Richard Pestell

Summary

Richard G. Pestell AO FACP FRACP FRCPI FRCP is an Australian American oncologist and endocrinologist who is Distinguished Professor, Translational Medical Research, and the President of the Pennsylvania Cancer and Regenerative Medicine Research Center at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute.[1] He was previously Executive Vice President of Thomas Jefferson University and Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University. Pestell was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours for distinguished service to medicine and medical education.[2]

Richard G. Pestell
Born
CitizenshipUnited States, Australia
Alma materNew York University
University of Melbourne
University of Western Australia
SpouseAnna Pestell
Children3
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsOncology, Endocrinology
InstitutionsHarvard Medical School
Massachusetts General Hospital
Baruch S. Blumberg Institute
Thomas Jefferson University
Georgetown University Medical Center
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Education and early career edit

A native of Perth, Western Australia, Pestell attended Christ Church Grammar School. He attended the University of Western Australia School of Medicine, receiving his M.B.B.S.[3] He conducted clinical training in internal medicine, oncology and endocrinology. He was awarded the Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians (FRACP) in 1989.[4] He received a Ph.D. in 1991 and M.D. in 1997 from the University of Melbourne. He was the recipient of both the Neal Hamilton Fairley Fellowship, and the Winthrop Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians.[4] He became a postdoctoral clinical and research fellow in medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and a postdoctoral research fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School in 1991.[5]

Career edit

Pestell was recruited as an Assistant Professor to the Department of Molecular Medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He became an Associate Professor, and Professor, in the Departments of Medicine and Developmental and Molecular Biology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Pestell served as Chair of the Division of Endocrine-Dependent Tumor Biology at the Albert Einstein Cancer Center.[6]

In 2002, Pestell was named Director of the Lombardi Cancer Center, the Francis L. and Charlotte Gragnani Endowed Chair, and Chairman of the Department of Oncology at the Georgetown University Medical Center.[7] During this tenure, he also served as Associate Vice President of the Georgetown University Medical Center, at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Pestell led the effort for renewal of the National Cancer Institute designation, and supported Dr. Mandelblatt in founding the Capital Breast Care Center with Andrea Jung of the Avon Foundation.[8] In 2003, he was also named President of the US branch of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research.[9]

From 2005 to 2015, Pestell was Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Executive Vice President of Thomas Jefferson University. He was the Founding Director for the Delaware Valley Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.[10] He was called to give testimony to the Committee on Appropriations for the United States Senate in 2009.[11]

Since 2017 Pestell has served as President, Pennsylvania Cancer Center and Regenerative Medicine Center, and Blumberg Distinguished Professor, Translational Medical Research, Baruch S Blumberg Institute. In January 2019, Pestell was named Vice Chairman of the Board of the CytoDyn, Inc., which acquired his prior company, ProstaGene, in November 2018.[12][13] As the Chief Medical Officer, he established the company's cancer clinical trial for the use of a CCR5 inhibitor (leronlimab)[14] and FDA fast track designation in May 2019.[15] He exited CytoDyn in July 2019 and is currently member of the Wistar Institute Cancer Center Philadelphia and Blumberg Distinguished Professor.[16]

Research edit

 
Pestell with Laura Bush, Andrea Jung, and Kathleen Walas of Avon Products, Inc.

Pestell's work has more than 90,500 citations and an H-index of 154, i10 index 479.[17][18] He is ranked by Google Scholar for his areas of research including: cell cycle (#1), prostate cancer, Oncology and Breast cancer.[19]

Pestell's research has included contributions to understanding of cancer onset and progression including breast and prostate cancer.[20] Pestell showed that nuclear receptors (estrogen, androgen and PPARγ) are acetylated, and that this event is rate-limiting in hormone signaling and growth control- thus identifying a new target for cancer therapy. His laboratory demonstrated this was a general mechanism conserved among nuclear receptors that affect diverse biological processes.[21]

In the cell cycle field, Pestell's research has shown the discovery that cyclins are direct transcriptional targets of oncogenic and tumour suppressor signals. He showed that cyclin expression is rate-limiting for oncogene-induced breast tumor growth in vivo. His research served as the preclinical reference citation in the IND (investigational new drug) application to the FDA for the initial clinical research programs (palbocicilib, NCT02947685), for what is now the standard of care for the treatment of breast cancer subsets. He has been a pioneer of the non-canonical functions of cyclins and was the first to show that cyclins regulate diverse function including miRNA biogenesis, cellular migration, mitochondrial metabolism (the Warburg effect), angiogenesis and nuclear receptor function and hormone signaling in vivo.[22]

Pestell defined key target genes required for breast cancer stem cell expansion in vivo including p21Cip1,[23] c-Jun, the canonical NF-κB pathway,[24] the cell fate determination pathway protein DACH1,[25] and CCR5.[26]

Pestell discovered CCR5 governs cancer metastasis[27] in both breast and prostate cancer [28] providing the potential for therapeutic targeting[29][26] with issued patents in this domain.[30] Pestell incorporated these patents into a biotechnology company he had founded (ProstaGene), that was subsequently acquired by CytoDyn.[12] Pestell subsequently initiated the company's currently active cancer treatment clinical trial initiatives targeting CCR5 receiving fast track designation in May 2019.[31]

Pestell is the founder of four biotechnology companies and holds patents in the areas of cancer diagnostics, therapeutics and technologies.[32]

Awards and honours edit

  • 1975-1981 University Commonwealth Scholarship [33]
  • 1976 St George’s College Prize for first place overall Medical School, University of Western Australia [34]
  • 1988-1991 National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC), Postgraduate Scholarship [35]
  • 1988-1991 Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), Postgraduate Scholarship [36]
  • 1990 The Royal Australian College of Physicians, Winthrop Fellowship (1 award given in Australia)[37]
  • 1991-1994 Neil Hamilton Fairley NHMRC, Postdoctoral Fellowship [38]
  • 1997 NIH Shannon Award [39]
  • 1998 - 2002 Irma T. Hirschl Weil Caulier Career Scientist Award[40]
  • 2000 Elected Member, American Society for Clinical Investigation[41]
  • 2002 Diane Belfer Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research[42]
  • 2002 Francis L. and Charlotte Gragnani Endowed Chair, professor with tenure, Georgetown University, Washington, DC[6]
  • 2005 Australia Endocrine Society, Keith Harrison Memorial Lecture Prize[21]
  • 2007 Elected Fellow, Royal Society of Medicine[43]
  • 2008 Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Western Australia[44]
  • 2009 Elected Fellow, College of Physicians of Philadelphia[45]
  • 2009 Elected Honorary Fellow, American College of Physicians[43]
  • 2010 RD Wright Medallion, University of Melbourne[43]
  • 2010 Susan G. Komen for the Cure "Light of Life" Award[43]
  • 2010 Raine Distinguished Professor[43]
  • 2011 Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science[46]
  • 2014 Biotechnology Award, 2014 Advance Global Australian Awards[47]
  • 2015 The Eric Sussman Prize Awarded by The Royal Australasian College of Physicians[48]
  • 2016 Doctor of Medical Sciences, Honoris Causa, University of Melbourne Australia [49]
  • 2016 Member, National Academy of Inventors, Thomas Jefferson University Chapter [50]
  • 2016 Jamie Brooke Lieberman Remembrance Award, Susan G. Komen [51]
  • 2019 Order of Australia (AO)[2]
  • 2022 Elected to Fellowship of Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (FRCPI)[52]
  • 2022 Elected to Fellowship of Royal College of Physicians of England (FRCP, London) [53]

Personal life edit

Pestell is married to Anna Pestell and has three children, Dr Timothy Pestell, MRCVS (London), Elizabeth and Victoria.[54] He is the great-grandson of Albert Green, Minister for Defence under the Scullin Government.[55] son of George Pestell and related to other assorted ancestors.[56]

He was intercollegiate cross country champion, received the HA Craven (best track distance runner), and full blue for athletics (1981) and in 1984, Pestell won the WA State running (5,000 meters track, 10,000 meters road) and walking championships (5,000 m, 20K and 50K).[57]

Selected publications edit

  • Fan, S.; Wang, J.; Yuan, R.; Ma, Y.; Meng, Q.; Erdos, M.R.; Pestell, R.G.; Yuan, F.; Auborn, K.J.; Goldberg, I.D.; Rosen, E.M. (1999). "BRCA1 inhibition of estrogen receptor signaling in transfected cells". Science. 284 (5418): 1354–6. Bibcode:1999Sci...284.1354F. doi:10.1126/science.284.5418.1354. PMID 10334989.
  • Bromberg, J.F.; Wrzeszczynska, M.H.; Devgan, G.; Zhao, Y.; Pestell, R.G.; Albanese, C.; Darnell, J.E. Jr. (1999). "Stat3 as an oncogene". Cell. 98 (3): 295–303. doi:10.1016/s0092-8674(00)81959-5. PMID 10458605. S2CID 16304496.
  • Tazebay, U.H.; Wapnir, I.L.; Levy, O.; Dohan, O.; Zuckier, L.S.; Zhao, Q.H.; Deng, H.F.; Amenta, P.S.; Fineberg, S.; Pestell, R.G.; Carrasco, N. (2000). "The mammary gland iodide transporter is expressed during lactation and in breast cancer". Nat Med. 6 (8): 871–8. doi:10.1038/78630. PMID 10932223. S2CID 1002246.
  • Tanaka, H.; Matsumura, I.; Ezoe, S.; Satoh, Y.; Sakamaki, T.; Albanese, C.; Machii, T.; Pestell, R.G.; Kanakura, Y. (2002). "E2F1 and c-Myc potentiate apoptosis through inhibition of NF-κB activity that facilitates MnSOD-mediated ROS elimination". Mol Cell. 9 (5): 1017–29. doi:10.1016/s1097-2765(02)00522-1. PMID 12049738.
  • Huang, E.; Ishida, S.; Pittman, J.; Dressman, H.; Bild, A.; Kloos, M.; D'Amico, M.; Pestell, R.G.; West, M.; Nevins, J.R. (2003). "Gene expression phenotypic models that predict the activity of oncogenic pathways". Nat Genet. 34 (2): 226–30. doi:10.1038/ng1167. PMID 12754511. S2CID 85013774.
  • Genander, M.; Halford, M.M.; Xu, N.J.; Eriksson, M.; Yu, Z.; Qiu, Z.; Martling, A.; Greicius, G.; Thakar, S.; Catchpole, T.; Chumley, M.J.; Zdunek, S.; Wang, C.; Holm, T.; Goff, S.P.; Pettersson, S.; Pestell, R.G.; Henkemeyer, M.; Frisen, J. (2009). "Dissociation of EphB2 signaling pathways mediating progenitor cell proliferation and tumor suppression". Cell. 139 (4): 679–92. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2009.08.048. PMC 2786256. PMID 19914164.

References edit

  1. ^ "World-renowned cancer physician scientist Dr Richard Pestell joins the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute". Advance. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  2. ^ a b "Professor Richard George Pestell". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  3. ^ "UWA alumni named Australia's most innovative global leaders". News | The University Of Western Australia. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
  4. ^ a b "BCRF :: Richard G. Pestell, MB, BS, PhD, MD, FACP". legacy.bcrfcure.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-20. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  5. ^ Pestell, R. (2006). "Remembering team science is for the patients". Cancer Biology & Therapy. 5 (4): 449–52. doi:10.4161/cbt.5.4.2563. PMID 16575209.
  6. ^ a b "Noted Georgetown Physician-Scientist Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., Named Director Of The Kimmel Cancer Center At Jefferson". Retrieved 2005-11-03.
  7. ^ "Lombardi Center Names New Director". 6 September 2002.
  8. ^ "Professor Richard George Pestell : Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences". Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  9. ^ "Richard Pestell". Advance. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  10. ^ Fioritti, Nathan (2016-11-24). "Professor Richard George Pestell". Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  11. ^ "govinfo". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  12. ^ a b "CytoDyn Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire ProstaGene; Founder and CEO Dr. Richard Pestell to Join CytoDyn as Interim Chief Medical Officer".
  13. ^ "CytoDyn Completes Acquisition of ProstaGene and Names Dr. Richard G. Pestell to Board of Directors".
  14. ^ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/11/05/1644858/19782/en/CytoDyn-Files-IND-and-Protocol-for-Phase-1b-2-Clinical-Trial-in-Metastatic-Triple-Negative-Breast-Cancer-with-PRO-140-Leronlimab.html) Archived 2021-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "FDA Grants CytoDyn Fast Track Designation for Leronlimab (PRO 140) in metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, an Unmet Medical Need" (Press release). 7 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Richard G. Pestell, MD, PhD, FACP, FRACP, MBA".
  17. ^ "Richard Pestell". Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  18. ^ "Highly Cited Researchers (H>100) according to their Google Scholar Citations public profiles | Ranking Web of Universities: Webometrics ranks 30000 institutions".
  19. ^ "Richard Pestell".
  20. ^ "Professor Richard George Pestell : Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences". Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  21. ^ a b "The Endocrine Society of Australia -". www.endocrinesociety.org.au. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  22. ^ Fioritti, Nathan (2016-11-24). "Professor Richard George Pestell". Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  23. ^ Liu, Manran; Casimiro, Mathew C.; Wang, Chenguang; Shirley, L. Andrew; Jiao, Xuanmao; Katiyar, Sanjay; Ju, Xiaoming; Li, Zhiping; Yu, Zuoren (2009-11-10). "p21CIP1 attenuates Ras- and c-Myc-dependent breast tumor epithelial mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell-like gene expression in vivo". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 106 (45): 19035–19039. Bibcode:2009PNAS..10619035L. doi:10.1073/pnas.0910009106. ISSN 1091-6490. PMC 2776463. PMID 19858489.
  24. ^ Liu, Manran; Sakamaki, Toshiyuki; Casimiro, Mathew C.; Willmarth, Nicole E.; Quong, Andrew A.; Ju, Xiaoming; Ojeifo, John; Jiao, Xuanmao; Yeow, Wen-Shuz (2010-12-15). "The canonical NF-kappaB pathway governs mammary tumorigenesis in transgenic mice and tumor stem cell expansion". Cancer Research. 70 (24): 10464–10473. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0732. ISSN 1538-7445. PMC 3010731. PMID 21159656.
  25. ^ Puntarić, D.; Hebrang, A. (September 1990). "[Analysis of the frequency, types and justification for radiographic examination based on a sample of a community population]". Lijecnicki Vjesnik. 112 (9–10): 288–293. ISSN 0024-3477. PMID 2093783.
  26. ^ a b Jiao, Xuanmao; Velasco-Velázquez, Marco A.; Wang, Min; Li, Zhiping; Rui, Hallgeir; Peck, Amy R.; Korkola, James E.; Chen, Xuelian; Xu, Shaohua (2018-04-01). "CCR5 Governs DNA Damage Repair and Breast Cancer Stem Cell Expansion". Cancer Research. 78 (7): 1657–1671. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-0915. ISSN 1538-7445. PMC 6331183. PMID 29358169.
  27. ^ Velasco-Velázquez, Marco; Jiao, Xuanmao; De La Fuente, Marisol; Pestell, Timothy G.; Ertel, Adam; Lisanti, Michael P.; Pestell, Richard G. (2012-08-01). "CCR5 antagonist blocks metastasis of basal breast cancer cells". Cancer Research. 72 (15): 3839–3850. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-3917. ISSN 1538-7445. PMID 22637726.
  28. ^ Sicoli, Daniela; Jiao, Xuanmao; Ju, Xiaoming; Velasco-Velazquez, Marco; Ertel, Adam; Addya, Sankar; Li, Zhiping; Andò, Sebastiano; Fatatis, Alessandro (2014-12-01). "CCR5 receptor antagonists block metastasis to bone of v-Src oncogene-transformed metastatic prostate cancer cell lines". Cancer Research. 74 (23): 7103–7114. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-0612. ISSN 1538-7445. PMC 4294544. PMID 25452256.
  29. ^ Velasco-Velázquez, Marco; Pestell, Richard G. (2013-04-01). "The CCL5/CCR5 axis promotes metastasis in basal breast cancer". Oncoimmunology. 2 (4): e23660. doi:10.4161/onci.23660. ISSN 2162-4011. PMC 3654591. PMID 23734321.
  30. ^ "Richard G. Pestell Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  31. ^ "Leronlimab (PRO 140) Combined With Carboplatin in Patients With CCR5+ mTNBC". clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  32. ^ "Richard G. Pestell Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  33. ^ "International Members".
  34. ^ "International Members".
  35. ^ "International Members".
  36. ^ "International Members".
  37. ^ "International Members".
  38. ^ "International Members".
  39. ^ "International Members".
  40. ^ "Richard Pestell, M.D. Ph.D, FRACP". Life Science Advisors in the USA. Advance. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  41. ^ Member profile, American Society for Clinical Investigation. Accessed June 11, 2011 Archived February 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  42. ^ Mark D'Amico; Kongming Wu; Maofu Fu; Mahadev Rao; Chris Albanese; Robert G. Russell; Hanzhou Lian; David Bregman; Michael White (June 15, 2004). "The Inhibitor of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4a/Alternative Reading Frame (INK4a/ARF) Locus Encoded Proteins p16INK4a and p19ARF Repress Cyclin D1 Transcription through Distinct cis Elements". Cancer Research. 64 (12): 4122–4130. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.can-03-2519. PMID 15205322. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  43. ^ a b c d e "Richard G. Pestell, MD, PhD". Research in Action. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
  44. ^ "Biotech Science News: Richard G. Pestell". Biotech Science News. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  45. ^ "Annual Report 2008-2009" (PDF). Welcome New Fellows. College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2012.
  46. ^ "AAAS Members Elected as Fellows in 2011". Fellows. American Association for the Advance of Science. Archived from the original on January 13, 2012.
  47. ^ "Biotechnology Award: Dr Richard Pestell". Special Broadcasting Service.
  48. ^ Physicians, The Royal Australasian College of, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, retrieved 2019-01-23
  49. ^ "Professor Richard George Pestell". mdhs.unimelb.edu.au. 24 November 2016.
  50. ^ "Jefferson 2016 NAI Induction.mp4". players.brightcove.net/3303963089001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5071296461001.
  51. ^ "Komen Philadelphia hosted its More Than Pink Party Distributes Funding". phillychitchat.com/tag/susan-komen/. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  52. ^ "Blumberg Institute Faculty News". www.blumberginstitute.org/news/blumberg-institute-faculty-news/. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  53. ^ https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/richard-pestell
  54. ^ "International Members".
  55. ^ "Richard G. Pestell, AO., MD, Ph.D., MBA., FACP., FRACP., Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who". www.24-7pressrelease.com/#. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  56. ^ "Pestell, George Stanley (1921 - 2002)".
  57. ^ Wieland, James Murray (2012). The Fat Man's Odyssey: A History of the University of Western Australia Athletic Club. Friends of the UWA Athletic Club. ISBN 9780646580951.