Sonia Néron, Ph. D.
Research Scientist, Cellular Production Adjunct Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Université Laval Tel.: 418-780-4362, ext. 3260 |
Research interests:
- Culture of primary human cells isolated from the blood of healthy adults. Use of lymphocytes and stem cells in the development of cellular therapies.
- Flow cytometry applications in cord blood bank operations and quality control of cells produced ex vivo.
Current projects:
- Study of the in vitro culture of primary human cells: role of REDOX potential and the environment in hypoxia. One aspect of this research focuses on the ex vivo generation of autologous plasma cells for therapeutic use in allograft patients.
- Application of flow cytometry and multi-parametric analyses of blood cells of healthy adults and of patients with autoimmune diseases.
My teams mandate:
My team’s primary focus is on the improvement of stem cell processes and methods. These improvements aim at fulfilling the needs of internal clients, especially the Stem Cell and Reference Laboratory, as well as the Quality Control Laboratory. We are primarily involved in all the steps requiring the development of new flow cytometry methods and also take part in improving some existing procedures. Additionally, within the framework of the Cellular Production Department, we fine-tune methods that can be used as quality criteria for cellular products.
Within this framework, our team uses mononucleated cells isolated from the blood of healthy individuals in order to set up and develop new applications and to test cell culture models. This research focuses, among several aspects, on the ex vivo modulation of the stem cell microenvironment to increase the number of multipotent cells and/or to induce them to differentiate into progenitor cells. We evaluate the potential of stem cells from adult blood as a new source of stem cells for transplants. These purified cells are subjected to an environment whose nutrient input is controlled, as a result of the selection of defined animal protein-free cell culture media. We also study the impact of a hypoxic environment on cell growth and differentiation. All these cellular models are used to develop multi-parametric cytometry applications that contribute to the quality control of cells generated ex vivo and improve stem cell bank operations.
Expertise:
- Cell culture:
- Blood cells, lymphocytes, stem cells and cell lines
- In vitro and ex vivo expansion and differentiation:
- Modulation of the microenvironment
- Formulation of culture media
- Preparation of monoclonal antibodies
- Immune response and immunochemical methods
- Flow cytometry applications
Recent publications:
- Jobin C, Cloutier M, Simard C, Néron S. (2015). Heterogeneity of in vitro cultured CD34+ cells isolated from peripheral blood. Cytotherapy (Cytotherapy) 17 (10): 1472-1484.
- Itoua-Maïga R, Bonnaure G, Tremblay-Rochette J, Néron S. (2014). Human CD38hiCD138+ plasma cells can be generated in vitro from CD40-activated switched-memory B lymphocytes. J Immunol Res (Journal of Immunology Research): 635108.
- Dugas-Bourdages E, Néron S, Roy A, Darveau A, Delage R. (2014). Persistent polyclonal B-cell lymphocytosis B cells can be activated through CD40-CD154 interaction. Adv Hematol (Advances in Hematology): 854124.
- Simard C, Cloutier M, Néron S. (2014). Rapid determination of IL-6 specific activity by flow cytometry. J Immunol Methods (Journal of Immunological Methods) 415: 63-65
- Néron S, Roy A, Dussault N, Philippeau C. (2014). Anti-thyroglobulin IgG in therapeutic immunoglobulins: A reactivity bias in IgG4 subclass. Open J Immunol (Open Journal of Immunology) 4 (3): 68-75.
- Bonnaure G, Néron S. (2014). N-acetyl cysteine regulates the phosphorylation of JAK proteins following CD40-activation of human memory B cells. Mol Immunol (Molecular Immunology) 62 (1): 209-218.
- Itoua Maïga R, Lemieux J, Roy A, Simard C, Néron S. (2014). Flow cytometry assessment of in vitro generated CD138+ human plasma cells. Biomed Res Int (BioMed Research International). DOI: 10.1155/2014/536482.
- Simard C, Néron S. (2014). Feasibility study: Phospho-specific flow cytometry enabling rapid functional analysis of bone marrow samples from patients with multiple myeloma. Cytometry B Clin Cytom (Cytometry. Part B. Clinical Cytometry) 86 (2): 139-144.
- Ritamo I, Cloutier M, Valmu L, Néron S, Räbinä J. (2014). Comparison of the glycosylation of in vitro generated polyclonal human IgG and therapeutic immunoglobulins. Mol Immunol (Molecular Immunology) 57 (2): 255-262.
- Néron S, Roy A, Dumont N. (2012). Large-scale in vitro expansion of polyclonal human switched-memory B lymphocytes. PLoS One (PLoS One) 7 (12): e51946.
- Néron S, Roy, A. (2012). Overview of IgG-reactivity in therapeutic immunoglobulins revealed by protein array analysis.Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry (Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry) S8: 001.
- Nadeau PJ, Roy A, Gervais St-Amour C, Marcotte MÈ, Dussault N, Néron S. (2012). Modulation of CD40-activated B lymphocytes by N-acetylcysteine involves decreased phosphorylation of STAT3. Mol Immunol (Molecular Immunology) 49 (04): 582-592.
- Dussault N, Dumont N, Néron S. (2011). Modulation of human B lymphocyte differentiation by therapeutic immunoglobulins: from protein to mRNA levels. Open Journal of Immunology (Open Journal of Immunology) 1 (03): 65-73.
- Néron S, Côté G, Dumont N, Roy A, Fecteau JF, McNeil MÈ. (2011). Contribution of CD40-activated naïve B lymphocytes in the modulation of CD27+ memory B cell growth and differentiation. Dans : Advances in Medicine and Biology, vol. 25. Bernhardt, LV, éditeur de la collection (Hauppauge, NY, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 306 p.): 143-167.
- Néron S, Roy A, Dumont N, Dussault N. (2011). Effective in vitro expansion of CD40-activated human B lymphocytes in a defined bovine protein-free medium. J Immunol Methods (Journal of Immunological Methods) 371 (1-2): 61-69
- Néron S, Nadeau PJ, Darveau A, Leblanc JF. (2011). Tuning of CD40–CD154 Interactions in Human B-Lymphocyte Activation: A Broad Array of In Vitro Models for a Complex In Vivo Situation. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) (Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis) 59 (1): 25-40.
- Néron S, Boire G, Dussault N, Racine C, de Brum-Fernandes AJ, Côté S, Jacques A. (2009). CD40-activated B cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus can be modulated by therapeutic immunoglobulins in vitro. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 57 (6): 447-458.
- Ducas É, Dussault N, Roy A, Dumont N, Néron S. (2009). Estimation of the number of CD154 molecules in membrane extracts used as a source of CD40 stimulation of human B lymphocytes. J Immunol Methods (Journal of Immunological Methods) 344 (2): 133-137.
- Cayer MP, Proulx M, Ma XZ, Sakac D, Giguère JF, Drouin M, Néron S, Branch DR, Jung D. (2009). c-Src tyrosine kinase co-associates with and phosphorylates signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b which mediates the proliferation of normal human B lymphocytes. Clin Exp Immunol (Clinical & Experimental Immunology) 156 (3): 419-427.
- Fecteau JF, Roy A, Néron S. (2009). Peripheral blood CD27+ IgG+ B cells rapidly proliferate and differentiate into immunoglobulin-secreting cells after exposure to low CD154 interaction. Immunology (Immunology) 128 (1Suppl): e353-e365.