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Peter Ruvolo, Ph.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia - Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1988 Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, PHD, Molecular Biology
1986 Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, MS, Molecular Biology
1983 Columbia University, New York, NY, BS, Biochemistry

Experience/Service

Academic Appointments

Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Hormel Institute, Austin, MN, 2007-2010
Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Houston, TX, 2002-2007
Research Assistant Professor, The University of Florida Shands Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, 1999-2002

Other Appointments/Responsibilities

Instructor, Sealy Center for Oncology and Hematology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 1996-1999
Research Associate, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 1992-1996
Post Doctoral Fellow, New York University, New York, NY, 1990-1992
Post Doctoral Fellow, Columbia University, New York, NY, 1988-1990

Honors and Awards

2006 Young Investigator Award, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
1999 Travel Grant for International Society of Experimental Hematology Meeting, International Society of Experimental Hematology
1998 Travel Grant for International Society of Experimental Hematology Meeting, International Society of Experimental Hematology
1994 Travel Grant for World Congress Meeting, American Society of Hematology
1988-1990 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cancer Research Institute
1985-1988 Predoctoral Fellowship, National Institutes of Health

Professional Memberships

American Association for Cancer Research
Member, 1997-present
American Society of Hematology
Member, 2008-present

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Moncada de la Rosa C, Radziwon-Balicka A, El-Sikhry H, Seubert J, Ruvolo PP, Radomski M, Jurasz P. Pharmacological PKCα Inhibition Uncouples Human Platelet-Stimulated Angiogenesis from Collagen-Induced Aggregation. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. e-Pub 2/2013. PMID: 23386249.
2. Ruvolo PP. The Herculean task of killing cancer cells: Suppression of FOXO3A in acute leukemia involves a hydra of multiple survival kinases. Cell Cycle 11(14):2589, 7/2012. e-Pub 7/2012. PMCID: PMC3409002.
3. Konopleva M, Milella M, Ruvolo PP, Watts JC, Ricciardi MR, Korchin B, McQueen T, Bornmann W, Tsao T, Bergamo P, Mak DH, Chen W, McCubrey J, Tafuri A, Andreeff M. MEK inhibition enhances ABT-737-induced leukemia cell apoptosis via prevention of ERK-activated MCL-1 induction and modulation of MCL-1/BIM complex. Leukemia 26(4):778-87, 4/2012. e-Pub 11/2011. PMID: 22064351.
4. Ruvolo PP, Qui YH, Coombes KR, Zhang N, Ruvolo VR, Borthakur G, Konopleva M, Andreeff M, Kornblau SM. Low expression of PP2A regulatory subunit B55a is associated with T308 phosphorylation of AKT and shorter complete remission duration in acute myeloid leukemia patients. Leukemia 25(11):1711-7, 11/2011. e-Pub 6/2011. PMCID: PMC3191228.
5. Steelman LS, Franklin RA, Abrams SL, Chappell W, Kempf CR, Bäsecke J, Stivala F, Donia M, Fagone P, Nicoletti F, Libra M, Ruvolo PP, Ruvolo V, Evangelisti C, Martelli AM, McCubrey JA. Roles of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in leukemia therapy. Leukemia 25(7):1080-94, 7/2011. e-Pub 4/2011. PMID: 21494257.
6. Martelli AM, Evangelisti C, Chappell W, Abrams SL, Bäsecke J, Stivala F, Donia M, Fagone P, Nicoletti F, Libra M, Ruvolo V, Ruvolo PP, Kempf CR, Steelman LS, McCubrey JA. Targeting the translational apparatus to improve leukemia therapy: roles of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway. Leukemia 25(7):1064-79, 7/2011. e-Pub 3/2011. PMID: 21436840.
7. Ruvolo PP, Zhou L, Watt JC, Ruvolo VR, Burks JK, Jiffar T, Kornblau S, Konopleva M, Andreeff M. Targeting PKC mediated signal transduction pathways using enzastaurin to promote apoptosis in acute myeloid Leukemia-Derived cell lines and blast cells. J Cell Biochem 112(6):1696-707, 6/2011. e-Pub 2/2011. PMID: 21360576.
8. Zou X, Gao Y, Ruvolo VR, Gardner TL, Ruvolo PP, Brown RE. Human glycolipid transfer protein gene (GLTP) expression is regulated by Sp1 and Sp3: Involvement of the bioactive sphingolipid ceramide. J Biol Chem 286(2):1301-11, 1/2011. e-Pub 10/2010. PMCID: PMC3020738.
9. Ruvolo VR, Karanjeet KB, Schuster TF, Brown R, Deng Y, Hinchcliffe E, Ruvolo PP. Role for PKC d in Fenretinide-Mediated Apoptosis in Lymphoid Leukemia Cells. J Signal Transuct 2010:584657, 1/2010. PMCID: PMC2938797.
10. Ruvolo VR, Kurinna SM, Karanjeet KB, Schuster TF, Martelli AM, McCubrey JA, Ruvolo PP. PKR regulates B56(alpha)-mediated BCL2 phosphatase activity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia-derived REH cells. J Biol Chem 283(51):35474-85, 12/2008. e-Pub 10/2008. PMCID: PMC2602900.
11. Nica AF, Tsao CC, Watt JC, Jiffar T, Kurinna S, Jurasz P, Konopleva M, Andreeff M, Radomski MW, Ruvolo PP. Ceramide promotes apoptosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia-derived K562 cells by a mechanism involving caspase-8 and JNK. Cell Cycle 7(21):3362-70, 11/2008. e-Pub 11/2008. PMID: 18948750.
12. Johnson TE, Kassie F, O'Sullivan MG, Negia M, Hanson TE, Upadhyaya P, Ruvolo PP, Hecht SS, Xing C. Chemopreventive effect of kava on 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone plus benzo[a]pyrene-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 1(6):430-8, 11/2008. PMID: 19138990.
13. Wu X, Carr HS, Dan I, Ruvolo PP, Frost JA. p21 activated kinase 5 activates Raf-1 and targets it to mitochondria. J Cell Biochem 105(1):167-75, 9/2008. PMCID: PMC2575069.
14. Kong G, Wang D, Wang H, Wu J, Bielawski J, Konopleva M, Andreeff M, Ruvolo PP, Maurer BJ. Synthetic triterpenoids have cytotoxicity in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines but cytotoxicity is independent of induced ceramide increase in MOLT-4 cells. Leukemia 22(6):1258-62, 6/2008. e-Pub 11/2007. PMID: 18033322.
15. Samudio I, Kurinna S, Ruvolo PP, Korchin B, Kantarjian H, Beran M, Dunner K, Kondo S, Andreeff M, Konopleva M. Inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism by methyl-2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-diene-28-oate induces apoptotic or autophagic cell death in chronic myeloid leukemia cells. Mol Cancer Ther 7(5):1130-9, 5/2008. PMCID: PMC2396196.
16. Tsao CC, Nica AF, Kurinna SM, Jiffar T, Mumby M, Ruvolo PP. Mitochondrial protein phosphatase 2A regulates cell death induced by simulated ischemia in kidney NRK-52E cells. Cell Cycle 6(19):2377-85, 10/2007. e-Pub 7/2007. PMID: 17700073.
17. Tabe Y, Jin L, Contractor R, Gold D, Ruvolo PP, Radke S, Xu Y, Tsutusmi-Ishii Y, Miyake K, Miyake N, Kondo S, Ohsaka A, Nagaoka I, Andreeff M, Konopleva M. Novel role of HDAC inhibitors in AML1/ETO AML cells: activation of apoptosis and phagocytosis through induction of annexin A1. Cell Death Differ 14(8):1443-56, 8/2007. e-Pub 4/2007. PMID: 17464329.
18. Seminara AR, Ruvolo PP, Murad F. LPS/IFNgamma-induced RAW 264.7 apoptosis is regulated by both nitric oxide-dependent and -independent pathways involving JNK and the Bcl-2 family. Cell Cycle 6(14):1772-8, 7/2007. e-Pub 3/2007. PMID: 17622798.
19. Konopleva M, Contractor R, Tsao T, Samudio I, Ruvolo PP, Kitada S, Deng X, Zhai D, Shi YX, Sneed T, Verhaegen M, Soengas M, Ruvolo VR, McQueen T, Schober WD, Watt JC, Jiffar T, Ling X, Marini FC, Harris D, Dietrich M, Estrov Z, McCubrey J, May WS, Reed JC, Andreeff M. Mechanisms of apoptosis sensitivity and resistance to the BH3 mimetic ABT-737 in acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Cell 10(5):375-88, 11/2006. PMID: 17097560.
20. Kurinna S, Konopleva M, Palla SL, Chen W, Kornblau S, Contractor R, Deng X, May WS, Andreeff M, Ruvolo PP. Bcl2 phosphorylation and active PKC alpha are associated with poor survival in AML. Leukemia 20(7):1316-9, 7/2006. e-Pub 4/2006. PMID: 16642043.
21. Alonso-Escolano D, Medina C, Cieslik K, Radomski A, Jurasz P, Santos-Martínez MJ, Jiffar T, Ruvolo PP, Radomski MW. Protein kinase C delta mediates platelet-induced breast cancer cell invasion. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 318(1):373-80, 7/2006. e-Pub 4/2006. PMID: 16617167.
22. Konopleva M, Contractor R, Kurinna SM, Chen W, Andreeff M, Ruvolo PP. The novel triterpenoid CDDO-Me suppresses MAPK pathways and promotes p38 activation in acute myeloid leukemia cells. Leukemia 19(8):1350-4, 8/2005. PMID: 15931262.
23. Kurinna SM, Tsao CC, Nica AF, Jiffar T, Ruvolo PP. Ceramide promotes apoptosis in lung cancer-derived A549 cells by a mechanism involving c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase. Cancer Res 64(21):7852-6, 11/2004. PMID: 15520191.
24. Tacke F, Marini FC, Zhao S, McQueen T, Konopleva M, Ruvolo PP, Hu SX, Xu HJ, Andreeff M. Expression of inducible Bcl-X(S) in myeloid leukemia: compensatory upregulation of Bcl-X(L) and Bcl-2 prevents apoptosis and chemosensitization. Cancer Biol Ther 3(3):340-7, 3/2004. e-Pub 3/2004. PMID: 14726688.
25. Jiffar T, Kurinna S, Suck G, Carlson-Bremer D, Ricciardi MR, Konopleva M, Andreeff M, Ruvolo PP. PKC alpha mediates chemoresistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia through effects on Bcl2 phosphorylation. Leukemia 18(3):505-12, 3/2004. PMID: 14737078.
26. Andreeff M, Milella M, Carter BZ, Tabe Y, Ricciardi MR, Sneed T, Ruvolo PP, Contractor R, Tsao T, Schober W, Evans R, McQueen T, Zeng Z, Kornblau SM, McCubrey J, Estey E, Mills GB, Reed JC, Konopleva M. Targeted therapy of AML new concepts. Ann Hematol 83 Suppl 1:S51-3, 2004. PMID: 15124670.
27. Johnson CR, Jiffar T, Fischer UM, Ruvolo PP, Jarvis WD. Requirement for SAPK-JNK signaling in the induction of apoptosis by ribosomal stress in REH lymphoid leukemia cells. Leukemia 17(11):2140-8, 11/2003. PMID: 12970763.
28. Varma T, Liu SQ, West M, Thongboonkerd V, Ruvolo PP, May WS, Bhatnagar A. Protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation and mitochondrial translocation of aldose reductase. FEBS Lett 534(1-3):175-9, 1/2003. PMID: 12527382.
29. Ruvolo PP, Clark W, Mumby M, Gao F, May WS. A functional role for the B56 alpha-subunit of protein phosphatase 2A in ceramide-mediated regulation of Bcl2 phosphorylation status and function. J Biol Chem 277(25):22847-52, 6/2002. e-Pub 4/2002. PMID: 11929874.
30. Konopleva M, Tsao T, Ruvolo PP, Stiouf I, Estrov Z, Leysath CE, Zhao S, Harris D, Chang S, Jackson CE, Munsell M, Suh N, Gribble G, Honda T, May WS, Sporn MB, Andreeff M. Novel triterpenoid CDDO-Me is a potent inducer of apoptosis and differentiation in acute myelogenous leukemia. Blood 99(1):326-35, 1/2002. PMID: 11756188.
31. Deng X, Xiao L, Lang W, Gao F, Ruvolo PP, May WS. Novel role for JNK as a stress-activated Bcl2 kinase. J Biol Chem 276(26):23681-8, 6/2001. e-Pub 4/2001. PMID: 11323415.
32. Ruvolo PP, Gao F, Blalock WL, Deng X, May WS. Ceramide regulates protein synthesis by a novel mechanism involving the cellular PKR activator RAX. J Biol Chem 276(15):11754-8, 4/2001. e-Pub 1/2001. PMID: 11148216.
33. Kornblau SM, Vu HT, Ruvolo PP, Estrov Z, O'Brien S, Cortes J, Kantarjian H, Andreeff M, May WS. BAX and PKCalpha modulate the prognostic impact of BCL2 expression in acute myelogenous leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 6(4):1401-9, 4/2000. PMID: 10778970.
34. Deng X, Ruvolo PP, Carr B, May WS. Survival function of ERK1/2 as IL-3-activated, staurosporine-resistant Bcl2 kinases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97(4):1578-83, 2/2000. PMCID: PMC26477.
35. Ruvolo PP, Deng X, Ito T, Carr BK, May WS. Ceramide induces Bcl2 dephosphorylation via a mechanism involving mitochondrial PP2A. J Biol Chem 274(29):20296-300, 7/1999. PMID: 10400650.
36. Ruvolo PP, Deng X, Carr BK, May WS. A functional role for mitochondrial protein kinase Calpha in Bcl2 phosphorylation and suppression of apoptosis. J Biol Chem 273(39):25436-42, 9/1998. PMID: 9738012.
37. Hess A, Ruvolo PP, Fischer A, Horwitz L, Bright E, Thoburn C. Characterization of the V alpha/V beta autoreactive T-cell repertoire in syngeneic graft-vs-host disease. Transplant Proc 29(1-2):709-11, Feb-Mar, 2/1997. PMID: 9123492.
38. Hess AD, Kennedy MJ, Ruvolo PP, Vogelsang GB, Jones RJ. Antitumor activity of syngeneic/autologous graft-versus-host disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 770:189-202, 12/1995. PMID: 8597360.
39. Ruvolo PP, Fischer AC, Vogelsang GB, Jones RJ, Hess AD. Analysis of the V beta T-cell receptor repertoire in autologous graft-versus-host disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 756:432-4, 7/1995. PMID: 7645866.
40. Burt RK, Burns W, Ruvolo PP, Fischer A, Shiao C, Guimaraes A, Barrett J, Hess A. Syngeneic bone marrow transplantation eliminates V beta 8.2 T lymphocytes from the spinal cord of Lewis rats with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. J Neurosci Res 41(4):526-31, 7/1995. PMID: 7473884.
41. Zhang H, Horwitz L, Ruvolo PP, Colombani P, Hess AD. The role of cyclosporine-induced autoreactive T lymphocytes in solid organ allograft survival and chronic rejection. Transplantation 60(2):115-22, 7/1995. PMID: 7624952.
42. Fischer AC, Ruvolo PP, Burt R, Horwitz LR, Bright EC, Hess JM, Beschorner WE, Hess AD. Characterization of the autoreactive T cell repertoire in cyclosporin-induced syngeneic graft-versus-host disease. A highly conserved repertoire mediates autoaggression. J Immunol 154(8):3713-25, 4/1995. PMID: 7706714.
43. Fischer AC, Ruvolo PP, Horwitz LR, Hess AD. Analysis of V beta T-cell receptor repertoire of effector mechanisms in acute and chronic graft versus host disease. Transplant Proc 27(1):1366-9, 2/1995. PMID: 7878914.
44. Ruvolo PP, Bright E, Kennedy MJ, Morris L, Fischer A, Vogelsang G, Jones R, Hess A. Cyclosporine-induced autologous graft versus host disease: assessment of cytolytic effector mechanisms and the V beta T-cell receptor repertoire. Transplant Proc 27(1):1363-5, 2/1995. PMID: 7878913.
45. Ruvolo PP, Keating KM, Williams KR, Chase JW. Single-stranded DNA binding proteins (SSBs) from prokaryotic transmissible plasmids. Proteins 9(2):120-34, 1991. PMID: 2008432.
46. Casas-Finet JR, Jhon NI, Khamis MI, Maki AH, Ruvolo PP, Chase JW. An IncY plasmid-encoded single-stranded DNA-binding protein from Escherichia coli shows the identical pattern of stacked tryptophan residues as the chromosomal ssb gene product. Eur J Biochem 178(1):101-7, 12/1988. PMID: 3060358.
47. Khamis MI, Casas-Finet JR, Maki AH, Ruvolo PP, Chase JW. Optically detected magnetic resonance of tryptophan residues in complexes formed between a bacterial single-stranded DNA binding protein and heavy atom modified poly(uridylic acid). Biochemistry 26(12):3347-54, 6/1987. PMID: 3307905.
48. Casas-Finet JR, Khamis MI, Maki AH, Ruvolo PP, Chase JW. Optically detected magnetic resonance of tryptophan residues in Escherichia coli ssb gene product and E. coli plasmid-encoded single-stranded DNA-binding proteins and their complexes with poly(deoxythymidylic) acid. J Biol Chem 262(18):8574-83, 6/1987. PMID: 3298237.
49. Smith CL, Siegfried E, Ruvolo PP. Adaptive doses of MNNG efficiently induce a recA-trp gene fusion. DNA 2(4):291-9, 1983. PMID: 6363023.

Abstracts
1. R Pan, Ruvolo PP, Pellecchia M, Wei J, Shi Y, Konopleva M, Reed JC, Andreeff M. Broad Spectrum BH3 Mimetic BI-97D6 Induces Apoptosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells Even When Co-Cultured with Supporting Stromal Cells. Submitted.
2. Ruvolo PP, Zeng Z, Ruvolo V, Borthakur G, Kornblau S, Andreeff M, Konopleva M. The AKT Inhibitor MK-2206 Promotes Apoptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells. Submitted.

Book Chapters
1. Ruvolo PP, Johnson C, Jarvis WD. Ceramide and Stress Signaling Pathways in Aging and Cancer. In: Membrane Lipid Signaling in Aging and Age-Related Disease (P. Mattson, ed). Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 47-70, 2003.
2. Ruvolo PP. Intracellular signal transduction pathways activated by ceramide and its metabolites. In: Pharmacol Res. 47, 5, 383-92, 2003. ISBN: 12676512.
3. May WS, Ruvolo PP. Bryostatin-I: an antineoplastic treasure from the deep? In: Cancer Biol Ther. 1, 4, 417-9, 2002. ISBN: 12432258.
4. Ruvolo PP. Ceramide regulates cellular homeostasis via diverse stress signaling pathways. In: Leukemia. 15, 8, 1153-60, 2001. ISBN: 11480555.
5. Ruvolo PP, Deng X, May WS. Phosphorylation of Bcl2 and regulation of apoptosis. In: Leukemia. 15, 4, 515-22, 2001. ISBN: 11368354.
6. Deng X, Kornblau SM, Ruvolo PP, May WS. Regulation of Bcl2 phosphorylation and potential significance for leukemic cell chemoresistance. In: J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr, 28, 30-7, 2001. ISBN: 11158204.
7. Hess AD, Fischer AC, Ruvolo PP, Fuchs EJ. In: Peripheral and Cellular Mechanisms of Tolerance, (S. Ildstad,ed.),, 1994.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: Targeting MCL-1 for AML Therapy
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 9/1/2013 - 8/31/2018
 
Title: Leukemia SPORE - MCL-1 targeting BH3 mimetics for AML Chemotherapy
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 5/1/2012 - 4/30/2013
 
Title: Non-codingRNA roles in the Regulation of PP2A and Chemoresistance in ALL
Funding Source: Center for Genetics and Genomics
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator: Calin / Ruvolo
Duration: 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2012
 
Title: Targeting AKT signaling in AML (IND 109493)
Funding Source: Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Role: Co-Investigator
Principal Investigator: Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD
Duration: 12/1/2011 - 11/30/2014
 
Title: Targeting AKT signaling in AML
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Co-Investigator
Principal Investigator: Marini Konopleva, M.D., Ph.D.
Duration: 9/1/2011 - 8/31/2013
 
Title: Role for Ceramide-Activated PP2A in Human ESC Differentiation
Funding Source: Center for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 11/1/2010 - 10/31/2012
 
Title: Therapy of AML - Targeting Regulators of Apoptosis in AML
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Co-Investigator
Principal Investigator: Andreeff
Duration: 9/20/2007 - 8/31/2013
 
Title: Regulation of Bcl2 Function Via Ceramide-Activated PP2A
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 8/1/2002 - 7/31/2008
 
Title: Subcontract from Marina Konopleva. M.D.
Funding Source: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Role: Co-Investigator
Principal Investigator: Konopleva
Duration: 2002 - 2005
 
Title: Role of the Bcl2 Kinase PKC in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Chemoresistance
Funding Source: Leukemia Society
Role: Co-Investigator
Duration: 1998 - 2001

Last updated: 2/7/2013