Nexans : supports Institut Curie in the fight against cancer

Paris, June 7, 2021 - As a global player in the energy transition, Nexans has decided to sponsor Institut Curie. The Institute develops fundamental and applied scientific research in physics, chemistry, biology, radiobiology and medicine, aiming at putting science at the service of people to help them fight cancer and develop the existing or future medical breakthroughs. The institute includes an innovative research center whose researches are disseminated internationally and a state-of-the-art cancer hospital complex. It contributes to the development of research and medicine through its teaching and training activities.

Nexans is partnering with Institut Curie by supporting the 'CHEMICAL BIOLOGY' and 'SIREDO' projects. As a responsible leader fully committed to the communities, this support is part of the Group's actions focusing on individuals' health including employees, customers, partners.

CHEMICAL BIOLOGY is a research program of Institut Curie in the field of chemistry-biology. Its objective is to complement and optimize chemotherapy treatments by developing new molecules capable of blocking cellular plasticity. In 2017 following the scientist Raphaël Rodriguez's pioneering discovery on the role of iron in metastatic proliferation, his research team synthesized a first new molecule, ironomycin, which blocks the effect of iron in breast cancer stem cells and is at the stage of preclinical study. This first, extremely promising result illustrates the potential impact of chemistry-biology research in the fight against the development of metastases, which leads to the death of the patient in 90% of cases. Research activities conducted in the framework of the CHEMICAL BIOLOGY project are key to further progress in the fight against the disease.

The creation of the SIREDO center under the leadership of Dr. Olivier Delattre is an integral part of Institut Curie's real estate project with the construction of a new wing at the Paris hospital that will bring together all of the Institute's pediatric research teams on laboratory platforms allowing direct communication with the pediatric department. Institut Curie is a reference center for the treatment of juvenile cancers. Every year, more than 700 young patients are treated in the center. In addition to providing treatment, Institut Curie is also a leading institution in pediatric cancer research, from basic research to clinical research. The construction of a single location for the SIREDO center will accelerate basic research in pediatric oncology and increase the therapeutic innovation.