Barbier Olivier

Expertises

The work of the molecular pharmacology laboratory he founded aims to decipher bile acid signaling pathways and leverage their therapeutic potential in clinical settings. Advances in molecular biology at the turn of the millennium revealed that these acids are not merely cholesterol metabolites involved in fat digestion; they also play a major role in regulating functions such as blood glucose levels, inflammation, and cell proliferation. The discovery of bile acid sensors (membrane and nuclear receptors) has established the endo-, para-, and intracrine hormone roles played by these molecules. This work notably led 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 this context, the research of the molecular pharmacology laboratory is centered around two main themes: the treatment of autoimmune hepatobiliary diseases and prostate cancer.