IHU ICAN’s flagship actions in 2024 to combat cardiometabolic diseases

The IHU ICAN (Foundation for Innovation in Cardiometabolism and Nutrition) is a translational research center of excellence in cardiometabolic diseases. Diabetes, obesity, metabolic fatty liver disease (MASH ) and dyslipidemia are all metabolic diseases which, when combined with heart disease, form cardiometabolic diseases.

Cardiometabolic diseases are the^1st preventable and modifiable cause of cardiovascular disease (^1st cause of death in women and^2nd cause of death in the general population in France). Since 2011, our mission has been to accelerate the pace of innovation and its transfer to the care of patients suffering from these diseases.

2024 was a major year in the development of the IHU ICAN, reinforcing our ambition to become the reference institute for cardiometabolic and nutritional diseases in Europe.

Successful 1st heart transplant in the PEGASE study across the Atlantic

The year 2024 began with a world first: Prof. Guillaume Lebreton successfully performed the 1st heart transplant after transport across the Atlantic Ocean, keeping the heart for 12 hours instead of the usual maximum of 4 hours. The heart transplant took place at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.

This first transplant was the subject of a scientific publication in The Lancet , published on February 28, 2024. See the publication.

Renewal of the IBiSA label for the ICAN Omics platform

Following a new audit at the end of 2023, the ICAN Omics platform of the IHU ICAN obtained the renewal of its IBiSA label, accompanied by funding of €80,000 for the acquisition of new mass spectrometry equipment.

The IBiSA scientific interest group certifies the quality of activity of platforms and Biological Resource Centers (BRCs) of regional or national interest in biology, health and agronomy.

Launch of the new European GRIPonMASH project

MASLD is a steatotic liver disease affecting 30% of the world’s population. Whereas MASLD is reversible, MASH, and especially fibrotic MASH, leads to irreversible complications and can even lead to liver decompensation or liver cancer.

To address this issue, a consortium of 27 European partners will be working over the next 4 years to ensure the success of the GRIPonMASH diagnostic platform. IHU ICAN will contribute to the GRIPonMASH cohort by recruiting 1000 high-risk patients within its dedicated MASH care pathway.

Resmetirom, 1st drug approved for the treatment of MASH

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved resmetirom as the 1st drug to treat metabolic steatohepatitis (MASH)! This treatment is intended for adults suffering from MASH with fibrosis, as a complement to a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

Prof. Vlad Ratziu (gastrohepatologist, IHU ICAN, AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Inserm) was co-principal investigator of the Phase III clinical trial investigating the efficacy of this new treatment. The results were published on February 8, 2024 in the prestigious scientific journal The New England Journal of Medicine.

First patients included in the MAESTRIA-AFNET 10 cohort

The MAESTRIA project teams have opened 2 recruitment centers in Paris (Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière and Hôpital Saint-Antoine) to set up the MAESTRIA-AFNET 10 European cohort, with the inclusion of the first patients!

The MAESTRIA project (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection of Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation) is a consortium of 18 partners from Europe, the USA and Canada, responding to an H2020 call for projects on digital diagnostics. Its aim is to better detect atrial cardiomyopathy, which is responsible for the onset of atrial fibrillation and vascular embolic accidents.

1st National Cardiometabolic Disease Week

In 2024, IHU ICAN has stepped up its efforts to raise public awareness with the launch of the first National Cardiometabolic Disease Week (MCM) from April 8 to 12, 2024.

The campaign took the form of a digital and radio campaign , with numerous educational videos and audio clips.

It was relayed by patient associations such as the Fédération Française des Diabétiques and ANHET, as well as by 188 radio stations nationwide.

1st exceptional meeting with our patrons

IHU ICAN organized the first patronage meeting to thank our patrons committed to the teams of doctors and researchers since the launch of the patronage policy in 2021.

The patrons were invited to a private tour to discover the exceptional history of the Pitié-Salpêtrière site, and to a presentation of the scientific strategy and major structuring projects by Prof. Stéphane Hatem, Managing Director of the ICAN HCI. The meeting closed with a cocktail reception.

The commitment of patrons and donors is essential to accelerate innovation in research.

Measuring the satisfaction of our investigators

As part of its continuous improvement initiative, IHU ICAN carried out a satisfaction survey among its community and external users of its services.

The survey also identified areas for improvement, which will be examined with a view to resolving them, in order to better meet our users’ expectations.

The IHU ICAN team is delighted with these results, which show a high level of satisfaction among platform users and academic investigators, and confirm the quality of the services offered.

Appointment of Anne-Marie Armanteras as new Chairman of the Board of Directors of IHU ICAN

On Thursday June 20, the Board of Directors of the ICAN HCI unanimously appointed Anne-Marie Armanteras, former health advisor to President Emmanuel Macron, as its new President.

With an exemplary career in public health, Anne-Marie Armanteras brings her experience and network to reinforce the ICAN HHI’s position as a bridgehead for research into cardiometabolic diseases, a major public health issue.

ICONIC project: successful simulation of the participant journey

The ICONIC project aims to include 2,400 asymptomatic volunteers over a 5-year period, with MRI and ultrasound imaging to analyze the structure and function of the heart, vessels and liver.

Conducted at the Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, the healthy volunteers’ course is a challenge to set up in order to best respect the constraints of time, space and comfort for the participant.

With the help of 3 “naïve” volunteers, IHU ICAN was able to test this course in order to optimize it prior to the actual inclusion of participants.

Summer camp for young researchers

From June 10 to 14, 2024, the IHU ICAN was pleased to welcome young researchers from France and Quebec to the IHU ICANsummer camp for a week of training at the Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, in partnership with the Cardiometabolic Health, Diabetes and Obesity Research Network (CMDO).

Throughout the week, students were able to take part in “career” workshops on research careers, workshops on cardiometabolism, visits to ICAN’s technology platforms, themed scientific workshops and workshops on the use of health data…

This summer camp is supplemented every year by a winter camp organized by the CMDO in Sherbrooke, Quebec, which took place from January 31 to February 7, 2024.

On this occasion, IHU ICAN and the CMDO network signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate joint research and training programs in cardiometabolism, and develop new scientific collaborations.

Race of Heroes 2024

For the 3rd year running, IHU ICAN took part in the Run for Heroes on June 16, 2024, at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, with a team of employees mobilized to raise funds for research into cardiometabolic diseases.

A team from Novo Nordisk has joined forces with IHU ICAN on this project.

Together, all collectors and donors raised €4,375 for the fight against cardiometabolic diseases.

ISO9001 v2015 certification obtained

IHU ICAN is the first IHU to obtain ISO 9001 v2015 certification, underlining the commitment of ICAN’s teams to provide support for excellent research, integrating a quality approach and rigorous management processes and governance.

Development of an international partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) New Delhi

The ICAN I/O Data Sciences platform is a partner of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology New Delhi (IITD ), as part of a collaboration between Sorbonne University and IITD.

Drawing on the expertise of the team led by Dr Ishaan Gupta, an expert in artificial intelligence and computational genomics, this collaboration will bring significant advances to the field of health research, drawing on cutting-edge technology and interdisciplinary expertise.

Over the next few years, this partnership will see the introduction of joint PhD calls and Franco-Indian scholarships, announced by President Emmanuel Macron during his recent visits to India, thus fostering closer collaboration between the two countries.

Launch of the 1st cardiometabolic disease training course in France!

How can we train healthcare professionals to better understand and prevent cardiometabolic diseases, a major public health issue of today and tomorrow?

To support training in cardiometabolism, the IHU ICAN is partnering Sorbonne Université’s new Diplôme d’Université (DU) Santé et maladies cardiométaboliques. This continuing professional education program is under the pedagogical responsibility of Pr Vlad Ratziu (Hepatologist IHU ICAN / APHP) and Pr Stéphane Hatem (Director of the IHU ICAN and Cardiologist APHP).

Tutorials and practical courses will be held on the ICAN HCI premises and in affiliated clinical departments (Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris 13e).

2nd edition of the cardiometabolic disease barometer

IHU ICAN has unveiled the results of the^2nd edition of its annual barometer , carried out in collaboration with Ifop, on French perceptions of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD).

This study highlights the low level of knowledge among French people about these pathologies, which are nevertheless the^1st modifiable cause of cardiovascular disease.

According to the results of the 2024 barometer, 65% of those surveyed are not familiar with cardiometabolic diseases. Only 35% have ever heard of them, and of these, 9% actually know what they are.

Visit to the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences New Delhi

IHU ICAN was delighted to welcome a delegation from the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), India’s 1st hospital specializing in liver and biliary diseases, located in New Delhi!

The visit was organized by Pr Dominique Thabut, Head of the Hepato-Gastroenterology Department at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (APHP). The meeting was part of the French-Indian Liver and Metabolic Disease Network (#InFLiMeN), a collaborative research and development initiative in the field of liver and metabolic diseases involving Inserm and Sorbonne University.

This visit enabled the ILBS delegation to discover the care pathway dedicated to MASH (metabolic steatosis) set up by the APHP and the ICAN IHU, as well as the scope of our research projects on metabolic liver diseases, with a view to future scientific collaborations in the service of patients.

Conference dedicated to iPS-CMs

On October 11, 2024, the “PSC-based models for cardiac biology” symposium took place at the Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, co-organized in partnership with IHU ICAN and Sorbonne Université, under the scientific direction of Prof. Onnik Agbulut and Drs. Elise Balse, Vincent Fontaine, Pierre Joanne and Eric Villard.

This event enabled participants to discover the latest advances and future prospects for improving this cellular model used in the fields of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology, cardiac tissue engineering and cardiac cell therapy. Young researchers from the community were also able to present their work on iPS.

Cardio-metabolic diseases, everyone concerned” symposium at the French National Academy of Medicine

On November 28, 2024, IHU ICAN, in collaboration with the French National Academy of Medicine and Inserm’s Physiopathology, Metabolism and Nutrition thematic institute, organized an exceptional symposium entitled: “Cardiometabolic diseases, a major public health issue that concerns us all”.

The event provided an opportunity for all those involved in the fight against cardiometabolic diseases (researchers, doctors, manufacturers, patient associations, biotech companies, public institutions, etc.) to get together and exchange views.

The aim: to take stock of advances in research and identify the obstacles to be overcome and the actions to be taken to improve patient care and better prevent these diseases.