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The Marseille Cancer Research Center celebrates its 50th anniversary ! -


To contact our technological platform ICEP :

  • administrative phone number : +33 491223692
  • laboratory phone number : +33 491223873
  • email : icep@ipc.unicancer.fr


The Experimental Histo-Pathology platform is a joint CRCM/IPC paltform dedicated to research projects which require histological analysis (basic research programs as well as translational and clinical projects). It is called ICEP, for « IPC/CRCM Experimental Pathology ».

Set up an anatomo-pathology research transfer activity
The ICEP platform provides support to scientists using histological techniques for their basic or clinical research projects to help them finalize and exploit their results. The platform equipment and staff allow large scale histological analysis to be performed, such as tissue microarrays for the simultaneous screen of the expression of biomarkers in 500 to 1000 tumors , quantitative analysis thanks to image analysis softwares, and the generation of virtual slides.

ACTIVITIES
Upstream of diagnosis

The ICEP team led by Pr. Emmanuelle Charafe-Jauffret and le Dr. Michel Aurrand-Lions can validate the potential of newly identified biomarkers by integrating the histological characteristics with the cellular and molecular characteristics of each tumor wih the aim of developing personal therapies adapted to each tumor and each patient.

« Our mission is to test the tissue expression and localization of new biomarkers and thus validate these potential new therapeutic targets for personalized patient care », Pr. Emmanuelle Charafe-Jauffret explains.

Validation of biomarkers on tissue slides of solid tumors essential to predict the patients' response to a given therapeutic option, for the follow up of  treatment efficiency and for pronostic evaluation. The role of ICEP is to investigate and validate the potential of such biomarkers, upstream of possible clinical applications at the patients' bedside and/or of potential industrial applications. 

« ICEP is a partner of the MI-mAbs initiative, a technological platform in Marseille dedicated to the validation of potential new targets and to the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. MI-mAbs is an «industrial demonstrator» project funded by the "Investissement d'Avenir" programme of the French ministery of Research. ICEP is fitted with all the equipment required for the validation of targets selected by MI-mAbs, including tissue microarrays and quantitative in situ biomarkers arrays », Pr. Emmanuelle Charafe-Jauffret explains.
 

ICEP is open to other users within Aix-Marseille University and is supported by  Canceropôle PACA.

ICEP services

ICEP can support the following services: sample inclusion (paraffin/frozen), blank slide preparation, standard staining (paraffin/frozen), serial slide preparation, immunostaining  (paraffin/frozen), tissue microarrays, istological examination by a professional pathologist, signal quantification by digital image analysis, slide scan and data storage.

Equipment :

2 Ventana (Roche) Discovery XT histology robots, 1 Thermoscientific 480S histology robot, 1 PTLink DAKO paraffin remover, 1 PT1057T0905 MicromFrance paraffin remover, 1 HM340E MicromFrance microtom, 1 RM2235 Leica microtom, 1 Cryostar NX70 MicromFrance Cryostat, 1 CM3050S Leica Cryostat, 1 Leica CryoJane1373, 1 Leica VT1200S Vibratom, 1 Liebherr MODELE KP 4220-21 -20°C freezer, 1 Thermoscientific HFU 300TV -80°C freezer, 1 LP60 MicromFrance Cold Plate, 1 MicromFrance DiaPath unwrinkler, 2 Liebherr refrigerators, 1 Nikon CIL LED microscope, 1 double-headed Nikon CIL LED microscope, 1 Leica Autostainer XL, 1 Leica ASP300/ASP300S dehydration device, 1 Leica EG 1150 C/H paraffin inclusion station, 1 MicromFrance chemical hood, 1 Excilone Snapfrost2, 1 minicore Excilone tissue arrayer, 1 Alphelys tissue arrayer.