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The apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite, can infect humans and a wide range of vertebrates leading to toxoplasmosis. This generally benign affection can causes severe life-threatening disease, particularly in immunocompromised patients and in children with congenital toxoplasmosis. Our research team works on cell-host-parasite interactions by studying biodiversity, pathogenic mechanisms and environment. We search to identify prognostic factors of disease and markers of resistance. This project is an integral part of our Research Institute (IFR53) which receives support from the Toxoplasma Biological Resource Center for constituting a bank of well characterized toxoplasma isolates for genotyping, clinical and epidemiological data. The involvement of metalloproteinases implicated during monocytic cell invasion and identification of ABC transporter proteins in T. gondii, factors implicated in resistance, need to be explored.

Reaction in superacid HF-SbF5 in the presence of CCl4 of vinorelbine yields (4'R)-20',20'difluoro-3',4'dihydrovinorelbine (vinflunine), whereas vinblastine or anhydrovinblastine give the difluoro analog. The reaction implies a 20' chloro derivative as intermediate which undergoes hydrid abstraction at C20' followed by halogen exchange. Vinflunine is presently in phase III experimentation for treatment of bladder cancer and non small lung cancer.