0:00:32.209,0:00:35.085
What do these two everyday objects,

0:00:35.209,0:00:39.249
a drug and a smartphone,[br]have in common?

0:00:39.250,0:00:43.792
We will try to solve[br]this little riddle today,

0:00:43.800,0:00:46.199
in the next few minutes.

0:00:46.209,0:00:50.917
First, the drug: I have always[br]been fascinated by this object.

0:00:50.918,0:00:54.833
The mere fact of swallowing it[br]is somehow almost magical,

0:00:54.834,0:00:59.416
it's enough to cure diseases,[br]sometimes, to even brave death.

0:00:59.417,0:01:01.001
I have always been fascinated

0:01:01.125,0:01:05.292
by the fact that this same drug[br]helps to cure billions of people,

0:01:05.459,0:01:08.335
all of them different:[br]you, your neighbor, me.

0:01:08.336,0:01:11.999
It is the challenge[br]of personalized medicine:

0:01:12.000,0:01:15.209
to understand why, when I have a headache,

0:01:15.209,0:01:18.501
if I take an aspirin pill,[br]that is enough to relieve my pain,

0:01:18.501,0:01:22.208
while my neighbor needs[br]two of the same pills

0:01:22.209,0:01:24.501
to relieve the same headache pain.

0:01:24.501,0:01:28.460
Therefore, these questions are[br]the challenges of tomorrow

0:01:28.501,0:01:31.814
when it comes to understanding[br]our personal response to treatment,

0:01:31.815,0:01:35.376
and above all, finding[br]the best treatment for everyone.

0:01:35.377,0:01:37.959
So I suggest you keep in mind[br]these questions,

0:01:37.959,0:01:41.118
- they are particularly dear to me,[br]we shall return to them later -

0:01:41.238,0:01:45.197
and I first suggest that you look back[br]in the rearview mirror a little

0:01:45.876,0:01:49.710
and notice the extraordinary progress[br]that has been made in medicine

0:01:50.125,0:01:51.541
in the past century:

0:01:51.542,0:01:54.751
we've extended life expectancy,[br]and decoded our genes.

0:01:55.292,0:01:58.501
Louis Pasteur would have believed[br]science was a fiction novel

0:01:58.501,0:02:01.543
had he seen the extent[br]of our modern biology;

0:02:02.459,0:02:06.960
there are decades of technological[br]revolution behind this drug.

0:02:07.542,0:02:09.043
On the other hand,

0:02:09.167,0:02:14.542
what an extraordinary progress[br]has been achieved in computer science

0:02:14.668,0:02:16.166
in the past 30 years

0:02:16.167,0:02:20.501
thinking back at how computers[br]used to occupy entire rooms.

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Today, we concentrate[br]a phenomenal computing power

0:02:24.125,0:02:25.792
in the palm of our hands.

0:02:26.626,0:02:28.085
Do you remember Alan Turing?

0:02:28.125,0:02:31.188
Alan Turing who was considered[br]the father of the modern computer

0:02:31.308,0:02:33.541
during the World War II;

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I think he would have believed[br]science is a fiction novel too,

0:02:36.502,0:02:40.252
had he seen the extent[br]of our modern computer science.

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My vocation is to bring[br]these two worlds together

0:02:45.459,0:02:48.043
and power, inside a computer,

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the stimulation of an organism,[br]of your personal response to treatment.

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Of course, behind these[br]scientific and technological stakes,

0:03:01.375,0:03:04.208
there are several social issues hidden.

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Do you know that this drug,[br]apparently so innocent, so familiar,

0:03:08.792,0:03:10.792
is very far from being a mere drug?

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There are more deaths each year[br]due to inadequate medication

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than people killed in road accidents[br]and suicides combined.

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I think that this small object,[br]a smartphone or a computer,

0:03:24.792,0:03:27.875
can help tackle these issues.

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And before talking technology,

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I would like to start by sharing[br]a little personal anecdote.

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I want to talk to you[br]about my wife, Caroline.

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Caroline is an avid[br]animal rights activist.

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On my part, for several years,

0:03:43.269,0:03:46.828
I worked on cancer[br]in an experimental biology laboratory

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and among our activities,[br]we sometimes worked on animals.

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You can imagine the disaster[br]at home sometimes.

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That was something.

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Of course, she would question me:

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do we have the right [br]to sometimes abuse animals

0:04:00.379,0:04:03.299
and is it always really that useful?

0:04:05.289,0:04:07.849
We have an extremely complex debate

0:04:08.730,0:04:11.179
and of course, I will never deny

0:04:11.179,0:04:15.498
all the contributions experimental biology[br]and animal biology to current knowledge.

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Nevertheless, this discussion[br]made me question myself,

0:04:18.139,0:04:21.378
and I would like to share with you[br]some of that reflection today.

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That's true, this drug originally[br]was designed based on animals,

0:04:26.249,0:04:29.629
then only afterwards,[br]it was tested on man.

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But not on you in particular!

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Remember, we all respond differently,

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You, me, my neighbor.

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Why? Because you, madam,[br]are not the replica of you, sir.

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That explains why you respond[br]differently to this treatment.

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And if I may,

0:04:49.189,0:04:52.769
you, madam, are even less[br]the replica of a lab mouse.

0:04:53.480,0:04:56.505
When, in fact, cancer[br]is tackled through the animal,

0:04:56.506,0:04:58.793
we want to cure Cancer with a big C.

0:04:59.581,0:05:01.639
I do not want to cure cancer.

0:05:02.599,0:05:05.459
I do not want to cure cancer.

0:05:05.460,0:05:08.498
I want to cure your cancer.

0:05:08.499,0:05:11.758
If one day it should happen to you,[br]and I do not wish it,

0:05:11.759,0:05:13.488
but if that were the case,

0:05:13.489,0:05:16.296
I would love to find[br]the best treatment for you

0:05:16.297,0:05:18.501
which is not the same[br]as your neighbor’s

0:05:18.501,0:05:21.987
because your cancer would not be[br]the replica of your neighbor’s cancer

0:05:21.988,0:05:24.899
and even less, once again,[br]the replica of a cancer

0:05:24.900,0:05:28.880
artificially induced[br]in a laboratory animal.

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Isn't there another way[br]of conceiving things?

0:05:33.329,0:05:37.629
The idea's here to start from the patient,[br]from you, from your characteristics,

0:05:37.630,0:05:40.199
to project them into the machine,

0:05:40.719,0:05:43.158
create what is called a digital twin,

0:05:43.159,0:05:46.919
and in this digital twin, test[br]the response to the treatment,

0:05:46.920,0:05:49.258
thus decreasing animal testing

0:05:49.259,0:05:52.018
which is costly[br]and ethically questionable,

0:05:52.019,0:05:55.760
and in addition, better targeting[br]the response to treatment.

0:05:56.369,0:05:58.520
So how do we get there?

0:05:59.430,0:06:03.238
Of course, our organism[br]is extremely complex:

0:06:03.239,0:06:05.480
a man's is diffrent from a woman's

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but I believe women's are sometimes [br]particularly more complex.

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The complete opposite [br]is also true, I assure you.

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On a more serius note, I like[br]the analogy with electronics

0:06:17.510,0:06:20.279
to grasp this magnificent complexity.

0:06:20.280,0:06:24.909
I am always amazed when I see[br]the circuit in a simple radio,

0:06:24.910,0:06:29.398
the complexity of its connections,[br]sub-circuits, and components.

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There is very similar[br]to our complex organism.

0:06:32.489,0:06:35.508
Of course in biology, in our organism,

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the interactions are not electronic,

0:06:37.509,0:06:40.719
they are chemical, physical, biological

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and this is precisely[br]the mission of biology:

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to decipher this complexity.

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But there is a fundamental[br]difference with electronics:

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no human has conceived[br]the blueprint of our organism.

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When a radio breaks down,

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since we know the blueprint,[br]we know how to repair it.

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It's a whole different story[br]when our organism breaks down,

0:07:04.699,0:07:06.279
gets sick.

0:07:07.439,0:07:11.291
we do not know the blueprint,[br]so it's a little bit as if

0:07:11.292,0:07:14.084
some natives of Amazon,[br]however intelligent they may be,

0:07:14.090,0:07:18.528
had to understand and repair[br]a radio overnight.

0:07:18.529,0:07:21.168
That, again, is the challenge of biology.

0:07:21.169,0:07:24.489
In recent years, we have come[br]to understand better

0:07:24.490,0:07:26.638
and more and more pathologies.

0:07:26.639,0:07:29.189
Thousands of research teams[br]around the world,

0:07:29.190,0:07:31.129
are decrypting this complexity,

0:07:31.130,0:07:37.959
understanding small pieces of circuitry,[br]independent pieces of the puzzle.

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This is where computer science[br]and mathematics come into play.

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With these tools,

0:07:44.389,0:07:48.750
we will be able to reattach[br]these little bits

0:07:49.470,0:07:53.768
and to make live in a virtual world,[br]in the machine,

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these bits, assembled circuits,[br]puzzle pieces that we simulate,

0:07:58.029,0:08:00.418
that we make come alive[br]inside the computer.

0:08:00.419,0:08:04.378
What you see here is a virtual cell,

0:08:04.379,0:08:05.639
a cancer cell,

0:08:05.640,0:08:10.349
It is in fact the projection[br]of a cancer cell in a software,

0:08:10.350,0:08:12.749
what is commonly called an application.

0:08:12.750,0:08:15.499
Again we see the analogy[br]with electronics,

0:08:15.500,0:08:17.749
there are all these circuits,[br]these connections.

0:08:17.869,0:08:19.778
Again, it's biology.

0:08:19.779,0:08:23.198
And we see all this complexity[br]of the cancer cell

0:08:23.199,0:08:24.949
which makes it formidably effective.

0:08:24.950,0:08:29.859
Each dot, of course these are not[br]dots of electronic components,

0:08:29.860,0:08:33.020
is a biological interaction,[br]a protein for example.

0:08:33.020,0:08:36.249
We saw there Akt, Ras,

0:08:36.250,0:08:39.938
which is a protein that is involved[br]in the virulence of many cancers:

0:08:39.940,0:08:42.770
pancreatic cancer, skin cancer...

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What is particularly interesting[br]in this virtual cancer cell

0:08:48.740,0:08:52.540
is that it is not simply[br]a collection of information.

0:08:52.820,0:08:55.819
In fact, behind each dot,[br]each entity in this network,

0:08:55.820,0:08:58.369
hides an equation.

0:08:58.370,0:09:02.059
And behind a whole network[br]is a system of equations

0:09:02.060,0:09:05.005
at the confluence between[br]mathematics and biology.

0:09:05.006,0:09:06.834
It is called bio-mathematics,

0:09:06.850,0:09:09.529
also called the biology of systems

0:09:09.530,0:09:14.059
and it allows us[br]to set this network to music,

0:09:14.060,0:09:17.269
to play, to simulate parts[br]of this virtual cell,

0:09:17.270,0:09:21.360
parts, pieces of this puzzle[br]in the machine.

0:09:22.080,0:09:24.499
So this is an incredible playground,

0:09:24.500,0:09:28.499
because this complexity is very difficult[br]for the human brain to apprehend.

0:09:28.500,0:09:31.579
And thanks to the computer tool[br]and the mathematical tool,

0:09:31.580,0:09:35.749
we are able to master, control[br]and visualize this complexity.

0:09:35.750,0:09:37.659
And when we visualize things,

0:09:37.660,0:09:41.800
we are making a big step[br]towards solving problems.

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Now, let's put us in the shoes[br]of a drug designer.

0:09:47.000,0:09:49.980
Let us play the role[br]of the pharmaceutical laboratory.

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In this digital twin,

0:09:52.710,0:09:55.149
we will be able to test the new drugs

0:09:55.150,0:09:57.709
to reduce animal testing

0:09:57.710,0:10:01.389
and to promote experimentation[br]on virtual patients

0:10:01.390,0:10:04.439
who will reflect your own diversity.

0:10:04.440,0:10:09.329
Tomorrow, why not test your own response[br]to your medications

0:10:09.330,0:10:12.759
on your own avatar,[br]your own digital twin?

0:10:15.090,0:10:19.490
Not to cure cancer, to cure your cancer.

0:10:21.160,0:10:24.169
Personally, I am convinced[br]that this innovation, tomorrow,

0:10:24.170,0:10:25.659
will knock on our door,

0:10:25.660,0:10:28.980
for medicines of everyday life.

0:10:30.680,0:10:34.489
I say that because we talk a lot about[br]big data, right now in biology.

0:10:34.490,0:10:37.739
It is in direct connection[br]with our subject, these massive data,

0:10:37.740,0:10:40.069
are the data that make us all different,

0:10:40.070,0:10:43.619
explain our differences,[br]my weight, my age, my height,

0:10:43.620,0:10:45.239
but also my genetic data,

0:10:45.250,0:10:48.250
my bio-markers...

0:10:48.770,0:10:52.609
therefore explain our difference[br]in response to treatment

0:10:52.610,0:10:55.849
and why I need less aspirin[br]than my next door neighbour.

0:10:55.850,0:10:58.721
These numerical and mathematical[br]models that I have shown you

0:10:58.841,0:11:02.129
feed on these massive data[br]and biological data.

0:11:02.130,0:11:05.609
Thanks to them, we will be able[br]to build and specify your avatar,

0:11:05.610,0:11:09.060
set up your digital twin.

0:11:09.660,0:11:11.229
So you understood it,

0:11:11.230,0:11:13.999
presently, we talk a lot[br]about personalized medicine.

0:11:14.000,0:11:19.409
Today, I told you about[br]customized modeling

0:11:19.410,0:11:22.079
in a calculation concentrate,[br]like this one,

0:11:22.080,0:11:26.430
to be able tomorrow to simulate[br]your personal response to the treatment.

0:11:29.310,0:11:32.249
This is really the challenge[br]of personalized medicine,

0:11:32.250,0:11:35.270
digital medicine,[br]the medicine of the future.

0:11:35.710,0:11:39.729
You may think I'm exaggerating a little.

0:11:39.730,0:11:43.699
In fact, that is my belief,[br]even if perhaps today, for some,

0:11:43.700,0:11:47.059
my words resonate[br]like a science fiction novel.

0:11:47.060,0:11:48.079
Thank you.

0:11:48.080,0:11:50.770
(Applause)