Inaugurated this Friday (5/17), the Pasteur Fiocruz Center on Immunology and Immunotherapy, located at Fiocruz Cear, brings together scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Fiocruz, two members of the Pasteur Network, to develop an integrative approach towards immunotherapies applied to both infectious and non-communicable diseases. This scientific cooperation aims to accelerate research in immunology and immunotherapy at regional, national, and international levels. It counts on the support of the Cear state government and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, through its Embassy in Brasilia.

Participating in the inauguration ceremony were the president of Fiocruz, Mario Moreira; the senior executive vice-president of Scientific Affairs at the Institut Pasteur, Christophe dEnfert; the governor of the State of Cear, Elmano de Freitas; the French ambassador to Brazil, Emmanuel Lenain. The Secretary of Science, Technology, Innovation and Health Complex of the Ministry of Health (SECTICS/MS), Carlos Gadelha, was representing the minister of Health, Nisia Trindade. The ceremony also included the participation of the vice-president of Education, Information and Communication (VPEIC/Fiocruz), Cristiani Vieira Machado; the coordinator of the Fiocruz Agenda 2030 Strategy (EFA 2030/Fiocruz), Paulo Gadelha;the coordinator of Fiocruz Cear, Carla Celidnio; the consul general of France, Serge Gas; the special advisor to the Presidency of Fiocruz for Cooperation with French Institutions, Wilson Savino; and the mayor of Eusbio, Acilon Gonalves Pinto Filho, as well as members of the Pasteur Network in the Americas, such as the Institut Armand Frappier, Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, Institut Pasteur de Guyanne, Institut Pasteur de So Paulo and Institut Pasteur de Montevideo.

A new model of collaboration

The new Center is located in Fiocruz Cear Campus, in Eusbio, 30 minutes from Fortaleza (the state's capital in Northeastern Brazil), in a building with 2,350 sqm. The Center will also benefit from the structure of Fiocruzs regional unit, created in 2008 and that is today the technological anchor of the Industrial and Technological Health Hub in Cear (Polo Industrial e Tecnolgico da Sade - PITS).

The president of Fiocruz, Mario Moreira, highlighted the Center as a priority project for the Foundation. It is an exemplary project that inspires us not only because of its scientific competence, but also because it is a model of new institutional arrangements that Fiocruz can adopt to develop activities outside of Rio de Janeiro, he emphasized. In addition to the joy that surrounds this celebration, the Center also brings with it a responsibility to contribute to scientific and technological development that can enable new health products, he commented. We have many projects to develop in this region, in the very particular political institutional arrangement, which is the association of federal, state and municipal governments. This basis justifies Fiocruzs success in Cear, he stated.

Moreira, D'Enfert, Martins and Caroline at the Center's reception where a poster pays homage to Louis Pasteur and Oswaldo Cruz (photo: Iratu Freitas)

The vice president of the Institut Pasteur, Christophe DEnfert, highlighted the project as a new step in the long and solid partnership between Brazil and France. Oswaldo Cruz completed his studies in Paris and returned to Brazil founding Fiocruz. There is a little of France in the Foundation, he mentioned. This ambitious project is fully aligned with the strategies of both institutions involved and will certainly create synergies for innovative science and the benefit of both people, he added. Another point highlighted by DEnfert was the institutions commitment to training future generations of scientists in the field of immunology and immunotherapy.

The Secretary of Science, Technology, Innovation and Health Complex of the Ministry of Health (SECTICS/MS), Carlos Gadelha, highlighted the project as an important commitment to regional equity. We are celebrating a concrete possibility of national development. It is a country project that involves regional development, in the Northeast and Cear, he emphasized.

To the governor of Cear, Elmano de Freitas, the event was a moment that changes the history of his people. My pride in being here is being able to say that what we want to migrate from Cear is the scientific knowledge that will be produced here. Not only do we trust science, but we also understand that it is a path to the country's development. Science cannot be done without partnership and cooperation, he reinforced.

Public health strategy

The development of new immunotherapies is an important public health strategy. This kind of treatment is based of the modulation of the immune system and can directly target an infectious agent, damaged cells and tissues, or regulate the immune microenvironment promoting a proper immune response to fight a given disease. It has revolutionized cancer treatment in recent years, but is not restricted to the oncology field. Indeed, its use in treating other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and infectious diseases is rapidly increasing.

The Center has three priority scientific areas: cancer; infectious and neglected diseases; autoimmune, neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. Among the projects hosted by the Center are: the development of Integrin Inhibitors for Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases; the development of Antibody-Drug Conjugates; the development of nanobody/antibody fragments for Neglected Tropical Diseases; CAR-T cells; and immunotherapies to enhance T cell functions to tackle infectious diseases.

Brazil and France have vast and diverse territories, their populations are frequently affected by infectious and tropical neglected diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites and snakebites. Moreover, mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, malaria and Zika are endemic in some regions of both countries. Additionally, both countries face a rise in non-communicable diseases. This scenario signs an upward demand for innovative therapeutics.

The first bilateral framework agreement envisioning the creation of the Center was defined in 2015, and renewed in 2021. The following year, it was decided that Fiocruz Cear would receive a researcher from Institut Pasteur to contribute in the efforts for integrated research. The chosen was the Brazilian immunologist Caroline Pereira Bittencourt Passaes, who has a Master's and Doctoral Degree from Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) and has then been working at the Institut Pasteur for eleven years. Amongst others, Caroline is aco-author in the study regarding the third case of AIDS cure.

One of the Centers privileges is having as patrons two of the greatest scientists in the world: Oswaldo Cruz and Louis Pasteur. Its creation represents a significant milestone in the advancement of knowledge in immunology and immunotherapy. Research on these topics is crucial for the development of new prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies, said the Centers coordinator, Joo Hermnio. The other Center's coordinator, Caroline Passaes, emphasized that the partnership became a reality thanks to the work done in recent years. The space, previously dedicated to the diagnosis of COVID-19, has been given a new meaning and now begins a new phase, with a focus on developing advanced therapies for the benefit of the population, he pointed out.

Coordinator of Fiocruz Cear, Carla Celednio was moved when she cited the project as a reaffirmation of the century-old collaboration between the institutions. This reinforces the driving power of action for one of Fiocruz Cears vocations: the development of new therapies and technologies for the health of our population, she said. This reality would not have been possible if it were not for the actions to decentralize science and technology in the South-Southeast axis, he stated..

At the end of the ceremony, the agreement to create the Pasteur Fiocruz Center on Immunology and Immunotherapy was signed by Mario Moreira, Christophe DEnfert, Joo Hermnio and Caroline Passaes. The occasion also featured the signing of the decree that establishes and regulates the Cear Health Innovation District, lin the municipality of Eusbio, by the governor Elmano de Freitas. After the signing, the group visited the Center and its laboratories. At reception, a plaque pays homage to Oswaldo Cruz and Louis Pasteur.

The Pasteur Fiocruz Center on Immunology and Immunotherapy is directly linked to the General Directorate of the Institut Pasteur and the Fiocruz Presidency. It counts with a Coordinating Committee and a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The Coordination Committee is made up of three representatives from the Institut Pasteur, three representatives from Fiocruz; one from the French Embassy in Brazil; and one from the Cear State Government. The SAB has six members, independent experts who carry out their scientific activities in both Europe and South America, jointly appointed by the Institut Pasteur and Fiocruz.

The governor of Cear, Elmano Freitas, and Mario Moreira at the inauguration ceremony (photo: Iratu Freitas)

Operations began even before its inauguration. The day before (5/16), the Pasteur Fiocruz Symposium on Immunology and Immunotherapy was organized, bringing together researchers from different parts of the world and addressing topics on basic and translational immunology, immunotherapies and innovative applications in the area.

The Pasteur Fiocruz Center on Immunology and Immunotherapy will collaborate closely with the Immunobiological Technology Institute (Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz), through a research and development laboratory that is being structured. The Center will also work in partnership with universities, research institutes and public or private companies. It functions in a multi-user operating model, which means that the use of the equipments is open to any collaborator who requests it. In addition to the inputs from Fiocruz and the Institut Pasteur, the Center counts on further financial support of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (through its Embassy in Brasilia), the Cear government and the state governmental agency for the development of Science (Funcap, as Portuguese acronym).

A long partnership

The ties linking the Institut Pasteur to Brazil date back to the late nineteenth century when Don Pedro II, then Emperor of Brazil, a strong supporter of scientific research, developed a keen interest in the work of Louis Pasteur. In 1879, Don Pedro II invited Louis Pasteur to Brazil to study and combat the yellow fever epidemic. Although Louis Pasteur could not travel to Brazil, a successful collaboration led to significant financial support from the emperor, which contributed to the creation of the Institut Pasteur in Paris, in 1887. Later on, Brazilian scientist Oswaldo Cruz traveled to Paris in 1897 and worked with the first generation of Pasteurians, including mile Roux. In mid-1899, with his studies completed, Oswaldo Cruz returned to Brazil and founded on May 25, 1900, the Serum Therapeutic Institute, that originated the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. The rise of the Pasteur Fiocruz Center on Immunology and Immunotherapy represents a new chapter in such story.

The Pasteur Network

The Institut Pasteur and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation are both members of the Pasteur Network. The Pasteur Network is an alliance of over 30 institutes that plays a crucial role in tackling global health challenges through science, innovation and public health. Its distinctive strength lies in the diversity and extensive geographic reach, spanning 25 countries across five continents, fostering a dynamic community of knowledge and expertise. The Pasteur Network is recognized as a WHO non-state actor, and members of the network are frequently embedded into local Ministries of Health. The Pasteur Network sustains a global infrastructure encompassing 50+ national and regional reference laboratories, which includes multiple Biosafety Level 3 Laboratories, and 17 WHO Collaborating Centers.

The Pasteur Network's work is guided by four strategic pillars: 1) Epidemic Preparedness, Intelligence, with focus on Climate sensitive diseases, 2) Research, Development, and Innovation, 3) Knowledge Communities, and 4) Good Governance and Equity.

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Pasteur Fiocruz Center on Immunology and Immunotherapy is inaugurated in Cear - Fiocruz