Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying the Development of Cloves Syndrome Project proposed by Guillaume Canaud

Fighting Cloves syndrome

Cloves syndrome is a severely disabling condition that affects children from a very early age. It causes the excessive and disharmonious growth of some organs or tissues. The overgrowths – vascular deformities, scoliosis, kidney or brain deformities, etc. – may or may not be visible. The syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation in a gene called PIK3CA that occurs in certain tissues during embryogenesis, leading to high variability in disease expression. Until recently, no treatment was available.

The first global treatment: what next?

Dr. Canaud and his team at the Institut Necker Enfants Malades in Paris developed the first treatment. They discovered that BYL719 inhibits the defective PIK3CA protein, shrinking vascular overgrowth in nineteen patients. Despite this promising therapeutic breakthrough, understanding of the disease remains limited. Scientists now need to better comprehend its molecular and cellular basis.

The foundation's support

With help from the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, Dr. Canaud developed a new fundamental research program. The scientists sought to identify the exact nature of the tissues affected by the disease. They figured out how they influence the surrounding tissue, causing chaotic development and spreading the disease. This knowledge will allow new therapeutic targets for treatment-resistant patients as well as biomarkers of disease progression to be identified.