Supporting medical research to meet major health challenges
For over 50 years, Fondation de France and the foundations it supports have played a key role in supporting medical research, where innovation and collaboration are vital in helping deliver new therapeutic solutions to patients.
In 1969, the same year that Fondation de France was created, one of the first sheltered foundations, the Fondation Antoine Béclère, was set up in the field of medical research. Today, 126 Fondation de France sheltered foundations are working alongside researchers. "Our aim, which complements the sheltered foundations' work, is to cover a wide range of research areas, particularly those that receive little public funding. For example, Fondation de France has been a pioneer in supporting research into eye diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatry. Today, in response to major public health challenges, we are taking action in five research areas in particular: cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, psychiatry and public health/environment," explains Fanny Ledonné, head of medical research at Fondation de France. In 2024, Fondation de France and its sheltered foundations invested over €20 million to support research.
A cross-functional, long-term approach
Medical research takes years to produce solid results and new therapeutic hypotheses. That is why it is necessary to commit long-term support to researchers. For example, Fondation de France is supporting the "Clémence" programme, developed by researchers at the University of Bordeaux, for a minimum of six years. The aim of the programme is to identify the factors responsible for progressive myopia in children through a large nationwide cohort.
Support for young researchers and post-doctoral students is also crucial to ensuring scientific renewal. This is one of the priorities of the Larue-Delaunay Foundation, for example. Its purpose is "to support, through the award of grants, the best projects by young researchers or post-doctoral fellows under the age of 35, in the fields of cancer and cardiovascular disease," explains Catherine Larue, who set up the foundation in 2021 in tribute to her parents, who died from these illnesses. True to the idea that research requires boldness, she adds: "I like to support projects that are seen as a bit risky. Because I think that's what a family foundation is all about: supporting innovative research that would otherwise go unfunded."
At the same time, translational research, i.e. the transposition of discoveries from fundamental laboratory research into clinical applications, is at the heart of the approach taken by Fondation de France and its sheltered foundations. The aim is to ensure that scientific advances are translated into practical therapeutic solutions for patients. For example, in the field of cancer, it can be used to study complex mechanisms, such as resistance to treatment linked to genetic mutations, and then to test innovative therapeutic approaches in clinical models.
"I like to support projects that are seen as a bit risky. Because I think that's what a family foundation is all about: supporting innovative research that would otherwise go unfunded." – Catherine Larue, President of the Larue-Delaunay Foundation
Encouraging innovation and cooperation in research
Cancer, with 433,000 new cases every year in France, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases are among the most pressing public health challenges. Supporting medical research in these areas is essential if we are to provide a lasting response.
In paediatric oncology, for example, the Imagine for Margo Foundation, set up by Patricia Blanc, is working to improve treatment for children with cancer. "20% of children with cancer do not survive. This is an unacceptable reality," she stresses, adding that "two-thirds of children cured suffer serious after-effects caused by toxic treatments designed for adults. To change this, we are supporting the development of treatments that are suitable for children, less toxic and more effective." This research is already leading to promising successes: "A project focusing on ALCL lymphoma, for example, has enabled relapsed children to be cured using immunotherapy, without the need for a bone marrow transplant. This is a major success for young patients," continues Patricia Blanc.
On the strength of these advances, it is launching an appeal: "We hope that other sheltered foundations will join us to fund innovative projects together and bring about a real revolution in the way children's cancer is treated." Inspired by the courage of her daughter Margo, who was lost to cancer, Patricia Blanc continues to spread her message: "Go on, fight, win."
Research into psychiatric illnesses is another priority area. These diseases, which will affect one in five people during their lifetime, require interdisciplinary approaches to better understand their mechanisms, personalise treatments and improve prevention. Fondation de France therefore favours collaborative research projects bringing together clinicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and researchers in neuroscience and the humanities. One of the projects supported, for example, involves studying premature cell ageing in bipolar patients, in order to test whether drugs such as lithium can help slow this process.
Lastly, neurodegenerative diseases pose increasing challenges as the population ages. "In 2025, we are extending our Parkinson's programme to include a range of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis," explains Fanny Ledonné. Among the sheltered foundations committed to this cause is the Philippe Chatrier Foundation, created in 2000 by Jean-Philippe Chatrier in memory of his father, a prominent figure in tennis who was affected by Alzheimer's disease. "The foundation is based on two pillars: a postdoctoral fellowship to support promising researchers, and a medical award recognising a young researcher for their work on Alzheimer's," explains Catherine Sabbag-Nahoum, the foundation's president. The projects supported include innovative initiatives such as early detection of the disease through a simple blood test, and a medical video game. "This strategy game, which is available on smartphones, collects data from players to help predict, detect and better understand the disease, enabling improved treatment," she concludes optimistically.
In the CEA-Orsay research laboratory, teams are working on new treatments for paediatric cancers.
Supporting research in underfunded areas
Supporting research in specific fields and pioneering approaches that receive little funding elsewhere is also essential to offer new hope to patients. In the field of rare diseases, for example, eight foundations, four of which are sheltered by Fondation de France, have joined forces to form a collective: the Fondation Ipsen, the French Haemophilia Association Fund, CAP NF, the Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome Foundation, the Fondation Maladies Rares (Rare Diseases Foundation), the Imagine for Margo Foundation, the Groupama Foundation and the Alcimed Foundation . The aims of this collaborative approach are to raise public awareness of these diseases and to lobby French and European decision-makers.
Another initiative is that of the Foundation for Influenza Epidemiology, chaired by Dr Cédric Mahé, which has set up a surveillance network of 160 hospitals in 25 countries. Since 2023, the Foundation has been working closely with the WHO. The aim is to study the links between viral mutations and clinical impact in the case of influenza and all respiratory viruses. "We have become a platform that is part of the global pandemic preparedness ecosystem. This type of approach is essential for improving the detection of epidemics and facilitating the rapid development of countermeasures," explains Cédric Mahé.
Beyond pandemics, another major challenge is emerging: understanding and reducing the impact of the environment on human health, particularly in the case of chronic diseases (cancers, diabetes, respiratory illnesses and neurodegenerative disorders), which account for 70% of deaths worldwide. Since 1995, Fondation de France has been supporting research into the consequences of these environmental factors, from a preventive public health perspective. "Various events, such as the pandemic and climate change, have revealed the interdependence between human health and the health of ecosystems. Continuing to support research into environmental health will enable us to put in place a holistic health approach and place it at the heart of our strategy for the next five years," concludes Johanna Brun, head of the Major Global Health Cause at Fondation de France.
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