André Choulika
| André Choulika | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 23, 1965 |
| Occupation | Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Cellectis |
André Choulika, PhD in molecular virology is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Cellectis Group that he co-founded in 1999.
Biography
Born on January 23, 1965 in Beirut, André Choulika started his studies in 1985 in biochemistry and genetic at Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI) and joined Professor Bernard Dujon’s lab. He discovered meganucleases, which are highly specific « DNA scissors ». André Choulika is a pioneer in the analysis and use of meganucleases to modify complex genomes. He did his DEA thesis at the Institut Pasteur in François Jacob's laboratory, 1965 Nobel Prize in medicine.
After receiving his doctorate in molecular virology from Pierre and Marie Curie University-Paris VI, André Choulika completed a research fellowship in the Harvard Medical School Department of Genetics in Boston. Later, while working in the Division of Molecular Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital, he developed the first approaches to meganuclease-based human gene therapy. In 1999, he won with his project Cellectis, the first national competition organized by Claude Allègre (French Ministry of Research) to help business start-up projects in innovative technologies.
Cellectis is a gene-editing company focused on developing immunotherapies based on gene edited engineered CAR-T cells (UCART). The company’s mission is to develop a new generation of cancer therapies based on engineered T cells. Cellectis capitalizes on its 15 years of expertise in genome engineering - based on its flagship TALEN™ products and meganucleases and pioneering electroporation PulseAgile technology - to create a new generation of immunotherapies. CAR technologies are designed to target surface antigens expressed on cells. Using its life-science-focused, pioneering genome-engineering technologies, Cellectis’ goal is to create innovative products in multiple fields and with various target markets. Cellectis is listed on the NYSE Alternext market (ticker: ALCLS).
Since 2009, André Choulika is also member of the Supervisory Board of Viroxis SA, member of the Investment Committee of G1J Ile-de-France, Council member of ARIIS, Council member of EuropaBio and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Biofutur.
Scientific Publications
- Thermes, Violette; Grabher, Clemens; Ristoratore, Filomena; Bourrat, Franck; Choulika, André; Wittbrodt, Jochen; Joly, Jean-Stéphane (2002). "I-SceI meganuclease mediates highly efficient transgenesis in fish". Mechanisms of Development 118 (1-2): 91–8. doi:10.1016/S0925-4773(02)00218-6. PMID 12351173.
- Henry, Isabelle; Forlani, Sylvie; Vaillant, Séverine; Muschler, John; Choulika, André; Nicolas, Jean-François (1999). "LagoZ et LagZ, deux gènes appauvris en dinucléotides CpG dérivés du gène LacZ pour l'étude des contrôles épigénétiques" [LagoZ and LagZ, two genes derived from the LacZ gene to study epigenetics]. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences - Series III - Sciences de la Vie (in French) 322 (12): 1061–70. doi:10.1016/S0764-4469(99)00105-5. PMID 10656146.
- Cohen-Tannoudji, Michel; Robine, Sylvie; Choulika, André; Pinto, Daniel; El Marjou, Fatima; Babinet, Charles; Louvard, Daniel; Jaisser, Frédéric (1998). "I-SceI-induced gene replacement at a natural locus in embryonic stem cells". Molecular and Cellular Biology 18 (3): 1444–8. PMC 108858. PMID 9488460.
- Choulika, A; Nicolas, JF (1998). "The Meganuclease-Mediated gene targeting". The gene targeting protocol book.
- Choulika, A; Nicolas, JF (1996). "A new retroviral vector and a new method to target homologous recombination in mammalian cells". American Chemical Society: CHI Book on Artificial self assembly systems: 15–25.
- Choulika, A; Guyot, V; Nicolas, JF (1996). "Transfer of single gene-containing long terminal repeats into the genome of mammalian cells by a retroviral vector carrying the cre gene and the loxP site". Journal of Virology 70 (3): 1792–8. PMC 190005. PMID 8627702.
- Choulika, A; Nicolas, JF (1996). "SLTR, a new family of retroviral vectors for gene transduction". Comptes rendus des séances de la Société de biologie et de ses filiales 190 (1): 153–8. PMID 8881275.
- Choulika, A; Perrin, A; Dujon, B; Nicolas, JF (1995). "Induction of homologous recombination in mammalian chromosomes by using the I-SceI system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Molecular and Cellular Biology 15 (4): 1968–73. PMC 230423. PMID 7891691.
- Choulika, A; Perrin, A; Dujon, B; Nicolas, JF (1994). "The yeast I-Sce I meganuclease induces site-directed chromosomal recombination in mammalian cells". Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie III, Sciences de la vie 317 (11): 1013–9. PMID 7882137.
- Bonnerot, C; Legouy, E; Choulika, A; Nicolas, JF (1992). "Capture of a cellular transcriptional unit by a retrovirus: mode of provirus activation in embryonal carcinoma cells". Journal of Virology 66 (8): 4982–91. PMC 241349. PMID 1321282.
- Legrain, P; Choulika, A (1990). "The molecular characterization of PRP6 and PRP9 yeast genes reveals a new cysteine/histidine motif common to several splicing factors". The EMBO Journal 9 (9): 2775–81. PMC 551986. PMID 2118103.
- Choulika, A; Perrin, A; Dujon, B; Nicolas, JF (1995). "Induction of homologous recombination in mammalian chromosomes by using the I-SceI system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Molecular and Cellular Biology 15 (4): 1968–73. PMC 230423. PMID 7891691.