| Azel
Zine |
 |
Position
:
Professor of Neuroscience, University
Montpellier I
Academic and scientific
track :
A. Zine started his scientific career
in 1991 at the laboratory of hearing developmental neurobiology
at the university of Clermont-Ferrand, Blaise-Pascal. In
1994, he defended his Ph.D. thesis. After obtaining his
PhD degree he moved as a post-doctoral researcher, first
to Prof. Laura Schweitzer’s laboratory at the university
of Kentucky, USA, where he studied various patterns of
cochlear development, then as associate researcher at the
University of Lausanne, Switzerland with Prof. François
de Ribaupierre to work on the cellular and molecular mechanisms
of inner ear hair cells differentiation and regeneration.
In 2002, he was appointed as Professor at the Faculty of
Pharmacy, University Montpellier-I where he gives lectures
and teaches pharmaceutical students. He also participates
in teaching at various advanced courses at the Master-1 & 2
levels. In 2006, he was appointed as Visiting Scientist
at the Riken Brain Science Institute, Tokyo, Japan. Recently,
in 2008, he was appointed as a Visiting Professor at the
Stanford university, USA. Besides his teaching and research
activities, A. Zine serves as a member of the editorial
board for international Journals and scientific societies.
Main achievements
:
• Understanding the role of Notch
signaling pathway in the development of the inner ear sensory
receptors.
• Demonstration of the function
of Hes1 and Hes5 transcription factors in regulating the
differentiation patterns of inner ear hair cells.
• The potential
of hair cell regeneration/repair of the mammalian cochlea
during the early neonatal period: a role of EGF and TGF-alpha
growth factors.
• Isolation and characterization
of stem cells de type SP (side population) from the mammalian
cochlea.
• Identification of the molecular mechanisms
underlying cochlear stem cells renewal and sensory differentiation.
Research interests
:
A. Zine’s current research interest
is focused to study the development and stem cell biology
of the inner ear and to develop cell therapeutic strategies
to regenerate sensory hair cells and cure hearing loss.
Selected
publications (2000-2010) :
• Jonkamonwiwat
N, Zine A, Rivolta MN. (2010).
Stem Cell Based Therapy in the Inner Ear: Appropriate Donor
Cell Types and Routes for Transplantation. Curr
Drug Targets [Epub ahead of print].
• Abi-Hachem
RN, Zine A, Van De Water TR. (2010).
The Injured Cochlea as a Target for Inflammatory Processes,
Initiation of Cell Death Pathways and Application of Related
Otoprotectives Strategies. Recent Pat CNS Drug
Discov [Epub ahead of print].
• KATAYAMA,
K, ZINE, A, OTA, M, MATSUMOTO, Y, INOUE, T, FRITZSCH, B, & ARUGA,
J. (2009). Disorganized innervation and neuronal loss in
the inner ear of Slitrk6-deficient mice. PLoS
One 4(11):
e7786.
• Savary, E., Sabourin, J.C., Santo,
J. Hugnot, J.P., Chabbert, C., Van De Water, T. Uziel, A. & Zine,
A. (2008). Cochlear stem/progenitor cells from a postnatal
cochlea respond to Jagged1 and demonstrate that Notch signaling
promotes sphere formation and sensory potential. Mechanisms
of Development 125:674-686.
• Savary, E, Hugnot, J.P.,
Chassigneux, Y., Travo, C., Duperray, C., Van De Water T. & Zine,
A (2007). Distinct population of cochlear stem/progenitor
cells can be isolated from the postnatal mouse cochlea using
side population analysis. Stem Cells 25:332-339.
• Zine,
A., Uziel, A., Beckmann, J. & Bonny, C (2007). Blocking
apoptotic intracellular signaling cascades with cell-permeable
peptides. Current Signal Transduction Therapy 2:175-179.
• Zine,
A & Van De Water T (2004). The MAPK/JNK signalling pathway
offers potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of
acquired deafness. Curr Drug Targets CNS Neurol Disord, 4:
325-332.
• Wang, J, Van De Water T.R., Bonny, C., de
Ribaupierre, F. Puel JL & Zine, A. (2003). A peptide
inhibitor of c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (D-JNKI-1) protects
against both aminoglycoside and acoustic trauma induced auditory
hair cell death and hearing loss. J Neurosci, 17: 8596-8607.
• Zine,
A. (2003). Molecular Mechanisms that regulate Auditory Hair-Cell
differentiation in the Mammalian Cochlea. Molecular
Neurobiology, 27: 223-238.
• Zine, A. & de Ribaupierre, F. (2002).
Analysis of Notch receptors and ligands expression patterns
in the organ of Corti of wildtype and Hes1 and Hes5 mutant
mice. Hearing Research, 170: 22-31.
• Zine, A., Aubert,
A., Jiping, Q., Therianos, S., Guillemot, F., Kageyama, R & de
Ribaupierre, F. (2001). Hes1 and Hes5 activities are required
for the normal development of the hair cells in the mammalian
cochlea. J Neurosci, 13: 4712-4720.
• Zine, A., Nyfeller,
M. & de Ribaupierre, F. (2000). Spatial expression patterns
of epidermal growth factor receptor gene transcripts in the
postnatal mammalian cochlea. Hearing Research, 141: 19-27.
• Zine,
A., Van De Water T & de Ribaupierre, F. (2000). Notch1
regulates the pattern of auditory hair cells differentiation
in mammals. Development 127: 3373-3383.
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