A. Munnich(France)

CURRICULUM VITAE
Arnold MUNNICH
Former Scientific Adviser for Medical Research and Health
to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Date of birth: 9/10/1949
Nationality: French
Professional address:
Hôpital des Enfants-Malades, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris Cedex 15
Tel:
33 1 44 49 51 51 - Mobile :
33 6 08 23 21 61
Fax:
33 1 44 49 51 50
Email: [email protected]
Home address: 26 Rue de Babylone 75007 Paris
Tél:
33 1 42 17 02 53
Family status: two sons
I. MEDICAL CAREER
- Residency training: Hospitals of Paris (1975)
- Doctorate in Medicine
Chairman: Pr J. Rosa - CHU Créteil, April 1979
"The pharmacological characterization of a cooperative
hormone receptor"
- Certificate in Pediatrics
November 1983,as part of the Internship Hospitals of Paris
- Recipient of the price of the Internship of Paris - medical section
Médaille d'Argent; February 1982
"Carboxylase deficiencies: a vitamin dependent metabolic disorder which is cured by biotin"
- Resident, Hospital of Paris
October 1986, Medical Genetic Clinic (Pr J. Frézal)
- University Professor, Hospital Practician
University René Descartes - Paris V (mention Genetics)
November 1989
- Head of Genetic Service at the Hospital Enfants-Malades
1st October 1992
II. SCIENTIFIC CAREER
- Master's degree in Biochemistry - University Paris VII
June 1977 Certificate in Biophysical and Molecular Biology (C3)
September 1977 Certificate in Microbiology (C4)
- National Service - Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique
(1976-1977)
- Certificate in Human Genetics (General)
University Paris V
June 1983 (grade: good)
- Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies de Biochimie (DEA)
April 1978-April 1979 "The beta-adrenergic receptor of rat liver"
Unité INSERM 99, Director Dr J. Hanoune
Hôpital Henri Mondor 94010 Creteil
Teaching Director Pr C. Burstein
2
- Attestation d'Etudes Approfondies de Biochimie (AEA)
University Paris VII (grade: Good)
June 1979 - option - Hormonal Regulations
Pr E. Milgrom, Pr R. Robel
- option - Biological Membranes
Pr Benedetti, Pr Képès
- Doctorat de 3ème Cycle de Biochimie
University Paris VII (grade: Excellent)
November 1981 "The beta-adrenergic receptor of the rat liver. Characterization with a
tritylated antagonist.
Regulation with hepatic innervation and experimental cholestase"
Chairman: Pr C. Burstein, Reviewer: Dr J. Bockaert
Research Supervisor: Dr J. Hanoune
- Doctorate in Genetics
Presentation: January 1988. University Paris VI
Supervisor: Pr Buttin, Institut Pasteur, Paris
Research Supervisor: Dr Axel Kahn, INSERM 129 Unit, Paris
"The regulation of the genetic expression of glycolysis in the liver"
- Senior Researcher INSERM
Postes d'accueil pour les Internes des Hôpitaux Universitaires; october 1982 to october 1986:
Laboratory of Dr A. Kahn - INSERM 129 Unit, Institut de Pathologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire.
Hôpital Cochin, Paris
- Member of the INSERM Scientific Commission n°1 (CSS 1)
1987 - 1991
- Acting Director of Unité «Génétique et épigénétique des maladies métaboliques,
neurosensorielles et du développement » INSERM U-781
January 2006
- Scientific and medical advisor of the President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy
May 2007
III AWARDS
- Recipient of the "René-Fauvert" Award from Fonds d'Etudes du Corps Médical des Hôpitaux de
Paris, June 1987
- Recipient of an Award from Société Française de Biologie Clinique
November 1987
- Recipient of an Award «Jean-Hamburger»
November 1994
-
Recipient of the « Jean-Pierre Lecocq » Award
French Académie des Sciences
November 1999
-
Recipient of the « Eloi Collery » Award
French Académie Nationale de Médecine
December 1999
- Recipient of the « Grand Prix INSERM »
January 2000
3
- Recipient of the European Society of Human Genetics Award
June 2008
- Recipient of the Gagna & Van Hech award of the Kingdom of Belgium
November 2008
IV
MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
- Member of the French Academy of Sciences
- Member of the American Society of Human Genetics
- Member of the European Society of Human Genetics
- Member of the Board of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
- Member of the Editorial Board of the following journals:
- Journal of Medical Genetics
- European Journal of Human Genetics
- Human Genetics
- Clinical Genetics
- Human Molecular Genetics
V Brief biography
Since 1980, Arnold Munnich has made every efforts to conciliate the clinical and molecular
approaches of genetic diseases in children. His efforts have resulted in the founding of the Department of
Genetics, Hôpital des Enfants-Malades, Paris, which brings together i) a Clinical Research INSERM unit,
dedicated to the mapping and identification of genes causing developmental and neurogenetic diseases in
children, ii) the Medical Genetic Clinic of Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris.
Thanks to the improvement of the human gene map, he has mapped and/or identified twenty
disease causing genes, including the genes for:
- achondroplasia (1/15,000 live births, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3),
- Hirschsprung disease (1/5,000 live births, Ret oncogene),
- spinal muscular atrophy (1/6,000 live births, survival motor neuron, SMN),
- X-linked spastic paraplegia (proteolipid protein),
- Holt-Oram syndrome (brachyury),
- multiple exostosis (EXT),
- Stargardt macular dystrophy (ABCR4),
- Leber congenital amaurosis (retinal guanylate cyclase),
- Saethre-Chotzen craniosynostosis (twist),
- Pearson’s marrow pancreas syndrome (mitochondrial DNA deletion),
- the first nuclear gene for Leigh syndrome (SDH, FP),
- mental retardation (AR) : neurotrypsine,
- several nuclear genes for mitochondrial diseases (BCS1, COX10, SCO1),
- Triple A syndrome (1/50,000 live births, Aladin),
- Incontinentia pigmenti (1/5,000 live births, Nemo, with the International IP Consortium) and
ectodermal dysplasia-immune deficiency (1/5,000 live births, Nemo and IB).
He has recently shown that Friedreich ataxia results from multiple iron-sulphur protein injury caused
by iron overload in mitochondria. Based on this observation, he devised a novel therapeutic approach using
short-chain quinones (Idebenone) to protect iron sulphur centers from oxidative stress. This treatment, now
given to all novel cases, cures cardiomyopathy in 85% of patients. He has also identified a novel inborn error
of quinone synthesis resulting in multiple respiratory chain deficiency and caused by a point mutation in a
polyprenyl transferase gene. Most importantly, children are cured by oral quinone administration.
A. Munnich has fostered several research groups and young investigators that gradually took over
the leadership and seniorship of their projects.
What are the benefits for the children and their families ? The mapping and identification of these
genes makes carrier testing, genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis of these conditions now feasible
and allow novel therapeutic approaches. The originality of his project consists in the combination of a clinical
expertise and a molecular approach of medical genetics in the unique environment of a large european
pediatric hospital.