Dean, College of Pharmacy
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John M. Pezzuto, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean
Dr. Pezzuto received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Rutgers University (1973), and Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (1977). He then performed two years of postdoctoral work in the Department of Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Cancer Institute. Following a one-year stay at the University of Virginia, as Instructor of Chemistry, he accepted a faculty position (Assistant Professor) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (1980). He was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 1984, and to full professor in both the College of Pharmacy (1991-2002) and the College of Medicine (1994-2002) at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was named Distinguished University Professor in 2002. He served as Head (1993-1995) and Interim Head (2000-2001) of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy at the UIC College of Pharmacy, Associate Director of the UIC Cancer Center (1991-1995), and Director of the Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences (1995-1998), the leading research unit affiliated with the UIC College of Pharmacy. He later served as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, UIC College of Pharmacy (1998-2002), Deputy Director of the UIC Cancer Center (2000-2002), and Head of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy (2001-2002). In 2002, Dr. Pezzuto accepted the position of Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, and Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences, at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (2002-2006). He also served as Chief Scientific Officer for pharmaceutical development at McClure Park, Inc., an affiliate of the Purdue Research Foundation (2004-2006). He is currently Professor and Founding Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo (2006-present). He is an author of over 400 publications, co-inventor of several patents, the editor of three books, member of eleven editorial boards of international journals, the former editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Pharmacognosy (1990-1995), the former editor-in-chief of Combinatorial Chemistry and High Throughput Screening (1996-1997), and the current editor-in-chief of Pharmaceutical Biology. He is a full member of Subcommittee E (cancer epidemiology, prevention and control) of the National Cancer Institute (2003-present). He was the recipient of a Research Career Development Award from the National Cancer Institute (1984-1989) and a Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (1990-1991). During the period of the Humboldt fellowship, he held a research position in the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology at the University of Munich. He has directed the research of numerous doctoral students, postdoctoral associates, and visiting scholars. He was elected Senior University Scholar at UIC in 1999, and UIC Inventor of the Year in 2000. His current research interests are predominately in the areas of biology-driven natural product drug discovery and characterization, with primary emphasis in the fields of cancer chemotherapy, cancer chemoprevention, malaria, and AIDS. He has been supported by the National Institutes of Health continuously since 1977, and currently serves as the Principal Investigator/Program Director of a Program Project grant in cancer chemoprevention, and Program Leader for an International Collaborative Biodiversity Group. He resides in Hilo, Hawaii, with his wife and three children.
Email Address: pezzuto@hawaii.edu
Ph.D. Dissertation
"Studies on the Metabolic Activation of Benzo(a)pyrene and Subsequent Binding to Nuclear Macromolecules," University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, 1977.
Bibliography
Sample Publications
Articles
1. Pezzuto, J.M., Yang, C.S., Yang, S.K., McCourt, D.W., and Gelboin, H.V. Metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene and (-)trans-7,8¬-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo(a)pyrene by rat liver nuclei and microsomes. Cancer Res. 38: 1241-1245, 1978.
2. Pezzuto, J.M., Lau, P.P., Luh, Y., Moore, P.D., Wogan, G.N., and Hecht, S.M. There is a correlation between the DNA affinity and mutagenicity of several 3-amino-l-methyl-5H-¬pyrido(4,3-b)indoles. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77: 1427-1431, 1980.
3. Pezzuto, J.M., Moore, P.D., and Hecht, S.M. Metabolic activation of 3-amino-l-methyl-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole and several structurally related mutagens. Biochemistry 20: 298-305, 1981.
4. Compadre, C.M., Pezzuto, J.M., Kinghorn, A.D., and Kamath, S.K. Hernandulcin: an intensely sweet compound discovered by review of ancient literature. Science 227: 417-419, 1985.
5. Ratko, T.A. and Pezzuto, J.M. An improved fluorometric method for quantitative high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of methylated guanine in DNA. J. Chromatogr. 324: 484-488, 1985.
6. Pezzuto, J.M., Compadre, C.M., Swanson, S.M., Nanayakkara, N.P.D., and Kinghorn, A.D. Metabolically activated steviol, the aglycone of stevioside, is mutagenic. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82: 2478-2482, 1985.
7. Pezzuto, J.M., Shieh, H.-L., Shaughnessy, E., and Beattie, C.W. Approaches for drug development in treatment of advanced melanoma. Sem. Oncol. 15: 578-588, 1988.
8. Angerhofer, C.K., Pezzuto, J.M., König, G.M., Wright, A.D., and Sticher, O. Antimalarial sesquiterpenes from the marine sponge, Acanthella klethra. J. Nat. Prod. 55: 1787-1789, 1992.
9. Pezzuto, J.M., Che, C.-T., McPherson, D.D., Topçu, G., Erdelmeier, C.A.J., and Cordell, G.A. DNA as an affinity probe useful in the detection and isolation of biologically active natural products. J. Nat. Prod. 54: 1522-1530, 1991.
10. Mar, W., Tan, G.T., Cordell, G.A., Pezzuto, J.M., Jurcic, K., Redl, K., Steinke, B., and Wagner, H. Biological activity of novel macrocyclic alkaloids (Budmunchiamines) from Albizia amara detected on the basis of interaction with DNA. J. Nat. Prod., 54: 1531-1542, 1991.
11. Cordell, G.A., Beecher, C.C.W., and Pezzuto, J.M. Can ethnopharmacology contribute to the development of new anticancer drugs? J. Ethnopharmacol. 32: 117-133, 1991.
12. Pengsuparp, T., Cai, L., Fong, H.H.S., Kinghorn, A.D., Pezzuto, J.M., Wani, M.C., and Wall, M.E. Pentacyclic triterpenes derived from Maprounea africana are potent inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. J. Nat. Prod. 57: 415-418, 1994.
13. König, G.M., Wright, A.D., Sticher, O., Angerhofer, C.K., and Pezzuto, J.M. Biological activities of selected marine natural products. Planta Med., 60: 532-537, 1994.
14. Mehta, R.G., Liu, J., Constantinou, A., Thomas, C.F., Hawthorne, M., You, M., Gerhäuser, C., Pezzuto, J.M., Moon, R.C., and Moriarty, R.M. Cancer chemopreventive activity of brassinin, a phytoalexin from cabbage. Carcinogenesis, 16: 399-404, 1995.
15. Gerhäuser, C., Mar, W., Lee, S.K., Suh, N., Luo, Y., Kosmeder, J., Moriarty, R.M., Luyengi, L., Kinghorn, A.D., Fong, H.H.S., Mehta, R.G., Constantinou, A., Moon, R.C., and Pezzuto, J.M. Rotenoids mediate potent chemopreventive activity through transcriptional regulation of ornithine decarboxylase. Nature Medicine, 1: 260-266, 1995.
16. Suh, N., Luyengi, L., Fong, H.H.S., Kinghorn, A.D., and Pezzuto, J.M. Discovery of natural products as chemopreventive agents utilizing HL-60 cell differentiation as a model. Anticancer Res., 15: 233-240, 1995.
17. Pisha, E., Chai, H., Lee, I.-S., Chagweder, T.E., Farnsworth, N.R., Cordell, G.A., Beecher, C.W.W., Fong, H.H.S., Kinghorn, A.D., Brown, D.M., Wani, M.C., Wall, M.E., Hieken, T.J., Das Gupta, T.K., and Pezzuto, J.M. Discovery of betulinic acid as a selective inhibitor of human melanoma that functions by induction of apoptosis. Nature Medicine, 1: 1046-1051, 1995 (Cover article for issue Number 10, October 1995).
18. Leaman, D.J., Arnason, J.T., Yusuf, R., Sangat-Roemantyo, H., Soedjito, H., Angerhofer, C.K., and Pezzuto, J.M. Malaria remedies of the Kenyah of the Apau Kayan, East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo: a quantitative assessment of local consensus as an indicator of biological efficacy. J. Ethnopharmacol., 49: 1-16, 1995.
19. Pezzuto, J.M. Commentary entitled "Plant-derived Anticancer Agents," Biochem. Pharmacol., 53: 121-133, 1997.
20. Jang, M., Cai, L., Udeani, G.O., Slowing, K., Thomas, C.F., Beecher, C.W.W., Fong, H.H.S., Farnsworth, N.R., Kinghorn, A.D., Mehta, R.G., Moon, R.C., and Pezzuto, J.M. Cancer chemopreventive activity of resveratrol, a natural product derived from grapes. Science, 275: 218-220, 1997.
21. Gerhäuser, C., You, M., Liu, J., Moriarty, R.M., Hawthorne, M., Mehta, R.G., Moon, R.C., and Pezzuto, J.M. Cancer chemopreventive potential of sulforamate, a novel analog of sulforaphane that induces phase 2 drug-metabolizing enzymes. Cancer Res., 57: 272-278, 1997.
22. Udeani, G.O., Gerhäuser, C., Thomas, C.F., Moon, R.C., Kosmeder, J.W., Kinghorn, A.D., Moriarty, R.M., and Pezzuto, J.M. Cancer chemopreventive activity mediated by deguelin, a naturally occurring rotenoid. Cancer Res., 57: 3424-3428, 1997.
23. Gerhäuser, C., Kosmeder, J.W., Moriarty, R.M., Hamel, E., Mehta, R.G., Moon, R.C., and Pezzuto, J.M. Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase induction by deguelin, a natural product cancer chemopreventive agent. Cancer Res., 57: 3429-3435, 1997.
24. El Sayed, K.A., Hamann, M.T., Waddling, C.A., Jensen, C., Lee, S.K., Dunstan, C.A., and Pezzuto, J.M. Structurally novel bioconversion products of the marine natural product sarcophine effectively inhibit JB6 cell transformation. J. Org. Chem., 63: 7449-7455, 1998.
25. Alberts, D.S., Colvin, O.M., Conney, A.H., Ernster, V.L., Garber, J.E., Greenwald, P., Gudas, L.J., Hong, W.K., Kelloff, G.J., Kramer, R.A., Lerman, C.E., Mangelsdorf, D.J., Matter, A., Minna, J.D., Nelson, W.G., Pezzuto, J.M., Prendergast, F., Rusch, V.W., Sporn, M.B., Wattenberg, L.W., and Weinstein, B. Prevention of cancer in the next millennium. Report of the Chemoprevention Working Group to the American Association for Cancer Research. Cancer Res., 59: 4743-4758, 1999.
26. Soejarto, D.D., Gyllenhaal, C., Regalado, J.C., Pezzuto, J.M., Fong, H.H.S., Tan, G.T., Xuan, L.T., Bich, T.Q., Southavong, B.H., and O'Neill, M.J. Studies on biodiversity of Vietnam and Laos: a UIC-based ICBG program. Pharm. Biol., 37 (Suppl.): 100-113, 1999.
27. Bhat, K.P.L., Lantvit, D., Christov, K., Mehta, R.G., Moon, R.C., and Pezzuto, J.M. Estrogenic and antiestrogenic properties of resveratrol in mammary tumor models. Cancer Res., 61:7456-7463, 2001.
28. Constantinou, A.I., Lantvit, D., Hawthorne, M., Xu, X., van Breemen, R.B., and Pezzuto, J.M. Chemopreventive effects of soy protein and purified soy isoflavones on DMBA-induced mammary tumors in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Nutr. Cancer., 41: 75-81, 2001.
29. Constantinou, A.I., Lucas, L.M., Lantvit, D., Hawthorne, M., Xu, X., Nho, C.W., Jeffery, E.H., Christov, K., van Breemen, R.B., and Pezzuto, J.M. Soy protein isolate prevents chemically-induced rat mammary tumors. Pharm. Biol., 40: 24-34, 2002.
30. Cuendet, M. and Pezzuto J.M. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cancer treatment. Expert Opin. Ther. Patents, 12: 827-835, 2002.
31. Bhat, K.P. and Pezzuto, J.M. Cancer chemopreventive activity of resveratrol. Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 957: 210-229, 2002.
32. Chun, K.H., Kosmeder, J.W. 2nd, Sun, S., Pezzuto, J.M., Lotan, R., Hong, W.K., and Lee, H.Y. Effects of deguelin on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/akt pathway and apoptosis in premalignant human bronchial epithelial cells. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 95: 291-302, 2003.
33. Cuendet, M., Christov, K., Lantvit, D.D., Deng, Y., Hedayat, S., Helson, L., McChesney, J.D., and Pezzuto, J.M. Multiple myeloma regression mediated by bruceantin. Clin. Cancer Res., 10: 1170-1179, 2004.
34. Lee, H.-Y., Oh, S.-H., Jin, Q., Woo, J.K., Kim, W.-Y., Van Pelt, C.S., Price, R.E., Cody, D., Tran, H., Pezzuto, J.M., Moriarty, R.M., and Hong, W.K. Chemopreventive effects of deguelin, a novel Akt inhibitor, on tobacco-induced lung tumorigenesis. J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 97: 1695-1699, 2005.
35. Cuendet, M., Mesecar, A.D., Dewitt, D.L. and Pezzuto, J.M. Cyclooxygenase (Cox 1 & 2) activity assays. Nature Protocols . 1: 1922-1928, 2006.
36. Suffness, M. and Pezzuto, J.M. Assays for Cytotoxicity and Antitumor Activity, Chapter 4. In: K. Hostettmann (ed.), Methods in Plant Biochemistry, Vol. 6, pp. 71-133. London: Academic Press, 1991.
37. Kosmeder II, J.W. and Pezzuto, J.M. Intermediate Biomarkers, In: R.C. Bergan (ed.), Cancer Chemoprevention, Norwell, Massachusetts: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 31-61, 2001.
38. Kang, Y.-H. and Pezzuto, J.M. Induction of Quinone Reductase as a Primary Screen for Natural Product Anticarcinogens. In: H. Sies and L. Packer (eds.), Quinones and Quinone Enzymes (A Volume of Methods in Enzymology), San Diego, California: Elsevier Science (USA), 382: pp. 380-414. 2004.
39. Pezzuto, J.M., Kosmeder II, J.W., Park, E.J., Lee, S.K., Cuendet, M., Gills, J., Bhat, K., Grubjesic, S., Park, H.-S., Mata-Greenwood, E., Tan, Y.M., Yu, R., Lantvit, D.D., and Kinghorn, A.D. Characterization of Natural Product Chemopreventive Agents. In: G.J. Kelloff, E.T. Hawk, and C.C. Sigman (eds.), Cancer Chemoprevention, Volume 2: Strategies for Cancer Chemoprevention. Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press Inc., pp. 3-37, 2005.
40. Pezzuto, J.M. Resveratrol as a cancer chemopreventive agent. In: B.B. Aggarwal and S. Shishodia (eds.), Resveratrol in Health and Disease, New York, New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc, pp. 233-383, 2006.
41. Cuendet, M. and Pezzuto, J.M. Antitumor alkaloids in clinical use or in clinical trials. In: E. Fattorusso, O. Taglialatela-Scafati (eds.), Modern Alkaloids-Structure, Isolation, Synthesis and Biology. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-VCH., pp. 25-52, 2008.