Cancer research: a Lyon-based researcher wins the Kerner Prize for his work on the intestine

Rewarding the art of popularizing science is the goal of the Kerner Prize, awarded annually during the ARC Foundation's "Young Researchers in Cancer" conference. At this 29th edition, Valentin Chalut, a researcher at the Lyon Nanotechnology Institute, distinguished himself by winning the 3rd Kerner Prize. The Lyon-based researcher was recognized for his article on the intestine. As a reminder, the aim of this competition is to successfully popularize scientific work for the general public, judged by a panel of qualified journalists.

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Currently, Valentin Chalut is working on creating a magnetic mini-intestine made of stem cells grown in the laboratory. This could indirectly help treat digestive diseases such as Crohn's disease or gluten intolerance. Indeed, the goal of this intestine is to study the function of the cultured cells before testing it under pathological conditions. It should be noted that these diseases can increase the risk of cancer.

In this article, the researcher explains in concrete terms how the intestine functions and how it brings this reproduction to life in the laboratory. Currently, 95% of pharmaceutical trials on humans end in failure, a score that Valent Chalut aims to improve.