Dr. Eduardo Fricovsky: Type 2 Diabetes

Research Summary: Type 2 Diabetes

Dr. Eduardo Fricovsky research interest includes diabetic cardiomyopathy and the effects of enzymatic protein glycosylation (O-GlcNAc) in type 2 diabetic mouse hearts and their influence on cardiac function.
Also, conducts studies related to the expression of O- GlcNAcase (GCA) an enzyme that removes excessive O-GlcNAc modification and protection against diabetic cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, the abnormal calcium transients occurring in type 2 diabetic hearts is examined using transgenic animals.

Academic Achievements

Education: B.S. in Biochemistry/Chemistry (2002)
UCSD; UCSF School of Pharmacy (2006); NIH T32 Research Fellow (2006-2009) UCSD, Department of Medicine.

Awards and Honors: UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy Excellence in Teaching Award (2009- 2010); UCSD Student Run Free Clinic Project Clinical Leader Award (2009); UCSD Student Run Free Clinic Project Pharmacy Faculty Leader Award (2008).

Leadership Experience: UCSD Student Run Free Clinic Project Pharmacy Director (2009-Present); Founder and President of the UCSF Latino Association of Pharmacy Students (LAPS) (2003-2005).

Teaching

• Pharmacy Therapeutics (SPPS 212A).
• Pharmacy Practice (SPPS 201, 202, 203).
• Pharmacy Preceptor: UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project (IPPE & APPE).

Key Contributions to Pharmaceutical Sciences

• Development of a Type 2 diabetic animal model

Selected Recent Publications (from <5 peer reviewed articles)

Gurantz et al. (2005). IL-1β and TNF-α upregulate angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptors on cardiac fibroblasts and are associated with increased (AT1)
density in the post-MI heart. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 38:505-515.

Suarez et al. (2008). Alterations in mitochondrial function and cytosolic calcium induced by hyperglycemia are restored by mitochondrial transcription factor A in cardio-myocytes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 295:C1561-C1568.

Romero-Perez et al. (2008). Cardiac uptake of minocycline and mechanisms for in vivo cardioprotection. J Am Col Cardiol. 52:1086-1094. *Shared first co-authorship

Hu et al. (2009). Increased enzymatic O- GlcNAcylation of mitochondrial proteins impairs mitochondrial function in cardiac myocytes exposed to high glucose. J Biol Chem. 284:547-555.

Griffin et al. (2010) Tetracyclines: a pleitropic family of compounds with promising therapeutic properties. Review of the literature. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol.

Potential Collaborative Programs with the Pharmaceutical Industry

• Identifying enzymatically glycosylated proteins to track the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.