Marie Flamand

Marie FLAMAND leads a research group in the Structural Virology Lab at Institut Pasteur Paris. The team investigates several arboviruses that significantly impact human health, including dengue (DEN), Zika, and Rift Valley fever (RVF) viruses. Their main line of research focuses on the role of accessory proteins in viral pathogenesis. This led to the identification of two key virulence factors: the mitochondrial RVFV NSm protein and the secreted DEN NS1 nonstructural protein. Notably, her team demonstrated that NS1 circulates in the bloodstream during acute DENV infections, establishing it as a potent diagnostic marker. A diagnostic kit based on NS1 antigen detection, developed at the Institut Pasteur, has become a gold standard reference in the field. More recently, the team revealed that secreted NS1 forms a pro-inflammatory complex with human high-density lipoproteins (HDL), highlighting its significant contribution to the cytokine storm associated with dengue hemorrhagic fever.