Launch of the One Health project entitled EUROFERI

The recent events show that the fight against infectious diseases remains a priority. It is clear that this fight must be done through a comprehensive "One Health" approach targeting the health of humans, animals and the environment. One of our biggest challenges is the resistance developed by pathogens against the available therapeutic arsenal. We must therefore explore new ways to fight infections. One of these is the targeting of metabolic pathways essential to the host to control microorganisms. Another is to strengthen the body's first line of defense - the innate immune system.

The EUROFERI project aims to develop new therapies directed towards the host (or "Host-directed therapy"; "HDT") that can be used in humans or production animals in a One Health concept. Research teams from INEM (CNRS Orléans), ISP (INRA Nouzilly) CEPR (Université Tours -INSERM) and ICOA (Université d'Orléans-CNRS) will join forces in the EUROFERI project to propose new HDTs allowing humans or production animals to strengthen the fight against influenza (human and avian), tuberculosis (human and bovine), but also pulmonary inflammation in response to pollutants (humans). To do this, the teams federated in EUROFERI are working to improve the understanding of inflammation and the immune response of the host (man, cattle, poultry) during tuberculosis, influenza or exposure to pollutants. They will then use their skills in small molecule chemistry to develop innovative HDTs that can be used in humans or livestock to control infections and inflammation in the lung with adjunctive therapies to current treatments.