Dietrich Büsselberg Explained

Dietrich Büsselberg
Birth Date:	19 September 1957
Birth Place:	Steinhude (Lower Saxony, Germany)
Nationality:	German
Occupation:	Physiologist, academic and author
Education:	BS Biology MS Biology PhD Biology
Alma Mater:	University of Hohenheim
Thesis Title:	Kartierung des Makrozoobenthos im Elbe-Urstromtal der Deutschen Bucht (1984) Einfluss von Schwermetallionen auf einen spannungsaktivierten Calcium-Strom der Meeresschnecke Aplysia(1989) Bleiwirkungen auf neuronale Membranströme und synaptische Plastizität(1995)
Workplaces:	Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar

Dietrich Büsselberg is a physiologist, academic, and author. He is an associate dean and professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar.^[1]

Büsselberg's research interests are metal toxicology, pharmacology, cell signaling, and anti-cancer drugs. In addition, he is the author of the book Effects of Lead on Neuronal Membrane Currents and Synaptic Plasticity^[2] and Experiencing Tanzania: Reflections of a Medical Service Learning Trip Through the Eyes of Aspiring Physicians.^[3]

He has been the guest journal editor of several special issues including Plant-Derived Natural Compounds in the Management of Cancer: Significance and Challenges,^[4] Significance of Altered (Glucose) Metabolism in Cancers,^[5] Advances in Cancer Glycobiology,^[6] Chemopreventive and Therapeutic Potential of Phytochemicals and Their Analogs against Cancer,^[7] Microbiome in the Growth and Management of Different Types of Cancer,^[8] Health Benefits of Flavonoids in Diabetes and Obesity: From Experimental Approaches to Clinical Use^[9]

Education

Büsselberg earned a state examination for teaching at the University of Hanover (1981). He got his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in biology from the University of Hohenheim in 1986. In 1989, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Hohenheim in collaboration with the University of Albany. He concluded his Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Physiology from the University of Mainz and the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf in 1995.^[10]

Career

Büsselberg started his academic career in 1997 by joining the Institute of Physiology, University of Gottingen, becoming Apl. Professor in 2000. From 2008 to 2010, he was appointed as professor of neuroscience and physiology at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University in Texas, U.S. As of 2010, he has been a professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.^[10]

Büsselberg has held multiple administrative appointments. In 2012, he was appointed as the assistant dean for student affairs at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar and served until 2020. As of late 2020, he is the associate dean at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar.^[11]

Research

Büsselberg has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, books, and book-chapters. His research encompasses metal toxicity and cancer biology, lately focusing on anticancer therapy by natural substances.^[12]

Büsselberg's research interests have focused on the field of physiology. More specifically, his work has been focused on pharmacology, cell signaling, and cancer research by employing electrophysiological and molecular methodologies and cellular imaging techniques. More recently, he and his team have been investigating cancer therapeutics and anticancer drug screening for the treatment of different cancer types, such as breast,^[13] colorectal, neuroblastoma, and prostate.^[14] Their research also examines the relationship between cancer risk and progression and diabetes, as well as the effect of chemotherapy on intracellular calcium^[15] signaling in cancer cells and the mechanisms underlying chemoresistance.^[16]

Büsselberg has studied the interaction of chemicals with pharmacological and toxic qualities with the physiology of cancerous and non-cancerous cells. He has a research background studying apoptosis,^[17] cytotoxicity,^[18] using electrophysiology, and other molecular biological techniques. He is currently the lead principal investigator for the ongoing research project titled, Diabetes and colorectal cancer – molecular risk association, characterization of mechanisms and identification of molecular signature(s)/biomarker(s)^[19] and Anti-diabetic drugs in the treatment of breast cancer – identifying the molecular mechanism(s) and key biomarker(s).^[20]

Awards and honors

• 1994 – Reinhard Heynen and Emmi Heynen Prize, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf^[21]

Personal life

Büsselberg is fond of photography as well. He documented his entire journey to Tanzania in two picture books entitled Tanzania: Reflections of a Medical Service Learning Trip Through the Eyes of Aspiring Physicians^[22] and A Tanzanian Experience: Learning about Medicine and Life in Mwanza,^[23] which was later displayed in the Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar photography exhibition.^[24]

Bibliography

Books

• Bleiwirkungen auf neuronale Membranströme und synaptische Plastizität. Habilitationsschrift (1995) ISBN 3895740640
• Experiencing Tanzania: Reflections of a Medical Service Learning Trip Through the Eyes of Aspiring Physicians (2019) ISBN 9789927129643

Selected articles

• Florea, A. M., & Büsselberg, D. (2006). Occurrence, use and potential toxic effects of metals and metal compounds. Biometals, 19(4), 419–427.
• Florea, A. M., & Büsselberg, D. (2011). Cisplatin as an anti-tumor drug: cellular mechanisms of activity, drug resistance and induced side effects. Cancers, 3(1), 1351–1371.
• Rathore, R., McCallum, J. E., Varghese, E., Florea, A. M., & Büsselberg, D. (2017). Overcoming chemotherapy drug resistance by targeting inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). Apoptosis, 22(7), 898–919.
• Abotaleb, M., Samuel, S. M., Varghese, E., Varghese, S., Kubatka, P., Liskova, A., & Büsselberg, D. (2018). Flavonoids in cancer and apoptosis. Cancers, 11(1), 28.
• Al-Ishaq, R. K., Abotaleb, M., Kubatka, P., Kajo, K., & Büsselberg, D. (2019). Flavonoids and their anti-diabetic effects: cellular mechanisms and effects to improve blood sugar levels. Biomolecules, 9(9), 430.
• Samuel, S. M., Varghese, E., & Büsselberg, D. (2021). Therapeutic potential of metformin in COVID-19: reasoning for its protective role. Trends in microbiology, 29(10), 894–907.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Busselberg, Dietrich. vivo.weill.cornell.edu.
2. Web site: Bleiwirkungen auf neuronale Membranströme und synaptische Plastizität /.
3. Web site: Experiencing Tanzania: Reflections of a Medical Service Learning Trip Through the Eyes of Aspiring Physicians.
4. Web site: Special Issue "Plant-Derived Natural Compounds in the Management of Cancer: Significance and Challenges".
5. Web site: Special Issue "Significance of Altered (Glucose) Metabolism in Cancers".
6. Web site: Special Issue "Advances in Cancer Glycobiology.
7. Web site: Special Issue "Chemopreventive and Therapeutic Potential of Phytochemicals and Their Analogs against Cancer".
8. Web site: Microbiome in the Growth and Management of Different Types of Cancer.
9. Web site: Health Benefits of Flavonoids in Diabetes and Obesity: From Experimental Approaches to Clinical Use.
10. Web site: Busselberg, Dietrich. vivo.weill.cornell.edu.
11. Web site: Administrative Officials | Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar. qatar-weill.cornell.edu.
12. Web site: Dietrich BÜSSELBERG | Associate Dean | Professor | Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, Doha | WCM-Q | Physiology and Biophysics | Research profile.
13. Targeting Glucose Metabolism to Overcome Resistance to Anticancer Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer. Elizabeth. Varghese. Samson Mathews. Samuel. Alena. Líšková. Marek. Samec. Peter. Kubatka. Dietrich. Büsselberg. 12 August 2020. Cancers. 12. 8. 2252. 10.3390/cancers12082252. 32806533. 7464784. free .
14. Anti-prostate cancer protection and therapy in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine — comprehensive effects of phytochemicals in primary, secondary and tertiary care. Alena. Mazurakova. Marek. Samec. Lenka. Koklesova. Kamil. Biringer. Erik. Kudela. Raghad Khalid. Al-Ishaq. Martin. Pec. Frank A.. Giordano. Dietrich. Büsselberg. Peter. Kubatka. Olga. Golubnitschaja. 1 September 2022. EPMA Journal. 13. 3. 461–486. Springer Link. 10.1007/s13167-022-00288-z. 35821883. 9263437.
15. Anti-cancer drugs interfere with intracellular calcium signaling. Ana-Maria. Florea. Dietrich. Büsselberg. 30 September 2009. Neurotoxicology. 30. 5. 803–810. PubMed. 10.1016/j.neuro.2009.04.014. 19465052.
16. Counteracting Chemoresistance with Metformin in Breast Cancers: Targeting Cancer Stem Cells. Samson Mathews. Samuel. Elizabeth. Varghese. Lenka. Koklesová. Alena. Líšková. Peter. Kubatka. Dietrich. Büsselberg. 1 September 2020. Cancers. 12. 9. 2482. 10.3390/cancers12092482. 32883003. 7565921. free .
17. Calcium Entry through TRPV1: A Potential Target for the Regulation of Proliferation and Apoptosis in Cancerous and Healthy Cells – PMC. 2020 . 7312732 . Zhai . K. . Liskova . A. . Kubatka . P. . Büsselberg . D. . International Journal of Molecular Sciences . 21 . 11 . 4177 . 10.3390/ijms21114177 . 32545311 . free .
18. Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) induced calcium signals and cytotoxicity in two human cell lines: SY-5Y neuroblastoma and 293 embryonic kidney (HEK). Ana-Maria. Florea. Frank. Splettstoesser. Dietrich. Büsselberg. 1 May 2007. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 220. 3. 292–301. PubMed. 10.1016/j.taap.2007.01.022. 17376498.
19. Web site: Prof. Dietrich Büsselberg – Diabetes and colorectal cancer.
20. Web site: Anti-diabetic drugs in the treatment of breast cancer – identifying the molecular mechanism(s) and key biomarker(s).
21. Web site: "Reinhard – Heynen – und Emmi – Heynen – Preis" (Busselberg, Dietrich – 1994). vivo.weill.cornell.edu.
22. Web site: Experiencing Tanzania: Reflections of a Medical Service Learning Trip Through the Eyes of Aspiring Physicians. 1 December 2018. www.qscience.com.
23. Web site: A Tanzanian Experience: Learning about Medicine and Life in Mwanza.
24. Web site: Exhibition documents work of WCM-Q trainee doctors in Tanzania. Latest News – Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar. 13 October 2019 .