CFM Indosuez donates €51,000 to Fondation Flavien and Centre Scientifique de Monaco
Mathieu Ferragut, Vincent Picco and Denis Maccario © Centre Scientifique de Monaco
The sea anemone could be the key to tackling paediatric cancers.
A cheque for over €51,000 was presented by CFM Indosuez Wealth Management, in collaboration with Crédit Agricole CIB, to the Fondation Flavien charity, to support research into paediatric cancers. The generous sum will be allocated to the “Brain Stem Cells and Tumours” team at Monaco’s Scientific Centre, headed by Dr Vincent Picco.
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“CFM Indosuez, the Fondation Flavien and the Centre Scientifique de Monaco share a common social ambition to help vulnerable children. This support comes in addition to the Indosuez Group’s commitment to the Institut du Cerveau in France,” said Mathieu Ferragut, CEO.
Improving paediatric cancer research
Made possible by the CFM Indosuez clients’ willingness to support an investment offering that is both socially responsible and health-oriented, this financial donation will enable the teams at the Monaco Scientific Centre to implement innovative approaches to understanding the origin and nature of paediatric cancers.
According to Dr Picco, “most paediatric cancers are composed of cells that are similar to embryonic cells. This suggests that a disruption in the formation of the nervous system during foetal development is responsible for their occurrence. However, analysing these phenomena in vertebrates, such as laboratory mice, is extremely complex and raises major ethical issues.”
This is why a collaboration has been set up with Dr Eric Röttinger’s team at the Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer et le Vieillissement (Cancer and Ageing Research Institute) in Nice, which specialises in the study of the Nematostella vectensis sea anemone. “Although these marine invertebrates have an extremely simple nervous system, their genetics are very similar to those of humans. Plus, we can carry out genetic manipulations on these creatures, particularly during their embryonic development,” he explains. The ultimate goal is to develop new therapies for paediatric cancers.