Overview
Brain tumors are diagnosed in more than 20,000 Americans annually. The most malignant neoplasm, glioblastoma, is also the most common. Similarly, brain tumors constitute the most common solid neoplasm in children and include astrocytomas of the cerebellum, brain stem and cerebrum as well as medulloblastomas of the cerebellum. My colleagues and I have endeavored to translate the bench discoveries of genetic mutations and aberrant protein expressions found in brain tumors to better understand the processes involved in the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of brain tumors. Using the resources of the Preston Robert Brain Tumor Biorepository at Duke, our team, consisting of Henry Friedman, Allan Friedman, and Hai Yan and lead by Darell Bigner, have helped to identify mutations in Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH1 and IDH2) as a marker of good prognosis in gliomas of adults. This test is now offered at Duke as a clinical test. Working with the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at Duke, we have also brought testing for TERT promoter region mutations as another major test for classifying gliomas in adults. Our collaboration with the Toronto Sick Kids Hospital has resulted in prognostic testing for childhood medulloblastomas, primitive neuroectodermal tumors, and ependymomas at Duke.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Pathology
·
2001 - Present
Pathology,
Clinical Science Departments
Professor of Neurosurgery
·
2018 - Present
Neurosurgery,
Neurosurgery
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
·
1992 - Present
Duke Cancer Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Recent Publications
A surgical window of opportunity trial evaluating the effect of the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab on tumoral MHC-I expression and CD8+ infiltration in glioma
Preprint · January 22, 2025 Full text CiteSpatial transcriptomics reveals segregation of tumor cell states in glioblastoma and marked immunosuppression within the perinecrotic niche.
Journal Article Acta Neuropathol Commun · April 22, 2024 Glioblastoma (GBM) remains an untreatable malignant tumor with poor patient outcomes, characterized by palisading necrosis and microvascular proliferation. While single-cell technology made it possible to characterize different lineage of glioma cells into ... Full text Open Access Link to item CiteRepurposing Clemastine to Target Glioblastoma Cell Stemness.
Journal Article Cancers (Basel) · September 18, 2023 Brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs) and tumor cell plasticity promote glioblastoma (GBM) progression. Here, we demonstrate that clemastine, an over-the-counter drug for treating hay fever and allergy symptoms, effectively attenuated the stemness and suppr ... Full text Link to item CiteEducation, Training & Certifications
Medical College of Georgia ·
1982
M.D.
Emory University ·
1979
B.A.