Bernard Le Foll, M.D., Ph.D., C.C.F.P.
 |
Staff Physician, Nicotine Dependence Clinic and Alcohol Dependence Clinic, Addiction Medicine Services, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
|
Dr. Bernard Le Foll is a clinician-scientist specialized in drug addiction. He is Head of the Translational Addiction Research Laboratory at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Associate Professor at University of Toronto in the Departments of Family and Community Medicine, Pharmacology, Psychiatry and Institute of Medical Sciences. His clinical activity is centered on tobacco and alcohol dependence. He received specialized training in drug addiction and behavioral and cognitive therapy at Paris University in France. He has written the French smoking cessation guidelines and has been coordinator of clinical trials for treatment of tobacco dependence in France and in Canada. He obtained a PhD in Pharmacology at INSERM and has performed a Fogarty Visiting Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.
The goal of the research is to improve treatment of drug addiction. For this purpose, various approaches are used such as preclinical models, genetic and brain imaging approaches. The ultimate goal is to implement proof of principle clinical trials in order to validate novel therapeutic strategies in clinical populations.
He has received scientific prizes and awards from the French Academy of Medicine, the American College for Neuropsychopharmacology, the College on Problems on Drug Dependence, the National Institutes of Health, the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, NARSAD, Pfizer, OPGRC, Ontario Lung Association and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
Translational Addiction Research Laboratory
The main goal of the Translational Addiction Research Laboratory is to improve the treatment and understanding of drug addiction The research aims at linking discovery in basic science to clinical applications. The research is organized over several complementary directions.
- Evaluation of Novel Therapeutic strategies using Preclinical Models. We are using various procedures such as drug discrimination, conditioned place preference and drug self-administration. We have identified that blocking the dopamine D3 receptor, the endocannabinoid system or the insular cortex could allow prevent relapse for drug seeking. We have a particular interest around exploring mechanisms underlying motivation for nicotine, but other addictive behaviors (alcohol/gambling) are explored as well.
- Brain imaging approaches to explore drug addiction process in humans: This work is performed in collaboration with Dr Alan Wilson and Dr Isabelle Boileau from the PET center at CAMH. We are currently exploring the effects of presentation of nicotine associated stimuli on dopamine release and how insular cortex could affect dopamine release in the brain.
- Genetic studies: We have identified various variants modulating smoking behaviors in schizophrenia. We currently have an interest at evaluating the impact of genetic variants on motivation for nicotine or on drug addiction treatment response. This work is performed in collaboration with Dr. James L. Kennedy (CAMH).
- Clinical studies. Out ultimate goal is to select the most promising novel therapeutic approach and perform a validation of their utility by performing proof of principle clinical trials in humans. For this, we are currently evaluating the utility of baclofen (a GABA agonist) as a novel therapeutic approach for treatment of nicotine dependence using a randomized double blind clinical trial design and we are piloting the use of deep rTMS on insular cortex by collaborating with Drs Zangen and Daskalakis. We are also collaborating with Dr Zawertailo and Dr Selby to evaluate the utility of varenicline for treatment of nicotine addiction in population with co-addictions.
Selected Publications:
Mascia P, Pistis M, Justinova Z, Panlilio LV, Luchicchi A, Lecca S, Scherma M, Fratta W, Fadda P, Barnes C, Redhi GH, Yasar S, Le Foll B, Tanda G, Piomelli D and Goldberg SR. Blockade of nicotine reward and relapse by activation of alpha-type peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. Biol Psychiat. 2010 Online.
Forget B, Pushparaj A, Le Foll B. Granular insular cortex inactivation as a novel therapeutic strategy for nicotine addiction. Biol Psychiat. 2010 Online.
Le Foll B, Chefer SI, Kimes AS, Shumway D, Stein EA, Mukhin AG and Goldberg SR. Baseline expression of α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors predicts motivation to self-administer nicotine. Biol Psychiat. 2009; 65:714-6.
Renou J, De Luca V, Zai CC, Bulgin N, Remington G, Meltzer HY, Lieberman JA, Le Foll B, Kennedy JL. Multiple variants of the DRD3, but not BDNF gene, influence age-at-onset of schizophrenia. Mol Psychiat. 2007 Dec; 12(12):1058-60.
Le Foll B, George TP. Treatment of tobacco dependence: integrating recent progress into practice. CMAJ. 2007 Nov; 177(11):1373-80. Review.
Le Foll B and Goldberg S.R. Control of the reinforcing effects of nicotine by associated environmental stimuli in animals and humans. Trends in Pharmacol. Sci. 2005; 26:287-93.
Le Foll B., Sokoloff P, Stark. H. and Goldberg S.R.. Dopamine D3 receptor ligands block nicotine-induced conditioned place preferences through a mechanism that does not involve discriminative-stimulus or antidepressant-like effects. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2005; 30: 720-730.
Le Foll B and Goldberg S.R. Cannabinoid CB1 antagonists as promising new medications for drug dependence. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2005; 312: 875-883.
Le Foll B., Schwartz J.-C., and Sokoloff P. :Disruption of nicotine conditioning by dopamine D3 receptor ligands, Mol Psychiat. 2003, 8:225-230.
Diaz J., Pilon C., Le Foll B., Gros C., Triller A., Schwartz J.-C., Sokoloff P.: Dopamine D3 receptors expressed by all mesencephalic dopamine neurons, J. Neurosci. 2000 20: 8677-8684.
Contact Address: Translational Addiction Research Laboratory
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
33 Russell Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2S1
Phone: 416-535-8501 X4772
FAX: 416-595-6922
Email:bernard_lefoll@camh.net