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Michel
Salmon
Straticell Screening Technologies, SME
Namur, Belgium |
Research
interests and relevant experience of responsible scientist
Straticell
S.A. was created in March 2005, as a spin-off company from the
University of Namur, Belgium. Straticell is a SME which has a
strong expertise in cell and tissue engineering, in particular
for in vitro reconstitution of skin equivalents from highly proliferative
keratinocytes.
StratiCELL
provides skin models and related assays as relevant alternatives
for animal testing.
StratiCELL’s
service activity consists in in vitro toxicology and efficacy
services based on dermal fibroblasts, keratinocytes and 3D skin
culture models targeted at chemicals, drugs, cosmetic ingredients
and finished products (toxicity, irritation, sensitization, photoprotection,
phototoxicity, anti-aging,….) without using animal models
.
StratiCELL’s
production activity relates to the manufacture of biologically
standardized human reconstituted epidermis and skin equivalents
for in vitro testing applications (transgenic or wild-type cultures)
based on critical technological advantages and further possibilities
of technological development.
Research
is going on to increase the quality of these products and services
and to increase progressively the offer.
The services provided by StratiCELL are listed beneath (non-exhaustive
list). Combination of these tests with particular biological models
gives StratiCELL a specific know-how :
Toxicology testing :
a) Cytotoxicity and viability of the epidermis (MTT and LDH test)
;
b) Histological analysis of the epidermis ;
c) Irritation and sensibilization tests to detect inflammatory
processes in the epidermis ;
d) Phototoxicity tests namely on the epidermis;
e) Genotoxicity tests (detection of DNA damage, activation of
transcription factors) ;
f) Toxicogenomics based on low-density DNA arrays developed by
O. Toussaint’s group
Efficacy
testing :
a) Photoprotection ;
b) Testing anti-(photo) ageing molecules ;
c) ARN extraction and transcriptome profiling through high-throughput
RT-PCR and on low-density DNA arrays focused on ageing, inflammation,
the response to stress and keratinocytes differentiation ;
d) Proliferation tests ([3H]-thymidine incorporation, brdU) ;
e) Signal transduction analysis and pathway activation ;
f) Enzymatic activity tests ;
g) Activation of transcription factors using the TRANS-AM technology
;
h) Wound healing, invasiveness, colonization ;
i) Protein detection (Western blots, ELISA, immunofluoresescence,
immunohistochemistry, …) ;
j) Microscopy analysis (optical, confocal, etc.) ;
k) Free radicals detection by immunofluorescent techniques ;
l) Detection of mitochondrial DNA damage by real-time PCR;
m) Custom made assays (development of routine or specific assays
for transfer or further subcontracting) ;
n) Biological low to medium screening assays ;
o) Proteome analysis
The ability to reproduce an adequate corneous layer is very important
because it allows not only the local application of soluble molecule
or insoluble formulations (creams, milks, extracts,…) but
also applications stimulating a systemic character by the adjunction
of the to be tested molecule in the culture environment. This
latter situation mimics drugs that are carried to the skin via
blood vessels and capillaries.
Staff
Dr
Michel Salmon, R&D Director
Dr Nathalie Belot, Production Director,
Ir Mélanie Leroy, Project Leader
Coralie Bastin, Technician
Jonathan Hiffe, Technician
Jean-Luc Henrioul, Business Developper
Jacques Micha, Financial Consultant
Relevant
publications
Debacq-Chainniaux , Borlon , Pascal
, Royer , Carrard , de Longueville , Boffe , Eliaers, Friguet,
Remacle & Toussaint. Repeated exposures of human skin fibroblasts
to UVB at subcytotoxic level trigger premature senescence through
the TGF-beta1 signaling pathway . J. Cell Sci 2005 , 118 : 743-758
Salmon , Dedessus le Moutier , Wenders , Chirizia
, Eliaers , Remacle , Royer , Pascal & Toussaint . Role of
the PLA2-independent peroxiredoxin VI activity in the survival
of immortalized fibroblasts exposed to cytotoxic oxidativestress
. FEBS Lett 2004 , 557 : 25-32
Toussaint , Salmon , Royer , Dierick , de Magalhaes
, Wenders , Zdanov , Chrétien , Borlon , Pascal and Chainiaux
. Role of subcytotoxic stress in tissue ageing. Model systems
in ageing . T. Nyström , Berlin Heidelberg , Springer-verlag
. 3 : 269-294 ,2003
Chainiaux , Magalhaes , Eliaers , Remacle &
Toussaint , UV-B induced premature senescence of human diploid
skin fibroblasts . Int. J. Biochem Cell Biol 2002, 34 : 1331-1139
Dumont , Chen , Burton , Gonos , Frippiat , Mazarati
, Eliars , Remacle et Toussaint. Induction of replicative senescence
biomarkers by sublethal oxidative stresses in nirmal human fibroblast.
Free Rad Biol Med 2000 , 28 : 361-373
De Magalhaes , Costa , Toussaint , HAGR : the
Human Ageing Genomic Resources . Nucleic Acids Res 2005 : Jan1
: 33, D 5-43
de Magalhaes JP, Chainiaux F, de Longueville F,
Mainfroid V, Migeot V, Marcq L, Remacle J, Salmon M & Toussaint
O. Gene expression and regulation in H2O2-induced premature senescence
of human foreskin fibroblasts expressing or not telomerase. Exp
Gerontol 2004; 39:1379-89
Salmon MA, Dedessus Le Moutier J, Wenders F, Chiarizia
S, Eliaers F, Remacle J, Royer V, Pascal T & Toussaint O.
Role of the PLA2-independent peroxiredoxin VI activity in the
survival of immortalized fibroblasts exposed to cytotoxic oxidative
stress. FEBS Lett 2004; 557:25-32
Dierick JF, Kalume DE, Wenders F, Salmon M, Dieu
M, Raes M, Roepstorff P & Toussaint O. Identification of 30
protein species involved in replicative senescence and stress-induced
premature senescence. FEBS Lett 2002; 531:499-504
Salmon MA, Vendrame M, Kummert J & Lepoivre
P. Rapid and homogenous detection of Apple stem pitting virus
by RT-PCR and a fluorogenic 3’-minor groove binder-DNA probe.
Eur J Plant Pathol 2002; 108:755-62
Salmon MA, Vendrame M, Kummert J & Lepoivre
P. Detection of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus Using a 5’
Nuclease Assay with a Fluorescent 3’ Minor Groove Binder-DNA
Probe. J Virol Methods 2002; 104:96-106
Belot N, Pochet R, Heizmann CW, Kiss R & Decaestecker
C. Extracellular S100A4 stimulates the migration rate of astrocytic
tumor cells by modifying the organization of their actin cytoskeleton.
Biochim Biophys Acta 2002; 1600:74-83
Belot N, Rorive S, Doyen I, Lefranc F, Bruyneel
E, Dedecker R, Micik S, Brotchi J, Decaestecker C, Salmon I, Kiss
R & Camby I. Molecular characterization of cell substratum
attachments in human glial tumors relates to prognostic features.
Glia 2001; 36:375-90
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