Giuseppe Caso, MD, PhD — Academic Profile

Both in my pre- and post-doctoral career I gained a broad expertise in conducting and implementing basic and clinical research. I received my PhD in human nutrition and metabolism for the study of the effect of the amino acid arginine on malignant and non-malignant tissues. I was involved in the development of techniques for measuring in vivo protein metabolism in specific tissues and cells (e.g., muscle, liver, immune system cells, tumors) using amino acids labeled with stable isotopes. My early research interests included the study of the response of protein metabolism to nutrients, trauma, and cancer.

My more recent research has focused on the study of the relationship between inflammation, defects in replication and differentiation of adipose tissue precursor stromal cells, and impaired adipogenesis observed in aging and HIV-disease. Currently, I am investigating the potential beneficial effects of Coenzyme Q10 in ameliorating myopathic symptoms associated with statin therapy and its mechanisms of actions. I am also involved in a research project investigating the potential use of mesenchymal stem cells in cancer treatment. The work will assess the ability of mesenchymal stem cells to function as a delivery system to silence cancer-specific genes leading to inhibition of tumor growth and enhanced tumor cell death. This novel cellular therapeutic modality could potentially be applicable to treat a variety of cancers.

• Current
• Principal Investigator. Benefit of Coenzyme Q10 in Patients on Statins. National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM); this project investigates the potential beneficial effects of Coenzyme Q10 in ameliorating myopathic symptoms associated with statin therapy and its mechanisms of actions
• Principal Investigator. Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Human Cancer Treatment. Stony Brook University, Department of Surgery, Seed Grant Award
• Principal Investigator. Mesenchymal Stem Cells for siRNA-Based Cancer Treatment. Stony Brook Foundation TRO Catacosinos Cancer Translational Researcher Award

• > Click here to see Dr. Caso's journal articles in chronological order on PubMed. Below are selected publications, excluding abstracts, since 1990:
• Caso G. Metabolic effects of arginine on malignant and non malignant tissues [PhD dissertation]. Aberdeen (UK): University of Aberdeen , 1997.
• Caso G. Metabolic response of blood lymphocytes to nutrients: effects of glutamine supplementation [MSc thesis]. Aberdeen (UK): University of Aberdeen, 1991.
• Caso G, Barry C, Patejunas G. Dysregulation of CXCL9 and reduced tumor growth in Egr-1 deficient mice. J Hematol Oncol 2009;2:7.
• Caso G, Feiner J, Mileva I, Bryan LJ, Kelly P, Autio K, Gelato MC, McNurlan MA. Response of albumin synthesis to oral nutrients in young and elderly subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:446-51.
• Caso G, Ford GC, Nair KS, Garlick PJ, McNurlan MA. Aminoacyl-tRNA enrichment after a flood of labeled phenylalanine: insulin effect on muscle protein synthesis. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2002;282:E1029-38.
• Caso G, Ford GC, Nair KS, Vosswinkel JA, Garlick PJ, McNurlan MA. Increased concentration of trace affects estimates of muscle protein synthesis. Am J Physiol 2001;280:E937-46.
• Caso G, Garlick BA, Casella GA, Sasvary D, Garlick PJ. Acute metabolic acidosis inhibits muscle protein synthesis in rats. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2004;287:E90-6.
• Caso G, Garlick BA, Casella GA, Sasvary D, Garlick PJ. Response of protein synthesis to hypercapnia in rats: independent effects of acidosis and hypothermia. Metabolism 2005;54:841-7.
• Caso G, Garlick PJ. Control of muscle protein kinetics by acid-base balance. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metabol Care 2005;8:73-6.
• Caso G, Garlick PJ, Ballou LM, Vosswinkel JA, Gelato MC, McNurlan MA. The increase in human muscle protein synthesis induced by food intake is similar when assessed with the constant infusion and flooding techniques. J Nutr 2006;36:1504-10.
• Caso G, Garlick PJ, Gelato MC, McNurlan MA. Lymphocyte protein synthesis is increased with the progression of HIV-associated disease to AIDS. Clin Sci (Lond) 2001;101:583-9.
• Caso G, Kelly P, McNurlan MA, Lawson WE. Effect of coenzyme Q10 on myopatic symptoms in patients treated with statins. Am J Cardiol 2007;99:1409-12.
• Caso G, Matar S, McNurlan MA, McMillan DN, Eremin O, Garlick PJ. Metabolic effects of arginine on malignant tissues. Clin Nutr 1996;15:89-90.
• Caso G, McNurlan MA. Effect of insulin on whole body protein metabolism in children with type 1 diabetes. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2010;13:93-6.
• Caso G, McNurlan MA, McMillan ND, Eremin O, Garlick PJ. Tumour cell growth in culture: dependence on arginine. Clin Sci (Lond) 2004;107:371-9.
• Caso G, McNurlan MA, Mileva I, Zemlyak A, Mynarcik DC, Gelato MC. Peripheral fat loss and decline in adipogenesis in older humans. Metabolism 2013;62:337-40.
• Caso G, Mileva I, Kelly P, Ahn H, Gelato MC, McNurlan MA. Feeding acutely stimulates fibrinogen synthesis in healthy young and elderly adults. J Nutr 2009;139:2032-6.
• Caso G, Mileva I, McNurlan MA, Mynarcik DC, Darras F, Gelato MC. Effect of ritonavir and atazanavir on human subcutaneous preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. Antiviral Res 2010;86:137-43.
• Caso G, Scalfi L, Marra M, Covino A, Muscaritoli M, McNurlan MA, Garlick PJ, Contaldo F. Albumin synthesis is diminished in men consuming a predominantly vegetarian diet. J Nutr 2000;130:528-33.
• Caso G, Vosswinkel JA, Garlick PJ, Barry MK, Bilfinger TV, McNurlan MA. Altered protein metabolism following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Clin Sci (Lond) 2008;114:339-46.
• Esposito-Del Puente A, Scalfi L, De Filippo E, Peri MR, Caldara A, Caso G, Contaldo F, Valerio G, Franzese A, Di Maio S, et al. Familial and environmental influences on body composition and body fat distribution in childhood in southern Italy. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1994;18:596-601.
• Essén P, McNurlan MA, Thorell A, Tjäder I, Caso G, Anderson SE, Wernerman J, Garlick PJ. Determination of protein synthesis in lymphocytes in vivo after surgery. Clin Sci (Lond) 1996;91:99-106.
• Garlick PJ, Caso G, Mynarcik D, McNurlan MA, Gelato ME. Nutritional regulation of protein metabolism. J Anim Sci 2002;80(Suppl 2):E135-42.
• Philip F, Sahu S, Caso G, Scarlata S. Role of phospholipase C-β in RNA interference. Adv Biol Regul 2013;53:319-30.
• Garlick PJ, McNurlan MA, Caso G. Critical assessment of methods used to measure protein synthesis in human subjects. Yale J Biol Med 1997;70:65-76.
• Garlick PJ, McNurlan MA, Caso G. Protein synthesis in the tumor and host tissues. Riv Ital Nutr Parent Enter 1995;13:95-9.
• Garlick PJ, McNurlan MA, Caso G. Protein turnover in cancer patients. In: Muramatsu T, editor. Gene Expression and Nutrition: From Cells to Whole Body. Trivandrum (India): Research Signpost, 1996:85-102.
• Jones E, Mazirka P, McNurlan MA, Brink P, Caso G. Inhibition of human prostate cancer growth by mesenchymal stem cells delivering miR-16. FASEB J 2017;31:LB177.
• Jones E, Mazirka P, McNurlan MA, Brink P, Caso G. Mir-16 and mir-34a suppress growth of a variety of human cancer cells. FASEB J 2017;31:LB178.
• Jones E, Mazirka P, McNurlan MA, Darras F, Gelato MC, Caso G. Highly active antiretroviral therapy dysregulates proliferation and differentiation of human pre-adipocytes. World J Virol 2017;6:53-8.
• Mazirka P, Jones E, Strachan P, McNurlan MA, Lawson W, Caso G. Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with statin-related myalgia. FASEB J 2015;29:LB334.
• Ruggieri F, Caso G, Wegmann M, McNurlan MA, Wahl C, Imoberdorf R, Garlick PJ, Ballmer PE. Does increasing blood pH stimulate protein synthesis in dialysis patients? Nephron Clin Pract 2009;112:c276-83.
• Sahu S, Williams L, Perez A, Philip F, Caso G, Zurawsky W, Scarlata S. Regulation of the activity of the promoter of RNA-induced silencing, C3PO. Protein Sci 2017;26:1807-18.
• Scalfi L, Coltorti A, Sapio C, Caso G, Contaldo F. [Basal metabolism and postprandial thermogenesis in anorexia nervosa and constitutional leanness]. Minerva Endocrinol 1991;16:43-6.
• Scalfi L, Marra M, De Filippo E, Caso G, Pasanisi F, Contaldo F. The prediction of basal metabolic rate in female patients with anorexia nervosa. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001;25:359-64.
• Scalfi L, Sapio C, Coltorti A, Caso G, De Filippo E, Contaldo F. Metabolismo basale e composizione corporea nell'anoressia nervosa prima e dopo intervento nutrizionale. In: Del Toma E, Fusco MA, editors. Attualita', Controversie e Nuove Tendenze in Dietoterapia. Bologna: Monduzzi, 1990:135-8.
• > Click here to see Dr. Caso's journal articles in chronological order on PubMed (National Library of Medicine).

• Honors
• Graduated in medicine cum laude (1990)
• Research Fellowship Award, National Research Council of Italy (1991)
• Research Fellowship Award, National Research Council of Italy (1992)
• Selected to participate in a two-week intensive course on "Clinical Nutrition" (ERASMUS project, E.C.). Universities of Maastricht (The Netherlands) and Leuven (Belgium) (1992)
• Research Fellowship Award, European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) and Ajinomoto, Inc. (1993)
• New York Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program (ECRIP) Fellowship Award (2008-10)
• Memberships
• Member, European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN)
• Member, Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB)
• Member, Italian Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
• Member, Nutrition Society (UK)
• > Full curriculum vitae