Montpellier Cancer Research Institute (IRCM)

The « Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier » (Montpellier Cancer Research Institute) is an Institut gathering research teams devoted to cancer research. Our federative research project is « Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics. Discovery,Biology and Clinical Applications ». The research projects of the IRCM are organized according three scientific themes :

1. Nuclear receptors and hormone-dependent cancers,
2. Cancer profiling,
3. Therapeutic antibodies.

Developing projects allowing a better understanding of cancer biology, we try to improve cancer patients clinical management and treatments of this disease. In a translational strategy, we develop bridges between basic research and applied projects in order to promote know-how and technologies transfert to the clinical practice. The main purpose is to develop diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in global approach including basic investigators and clinicians. As a result, this pooling of talents allows us to tackle efficiently the three major topics of the modern cancer research :

1. the identification of novel targets,
2. the study of the molecular mechanisms,
3. the therapeutic innovations.

Our research projects are mainly devoted to solid tumors, in particular, breast, prostate and GI cancers corresponding to the clinical recruitment at the CRLC Val d’Aurelle – Paul Lamarque. The IRCM is a milestone of « Montpellier Cancer » initiative, a research network including all the people working on cancer in Montpellier and Languedoc-Roussillon. Thanks to its “from the bench to the bedside … and back” approach, the IRCM contributes to the National Cancer Plan and Cancéropole Grand-Sud-Ouest (Cancer clusters). The IRCM is a joint venture between Inserm (National Health and Medical Research Organisation), le CRLC Val d’Aurelle-Paul Lamarque (Clinical Cancer Center in Montpellier) and l’Université Montpellier 1.