Bryon E. Petersen, PhD
Bryon E. Petersen, Ph.D., Professor
Dr. Petersen grew up in Davenport, IA, and attended the University of Iowa, obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in 1990. He received both his MS and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in the College of Environmental Health and Toxicology with Dr. Billy Day as his mentor for both degrees. His post-doctorate training continued at Pitt in the Department of Pathology under the direction of Dr. George Michalopoulos, where he was promoted to Research Assistant Professor 1999. In 2000, Dr. Petersen took a faculty position at the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor and 2006 was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure.
SYNOPSIS OF AREA OF INTEREST: Dr. Petersen’s lab focuses on liver growth, development and regeneration under normal and carcinogeneic conditions. Compensatory hyperplasia of the liver, most often referred to as liver regeneration, takes place after the occurrence of mild or severe injury, as resulting from a surgical partial hepatectomy or the widespread injury caused by hepatotoxic agents like carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or acetaminophen. His team is studying the molecular signals involved in the regenerative process.
DETAILED AREA OF INTEREST: Dr. Petersen has been recognized worldwide as a foremost authority in hepatic stem cells and their role in liver pathobiology. He is currently conducting research in stem cell biology and how it relates to the patho-physiology of the liver. Dr. Petersen’s seminal paper in the journal Science (Science 284: 1168-1170) helped usher in the stem cell field as we know it today. This research showed that bone marrow derived cells could become functioning hepatocytes, and several clinical trials throughout the world have been attempted based upon his discovery. In addition, Dr. Petersen is investigating the usefulness of gene/stem cell therapy in the treatment of certain inherited metabolic diseases of the liver (Crigler-Najjar Syndrome (C-NS) and Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD)).
Children with C-NS are unable to eliminate bilirubin from their bodies and, therefore, must undergo daily 12-hour exposure to special blue lights, just to survive. Without daily treatments, a child would suffer brain damage, muscle and nerve damage and death due to bilirubin toxicity. Children with GCS suffer in a different way, having to eat/drink a corn-starch meal every four hours to maintain their blood glucose levels. If they don’t, they become hypoglycemic and will fall into a coma and die. To date very few options are available for treatment of these diseases. Liver transplantation is an efficacious therapy, but the number of donor organs is limited, requires life-long immune suppression and in most cases is cost prohibitive. His studies combine two high-profile fields--stem cells and gene therapy--that will hopefully cure these children of their disease, not just treat them.
In addition, Dr. Petersen’s laboratory is working on whether or not bone marrow derived cells can be a useful approach in the treatment of Type-1 Diabetes. His lab has shown that bone marrow derived cells can be differentiated into insulin producing cells, which can then be transplanted into mice and correct their hyperglycemia.
Dr. Petersen continues his work on bone marrow-derived stem cells, elucidating the mechanisms behind the signals to which they respond as well as how they repopulate a damaged liver. Dr. Petersen’s lab has demonstrated temporal and profound role of several different molecules such as (SDF-1, G-CSF and SST) on stem cell proliferation and differentiation, which will be critical for successful hepatic tissue engineering.