Dr. Garry R. Buettner - Professor

SFRBM
Virtual Free Radical School

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                             Complete C.V.      NIH Biosketch

Research Interests

• Quantitative Redox Biology - This research effort has as a goal to arrive at quantitative measurements, and quantitative approaches to understand how the redox environment of cells and  tissues dictate their fundamental biology. (NIH funded)

• The fundamental chemistry and biochemistry of vitamins C and E, ( NIH funded).

• The use of vitamin C (ascorbate) in the treatment of cancer. 

• Nitric Oxide is being investigated (NIH past funding) as an important membrane antioxidant in cells and tissue. We hypothesize that it is as important as Vitamin E.

• The use of the ascorbate radical as a marker for free radical oxidative stress. This research has provided the foundation for many ongoing free radical-related research projects here at Iowa and around the world.

• The role of metals in free radical oxidations. This has been a long time area of research. We were the first to demonstrate that adventitious iron can change the results observed in free radical experiments and that chelating agents could be used to modulate the catalytic activity of metals. This work has been honored as a Citation Classic. [Citation Commentary] [Paper 1] [Paper 2]

• The fundamental chemistry and biology of hydroquinone/semiquinone/quinone triads with and emphasis on PCB-H₂Q/Q^•-/Q triads, (funded by the Iowa Superfund Research Program, NEIHS).

• The chemistry of EPR spin trapping. This represents the ongoing developmental aspects of the ESR Facility.

Example Publications

• Buettner GR, Ng CF, Wang W, Rodgers VGJ, Schafer FQ. (2006) A new paradigm: Manganese superoxide dismutase influences the production of H2O2 in cells and thereby their biological state. Free Radic Biol Med. 41: 1338-1350. [Article PDF] [DOI Article]

• Chen Q, Espey MG, Sun AY, Lee JH, Krishna MC, Shacter E, Choyke PL, Pooput C, Kirk KL, Buettner GR, Levin M. (2007) Ascorbic acid in pharmacologic concentrations: a pro-drug for selective delivery of ascorbate radical and hydrogen peroxide to extracellular fluid in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 104: 8749-8754.

• Song Y, Wagner BA, Witmer JR, Lehmler H-J, Buettner GR. (2009) Non-enzymatic displacement of chlorine and formation of free radicals upon the reaction of glutathione with PCB quinones. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 106:9725-9730. PMID: 19497881 [DOI Article]

• Du J, Martin SM, Levine M, Wagner BA, Buettner GR, Wang SH, Taghiyev AF, Du C, Knudson CM, Cullen JJ. (2010) Mechanisms of ascorbate-induced cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 16(2):509-520. PMID: 20068072  [Abstract]   PMCID: PMC2807999 

• Song Y, Buettner GR. (2010) Thermodynamic and kinetic considerations for the reaction of semiquinone radicals to form superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Free Radic Biol Med. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 20493944. [Abstract]  

Complete List of Publications for Download

 

 

 

 

 

Honors, Awards and Organizations

• Lifetime Achievement Award (2010), Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine. This award is bestowed on a scientist whose aggregate body of work, over their lifetime has contributed to the field of free radical biology and medicine. 

• Silver Medal Biology/Medicine, 2009, International EPR (ESR) Society (The award committee especially noted his fundamental contributions that have advanced the use of EPR spin trapping in biology and medicine.)

• AAAS Fellow (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 2008, for distinguished contributions and leadership in the field of free radical biology, particularly the application of thermodynamics to elucidate the role of antioxidants in biology.

• President, 2004-2006, Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine, the largest professional society devoted to the study of free radical and redox biology. 

• Distinguished Service Award, 2006, Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine

• Staples Distinguished Lecturer, 2000, The University of Maine,

• Master Teacher Award, 1999, given by the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine, formerly the Oxygen Society/Free Radical Research Society. 

• Citation Classic selection by the Institute for Scientific Information, the publishers of Current Contents, for: Oberley LW and Buettner GR (1979) The role of superoxide dismutase in cancer: A review. Cancer Research 39: 1141-1149. [Citation Commentary] [Abstract] [PDF]

• Citation Classic selection by the Institute for Scientific Information, the publishers of Current Contents, for: Buettner GR, Oberley LW, and Leuthauser SWHC. (1978) The effect of iron on the distribution of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals as seen by spin trapping and on the superoxide dismutase assay. Photochem Photobiol 28: 693-695. [Citation Commentary] [PDF]

• Citation Classic selection by the Institute for Scientific Information, the publishers of Current Contents, for: Buettner GR and Oberley LW. (1978) Considerations in the spin trapping of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in aqueous systems using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 83: 64-74 [Citation Commentary] [PDF]

• 1995-Present, Editorial Board Archives Biochemistry and Biophysics

• 1995-Present, Editorial Board Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine

• 1999-2004, Editorial Board Free Radical Research

• 1985-1987, Fulbright Scholar GSF Research Institute, Munich, Germany

Education

• Ph.D. Chemistry, The University of Iowa, 1976.

• M.S. Chemistry, The University of Iowa, 1969.

• B.A. Chemistry, University of Northern Iowa, 1967.

Post-Graduate Education

• Fulbright Scholar GSF Research Institute, Munich, Germany, 1985-1987.

• NRSA Senior Fellow NIEHS, North Carolina, 1984-1985.

• NRSA Post Doctoral Fellow Radiation Research Lab, The University of Iowa, 1976-1978