Institute of Research on Cancer and Aging in Nice (IRCAN)

The Institute of Research on Cancer and Aging in Nice (IRCAN), created in January 2012, is located at the Pasteur Campus of the School of Medicine, part of the University of Nice. IRCAN is strongly implicated in teaching and research skills. The Centre is affiliated to the University of Nice, the CNRS, the INSERM, the Centre Antoine Lacassagne and the Hospitalo-Universitary Center of Nice. The Director of this new research center, Professor Eric Gilson, is assisted by an international scientific committee, chaired by Professor Jean-Marc Egly, Member of the Academy of Sciences.

For the to-days fortunate population who can expect to live longer, the main problem to focus on is how to stay in good health and how to keep one’s autonomy, in order to enhance this lifespan under the best conditions. The IRCAN research work aims to study and understand the aging mecanisms and also the disfunctions which could appear during this aging process. The IRCAN studies mainly these fundamental mecanisms, implicated in pathological dysfunctions which are at the origin of cancers, as well as certain forms of diabetes, kidney insufficiency, neuro-degenerative and cardiovasculary illnesses. The fundamental biological studies are focused on diagnostics and therapeutical strategies to treat carcinomas and cancer from different tissue origins and to stop premature organ aging related to pathological aging as well as the organ reactions to environmental stress.

This new research center has focused on obtaining the best working conditions with more than 150 most of the best international researchers, engineers and technicians. The latest scientific equipment, such as molecular and cellular microscopy, cytometry and genomic analysis, a common tumour bank to the hospital center and the anti-cancer center of Nice, are also available.