Medicinal chemistry and biology for oncology (Team O)

LCC

Overview

The team consists of chemists, biologists, pharmacists and clinicians. We have brought these skills together to develop drug candidates for cancer treatment based on organometallic complexes.

We are mainly developing gold and iridium complexes and are investigating their cytotoxic properties, modes of action and, in the case of iridium, their potential as a photosensitiser for application in photodynamic therapy.

 

Members of the team

AllManagerPermanent staffTemporary staff
Senior researcher INSERM

CUVILLIER Olivier

Senior lecturer UT3

GORNITZKA Heinz

PhD student

AKHDAR Elissa

BEDOS-BELVAL Florence
Senior lecturer

BEDOS-BELVAL Florence

BENOIST Eric
Senior lecturer

BENOIST Eric

BOULINGUEZ Clement
Fixed term contract

BOULINGUEZ Clement

COSSOUL Tom
PhD student

COSSOUL Tom

DEBORDE Quentin
Student

DEBORDE Quentin

Senior lecturer UT3

DERAEVE Céline

GARNIER Maritie
assistant engineer

GARNIER Maritie

Researcher exceptional grade

HEMMERT Catherine

Associate professor

JEZEQUEL Gwenaelle

PhD student

LIANG Zhengcheng

Doctorant

LOUSTALET Jeremy

MADDELEIN Marie-Lise
Researcher CNRS Exceptional grade

MADDELEIN Marie-Lise

PU/PH Hôpitaux de Toulouse

MALAVAUD Bernard

MOQUILLON Morgan
Student

MOQUILLON Morgan

Associate professor

NDIAYE Daouda

PhD student

SALLABERRY Deya

Associate professor

STIGLIANI Jean-Luc

PhD student

SUN Zhihua

No Results Found

Senior researcher INSERM

CUVILLIER Olivier

Numéro ORCID : 0000-0003-3346-375X

Après un doctorat de biochimie obtenu en 1994 à l’Université de Lille, Olivier Cuvillier a réalisé un stage postdoctoral de 1995 à 1999 à Georgetown University sur le métabolisme des sphingolipides et leurs rôles dans la mort cellulaire. Il a été recruté CR1 Inserm en 2001 au sein de l’unité U466 de Toulouse. En 2005, il a créé l’équipe « Sphingolipides, Cancer et Vieillissement » à l’IPBS (CNRS UMR 5089), équipe qu’il a dirigé jusqu’en 2020. Directeur de recherche Inserm depuis 2007, il a rejoint le LCC en 2021 pour créer l’équipe « Chimie médicinale pour l’oncologie » avec Heinz Gornitzka, formalisant une collaboration de plusieurs années entre les deux équipes.

Email:olivier.cuvillier(at)inserm.fr

Phone 1:05.62.25.78.98‬

Phone 2:06.07.49.25.63

Office:CEMES

Team:O

Senior lecturer UT3

GORNITZKA Heinz

ORCID number: 0000-0002-8838-5907

After a PhD in 1994 at University of Göttingen (Germany) under supervision of Dietmar Stalke and George M. Sheldrick, Heinz Gornitzka joined the team of Guy Bertrand in Toulouse in 1996 for a post-doctoral position. In 1999 he became a CNRS research engineer and created an X-ray structure analysis service at the university of Toulouse. In 2006 he obtained a full professor position at the university and in 2008 he joined the LCC for his research activities.

Email:gornitzka(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.61

Office:B008

Team:O

PhD student

AKHDAR Elissa

Email:elissa.akhdar(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B002

Team:O

Senior lecturer

BEDOS-BELVAL Florence

Email:florence.bedos-belval(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.32.12

Office:B023

Team:O

Senior lecturer

BENOIST Eric

Email:eric.benoist(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.32.11

Office:B023

Team:O

Fixed term contract

BOULINGUEZ Clement

Email:clement.boulinguez(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B002

Team:O

PhD student

COSSOUL Tom

Email:tom.cossoul(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B023

Team:O

Student

DEBORDE Quentin

Email:quentin.deborde(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B002

Team:O

Senior lecturer UT3

DERAEVE Céline

Numéro ORCID : 0000-0001-6435-5765

Email:celine.deraeve(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.87

Office:B017

Team:O

assistant engineer

GARNIER Maritie

Email:maritie.garnier(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.32.48

Office:B103/B107

Team:F and O

Researcher exceptional grade

HEMMERT Catherine

ORCID number: 0000-0002-8122-5177

Catherine Hemmert completed her thesis under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Pierre Sauvage at the “Université Louis Pasteur” in Strasbourg. After obtaining her PhD in 1990, she joined Pr. Eberhard Steckhan at the Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie in Bonn (Germany) as an Alexander-von-Humboldt fellow. In 1991, she was appointed CNRS researcher at the “Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination du CNRS” in Toulouse. Her research interests are mainly focused on the design and development of gold and luminescent N-heterocyclic carbenes complexes in application of cancer therapy.

Email:hemmert(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.60

Office:B017

Team:O

Associate professor

JEZEQUEL Gwenaelle

Email:gwenaelle.jezequel(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.35

Office:B017

Team:O

PhD student

LIANG Zhengcheng

Email:zhengcheng.liang(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B002

Team:O

Doctorant

LOUSTALET Jeremy

Email:jeremy.loustalet(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B002

Team:O

Researcher CNRS Exceptional grade

MADDELEIN Marie-Lise

Email:marie-lise.maddelein(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.62.25.79.41

Office:CEMES

Team:O

PU/PH Hôpitaux de Toulouse

MALAVAUD Bernard

Email:malavaud.bernard(at)iuct-oncopole.fr

Téléphone:05.31.15.53.38

Equipe:O

Student

MOQUILLON Morgan

Email:morgan.moquillon(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B002

Team:O

Associate professor

NDIAYE Daouda

Email:daouda.ndiaye(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.88

Office:B023

Team:O

PhD student

SALLABERRY Deya

Email:deya.sallaberry(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B017

Team:O

Associate professor

STIGLIANI Jean-Luc

Email:jean-luc.stigliani(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.51

Office:B008

Team:O

PhD student

SUN Zhihua

Email:zhihua.sun(at)lcc-toulouse.fr

Phone:05.61.33.31.00

Office:B002

Team:O

Research topics

Gold complexes for biomedical applications

Iridium complexes for photodynamic therapy

N-heterocyclic derivatives for biomedical applications

Team news

Publications

2026

Fluorine makes the difference—Gold(I)-NHC complexes with fluoroaryl substituents exhibit highly potent antileishmanial activity
Ftouh S., Bourgeade-Delmas S., Salis C., Stigliani J.-L., Litot C., Villarubias T., Terrisse A.-D., Royo J., Liang Z., Fabre N., Vansteelandt M., Iriart X., Carraz M., Deraeve C., Hemmert C., Reybier K., Valentin A., Gornitzka H.
Chem. – Eur. J. 2026, 32(39), e71382/1-10.
10.1002/chem.71382 – hal-05826174

Molecular dynamics and quantum chemical insights into the molecular basis of differential toxicity of the mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (DON) and its microbial derivatives DOM-1 and 3-epi-DON
Lal K., Vignard J., Mirey G., Jolibois F., Oswald I. P., Stigliani J.-L.
ACS Omega 2026, 11(6), 9575-9586.
10.1021/acsomega.5c09756 – hal-05495502

2025

Current state of the art of gold complexes as antileishmanial agents
Hemmert C., Gornitzka H., Deraeve C., Stigliani J.-L.
Coord. Chem. Rev. 2025, 528, 216408.
10.1016/j.ccr.2024.216408 – hal-05346060v1

New cyclopeptide and γ-butyrolactone derivatives from an endophytic strain of Cophinforma mamane
Litot C., Vansteelandt M., Ortiz S., Barakat F., Crossay E., Titton D., Bourgeade-Delmas S., Amasifuen C., Graton J., Jacquemin D., Stigliani J.-L., Haddad M., Fabre N.
ACS Omega 2025, 10(21), 21738-21746.
10.1021/acsomega.5c01292 – hal-05121071

Mechanochemistry to form substituted imidazoles, imidazolium salts and NHC–Gold complexes with fluorine-containing groups
Salis C., Mohammedi S., Turazza L., Blandin Y., Garnier M., Hemmert C., Baltas M., Gornitzka H.
Molecules 2025, 30(3), 522/1-16.
10.3390/molecules30030522 – hal-04931989

2024

Electrophilic behavior of the “nucleophilic” pyramidane: reactivity of Ge-pyramidane towards organolithium reagents
Lee V. Y., Wang J., Sasamori T., Gapurenko O. A., Minyaev R. M., Minkin V. I., Takeuchi K., Fukaya N., Gornitzka H.
Chemistry – A European Journal 2024, 30(45), e202401806/1-5.
https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202401806
https://hal.science/hal-04804011

Mono- and Dinuclear 1-(2-Pyridyl)-4-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole-Based Ir(III) and Rh(III) Complexes
Moreno-Latorre M., de la Torre M. C., Gornitzka H., Hemmert C., Sierra M. A.
Organometallics 2024, 43(10), 1128-1136.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.4c00079
https://hal.science/hal-04669053

Rationally designed Cu(I) ligand to prevent CuAβ-generated ROS production in the Alzheimer’s disease context
Rulmont C., Stigliani J.-L., Hureau C., Esmieu C.
Inorganic Chemistry 2024, 63(5), 2340-2351.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c02693
https://hal.science/hal-04669053

2023

X-ray Crystallography of Organogermanium Compounds
Hemmert C., Gornitzka H.
in Organogermanium Compounds, V. Y. Lee (Ed.), John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, 2023, vol. 2, pp. 667-743. (978-1-1196-1352-7).
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119613466.ch16
https://hal.science/hal-04244894

Pharmacological characterization of [18F]-FNM and evaluation of NMDA receptors activation in a rat brain injury model
Beaurain M., Talmont F., Pierre D., Péran P., Boucher S., Hitzel A., Rols M.-P., Cuvillier O., Payoux P., Salabert A.-S.
Molecular Imaging and Biology 2023, 25(4), 692-703.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-023-01811-y
https://hal.science/hal-04244094

Hybrid bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes [(R4Si3)CH2] and [(R4Si2Ge)CH2] (R = SiMetBu2): Synthesis and thermal isomerization to alkyl-substituted cyclopropenes [R3Si3]CH2R and [R3Si2Ge]CH2R
Lee V. Y., Yasuda H., Gapurenko O. A., Minyaev R. M., Gornitzka H., Sekiguchi A.
Organometallics 2023, 42(18), 2514-2521.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.2c00599
https://hal.science/hal-04175751

Daphnanes diterpenes from the latex of Hura crepitans L. and their PKCζ-dependent anti-proliferative activity on colorectal cancer cells
Crossay E., Jullian V., Trinel M., Sagnat D., Hamel D., Groppi E., Rolland C., Stigliani J.-L., Mejia K., Cabanillas B. J., Alric L., Buscail E., El Kalamouni C., Mavingui P., Deraison C., Racaud-Sultan C., Fabre N.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 2023, 90, 117366/1-17.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117366
https://hal.science/hal-04244338

N-heterocyclic carbene-iridium complexes as photosensitizers for in vitro photodynamic therapy to trigger non-apoptotic cell death in cancer cells
Wang X., Zhang C., Madji R., Voros C., Mazères S., Bijani C., Deraeve C., Cuvillier O., Gornitzka H., Maddelein M.-L., Hemmert C.
Molecules 2023, 28(2), 691/1-29.
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020691
https://hal.science/hal-03870710

2022

Sphingosine kinase-1 is overexpressed and correlates with hypoxia in osteosarcoma: Relationship with clinicopathological parameters
Gomez-Brouchet A., Illac C., Ledoux A., Fortin P.-Y., de Barros S., Vabre C., Despas F., Peries S., Casaroli C., Bouvier C., Aubert S., de Pinieux G., Larousserie F., Galmiche L., Talmont F., Pitson S., Maddelein M.-L., Cuvillier O.
Cancers 2022, 14 (3), 499/1-17.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14030499
https://hal.science/hal-03312272v2

Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 5 (S1P5) deficiency promotes proliferation and immortalization of mouse embryonic fibroblasts
Talmont F., Mitri E., Dozier C., Besson A., Cuvillier O., Hatzoglou A.
Cancers 2022, 14 (7), 1661/1-20.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14071661
https://hal.science/hal-03808905v1

Shvo-type metal–ligand cooperative catalysts: Tethered η5-oxocyclohexadienyl ruthenium complexes
Puig E., Verron R., Kechaou-Perrot M., Vendier L., Gornitzka H., Miqueu K., Sotiropoulos J.-M., Fischmeister C., Sutra P., Igau A.
Organometallics 2022, 41(11), 1391-1402.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.2c00123
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03715383

Pd-catalyzed C–C and C–N cross-coupling reactions in 2-aminothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one series for antiplasmodial pharmacomodulation
Mustière R., Lagardère P., Hutter S., Deraeve C., Schwalen F., Amrane D., Masurier N., Azas N., Lisowski V., Verhaeghe P., Mazier D., Vanelle P., Primas N.
RSC Advances 2022, 12(31), 20004-20021.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D2RA01687G
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03726141

Investigation of direct and retro chromone-2-carboxamides based analogs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing signal as new anti-biofilm agents
Trognon J., Vera G., Rima M., Stigliani J.-L., Amielet L., El Hage S., Lajoie B., Roques C., El Garah F.
Pharmaceuticals 2022, 15(4), 417/1-26.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph15040417
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03669961

1-Chloroalumole
Lee V. Y., Sugasawa H., Gapurenko O. A., Minyaev R. M., Minkin V. I., Gornitzka H., Sekiguchi A.
Organometallics 2022, 41(4), 467-471.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.1c00702
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03660785

Phosphatetrasilatricyclo[2.1.0.02,5]pentane
Lee V. Y., Meguro T., Gapurenko O. A., Minyaev R. M., Minkin V. I., Gornitzka H., Sekiguchi A.
Mendeleev Communications 2022, 32(1), 33-34.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mencom.2022.01.009
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03660695

β-Lactam and penicillin substituted mesoionic metal carbene complexes
Avello M. G., Moreno-Latorre M., de la Torre M. C., Casarrubios L., Gornitzka H., Hemmert C., Sierra M. A.
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2022, 20(13), 2651-2660.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D2OB00216G
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03660770

2021

Inhibition of sphingosine 1-phosphate protects mice against chondrocyte catabolism and osteoarthritis
Cherifi C., Latourte A., Vettorazzi S., Tuckermann J., Provot S., Ea H. K., Ledoux A., Casas J., Cuvillier O., Richette P., Ostertag A., Hay E., Cohen-Solal M.
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 2021, 29 (9), 1335-1345.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2021.06.001
https://hal.science/hal-04202734

Cyclic poly(α-peptoid)s by lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (LiHMDS)-mediated ring-expansion polymerization: Simple access to bioactive backbones
Salas-Ambrosio P., Tronnet A., Since M., Bourgeade-Delmas S., Stigliani J.-L., Vax A., Lecommandoux S., Dupuy B., Verhaeghe P., Bonduelle C.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 2021, 143(10), 3697-3702.
https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c13231
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03173586

Gold(III) porphyrins: Synthesis and interaction with G-quadruplex DNA
Rundstadler T., Mothes E., Amrane S., Stigliani J.-L., Verhaeghe P., Pratviel G.
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 2021, 223, 111551/1-10.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111551
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03312437

Novel molecule combinations and corresponding hybrids targeting artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites
Ouji M., Nguyen M., Mustière R., Jimenez T., Augereau J.-M., Benoit-Vical F., Deraeve C.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2021, 39, 127884/1-6.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.127884
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03170976

®-BINOL-6,6’-bistriflone: Shortened synthesis, characterization, and enantioselective catalytic applications
Mouhtady O., Castellan T., André-Barrès C., Gornitzka H., Fabing I., Saffon-Merceron N., Génisson Y., Gaspard H.
European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2021, 2021(48), 6674-6681.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202101137
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03511667

Titanium germylidenes
Lee V. Y., Sakai R., Takanashi K., Gapurenko O. A., Minyaev R. M., Gornitzka H., Sekiguchi A.
Angewandte Chemie, International Edition 2021, 60(8), 3951-3955.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202015704
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03203959

Chlorinated bianthrones from the cyanolichen Nephroma laevigatum
Lagarde A., Mambu L., Mai P.-Y., Champavier Y., Stigliani J.-L., Beniddir M. A., Millot M.
Fitoterapia 2021, 149, 104811/1-8.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2020.104811
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03203919

Metallodrug profiling against SARS-CoV-2 target proteins identifies highly potent inhibitors of the S/ACE2 interaction and the Papain-like protease PLpro
Gil-Moles M., Türck S., Basu U., Pettenuzzo A., Bhattacharya S., Rajan A., Ma X., Büssing R., Wölker J., Burmeister H., Hoffmeister H., Schneeberg P., Prause A., Lippmann P., Kusi-Nimarko J., Hassell-Hart S., McGown A., Guest D., Lin Y., Notaro A., Vinck R., Karges J., Cariou K., Peng K., Qin X., Wang X., Skiba J., Szczupak Ł., Kowalski K., Schatzschneider U., Hemmert C., Gornitzka H., Milaeva E. R., Nazarov A. A., Gasser G., Spencer J., Ronconi L., Kortz U., Cinatl J., Bojkova D., Ott I.
Chemistry – A European Journal 2021, 27(71), 17928-17940.
https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202103258
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03413330

Synthesis, characterization, and antileishmanial activity of neutral gold(I) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands bearing sulfur-containing side arms
Ftouh S., Bourgeade-Delmas S., Belkadi M., Deraeve C., Hemmert C., Valentin A., Gornitzka H.
Organometallics 2021, 40(10), 1466-1473.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.1c00113
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03233814

Partnerships

Click here to consult the partners

Alexis Valentin (Pharmadev-Toulouse)

Karine Reybier (Pharmadev-Toulouse)

Fatima El Garah (LGC-Toulouse)

Jean-Philippe Torré (LGC-Toulouse)

Nicolas Masurier (IBMM Montpellier)

Nicolas Primas (ICR Marseille)

Colin Bonduelle (LCPO Pessac)

Miguel A. Sierra (Madrid-Spain)

Maria Carmen de la Torre (Madrid-Spain)

Vladimir Ya Lee (Tsukuba-Japan)

Funding

Click here to consult the funders

ANR, Cancéropôle Grand Sud-Ouest, ARC, ARTP, La Ligue Contre Le Cancer.

Alumnae

Click here to view

Chloé SALIS

Luca BOSELLI

Chen ZHANG

Alvaro FERNANDEZ ALVAREZ

Xue QIN

Xing WANG

LCC

Laboratoire de chimie de coordination du CNRS

205 route de Narbonne, BP 44099
31077 Toulouse cedex 4
France

+ 33 5 61 33 31 00

Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination
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