René-Victor BENSASSON

emeritus director of research at the” Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique”

Research activities

From 1955 to1964: Chemistry induced by ionizing radiations, polymerisations induced by X- and g- rays.

From 1964 to 2016: Two main direction of studies:

1) Using mainly two complementary time-resolved spectroscopic methods, laser flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis,  our group has investigated  :

(i) the primary species (Excited States and Radicals)  involved in Vision, Photosynthesis, Photodamage of Nucleic Acids and Photochemotherapies

(ii) the spectroscopic, photophysical, and photochemical properties of fullerenes C₆₀, C₇₀ and derivatives

2) Using mainly quantum chemical approaches, our group has investigated redox regulation processes involved in

(i) Cancer chemoprotection in vivo and in cellular models

(ii) Control of genetic expression

(a) induction of a prototypic cancer-rotective enzyme, quinone reductase (NQO1)

(b) inhibition of topoisomerase

(c) inhibition of angiogenesis

(d) inhibition of cellular inflammatory response

(iii) Anti-inflammation chemoprotection in vivo

Publications :

- 162 publications

- Livres

Co-auteur de livres :

• R.V. BENSASSON, E.J. LAND & T.G. TRUSCOTT. Flash photolysis and Pulse radiolysis. Contributions to the Chemistry of Biology and Medicine. Pergamon Press, 226 pages, Oxford (1983) ISBN 0-08024949-3. Translated in Russian by David Nokogosyan for the Editions MIR, Moscow, 1987.
   
• R.V. BENSASSON, E.J. LAND & T.G. TRUSCOTT. Excited states and free radicals in biology and medicine. Contributions from flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis. Oxford University Press , 440 pages, 89 illustrations, Oxford, (1993) ISBN 0-19-855560-1

Co-éditeur de livres :

• R.V. BENSASSON, G. JORI, E.J. LAND & T.G. TRUSCOTT. Primary photoprocesses in biology and medicine. Plenum Press, series A life Science New York and London (1985) 85. ISBN 0-306-41930-0.

Quelques articles récents représentatifs de nos directions de travail :
 

• Zhu X, Quaranta A, Bensasson RV, Sologloub M, Zhang Y. 2017. Secondary-Rim γ-Cyclodextrin Functionalization to Conjugate with C60: Improved Efficacy as a Photosensitizer. Chemistry A European Journal. DOI: 10.1002/chem.201700782
   
• Bensasson RV, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Zheng S, Saito A, Li W, Zoete V, Honda T. 2016. Electron affinity of tricyclic, bicyclic, and monocyclic compounds containing cyanoenones correlates with their potency as inducers of a cytoprotective enzyme. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 26, 4345-4349. DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.07.028
   
• Quaranta A, Huanhuan QU, Vencel T, Zhang Y, Leibl W, Leach S, Bensasson RV.2014. Photophysical properties in aqueous solutions of C60 embedded in 2:1  cyclodextrin/[60]fullerene inclusion complexes. Chemical Physics Letters, 614, 234–237.
   
• Bensasson RV, Sowlati S, Zoete V, Dauzonne D, and Matta CF. 2013. Physicochemical properties of exogenous molecules correlated with their biological efficacy as protectors against carcinogenesis and inflammation. International Reviews in Physical Chemistry, 32, 393–434
   
• Bensasson RV, Zoete V, Jossang A, Bodo B, Arimondo PB, Land EJ. 2011. Potency to inhibit human DNA topoisomerase I by flavones assessed through physico-chemical parameters. Free Radic. Biol. Med., 51, 1406-1410. DOI:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.06.021
   
• Bensasson RV, Berthier G, Zoote V, Talalay P, Dinkova-Kostova A. 2010. Potency ranking of triterpenoids as inducers of a cytoprotective enzyme and as inhibitors of a cellular inflammatory response via their electron affinity and their electrophilicity index. Chem. Biol. Interact. 186, 118–126. DOI:10.1016/j.cbi.2010.04.026
   
• Bensasson RV, Berthier G, Zoote V. 2009 Comment on “Assessing the Efficacy of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Through the Quantum Computation of Molecular Ionization Energies”. J. Phys. Chem. A, 113, 12337–12338. DOI:10.1021/jp9074652
   
• Bensasson RV, Zoete V, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Talalay P. 2008. Two-step mechanism of induction of the gene expression of a prototypic cancer-protective enzyme by diphenols. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 21, 805–812. DOI:10.1021/tx7002883

Other activites

Member of the Academia Europaea elected in 1989 (section: Biophysics)
Membre d’Honneur de la Société Française de Photobiologie since the 1rst of january 2013
Member of the Editorial Board of

• Fullerenes, nanotubes and carbon nanostructures (DEKKER)
• Acta Laser Biology Sinica (Genetics Society of China)
• Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology B: Biology (ELSEVIER)
• Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. (ELSEVIER)