Malo JOURNOU

About

As a young researcher, I have extensive experience in the immunology of AAV vectors and the development of innovative AAV-based therapies.

My PhD focused on elucidating the immune responses associated with AAV-based gene transfer in muscle and liver, and in various models ranging from mice to non-human primates. I then spent two years at University College London developing novel gene therapy strategies for acquired and inherited diseases.

Currently, my research at the University of Nantes focuses on the design of new transgene constructs for AAV-based gene therapy to improve transduction and expression efficiency while mitigating adverse immune responses against the capsid and transgene product. My aim is to improve patient outcomes by increasing the efficacy and safety of current and future gene therapy treatments.

Employment

• Nantes Université Postdoctoral Researcher
  2023 - Present
• UCL Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  2021 - 2023
• Université de Nantes Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  2021 - 2021
• Université de Nantes PhD Student
  2017 - 2021

Education

• Université de Nantes PhD in Immunology
  2017 - 2021
• Université Paris-Est Créteil Master's Degree in Biology Health: Tissue, Cell and Gene Biotherapies
  2015 - 2017
• Université de Nantes Bachelor's Degree of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology
  2012 - 2015

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (6)

• Incomplete elimination of viral genomes is associated with chronic inflammation in nonhuman primate livers after AAV-mediated gene transfer
  Gene Therapy 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-025-00514-z
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• Immune-driven gene expression loss following intramuscular AAV delivery to non-human primates is only transient
  Molecular Therapy - Methods & Clinical Development 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2025.101409
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• Balance entre rejet et tolérance : la bipolarité immunitaire du muscle squelettique face à l’AAV recombinant : décryptage de la réponse immune de l’hôte dirigée contre le produit du transgène après injection de vecteurs AAV recombinants par voie intramus…
  2021 DOI: 10.70675/9a618ac2za0a4z4e90zbdb3ze14482ffa655
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• AAV8 locoregional delivery induces long-term expression of an immunogenic transgene in macaques despite persisting local inflammation
  Molecular Therapy - Methods & Clinical Development 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.02.003
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• Intramuscular delivery of rAAV in non human primates results in a chronic local inflammation in situ without the loss of transgene expression
  ESGCT 2021 2021
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• Recombinant AAV mediated gene transfer to the skeletal muscle is associated to immune modulation of transgene expression in the macaque model.
  ESGCT 2019 2019
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