CIPHE at the Heart of European PRIMTECH 3R and INFRAPLUS Projects

The Centre for Immunophenomics (CIPHE) – Inserm US012, CNRS UAR3367, AMU – is proud to play a central role in the European PRIMTECH 3R and INFRAPLUS projects, launched in May 2025. These initiatives, funded by the European Union under HORIZON-RIA and supported by INFRAFRONTIER, the European reference infrastructure for human disease modeling, aim to advance innovative preclinical research strategies.

Since the official launch in May 2025, marked by the kick-off meeting in Munich, CIPHE has been leading the design, development, and characterization of advanced in vitro preclinical models, evaluating their validity and complementarity with in vivo mouse models while analyzing physiological relevance through deep transcriptomic, proteomic, and cellular profiling.

In the PRIMTECH 3R project (Preclinical in vitro Models to Replace, Reduce and Refine Mouse Models), CIPHE is responsible for developing lung-on-chip organoids derived from murine embryonic stem cells (mESC), human pluripotent stem cells (hESC), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), co-cultured with immune and stromal cells. These advanced in vitro models will be instrumental for studying respiratory infections and lung cancer.

CIPHE also leads the comprehensive characterization of these models using cutting-edge methods, including genetic and biochemical analyses, high-content cellular approaches, high-throughput imaging, and AI-powered image analysis. Key collaborations include:

• Prof. Morten Schallburg Nielsen, Department of Biomedicine, Bioimaging Core Facility, University of Aarhus, Denmark (Euro-BioImaging node) (https://imaging.au.dk).

• Dr. Frédérique Magdinier and Dr. Natacha Broucqsault, Marseille Medical Genetics (MMG), (https://www.marseille-medical-genetics.org/fr/f-magdinier/), developing complementary approaches in epigenetics, reprogramming, and cellular differentiation via the dedicated MMG technology platform (https://www.marseille-medical-genetics.org/fr/plateforme-de-reprogrammation-et differenciation-cellulaire/).

These efforts are essential to screen and identify innovative therapeutic compounds, with efficacy subsequently validated in in vivo mouse models.

In parallel, through the INFRAPLUS project (Enhancing and Evolving Disease Modeling Capacity), CIPHE actively contributes to strengthening European disease modeling capabilities, facilitating access to resources, and fostering collaboration among research infrastructures, scientists, and the biomedical industry.

Alongside CIPHE, the Clinique de la Souris (ICS) and TAAM Units of the Celphedia national infrastructure play key roles, highlighting the contribution of French preclinical research infrastructures at the European level.

CIPHE is fully committed to these disease modeling initiatives, adhering to the 3R principles (Replace, Reduce, Refine), and integrating in vitro approaches in complementarity with mouse models to accelerate the development of innovative therapies.