Dr. Doré has shown interest in alternative and complementary medicine. People have used herbal medicines for centuries, and today, a vast majority of people have considered and used alternative medicine. Although many therapeutic functions have been attributed to these treatments, very few rigorous scientific studies have been completed. Using primary neuronal cultures, Dr. Doré has observed that pre-treatment with some of these compounds (for example Ginkgo biloba) would provide neuroprotection, mainly by inducing heme oxygenase 1 in neurons. Use of protein inhibitor synthesis would block this protection. His future goal is to identify which proteins are expressed or post-transcriptionally modified in order to reveal possible mechanisms of protection associated with these “natural” compounds.

Selected References:

1. Zhuang H, Pin S, Christen Y, Doré S.Induction of heme oxygenase by Ginkgo biloba in neuronal cultures and potential implications in ischemia. Cell Mol Biol 48:647-53, 2002.
2. Bastianetto S, Ramassamy C, Doré S, Christen Y, Poirier J, Quirion R. The Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) protects hippocampal neurons against cell death induced by ß-amyloid. Eur J Neurosci 12:1882-90, 2000.