Le Palais de la découverte : un avenir incertain

Le Palais de la découverte est à un tournant de son histoire. Le Grand Palais, qui l’héberge, doit être rénové et est fermé depuis le 1er novembre 2020. La direction d’Universcience veut en profiter pour renouveler également son offre. Elle a conçu un projet, intitulé dans cet article « Palais 2024 », qui fait l’objet de nombreuses polémiques [1]. De quoi s’agit-il exactement ? Le Palais y perdra-t-il ce qui fait son ADN, ce qu’on appelle parfois « l’esprit Jean Perrin » ? Et d’ailleurs, cette vision de son fondateur, vieille de plus de 80 ans, a-t-elle encore un sens aujourd’hui ?

Aproximación completa del genoma del cáncer de mama basal

Aproximación completa del genoma del cáncer de mama basal Whole genome approach to basal like breast cancer Mev Dominguez, Yannick Bidet Y, Maud Privat, Nancy Uhrhammer, Anne Cayre1, Ines Raoelfils, Frederick Penault-Llorca, Yves Jean Bignon Laboratoire Diagnostic Génétique et Moléculaire, Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Clermont Université, EA4233, Clermont-Ferrand, France. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33017/RevECIPeru2011.0007/ RESUMEN El cáncer de mama basal (BLBC) comprende hasta el 15% de los cánceres de mama. El BLBC es caracterizado por la baja o ausencia de la expresión del receptor de estrógreno (ER), receptor de progesterona (PR), ausencia de amplificación del gen HER2 y por la expresión de las citoqueratinas basales (Cks): Cks 5, 6, 14 y/o 17, receptor del factor de crecimiento epidermal (EGFR) y/o C-Kit. BLBC constituye una entidad clínica distinta y presenta un pobre prognóstico clínico (Sørlie et al. 2001). El principal objetivo de este proyecto es el mapeamiento completo y comparativo de las alteraciones genómicas en BLBC asociado o no con mutaciones en el gen BRCA1. Asi también, explorar el rol de la via de señalización de BRCA1 en BLBC. Por esta razón, utilizamos un arreglo de captura del exoma completo de 2.1M en 9 muestras congeladas de mama obtenidas del Departamento de Patología del Centre Jean Perrin-Clermont Ferrand. Actualmente, hemos identificado en un individuo (MCD-4) 11, 109 variantes, de las cuales 7,113 (64%) han sido descritas como polimorfismos (SNP) de acuerdo al algortimo conservativo HCDiff. Con relación a la distribución de estas variantes, los cromosomas 10 y 2 fueron los más afectados. Las nuevas variantes somáticas encontradas serán confirmadas por secuenciación convencional. El análisis de los pacientes remanentes está en avance. Mediante el empleo de esta medotología de nueva generación, nosotros contribuiremos en identificar nuevos marcadores o alvos terapéuticos así como ayudar a completar el catálogo de las variantes somáticas recurrentes y hereditarias asociadas con el desarrollo de BLBC. Keywords: Breast cancer, Basal like, BRCA1, genomic, mutation, next generation sequencing. ABSTRACT Basal like breast cancer (BLBC) composes up to 15% of breast cancer (BC) and is characterized by low or absent expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), lack of HER2 gene amplification and expression of basal cytokeratins (Cks) 5, 6, 14 and/or 17, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and/or C-Kit. BLBC constitutes a distinct clinical entity and is associated with poorer clinical outcome (Sørlie et al. 2001). The principal objective of this project is the complete and comparative mapping of genomic abnormalities in a series of BLBC associated or not to BRCA1 mutations and explores the role of the BRCA1 pathway in BLBC. For this reason, we are evaluating a 2.1 M feature human exome capture array on 9 frozen samples obtained from the Pathology Department of Centre Jean Perrin. By the time, we identified on one individual (MCD-4) 11,109 variants, of which 7,113 (64%) were described as known single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based on the conservative HCDiff algoritrhm. In regards to the distribution of these variations, chromosomes 10 and 2 were most affected. The novel somatic variations will be confirmed by conventional sequencing. The analyses of the remaining patients are ongoing. Using this next generation methodology, we will contribute to identify new markers or therapeutic targets and help to complete a catalogue of recurrent somatic and inherited variants associated with the development of BLBC. Keywords: Breast cancer, Basal like, BRCA1, genomic, mutation, next generation sequencing.

The Reality of Atoms

Chapter 3 focuses on the concept of atoms, which dates back to the ancient Greek philosopher Leucippus, who claimed that everything consisted of them. This view began to be accepted among scientists when John Dalton championed it in the 1800s, although he was wrong in his atomic structure of molecules. That was corrected not long after by Jöns Berzelius. From then on the reality of atoms, and whether those of chemistry were the same as those of physics was a matter of debate. The theory of statistical mechanics, developed in the second half of the nineteenth century, helped establish their reality for most physicists, while many chemists were won over later, in part by the periodic table developed by the Russian Dimitri Mendeleev. Nearly every scientist was finally convinced by the explanation of Brownian motion by Albert Einstein and Marian Smoluchowski, whose formulas were verified by Jean Perrin in 1909.