Coordinated action diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine viral targets

Last updated on 03 July 2025

The essentials

The “Diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine viral targets” coordinated action of ANRS MIE aims to structure interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research to develop tools against emerging viruses. It focuses on the identification of viral targets to promote advances in the development of diagnostic tools, treatments and vaccines. This research will involve collaborations with players in preclinical development, clinical research and technology and product development.

In a context of epidemic preparedness and response, the translation of basic research data into the development of diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine tools must be carried out within a timeframe compatible with the urgency of a health crisis.

Coordinated action activities

  • The coordinated action (CA) organizes scientific meetings to bring together the players involved in viral targets indentification and those involved in technologies and products development. These meetings will encourage the set up of collaborative research projects.
  • The CA also aims to set up initiatives for young researchers.
  • Finally, to ensure the integration of constantly updated information, the coordinated action will maintain an active literature review concerning diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine viral targets.

Chairmanship


Bruno CANARD
Aix Marseille University / CNRS


Delphine PLANAS
Institut Pasteur, Paris

Members

Karine ALVAREZ (Aix Marseille University)
Suzanne PEYROTTES (Montpellier University)
François FERRON (Aix Marseille University)
Allison BALLANDRAS-COLAS (CNRS IBS Grenoble)
Sandrine BELOUZARD (Institut Pasteur Lille / CIIL)
Olivier TERRIER (Lyon CIRI)

Olivier SPERANDIO (Institut Pasteur)
Gilles LABESSE (CBS Montpellier)
Jeanne Bérard (ANRS MIE)
Dounia Cherkaoui (ANRS MIE)
Guia Carrara (ANRS MIE)
Sandra Raine (ANRS MIE)

Working groups

The CA is made up of 4 scientific axes, whose members will work in a joint and complementary manner. Each scientific axis, led by a pair of co-leaders, will include a group of experts invited to take part in CA activities.

These themes are:

  1. Medicinal chemistry :S. Peyrottes –K. Alvarez
    Organic synthesis of small molecule inhibitors/ligands of viral targets
  2. Structural and functional biology : F. Ferron – A. Ballandras-Colas
    Determination of viral proteins three-dimensional structures, both structural and non-structural, required for the design of diagnostics, vaccines and drugs.
  3. Screening platforms and associated virology : O. Terrier – S. Belouzard
    Screening of molecules in infected cells and/or on viral enzymes, as well as virology specifically associated with these platforms (cell infections, cell biology, replicons, time-of-addition, resistances…).
  4. Data mining/Integration/Bioinformatics: G. Labesse – O. Sperandio
    The search for pre-existing data on antivirals, the storage and use of data collected in the different scientific groups above, their formatting for interoperability between the different groups, and their use in the search for new molecules and co-relationships ensured by new AI techniques, in particular virtual screening and new predictive structural biology techniques.

Read the interview with the co-chairs of Coordinated Action, Bruno Canard and Delphine Planas

Innovation and responsiveness: discover priorities for coordinated action ‘Diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine viral targets’ in response to viral emergencies