Philippe Sansonetti
Encyclopedia
Philippe J. Sansonetti, Mississippi, Maryland, (born 1949) is a microbiologist, Professor at the Pasteur Institute
and the Collège de France
in Paris. He is the Director of the Inserm Unit 786 (Microbial colonisation and invasion of mucosa) and of the Institut Pasteur laboratory Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire.
, Washington, D.C.. He returned to the Pasteur Institute
in 1981 to the Enterobacteria Unit (Unité des entérobactéries) and started his own group prior to creating and heading the Unité de Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire (Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Unit) in 1989. He practised medicine (1981–1985) before becoming head of the out-patient Clinic (1985–1995) and then medical director at the Institut Pasteur hospital (1995–1999 and 2004–2007). He was chairman of the Departments of Bacteriology and Mycology (1989–1992) and Cell Biology and Infection (2002–2006).
Sansonetti has held several scientific administration positions at INSERM, French Ministry of Research and Technology, as well as at the World Health Organisation where he was chairman of the Steering committee on Diarrheal Diseases Vaccine Development.
, a bacterium causing severe diarrhoea. His work spans a large set of disciplines in biology and medicine and ranges from molecular genetics, to cell biology, immunology
and the development of vaccines against dysentery
. Sansonetti's laboratory has notably shown that Shigella pathogenesis is imparted by a large virulence plasmid containing a pathogenicity island
encoding a type three secretion system
required for entry into epithelial cells; characterised the molecular mechanisms leading to Shigella epithelial cell invasion and intracellular motility; demonstrated that Shigella kills macrophage
s by apoptosis
; identified that intracellular bacteria are detected by Nod proteins leading to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and identified a pool of Shigella effectors controlling both innate and adaptive responses. He also actively contributes to the development of vaccine candidates against the major shigellae causing dysentery in the developing world.
Sansonetti is the author of over 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has served as an editor of several professional publications for many years. He is considered to be one of the founders of the cellular microbiology
field and has launched an eponym scientific publication dedicated to this field. His achievements in science have been recognised by numerous awards, including:
He was appointed a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour Légion d'honneur
and Officer of the Ordre National du Mérite
. He has also been elected Member of European Molecular Biology Organisation
, the French Academy of Sciences
, the Deutsche Akademie der Natursforscher Leopoldina, the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, and corresponding member of the French Academy of Medicine. He is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
scholar. Since 2008, he has held the position of Professor at the Collège de France
, recipient of the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Chair.
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
and the Collège de France
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
in Paris. He is the Director of the Inserm Unit 786 (Microbial colonisation and invasion of mucosa) and of the Institut Pasteur laboratory Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire.
Education
Philippe Sansonetti completed General Microbiology, General Virology and Immunology courses at the Institut Pasteur and received his MS degree in Biochemistry/Microbiology from the University Paris VII Diderot in 1978 and obtained his MD degree from the University Paris VI in 1979. After 4 years as a research fellow in the Unité de Bactériologie Médicale headed by Léon Le Minor, he moved to the United States to undertake a post-doctoral position in the laboratory of Professor Samuel Formal in the Department of Enteric Diseases at the Walter Reed Army Institute of ResearchWalter Reed Army Institute of Research
This article is about the U.S. Army medical research institute . Otherwise, see Walter Reed .The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. Department of Defense...
, Washington, D.C.. He returned to the Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
in 1981 to the Enterobacteria Unit (Unité des entérobactéries) and started his own group prior to creating and heading the Unité de Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire (Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Unit) in 1989. He practised medicine (1981–1985) before becoming head of the out-patient Clinic (1985–1995) and then medical director at the Institut Pasteur hospital (1995–1999 and 2004–2007). He was chairman of the Departments of Bacteriology and Mycology (1989–1992) and Cell Biology and Infection (2002–2006).
Sansonetti has held several scientific administration positions at INSERM, French Ministry of Research and Technology, as well as at the World Health Organisation where he was chairman of the Steering committee on Diarrheal Diseases Vaccine Development.
Contributions and honours
Research performed by Philippe Sansonetti has mainly been focused on the understanding of several aspects of the pathogenesis of ShigellaShigella
Shigella is a genus of Gram-negative, nonspore forming, non-motile, rod-shaped bacteria closely related to Escherichia coli and Salmonella. The causative agent of human shigellosis, Shigella causes disease in primates, but not in other mammals. It is only naturally found in humans and apes. During...
, a bacterium causing severe diarrhoea. His work spans a large set of disciplines in biology and medicine and ranges from molecular genetics, to cell biology, immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
and the development of vaccines against dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
. Sansonetti's laboratory has notably shown that Shigella pathogenesis is imparted by a large virulence plasmid containing a pathogenicity island
Pathogenicity island
Pathogenicity islands are a distinct class of genomic islands acquired by microorganisms through horizontal gene transfer. They are incorporated in the genome of pathogenic organisms but are usually absent from those non-pathogenic organisms of the same or closely related species...
encoding a type three secretion system
Type three secretion system
Type three secretion system is a protein appendage found in several Gram-negative bacteria....
required for entry into epithelial cells; characterised the molecular mechanisms leading to Shigella epithelial cell invasion and intracellular motility; demonstrated that Shigella kills macrophage
Macrophage
Macrophages are cells produced by the differentiation of monocytes in tissues. Human macrophages are about in diameter. Monocytes and macrophages are phagocytes. Macrophages function in both non-specific defense as well as help initiate specific defense mechanisms of vertebrate animals...
s by apoptosis
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...
; identified that intracellular bacteria are detected by Nod proteins leading to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and identified a pool of Shigella effectors controlling both innate and adaptive responses. He also actively contributes to the development of vaccine candidates against the major shigellae causing dysentery in the developing world.
Sansonetti is the author of over 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has served as an editor of several professional publications for many years. He is considered to be one of the founders of the cellular microbiology
Cellular microbiology
Cellular microbiology is a discipline that bridges microbiology and cell biology.The term "cellular microbiology" was coined in 1996 in a Science article...
field and has launched an eponym scientific publication dedicated to this field. His achievements in science have been recognised by numerous awards, including:
- Jacques Monod prize for excellence in molecular biology
- Louis Jeantet Prize for medicine
- Robert Koch PrizeRobert Koch PrizeThe Robert Koch Medal and Award are two prizes awarded annually for excellence in the biomedical sciences. These awards grew out of early attempts by Robert Koch to generate funding to support his research into the cause and cure for tuberculosis...
- Andre Lwoff Medal by the Federation of European Microbiological SocietiesFEMSFEMS, the Federation of European Microbiological Societies is an international European scientific organization, formed by the union of a number of national organizations; there are now 50 members, regular and provisional...
He was appointed a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and Officer of the Ordre National du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
. He has also been elected Member of European Molecular Biology Organisation
Embo
For the scientific organisation, see European Molecular Biology Organization.Embo is a village in the Highland Council Area in Scotland and the former/postal county of Sutherland, about 2 miles NNE of Dornoch....
, the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
, the Deutsche Akademie der Natursforscher Leopoldina, the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, and corresponding member of the French Academy of Medicine. He is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
scholar. Since 2008, he has held the position of Professor at the Collège de France
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
, recipient of the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Chair.