Thierry Passeron’s work is both clinical and translational. They have led to significant advances, particularly in the field of pigmentation and pigmentary disorders. The study of the role of the dermal compartment in the regulation of skin color has enabled the development of new depigmenting agents but also of new therapeutic targets in pathologies causing hyperpigmentation of the skin, such as melasma. Thierry Passeron and his team have also shown that blue light is capable of inducing hyperpigmentation of the skin, thus enabling the development of new sun creams covering the visible spectrum.

Significant work has also been done on vitiligo. Thierry Passeron and his team were the first to show the synergistic effect of topical calcineurin inhibitors with UVB. This treatment is still the reference treatment for vitiligo today. They were also the first to propose a therapeutic approach aimed at reducing the risk of relapse after repigmentation in vitiligo. They also highlighted the role of the WNT pathway in the repigmentation of vitiligo and the existence of a new receptor called CXCR3B on the surface of melanocytes, thus opening up new therapeutic perspectives in resistant areas and the initial stages of the disease. These approaches are currently in pre-clinical development.
Finally, work on melanoma has enabled the team of Rachid Benhida at the Institute of Chemistry of Nice to develop inhibitors of the NIK kinase. These inhibitors offer major therapeutic prospects in melanoma but also in many other cancers. These approaches are currently being developed by the start-up YUKIN therapeutics and phase 1 trials are expected by the end of 2022.
All of this work has been recognized by the Grand Prix Robert Debré for medical research.