Positions

Overview

  • I was raised in a small town in northeast Ohio. My parents were either first or second generation Italian-Americans. We had an extended family where my aunts and uncles were like parents, and my cousins were my sisters and brothers. Our motto was family, food, and fun. My parents were never formally educated but they valued it greatly. They instilled a sense of hard work that only a middleclass immigrant family can, while we played and watched sports. My brothers and I worked hard and when we went to college we were expected to get a solid education. I still carry these principles with me today; work hard and have fun doing so.
  • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title Altmetric
    2023 Next-generation retinoid X receptor agonists increase ATRA signaling in organotypic epithelium cultures and have distinct effects on receptor dynamicsJournal of Biological Chemistry.  299. 2023
    2022 Conformationally Defined Rexinoids for the Prevention of Inflammation and Nonmelanoma Skin CancersJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  65:14409-14423. 2022
    2021 Stability of the Retinoid X Receptor-α Homodimer in the Presence and Absence of Rexinoid and Coactivator PeptideBiochemistry.  60:1165-1177. 2021
    2020 A small molecule, UAB126, reverses diet-induced obesity and its associated metabolic disordersDiabetes.  69:2003-2016. 2020
    2019 A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose escalation, single dose, and steady-state pharmacokinetic study of 9cuab30 in healthy volunteersCancer Prevention Research.  12:903-912. 2019
    2018 A novel retinoid X receptor agonist, UAB30, inhibits rhabdomyosarcoma cells in vitroJournal of Surgical Research.  228:54-62. 2018
    2018 The retinoid X receptor agonist, 9-cis UAB30, inhibits cutaneous T-cell lymphoma proliferation through the SKP2-p27kip1 axisJournal of Dermatological Science.  90:343-356. 2018
    2016 Translation of a tissue-selective rexinoid, UAB30, to the clinic for breast cancer preventionCurrent Topics in Medicinal Chemistry.  16. 2016
    2016 Preclinical evaluation of UAB30 in pediatric renal and hepatic malignanciesMolecular Cancer Therapeutics.  15:911-921. 2016
    2016 Retinoid X receptor agonists upregulate genes responsible for the biosynthesis of all-trans-retinoic acid in human epidermisPLoS One.  11. 2016
    2015 Conformationally Defined Rexinoids and Their Efficacy in the Prevention of Mammary CancersJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  58:7763-7774. 2015
    2015 Preclinical evaluation of a novel RXR agonist for the treatment of neuroblastomaMolecular Cancer Therapeutics.  14:1559-1569. 2015
    2014 Global molecular changes in rat livers treated with RXR agonists: a comparison using transcriptomics and proteomics 2014
    2014 Methyl substitution of a rexinoid agonist improves potency and reveals site of lipid toxicityJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  57:5370-5380. 2014
    2014 Defining the communication between agonist and coactivator binding in the retinoid x receptor α ligand binding domainJournal of Biological Chemistry.  289:814-826. 2014
    2014 Methyl-substituted conformationally constrained rexinoid agonists for the retinoid X receptors demonstrate improved efficacy for cancer therapy and preventionBioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry.  22:178-185. 2014
    2013 Conformational analysis of retinoic acids: Effects of steric interactions on nonplanar conjugated polyenesComputational and Theoretical Chemistry.  1011:11-20. 2013
    2013 Effects on gene expression in rat liver after administration of RXR Agonists: UAB30, 4-Methyl-UAB30, and Targretin (Bexarotene)sMolecular Pharmacology.  83:698-708. 2013
    2012 The CDK4/6 inhibitor PD0332991 reverses epithelial dysplasia associated with abnormal activation of the cyclin-CDK-Rb pathwayCancer Prevention Research.  5:810-821. 2012
    2012 The impact of novel retinoids in combination with platinum chemotherapy on ovarian cancer stem cellsGynecologic Oncology.  125:226-230. 2012
    2012 The use of retinoids in ovarian cancer: A review of the literatureInternational Journal of Gynecological Cancer.  22:191-198. 2012
    2011 A CXCL8 receptor antagonist based on the structure of N-acetyl-proline- glycine-prolineEuropean Journal of Pharmacology.  668:435-442. 2011
    2011 Structure, energetics, and dynamics of binding coactivator peptide to the human retinoid X receptor α ligand binding domain complex with 9- cis -retinoic acidBiochemistry.  50:93-105. 2011
    2010 A pilot, first-in-human, pharmacokinetic study of 9cUAB30 in healthy volunteersCancer Prevention Research.  3:1565-1570. 2010
    2009 Prevention of KLF4-mediated tumor initiation and malignant transformation by UAB30 rexinoidCancer Biology and Therapy.  8:285-294. 2009
    2009 Prevention of KLF4-mediated tumor initiation and malignant transformation by UAB30 rexinoidCancer Biology and Therapy.  8:289-298. 2009
    2008 The novel retinoid, 9cUAB30, inhibits telomerase and induces apoptosis in HL60 cellsTranslational Oncology.  1:148-152. 2008
    2007 Conformation of 3′CMP bound to RNase A using TrNOESYMolecular cell biology research communications : MCBRC.  463:37-46. 2007
    2007 In vitro metabolic characterization, phenotyping, and kinetic studies of 9cUAB30, a retinoid X receptor-specific retinoidDrug Metabolism and Disposition.  35:1157-1164. 2007
    2006 Expression of crustacean (Callinectes sapidus) molt-inhibiting hormone in Escherichia coli: Characterization of the recombinant peptide and assessment of its effects on cellular signaling pathways in Y-organsMolecular and Cellular Endocrinology.  253:96-104. 2006
    2006 Efficacy of new retinoids in the prevention of mammary cancers and correlations with short-term biomarkersCarcinogenesis.  27:1232-1239. 2006
    2004 Biochemical characterization and crystallization of recombinant 3-phosphoglycerate kinase of Plasmodium falciparum 2004
    2004 Rescuing cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CHR)-processing mutants by transcomplementation 2004
    2003 9cUAB30, an RXR specific retinoid, and/or tamoxifen in the prevention of methylnitrosourea-induced mammary cancersCancer Letters.  201:17-24. 2003
    2003 Conformationally defined retinoic acid analogues. 5. Large-scale synthesis and mammary cancer chemopreventive activity for (2E,4E,6Z,8E)-8-(3′,4′-dihydro-1′(2′H) -naphthalen-1′-ylidene)-3,7-dimethyl-2,4,6-octatrienoic acid (9cUAB30)Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.  46:3766-3769. 2003
    2002 Determination of RNase A/2′-cytidine monophosphate binding affinity and enthalpy by a global fit of thermal unfolding curvesAnalytical Biochemistry.  302:184-190. 2002
    2002 Bromination, Chlorination, and Nitration of IsoflavonoidsACS Symposium Series.  807:251-261. 2002
    2001 Structural studies on conformationally defined 6-s-trans UAB retinoidsComputational and Theoretical Chemistry.  549:39-45. 2001
    2001 Stabilization of active-site loops in NH3-dependent NAD+ synthetase from Bacillus subtilisActa crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology.  57:806-812. 2001
    2001 NMR conformational analysis of cis and trans proline isomers in the neutrophil chemoattractant, N-acetyl-proline-glycine-prolineBiospectroscopy.  58:548-561. 2001
    2000 Structure - Function relationship in the antifreeze activity of synthetic alanine - Lysine antifreeze polypeptidesBiomacromolecules.  1:268-274. 2000
    1999 Chlorination and nitration of soy isoflavonesMolecular cell biology research communications : MCBRC.  368:265-275. 1999
    1999 Peptide inhibition of ENaCBiochemistry.  38:354-363. 1999
    1999 1H and 13C NMR assignments of conformationally defined 6-s-cis-retinoidsMagnetic Resonance in Chemistry.  37:82-85. 1999
    1999 Bioactivity of peptide analogs of the neutrophil chemoattractant, N- acetyl-proline-glycine-proline 1999
    1998 Conformationally defined retinoic acid analogues. 4. Potential new agents for acute promyelocytic and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemiasJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  41:1679-1687. 1998
    1997 Regulation of hepatic lecithin:retinol acyltransferase activity by retinoic acid receptor-selective retinoidsMolecular cell biology research communications : MCBRC.  344:220-227. 1997
    1997 A structural model for a new class of conformationally constrained retinoid: (2Z,4E)-4-[3',4'-dihydro-1'(2'H)-naphthalene-1'-ylidene]-2-butenoic acidJournal of Chemical Crystallography.  27:231-235. 1997
    1996 Natural and synthetic retinoids induce hepatic lecithin: Retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) activity in vitamin A-deficient rats 1996
    1996 Conformationally defined 6-s-trans-retinoic acid analogs. 3. Structure- activity relationships for nuclear receptor binding, transcriptional activity, and cancer chemopreventive activityJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  39:3625-3635. 1996
    1996 Murine toxicology and pharmacology of UAB-8, a conformationally constrained analog of retinoic acidToxicology and Applied Pharmacology.  139:310-316. 1996
    1995 Conformationally Defined 6-s-trans-Retinoic Acid Analogs. 2. Selective Agonists for Nuclear Receptor Binding and Transcriptional ActivityJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  38:2302-2310. 1995
    1995 Conformationally constrained precursors to retinoic acid analogs which stabilize the 9Z-configurationBioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters.  5:953-958. 1995
    1995 13C NMR assignments of conforma‐tionally defined 6‐s‐trans‐retinoidsMagnetic Resonance in Chemistry.  33:497-499. 1995
    1994 A Conformationally Defined 6-s-trans-Retinoic Acid Isomer: Synthesis, Chemopreventive Activity, and ToxicityJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  37:4499-4507. 1994
    1994 Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutations that disrupt nucleotide bindingJournal of Clinical Investigation.  94:228-236. 1994
    1992 Analysis of the Two-State Behavior of the Thermal Unfolding of Serum Retinol Binding Protein Containing a Single Retinol LigandBiochemistry.  31:5560-5567. 1992
    1992 Recombinant synthesis, purification, and nucleotide binding characteristics of the first nucleotide binding domain of the cystic fibrosis gene productJournal of Biological Chemistry.  267:6455-6458. 1992
    1990 1H and 13C NMR studies on the self‐association of retinoic acidMagnetic Resonance in Chemistry.  28:223-226. 1990
    1989 Reactions of Vinylogous Phosphonate Carbanions and Reformatsky Reagents with a Sterically Hindered Ketone and EnoneJournal of Organic Chemistry.  54:1992-1997. 1989
    1987 13C and 15N NMR pH Titration of Poly(vinylamine): A Two-Stage Process Sensitive to Polymer TacticityMacromolecules.  20:621-625. 1987
    1987 13C NMR assignments of the isoprenoid chain carbons of retinoids from empirical chemical shift differencesMagnetic Resonance in Chemistry.  25:1040-1045. 1987
    1987 Preparation of the 9-cis, 13-cis-, and all trans-isomers of α- and β2-retinalOrganic Preparations and Procedures International: the new journal for organic synthesis.  19:187-195. 1987
    1987 pH Dependence of Bacteriorhodopsin Thermal UnfoldingBiochemistry.  26:7431-7438. 1987
    1986 A Configurational Study of Poly(vinylamine) by Multinuclear Nuclear Magnetic ResonanceMacromolecules.  19:913-916. 1986
    1986 DETERMINATION OF THE SEQUENCE DISTRIBUTION AND IONIZATION CONSTANT OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID-CO-VINYLAMINE) BY C-13 NMR.Journal of Polymer Science: Polymer Symposia.  17-30. 1986
    1985 Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of bile acids. Development of two-dimensional NMR methods for the elucidation of proton resonance assignments for five common hydroxylated bile acids, and their parent bile acid, 5β-cholanoic acidJournal of Lipid Research.  26:1068-1078. 1985
    1985 Isolation of detergent-solubilized monomers of bacteriorhodopsin by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatographyJournal of Chromatography A.  326:243-250. 1985
    1985 Determination of the Tacticity and Analysis of the pH Titration of Poly(acrylic acid) by 1H and 13C NMRMacromolecules.  18:2154-2157. 1985
    1985 Heteronuclear Correlated Two-Dimensional NMR Spectroscopy Applied to the Diad Assignment of Vinyl PolymersMacromolecules.  18:2334-2337. 1985
    1985 Synthesis of 13C single and double labelled retinals, precursors for NMR studies of visual pigments and related systemsJournal of Labelled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals.  22:807-817. 1985
    1984 Purification of bovine rhodopsin by high-performance size-exclusion chromatographyJournal of Chromatography A.  296:121-128. 1984
    1984 15N and 13C NMR study of the effects of hydrogen bonding and protonation in linear schiff bases: Models for structural studies of rhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsinMagnetic Resonance in Chemistry.  22:121-124. 1984
    1984 Synthesis and carbon-13 nmr of an unusual tricyclic barbituric acid derivativetJournal of Organic Chemistry.  49:3227-3230. 1984
    1983 Multiple isolectric forms of detergent-solubilized bovine rhodopsin. II. Spectral analysis 1983
    1981 Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of rhodopsin and bacteriorhodopsinJournal of Photochemistry.  17:63. 1981
    1979 Interpretations of the effects of pH on the spectra of purple membraneJournal of Molecular Biology.  135:595-609. 1979
    1979 Interpretation of the absorption and circular dichroic spectra of oriented purple membrane filmsBiophysical Journal.  26:427-440. 1979
    1978 Comparative studies on the fine structure of purple membrane from Halobacterium cutirubrum and Halobacterium halobium 1978

    Research Overview

  • Our research efforts center on vitamin A and its metabolites, since they are essential skin cells maturation and development. My laboratory is involved with the design of new retinoids that are effective drugs to prevent/treat disease without toxicity. More specifically, my research group designs, syntheses and studies how our UAB retinoids bind to the retinoid X receptors (RXRs) and act as agonist in important signaling pathways. We have used structural biological studies (x-ray diffraction; quantum mechanical and molecular dynamic computational methods), thermodynamic approaches (ITC; DSC), and recently hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometer (HDX MS) to understand the molecular interactions between retinoids and RXRs.

    Our group is most well-known for the design and translational development of UAB30, a Class II UAB rexinoid. UAB30 is now in human clinical trials that are evaluating it for toxicity, pharmacology, and its efficacy as a new drug for cancer prevention. UAB30 is being carefully evaluated by the NCI and UAB clinicians, since it does not cause toxicity associated with other clinically used retinoids. UAB30 does not cause lipid toxicity or have other unfavorable effects on metabolism, yet it is efficacious in preventing cancer derived from epithelial tissues.

    Keywords - Design and Structural Studies of Rexinoids with Retinoid X Receptors, Development of Drugs for Cancer Chemoprevention & Therapy, Development of Drugs for Treatment of Obesity, Diabetes and Lipidemia, Structure, Dynamics and Stability of Ligand-Receptor Complexes
  • Teaching Overview

  • Keywords - Metabolic Biochemistry, Protein Structure and Physical Biochemistry Methods
  • Teaching Activities

  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2009)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2010)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2011)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2012)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2013)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2014)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2015)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2014)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2015)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2016)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2008)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2009)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2010)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2011)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2012)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2013)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2014)
  • CH460 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2015)
  • CH461 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Fall Term 2008)
  • CH461 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2010)
  • CH461 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2011)
  • CH461 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2012)
  • CH461 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2013)
  • CH461 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2014)
  • CH461 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2015)
  • CH461 - Biochemistry I (Fall Term 2007)
  • CH464 - Physical Biochemistry Lab (Spring Term 2008)
  • CH464 - Physical Biochemistry Lab (Spring Term 2009)
  • CH464 - Physical Biochemistry Lab (Spring Term 2011)
  • CH464 - Physical Biochemistry Lab (Spring Term 2012)
  • CH464 - Physical Biochemistry Lab (Spring Term 2013)
  • CH464 - Physical Biochemistry Lab (Spring Term 2014)
  • CH464 - Physical Biochemistry Lab (Spring Term 2015)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2010)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2011)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2014)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2015)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2014)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2016)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2010)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2011)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2012)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2013)
  • CH560 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2014)
  • CH561 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2014)
  • CH561 - Advanced Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2015)
  • CH561 - Biochemistry I (Fall Term 2007)
  • CH561 - Biochemistry I (Fall Term 2008)
  • CH561 - Biochemistry I (Spring Term 2013)
  • CH564 - Physical Biochem Lab (Spring Term 2009)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2009)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2010)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2011)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2014)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2015)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2008)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2009)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2011)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2012)
  • CH660 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2015)
  • CH661 - Biochemistry II (Spring Term 2010)
  • CH664 - Biophysical Chemistry (Spring Term 2011)
  • CH700 - Foundations of Phys/Analy Chem (Fall Term 2014)
  • CH700 - Foundations of Phys/Analy Chem (Fall Term 2015)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2010)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2011)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2014)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Fall Term 2015)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2015)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Spring Term 2016)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2010)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2011)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2012)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2013)
  • CH760 - Fundamentals of Biochemistry (Summer Term 2014)
  • CH761 - Biochemistry II (Spring Term 2010)
  • CH761 - Biochemistry II (Spring Term 2011)
  • CH761 - Biochemistry II (Spring Term 2012)
  • CH761 - Biochemistry II (Spring Term 2013)
  • CH761 - Biochemistry II (Spring Term 2014)
  • CH761 - Biochemistry II (Spring Term 2015)
  • CH764 - Biophysical Chemistry (Spring Term 2011)
  • CH764 - Biophysical Chemistry (Spring Term 2012)
  • CH799 - Dissertation Research (Spring Term 2016)
  • CH799 - Dissertation Research (Summer Term 2016)
  • NA630 - Nurse Anesthesia Biochemistry (Fall Term 2014)
  • NA630 - Nurse Anesthesia Biochemistry (Fall Term 2015)
  • NA630 - Nurse Anesthesia Biochemistry (Fall Term 2016)
  • Education And Training

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Biophysics, Ohio State University System : Columbus 1979
  • Full Name

  • Donald Muccio