Peter W. Stacpoole, PhD, MD

Peter W. Stacpoole, Ph.D., MD
Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism

Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

TEL: 352.273.9599
FAX: 352.273.9013

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Stacpoole received his Ph.D. in 1972, from the University of California at San Francisco. He received his MD degree in 1976, from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He also completed his internship and residency (1976-1978) training in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology Fellowship (1978-1980) training at Vanderbilt University. In 1980, Dr. Stacpoole became a member of the Department of Medicine at the University of Florida, where he is a Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology.

Degree/Program

Institution

Field/Specialty

BS
University of South Sewanee, TN
Chemistry
PhD
University of California
Pharmacology
Post-doctoral training
University of California
Metabolic Research
MD
Vanderbilt University
Medicine
Residency
Vanderbilt University
Internal Medicine
Fellowship
Vanderbilt University
Endocrinology Medicine

Academic/Research Interests:

  • Stacpoole’s federally-sponsored research is broadly focused in two areas: intermediary metabolism and new drug development, with particular emphasis on the causes and treatment of congenital and acquired mitochondrial diseases. In this regard, he collaborates with investigators at UF and across N. America with expertise in neurology, physiology, oncology, immunology, and cell and molecular biology.
  • Related research includes mechanistically oriented laboratory studies on the molecular and biochemical consequences of loss of function mutations in the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) and therapeutic interventions for congenital and acquired causes of PDC deficiency.
  • With regard to new drug development, Dr. Stacpoole and his colleagues have developed a prototype for a novel class of investigational drugs for the treatment of acquired or inborn errors of mitochondrial energy metabolism and lactic acidosis. The prototype of this class, dichloroacetate (DCA), is currently undergoing two federally funded FDA-approved multicenter clinical trials: a Phase 3 trial of DCA in children with congenital defects in the PDC and a Phase 2A trial of DCA in adults with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and deadly primary brain cancer in adults. Dr. Stacpoole and colleagues are also conducting preclinical studies in the therapeutic potential of DCA in Barth syndrome, a rare mitochondrial pediatric disease, in neonatal stress during parturition and in septic shock, a major cause of mortality in hospitalized patients.

Selected publications (from most recent):

  • Stacpoole PW. Therapeutic Targeting of the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex/Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase (PDC/PDK) Axis in Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2017 Nov 1;109(11). doi: 10.1093/jnci/djx071. PMID: 29059435.
  • James MO, Jahn SC, Zhong G, Smeltz MG, Hu Z, Stacpoole PW. Therapeutic applications of dichloroacetate and the role of glutathione transferase zeta-1. Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Feb;170:166-180. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.10.018. Epub 2016 Oct 19. PMID: 27771434; PMCID: PMC5274567.
  • Stacpoole PW, Shuster J, Thompson JLPS, Prather RA, Lawson LA, Zou B, Buchsbaum R, Nixon SJ. Development of a novel observer reported outcome tool as the primary efficacy outcome measure for a rare disease randomized controlled trial. Mitochondrion. 2018 Sep;42:59-63. doi: 10.1016/j.mito.2017.11.003. Epub 2017 Nov 10. PMID: 29129554; PMCID: PMC6587967.
  • McCall CE, Zabalawi M, Liu T, Martin A, Long DL, Buechler NL, Arts RJW, Netea M, Yoza BK, Stacpoole PW, Vachharajani V. Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex stimulation promotes immunometabolism homeostasis and sepsis survival. JCI Insight. 2018 Aug 9;3(15):e99292. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.99292. PMID: 30089711; PMCID: PMC6129136.
  • Langaee T, Wagner R, Horne LP, Lawson LA, Becker C, Shahin M, Starostik P, Stacpoole PW. Personalized Dosing of Dichloroacetate Using GSTZ1 Clinical Genotyping Assay. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers. 2018 Apr;22(4):266-269. doi: 10.1089/gtmb.2017.0261. Epub 2018 Mar 19. PMID: 29641284.
  • Zhu X, Long D, Zabalawi M, Ingram B, Yoza BK, Stacpoole PW, McCall CE. Stimulating pyruvate dehydrogenase complex reduces itaconate levels and enhances TCA cycle anabolic bioenergetics in acutely inflamed monocytes. J Leukoc Biol. 2020 Mar;107(3):467-484. doi: 10.1002/JLB.3A1119-236R. Epub 2020 Jan 2. PMID: 31894617; PMCID: PMC7044062.
  • Khayat D, Kurtz TL, Stacpoole PW. The changing landscape of clinical trials for mitochondrial diseases: 2011 to present. Mitochondrion. 2020 Jan;50:51-57. doi: 10.1016/j.mito.2019.10.010. Epub 2019 Oct 25. PMID: 31669619; PMCID: PMC6934893.
  • Squirewell EJ, Smeltz MG, Rowland-Faux L, Horne LP, Stacpoole PW, James MO. Effects of Multiple Doses of Dichloroacetate on GSTZ1 Expression and Activity in Liver and Extrahepatic Tissues of Young and Adult Rats. Drug Metab Dispos. 2020 Nov;48(11):1217-1223. doi: 10.1124/dmd.120.000142. Epub 2020 Sep 1. PMID: 32873593; PMCID: PMC7589944.
  • Joseph S, Sharma A, Horne LP, Wood CE, Langaee T, James MO, Stacpoole PW, Keller-Wood M. Pharmacokinetic and Biochemical Profiling of Sodium Dichloroacetate in Pregnant Ewes and Fetuses. Drug Metab Dispos. 2020 Jun;49(6):451-458. doi: 10.1124/dmd.120.000330. Epub 2021 Apr 2. PMID: 33811107.
  • Joseph S, Li M, Zhang S, Horne L, Stacpoole PW, Wohlgemuth SE, Edison AS, Wood C, Keller-Wood M. Sodium dichloroacetate stimulates cardiac mitochondrial metabolism and improves cardiac conduction in the ovine fetus during labor. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2022 Jan 1;322(1):R83-R98. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00185.2021. Epub 2021 Dec 1. PMID: 34851727; PMCID: PMC8791792.
  • Oh TS, Zabalawi M, Jain S, Long D, Stacpoole PW, McCall CE, Quinn MA. Dichloroacetate improves systemic energy balance and feeding behavior during sepsis. JCI Insight. 2022 Jun 22;7(12):e153944. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.153944. PMID: 35730570; PMCID: PMC9309051.