After a post-doctorate at the Lille Pasteur Institute, Olivier Barbier joined the Faculty of Pharmacy of Laval University and the CHU de Québec Research Center (endocrinology and nephrology axis) where he currently serves as full professor and independent scientist. With the invaluable assistance of his research professionals Mélanie Verreault and Jocelyn Trottier, Dr. Barbier has developed the laboratory of molecular pharmacology of the CHU de Québec Research Center. His research program aims at deciphering the bile acid signalling pathways in order to take advantage of their therapeutic potential in clinic. Research progresses of the last decades have revealed that these acids are not just cholesterol metabolites involved in fatty acid digestion, but play also a major role in controlling numerous biological functions such as glycaemia, inflammation and cell proliferation. Actually, the discovery of bile acid sensors (nuclear and membrane receptors) evidenced the role for these molecules as endo-, para- and intracrine hormones. In particular, these works lead to the approval by the FDA (2016) and Health Canada (2017) of the first synthetic bile acid (Ocaliva® or obeticholic acid, OCA) for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis. In such an exciting context, researches of Barbier’s lab are focussing on 2 main subjects: auto-immune hepatobiliary diseases and prostate cancer.

Auto-immune hepatobiliary diseases (PBC et PSC)

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are two rare diseases characterized by a reduction of bile flow and an accumulation of toxic bile acids in hepatic cells. This accumulation leads to chronic inflammation and to the destruction of liver cells. Dr. Barbier’s works aims at identifying new pharmaco-nutritional approaches (drug+nutrition treatment) providing a tight control of bile acid detoxification and, by so allowing a delay in diseases progression.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer mortality still represents 10% of Canadian death by cancer in 2017. The androgen receptor (AR) plays a critical role in the cancer progression, as well as in the development resistance to chemical castration, the first-line therapy for metastatic cancers. Members of the lab have observed that obeticholic acid (OCA) causes a near-complete inhibition of AR expression and activity in prostate cancer cell models. Dr. Barbier’s team currently works at developing this major discovery in order to bring it to patient’s bedside.

Excellence of Dr. Barbier’s work has been acknowledged by the reception of various prestigious awards (Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation – Québec, Pfizer Cardiovascular…), and by the publication of numerous peer-reviewed papers. He acts as a member of editorial board such as Drug Metabolism Review, PLoS One, The Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Besides his professor-researcher’s activities, Dr. Barbier also occupies important functions with institutional (University Council, Committee of Students Affairs of Laval University), provincial (Club de Recherche Clinique du Québec), national (Intern reviewer for the Canadian Institute of Health Research) and international authorities (Committee director of the Cholestatic and Biliary Disorders Special Interest Group, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases).

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Desjardins C, Cyrenne-Dussault M, Barbier O, Bélanger A, Gangloff A, Guénette L, Leclerc J, Lefebvre J, Zongo A, Drouin-Chartier JP

Are Lipid-Lowering and Antihypertensive Medications Used as Complements to Heart-Healthy Diets? A Scoping Review

Journal Article

Adv Nutr, 14 (4), 2023.

Abstract | Links:

Daniel N, Le Barz M, Mitchell PL, Varin TV, Julien IB, Farabos D, Pilon G, Gauthier J, Garofalo C, Kang JX, Trottier J, Barbier O, Roy D, Chassaing B, Levy E, Raymond F, Lamaziere A, Flamand N, Silvestri C, Jobin C, Di Marzo V, Marette A

Comparing Transgenic Production to Supplementation of ω-3 PUFA Reveals Distinct But Overlapping Mechanisms Underlying Protection Against Metabolic and Hepatic Disorders

Journal Article

Function (Oxf), 4 (2), 2023.

Abstract | Links:

Gagnon W, Garneau V, Trottier J, Verreault M, Couillard C, Roy D, Marette A, Drouin-Chartier JP, Vohl MC, Barbier O

Impact of Blueberry Consumption on the Human Fecal Bileacidome: A Pilot Study of Bile Acid Modulation by Freeze-Dried Blueberry

Journal Article

Nutrients, 14 (18), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Brousseau V, Caron P, Trottier J, Di Paolo T, Milkiewicz P, Barbier O

Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry methods for the selective and sensitive determination of 24S-hydroxycholesterol, its sulfate, and/or glucuronide conjugates in plasma

Journal Article

J Mass Spectrom, 57 (5), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Grosse L, Chouinard S, Pâquet S, Verreault M, Trottier J, Bélanger A, Barbier O

Androgen Glucuronidation in Mice: When, Where, and How

Journal Article

Biology (Basel), 11 (3), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Daniel N, Nachbar RT, Tran TTT, Ouellette A, Varin TV, Cotillard A, Quinquis L, Gagné A, St-Pierre P, Trottier J, Marcotte B, Poirel M, Saccareau M, Dubois MJ, Joubert P, Barbier O, Koutnikova H, Marette A

Gut microbiota and fermentation-derived branched chain hydroxy acids mediate health benefits of yogurt consumption in obese mice

Journal Article

Nat Commun, 13 (1), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Lebrun A, Fortin H, Fontaine N, Fillion D, Barbier O, Boudreau D

Pushing the Limits of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) with Deep Learning: Identification of Multiple Species with Closely Related Molecular Structures

Journal Article

Appl Spectrosc, 76 (5), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Mennillo E, Yang X, Weber AA, Maruo Y, Verreault M, Barbier O, Chen S, Tukey RH

Intestinal UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 and Protection against Irinotecan-Induced Toxicity in a Novel UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 Tissue-Specific Humanized Mouse Model

Journal Article

Drug Metab Dispos, 50 (1), 2022.

Abstract | Links:

Gallucci GM, Trottier J, Hemme C, Assis DN, Boyer JL, Barbier O, Ghonem NS

Adjunct Fenofibrate Up-regulates Bile Acid Glucuronidation and Improves Treatment Response For Patients With Cholestasis

Journal Article

Hepatol Commun, 5 (12), 2021.

Abstract | Links:

Morelle C, Mukherjee A, Zhang J, Fani F, Khandelwal A, Gingras H, Trottier J, Barbier O, Leprohon P, Burke MD, Ouellette M

Well-Tolerated Amphotericin B Derivatives That Effectively Treat Visceral Leishmaniasis

Journal Article

ACS Infect Dis, 7 (8), 2021.

Abstract | Links:

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Active projects

  • Aminosteroid derivatives as a new class of cholesterol homeostasis disruptors for selective treatment of pancreatic cancer: Mechanistic and translational studies, from 2022-10-01 to 2027-09-30
  • Caractérisation de la relation entre les habitudes nutritionnelles et la prise en charge de la Cholangite Biliaire Primitive dans une cohorte de patients du Québec., from 2022-07-01 to 2024-06-30
  • Dual anti-inflammatory and glucoregulatory actions of a small molecule analogue of the omega-3-derived pro-resolving protectin DX (PDX) for the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance, from 2022-04-01 to 2024-03-31
  • Elucidating the differential contribution of sulfonation and glucuronidation in controlling nuclear receptor activity, from 2021-04-01 to 2026-03-31
  • Identifying the biological basis of GWAS hits for plasma triglyceride response to an omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, from 2020-04-01 to 2024-03-31
  • Infrastructure de développement de nanomédecines pour le traitement des maladies du foie cholestatiques et autoimmunes, from 2023-05-01 to 2024-08-27
  • Interactions between Nordic environment and Chronobiotics: Impact on cardiometabolic and neurometabolic health, from 2020-11-01 to 2024-12-31
  • L'empreinte métabolomique plasmatique des produits laitiers: un reflet de leur consommation et une fenêtre sur leurs effets cardiométaboliques, from 2023-01-01 to 2025-09-03
  • Nanomatériaux pour cibler le microbiote intestinal et altérer le métabolisme des acides biliaires, from 2023-04-01 to 2026-03-31
  • The UGT to GUS equilibrium as novel target for the treatment of cholestatic autoimmune liver diseases, from 2021-04-01 to 2026-03-31

Recently finished projects

  • Acides biliaires et maladies inflammatoires chroniques de l’intestin : et si la solution était dans l’assiette?, from 2022-03-03 to 2023-03-02
  • Adhésion aux recommandations nutritionnelles et à la pharmacothérapie dans le traitement du diabète de type 2 : les deux font la paire ?, from 2021-07-08 to 2022-03-31
  • Caractérisation de la relation et du potentiel synergique entre l'alimentation et l'utilisation des statines dans le contrôle de la cholestérolémie, from 2021-04-01 to 2022-03-31
  • Development of siRNA-based nanomedicines for the treatment of cholestatic autoimmune liver diseases, from 2022-09-21 to 2023-03-31
  • Pharmaco-nutraceutics: the key to open the therapeutic window of anti-cholestatic drugs, from 2022-02-01 to 2023-01-31
  • Sympathetic Control of the Biliary System in NAFLD, from 2021-01-01 to 2022-12-31
Data provided by the Université Laval research projects registery