Professor of MedicineDr. Roeske's major research interests include non-invasive evaluation of left ventricular function and performance and receptor pharmacology. He was the first to demonstrate cardiac muscarinic receptors using radio-ligand binding techniques. This work has led to numerous publications, including the first demonstration of guanine regulation of the muscarinic receptors and participation of the G protein in the process. Dr. Roeske's laboratory has carefully documented differences between muscarinic receptors in the heart and in other tissues. Recently, molecular biological techniques have been utilized to demonstrate 5 types of muscarinic receptors. He has also extensively documented the correlation of the development of the beta adrenergic receptor and other post receptor mechanisms in the developing heart. It has shown alterations in the receptor types in hypertension and in heart failure. He was recipient of a Research Career Development Award from the NHLBI. As of 2004, he has authored 155 original papers, 69 reviews and book chapters, and 179 published abstracts.
Dr. Roeske's current investigations include the molecular biology of adenylcylase superactivation by ? -opioid receptor agonists and ? -opioid receptor regulation. He has an ongoing interest in the investigation of receptor mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy, development and drug addiction. Five of his former basic science fellows and two of his former graduate students are on pharmacology faculty
Varga, EV, Rubenzik, M, Grife, V, Sugiyama, M, Stropova, D, Roeske, WR, Yamamura, HI (2002) Involvement of Raf-1 in chronic delta opioid agonist-mediated adenylyl cyclase superactivation.Eur J Pharm, 451:101-102.
Rubenzik, M, Varga, E, Stropova, D, Roeske, WR, Yamamura, HI (2001) Expression of alpha-Transducin in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Stably Transfected with the Human delta-Opioid Receptor Attenuates Chronic Opioid Agonist-Induced Adenylyl Cyclase Superactivation. Mol Pharmacol, 60(5):1076-1082.
Navratilova, E., Eaton, M.C, Stropova, D., Varga, E.V., Vanderah T.W.,
Roeske, W.R. and Yamamura, H.I.: Morphine promotes phosphorylation of the
human delta-opioid receptor at serine 363. Eur. J. Pharmacol, August 29,
2005.
Yue, X., Varga, E.V., Stropova, D., Vanderah, T.W., Yamamaura, H.I. and
Roeske, W.R.: Chroic morphine-mediated adenylyl cyclase superactivation is
attenuated by the Raf-1 inhibitor, GW5074. Eur. J. Pharmacol, 540(57-59),
2006.
Hruby, V.J. Porreca, F., Yamamura, H.I., Tollin, G., Agnes, R., Lee, Y.S., Cai, M., Alves, I., Cowell, S., Varga, E., Davis, P., Salamon, Z., Roeske, W., Vanderah, T. and Lai, J.: New Paradigms and Tools in Drug Design for Pain and Addiction. The AAPS Journal 8(2); 2194, 2006.