Team Leader :
M. BENAMAR
Our team aims to build an innovative research program centered on immune regulation and the heterogeneity of tissue-resident Foxp3⁺ regulatory T (Treg) cells. Our long-term objective is to manipulate immune tolerance pathways to develop precision therapies for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.
Our research focuses on Treg cells, which are essential for maintaining peripheral immune tolerance while supporting protective, tissue-specific immune responses. Beyond suppressing autoimmunity and preserving host–microbiota balance, Treg cells also drive tissue repair and metabolic regulation through environmentally induced transcriptional programs. Our recent work has identified a key role for Notch signaling in reprogramming Treg cell function in a tissue- and receptor-specific manner.
Building on this foundation, the overarching goal of Team: Regulatory T Cell Heterogeneity in Tissue Tolerance is to define the molecular mechanisms or “codes” generated by unique, tissue-specific receptor–ligand interactions that shape Treg cell identity and function. By elucidating how tissue Treg cell subversion drives localized inflammation, our research will uncover fundamental biology and inform the development of targeted, more effective immunotherapies.
Axis 1: Treg Heterogeneity in Central Nervous System Inflammation
Axis 2: Transcriptomic and epigenetic landscape of Tissue Treg in diseases
Axis 3: Treg Heterogeneity in Aging
Biography: Dr. Mehdi Benamar received his Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, in 2018, where his work on regulatory T (Treg) cells and TCR signaling earned him the Prix Bretesche de Médecine from the Académie des Sciences et Belles-Lettres. In 2019, he joined Dr. Talal Chatila’s laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, as a postdoctoral fellow to explore the role of Treg cells in tissue tolerance.
In 2021, he was appointed Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, where his research focused on Notch signaling in Treg cells and its influence on tissue tolerance. In 2025, Dr. Benamar joined the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy (IRMB, Inserm U1183) as an ATIP-Avenir team leader and Inserm CRCN researcher. His work aims to decipher Treg cell heterogeneity in tissue tolerance and to develop innovative therapeutic strategies that promote tissue protection and repair.
Twitter: @mehdiBenamar18
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-b-b1ba60135
