composed of seven faculties with approximately 14,300 students and 3,000 researchers. The Faculty of Biology and Medicine hosts the School of Medicine and the School of Biology and doctoral School, which offers five doctoral disciplines withassociated thematic programs. It has advanced expertise in research, including fundamental biology, biomedical research, translational research and applied clinical research.

Vascular and Tumor Biology Laboratory  is part of the Department of Oncology of UNIL and is an adjunct member of Lausanne branch of  Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne,  that is specializing in tumor immunology and immune therapy. Our main research interests are in the molecular mechanisms of lymphatic and blood vessel growth and remodeling, and their role in normal organ function and diseases, such as inflammation and cancer.  The key task in the current application will be the analyses of the cross-talk of immune cells and lymphatic vessels in adipose tissue.

Curriculum Vitae:

PI: Tatiana Petrova (female), expertise in developmental and pathological (lymph)angiogenesis, genetic mouse models, models of cancer and inflammation. 85 publications, H-index=45 (Scopus). Awards: L’Oreal for women in science, Pfizer Biomedical Research award, Leenaards foundation prize.

Dr. Amelie Sabine (female), reseach associate, expertise in lymphatic vascular biology and genetic animal models, 17 publications, H=10 (Scopus). Awards: Pfizer Biomedical Research award

UNIL Main tasks in the project per WP

• WP4: UNIL is WP leader and implicated in Effect of lipid meidators on the lymphatic endothelium and trafficking of immune cells (Task 4.2), Effect of the knock-down of lipid enzyme synthesis on the lymphatic function (Task 4.3)
• WP5: knockdown of therapeutic target in vitro (Task 5.2), Overexpression of therapeutic target in vitro (Task 5.3)
• WP6: Validation of biological activity in preclinical models (Task 6.3)

WP9 UNIL will contribute to dissemination and communication activities.

List of up to 5 relevant publications, and/or products, services (including widely-used datasets or software), or other achievements relevant to the  call content

1. Bovay, E., Sabine, A., Prat-Luri,B., et al. … Luther, S.A & Petrova, T.V. Multiples roles of lymphatic vessels in development of peripheral lymph nodes. Exp. Med., doi: 10.1084/jem.20180217, 2018 
2. Hendrikx, S., Coso*, S., Prat-Luri*, B., Wetterwald,L., Sabine, A., Franco,C., Nassiri, S., Zangger, N., Gerhardt, H., Delorenzi, M., Petrova,T.V. Endothelial calcineurin signaling restrains metastatic outgrowth by regulating Bmp2 Cell Reports, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.016 2019
3. Bernier-Latmani J, Cisarovsky C, et al…, Radtke F, Luther, SA, & Petrova TV. DLL4 promotes continuous adult intestinal lacteal regeneration and dietary fat transport. J Clin Invest, doi: 10.1172/JCI82045, 2015.
4. Sabine A, Bovay E, et al…, Djonov V, Miura N, Petrova TV. Foxc2 and fluid shear stress stabilize postnatal lymphatic vasculature. J Clin Invest 125, 3861-77, 2015.
5. Sabine A, Agalarov Y, et al…, Kiefer B, Kwak BR, Petrova TV Mechanotransduction, PROX1 and FOXC2 cooperate to control connexin37 and calcineurin during lymphatic valve formation. Dev Cell, 22, 420-445, 2012.

List of up to 5 relevant previous projects or activities, connected to the subject of this proposal

1. Swiss National Foundation  collaborative project Sinergia,  2 mCHF, main applicant 2017-2021, (3 PIs)
2. MSCA-ITN PhD training programme VESSEL 7 MEUR (2014-2017), co-PI (9 PIs)

Infrastructure and/or major items of technical equipment

Animal care SPF facility,  In vivo imaging facility (2xmultiphoton microscopes, 3T MRI, bioluminescence imaging, µCT), Cell Imaging Facility (time lapse conventional and confocal microscopy, high speed confocal microscopy, laser microdissection, light-sheet microscopy); Flow cytometry facility (3-, 4- and 6-color FACS, FACS Aria and Helios CyTOF System); Genomic Technologies Facility (scRNA seq, next generation sequencing, oligonucleotide microarrays for mRNA and miRNA analysis, in house-produced spotted high-density DNA and protein microarrays etc). Mouse Metabolic Evaluation, protein analysis facility (protein identification by MS and tandem MS (MS/MS) in simple or complex mixtures by either MALDI- or nano-capillary- LC-electrospray mass spectrometry), SILAC cell labelling for quantitative comparisons.

Operational capacity

Fully operational