Throughout its history, humans have been exposed to many pathogens and xenobiotics that have posed a significant threat to their survival and procreation. Some individuals develop effective responses to control the presence of pathogens and xenobiotics in the body and facilitate their elimination, while others, on the contrary, have less suitable responses that can lead to serious consequences. While certain environmental factors partly explain this heterogeneous response, the involvement of genetic factors no longer needs to be demonstrated. It is a complex genetic control (genetic heterogeneity), to which are added interactions with specific host, pathogen and environmental factors. The research developed in this thematic axis seeks to understand the genetic factors at the origin of the differences in the response of humans to pathogens and xenobiotics. This represents an essential link in the search for new therapeutic targets and will certainly make it possible to develop new strategies for the fight against infectious diseases and for civilization.
The axis "genetic adaptation of the host" revolves around three themes: (1) Genetic and epigenetic adaptation and susceptibility to infections, (2) Biological environment and variability of response to infections and (3) Molecular basis of the response to xenobiotics.