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Dr. Glenn Prestwich Medicinal Chemistry

Glenn Prestwich, Ph.D.

Academic Information

Departments Presidential Professor, and Director, Center for Therapeutic Biomaterials - College of Pharmacy , Special Presidential Assistant for Faculty Entrepreneurism - College of Pharmacy , Professor - Medicinal Chemistry , Research Professor - Biochemistry , Adjunct Professor - Otolaryngology , Adjunct Professor, Biomedical Engineering - College of Pharmacy

Academic Office Information

glenn.prestwich@pharm.utah.edu

801-585-7396

Research Interests

  • New reagents for phosphoinositide and lysophospholipid signaling in cell biology and cancer treatment
  • Biomaterials for cell therapy, wound repair, cartilage repair, tissue engineering, scar-free healing, and xenograft models
  • Sulfated glycosaminoglycan analogues as inflammation modulators for clinical use

Dr. Glenn D. Prestwich is Presidential Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Special Presidential Assistant for Faculty Entrepreneurism, and directed two Utah Centers of Excellence: the Center for Cell Signaling (1997-2002) and the Center for Therapeutic Biomaterials (2004 – 2008). His passion for translational research and scholarship led to his appointment as director of the Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholars program at the U of Utah (2008 – current). He was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2014 - ) and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2005 - ).

He has launched over nine small life science companies in the last 20 years: Clear Solutions Biotech (1994-2001); Echelon Biosciences, Inc. (CSO, 1997-2003); Sentrx Surgical, Inc. (CSO, 2003-2004); Carbylan BioSurgery, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA)(2004-current); Sentrx Animal Care, Inc. (Salt Lake City)(2005-current); Glycosan BioSystems, Inc. (Salt Lake City) (CSO, 2005-2011); GlycoMira Therapeutics, Inc. (CSO, Salt Lake City) (2008 - current); Metallosensors, Inc. (CEO, 2011 – 2014): Deuteria Agrochemicals LLC (2013 – current); and Deuteria Biomaterials LLC (2013 – current). He is currently a Scientific Advisor for Echelon-Frontier Scientific, University Medical Pharmaceutics, Elastin Specialities, AshaVision, Jade Therapeutics, American MedChem, Organonovo, Modern Meadow, and BioTime.

He received the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology for 2006, was awarded the 1998 Paul Dawson Biotechnology Award and the 2008 Volwiler Research Award of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. In 2010, he received the University of Utah Distinguished Scholarly and Creative Research Award, as well as the 2010 Rooster Prize of the International Society for Hyaluronan Science for outstanding contributions to hyaluronan-derived products. During his 37 years as a faculty member, he has published over 650 technical papers, patents, and book chapters, and has trained over 125 postgraduate scientists. In 2011, he was invited to serve as a member of the editorial advisory board for Science Translational Medicine. His university research programs included (i) new reagents for lipid signaling in cell biology and cancer treatment, (ii) biomaterials for wound repair, cartilage repair, tissue engineering, scar-free healing, and toxicology and xenograft models, and (iii) sulfated glycosaminoglycan analogues as inflammation modulators for clinical use.

Glenn’s outside interests include: singing first tenor in the Utah Symphony Chorus, using his commercial pilot license to fly non-emergency medical patients for AngelFlight West, and serving on the board of directors of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival and the Salt Lake City NOVA Chamber Music Series.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

colored vials prestwich lab

Research Projects in the Prestwich Research Group

A recent presentations on the application of clinically-targeted hyaluronic acid derivatives in 3-D cell culture, bioprinting, cell therapy, xenograft models, and anti-inflammatory drugs can be viewed on the BioTime website at www.biotimeinc.com. An overview of the anti-inflammatory glycosaminoglycan projects can be found on the GlycoMira website at www.glycomira.com.

The three main research areas for the Prestwich lab are: (i) new reagents for phosphoinositide and lysophospholipid signaling in cell biology and cancer treatment, (ii) biomaterials for cell therapy, wound repair, cartilage repair, tissue engineering, scar-free healing, and xenograft models, and (iii) sulfated glycosaminoglycan analogues as inflammation modulators for clinical use.

RELATED LINKS

FAR Webpage

College of Pharmacy

Education History

Postdoctoral Fellowship Cornell University
Postdoctoral Fellow
Stanford University
PhD
Undergraduate California Institute of Technology
BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. N. V. Rao, B. Argyle, X. Xu, P. R. Reynolds, J. M. Walenga, M. Prechel, G. D. Prestwich, R. B. MacArthur, B.  B. Walters, J. R. Hoidal, and T. P. Kennedy, “Low Anticoagulant Heparin Targets Multiple Sites of Inflammation, Suppresses Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and Inhibits Interaction of RAGE with its Ligands,” Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol., 299, C97-110. (2010) PMID 20375277

  2. J. Zhang, X. Xu, N. V. Rao, B. Argyle, L. McCoard, W. J. Rusho, T. P. Kennedy, G. D. Prestwich, and G. Krueger, “Novel Sulfated Polysaccharides Disrupt RAGE Ligation and Inhibit Cutaneous Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Rosacea”, PLOS One 6 (2), e16658 (2011)

  3. S. Oottamasathien W. Jia, L. McCoard, S. Slack, J. Zhang, A. Skardal, A., T. P. Kennedy, R. Dull, G. D. Prestwich, “A Murine Model for Inflammatory Bladder Disease: Cathelicidin Peptide-Induced Bladder Inflammation and Treatment with Sulfated Polysaccharides,” J. Urol., 186, 1684-1692 (2011)

    More Selected Publications