George Chaldakov
Encyclopedia
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
: Георги Ников Чалдъков) born February 23, 1940, in Burgas, Bulgaria, is a Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n vascular biologist well-known for his contributions in the study of secretory function of vascular smooth muscle
Vascular smooth muscle
Vascular smooth muscle refers to the particular type of smooth muscle found within, and composing the majority of the wall of blood vessels.Vascular smooth muscle contracts or relaxes to both change the volume of blood vessels and the local blood pressure, a mechanism that is responsible for the...
cells, and the role of neurotrophin
Neurotrophin
Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that induce the survival, development, and function of neurons.They belong to a class of growth factors, secreted proteins that are capable of signaling particular cells to survive, differentiate, or grow. Growth factors such as neurotrophins that promote the...
s and perivascular adipose tissue
Adipose tissue
In histology, adipose tissue or body fat or fat depot or just fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. It is technically composed of roughly only 80% fat; fat in its solitary state exists in the liver and muscles. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts...
in pathogenesis
Pathogenesis
The pathogenesis of a disease is the mechanism by which the disease is caused. The term can also be used to describe the origin and development of the disease and whether it is acute, chronic or recurrent...
of atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
. He published the first Bulgarian textbook of Cell Biology
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
in 1996 and in 2005 founded the Bulgarian Society for Cell Biology.
In 1966 graduated as MD
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
from Varna Institute of Medicine (since 1991, named Medical University of Varna
Medical University of Varna
The Medical University of Varna 'Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov is a university located in Varna, Bulgaria. It was founded in 1961 and is organized in 4 faculties and 1 medical college.-History:...
), Varna, Bulgaria
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
.
In 1983 obtained PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree in Vascular Biology, "Ultrastructural and cytopharmacological study of aging in vascular smooth muscle cells, with special reference to their secretory function".
In the past 30 years George Chaldakov was involved in an interdisciplinary research in the fields of vascular biology
Vascular tissue
Vascular tissue is a complex conducting tissue, formed of more than one cell type, found in vascular plants. The primary components of vascular tissue are the xylem and phloem. These two tissues transport fluid and nutrients internally. There are also two meristems associated with vascular tissue:...
, adipobiology
Adipose tissue
In histology, adipose tissue or body fat or fat depot or just fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. It is technically composed of roughly only 80% fat; fat in its solitary state exists in the liver and muscles. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts...
and neurobiology and is one of the pioneers establishing the novel concept of the secretory function
Secretion
Secretion is the process of elaborating, releasing, and oozing chemicals, or a secreted chemical substance from a cell or gland. In contrast to excretion, the substance may have a certain function, rather than being a waste product...
/phenotype
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
of the vascular smooth muscle cells and further delineating their role in atherogenesis. In collaboration with Luigi Aloe has been developed a complex tripartite model of atherogenesis in which are involved smooth muscle cells, immune cells, and perivascular adipose tissue communicating through secreted factors (e.g. neurotrophin
Neurotrophin
Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that induce the survival, development, and function of neurons.They belong to a class of growth factors, secreted proteins that are capable of signaling particular cells to survive, differentiate, or grow. Growth factors such as neurotrophins that promote the...
s, adipokine
Adipokine
The adipokines or adipocytokines are cytokines secreted by adipose tissue.Members include:* chemerin* interleukin-6...
s, cytokine
Cytokine
Cytokines are small cell-signaling protein molecules that are secreted by the glial cells of the nervous system and by numerous cells of the immune system and are a category of signaling molecules used extensively in intercellular communication...
s).
George Chaldakov is main editor and founder in 1991 of Biomedical Reviews, An International Journal of Cell Biology of Disease and organizer of Biomedical Forum, Annual Program of Continuing Medical Education held at Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria.
Innovations and substantial contributions to science
- ConceptConceptThe word concept is used in ordinary language as well as in almost all academic disciplines. Particularly in philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences the term is much used and much discussed. WordNet defines concept: "conception, construct ". However, the meaning of the term concept is much...
of the secretory functionSecretionSecretion is the process of elaborating, releasing, and oozing chemicals, or a secreted chemical substance from a cell or gland. In contrast to excretion, the substance may have a certain function, rather than being a waste product...
/phenotypePhenotypeA phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
of the vascular smooth muscle cellVascular smooth muscleVascular smooth muscle refers to the particular type of smooth muscle found within, and composing the majority of the wall of blood vessels.Vascular smooth muscle contracts or relaxes to both change the volume of blood vessels and the local blood pressure, a mechanism that is responsible for the...
, as related to atherogenesis.
- TubulinTubulinTubulin is one of several members of a small family of globular proteins. The most common members of the tubulin family are α-tubulin and β-tubulin, the proteins that make up microtubules. Each has a molecular weight of approximately 55 kiloDaltons. Microtubules are assembled from dimers of α- and...
/microtubuleMicrotubuleMicrotubules are a component of the cytoskeleton. These rope-like polymers of tubulin can grow as long as 25 micrometers and are highly dynamic. The outer diameter of microtubule is about 25 nm. Microtubules are important for maintaining cell structure, providing platforms for intracellular...
-targeted pharmacologyPharmacologyPharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
for atherosclerosis.
- Concept of the neurotrophinNeurotrophinNeurotrophins are a family of proteins that induce the survival, development, and function of neurons.They belong to a class of growth factors, secreted proteins that are capable of signaling particular cells to survive, differentiate, or grow. Growth factors such as neurotrophins that promote the...
s NGFNerve growth factorNerve growth factor is a small secreted protein that is important for the growth, maintenance, and survival of certain target neurons . It also functions as a signaling molecule. It is perhaps the prototypical growth factor, in that it is one of the first to be described...
and BDNF as metabotrophic factors (metabotrophins) in cardiometabolic biology/diseases.
- Conceptualize the protein secretory products of adipose tissueAdipose tissueIn histology, adipose tissue or body fat or fat depot or just fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. It is technically composed of roughly only 80% fat; fat in its solitary state exists in the liver and muscles. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts...
cells as adipokines, also focusing on perivascular adipose tissue.
- Conceptualize studying adipose tissue-directed pharmacology as adipopharmacology.
- In 2006 introduced the term Homo obesus and is actively involved in popularizing the need of healthy lifestyle and dietary restriction: millions of people suffer and die from starvation in ill-developed and poor countries while in Western worldWestern worldThe Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
and EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
people get overweightObesityObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and die as a result of strokeStrokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s or heart infarctionsMyocardial infarctionMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.