Research Interest

Dr. Marino De Leon's laboratory interest is in neuronal injury and axonal regeneration/degeneration. Current studies in the laboratory are identifying molecular and cellular mechanism(s) associated with lipotoxicity and the function of fatty acid binding proteins in cell growth and differentiation. An important long-term translational outcome is to elucidate the role of the "augmented state of cellular oxidative stress" (ASCOS) in the development of health disparities such as diabetes and stroke.

Dr. Marino De Leon is the founding director of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine (CHDMM) established with an award from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, NIH. Dr. De Leon received his doctorate in physiology (neurophysiology) from the University of California at Davis and completed post-doctoral positions in molecular neurobiology at Stanford University under the mentorship of Dr. Eric M. Shooter and worked later as Staff fellow at NIDCR, NIH.

Dr. De Leon's work on student training has resulted in the development of several research and academic programs to address health disparities and increase diversity among biomedical and physician scientists who graduate from Loma Linda University. These programs include the Apprenticeship Bridge to College (ABC) high school program, the Undergraduate Training Program (UTP), Medical Training Program (MTP), and the PhD educational research training program Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD). He is the founding director of the Office of Student Development (OSD) in the Loma Linda University School of Medicine (2001), which administrates these programs. He is the principal investigator and program director for two major NIH awards from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities that fund these programs.

 Selected  Publications

1. Basu A, Banerjee H, Rojas H, Martinez S, Roy S, Jia Z, De Leon M, Lilly MB and Casiano CA (2010) Peroxiredoxin expression in prostate cancer: consistent upregulation of PRDX3 and PRDX4. Prostate. In press.

2.  Kalla Singh S, Tan QW, Brito C, De León M, Garberoglio C, De León D. Differential insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) expression: A potential role for breast cancer survival disparity. Growth Hormone and IGF Research 20:162-70, 2010.

3. Kalla Singh S, Tan QW, Brito C, De León M and De León D. Insulin-like growth factors I and II receptors in the breast cancer survival disparity among African-American women Growth Hormone & IGF Research 20:245-254. 2010.

4. Beeson W. Larry, Batech Michael, Schultz Eloy, Salto Lorena, Firek Anthony, De Leon Marino, Balcazar Hector, Cordero-MacIntyre Zaida. Comparison of Body Composition by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Hispanic Diabetics.  International Journal of Body Composition Research. 8: 45-50. 2010.

5. Almaguel FG, Liu JW, Pacheco FJ, De Leon D, Casiano CA, De Leon M. Lipotoxicity-mediated cell dysfunction and death involve lysosomal membrane permeabilization and cathepsin L activity. Brain Research 1318C:133-143. 2010.

6. E. Ojo, L Beeson, E. Shulz, A. Firek, M De Leon, H. Balcazar and Z. Cordero-McIntyere. Effect of the EnBalance, a cultural and language-sensitive diabetes education program, on dietary changes and plasma lipid profile in Hispanic diabetics. International Journal of Body Composition 8:S69-76. 2010.

7. Ralph M. Peterson1, Larry Beeson1, Eloy Shulz, Anthony Firek, Marino De Leon, Hector Balcazar, Serena Tonstad, and Zaida R. Cordero-MacIntyre. Impacting obesity and glycemic control using a culturally-sensitive diabetes education program in Hispanic patients with type 2 diabetes.  International Journal of Body Composition Research 8:87-96. 2010

8. Melanie Mediavilla-Varela, Fabio J Pacheco, Frankis Almaguel, Jossymar Perez, Eva Sahakian, Tracy R Daniels, Nathan R Wall, Michael B Lilly, Marino De Leon and Carlos A Casiano. Docetaxel-induced prostate cancer cell death involves concomitant activation of caspase and lysosomal pathways and is attenuated by LEDGF/p75. Molecular Cancer 8:68 2009.

9. Khan S, Aspe JR, Asumen MG, Almaguel F, Odumosu O, Acevedo-Martinez S, De Leon M, Langridge WH, Wall NR. Extracellular, cell-permeable surviving inhibits apoptosis while promoting proliferative and metastatic potential. Br J Cancer 100(7):1073-86, 2009.

 10. Almaguel FG, Liu J-W, Pacheco FJ, Casiano CA and Marino De Leon. Activation and reversal of lipotoxicity in PC12 and rat cortical cells following exposure to palmitic acid. Journal of Neuroscience Research. 87:1207-1218. 2009.

11. Metghalchi S, Rivera M, Beeson L, Firek, A, De Leon M, Balcazar H, Cordero-Macintyere, ZR. Improved clinical outcomes using a culturally sensitive diabetes education program in a Hispanic population. The Diabetes Educ 34:698-706, 2008.

12. Liu J-W, Almaguel FG, Bu L, De Leon DD, De Leon M. Expression of E-FABP in PC12 cells increases neurite extension during differentiation: involvement of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. Journal of Neurochem. 1006(5):2015-2029. 2008.

13. Sing KS, Moretta D, Almaguel F, Wall NR, De Leon M, De Leon, Daisy D. Differential effect of proIGF-II and IGF-II on resveratrol induced cell death by regulating surviving cellular localization and mitochondrial depolarization in breast cancer cells. Growth Factors 25(6): 363-372, 2008.

14. Singh KS, Moretta D, Almaguel F, De Leon M, De Leon DD. Precursor Igf-II (Proigf-II) and Mature Igf-II (MIgf-II) Induce Bcl-2 And Bcl-x(l) Expression Through Different Signalling Pathways In Breast Cancer Cells. Growth Factors 26(2): 92-103, 2008.

15. Ulloth JE, Almaguel FG, Padilla A, Bu L, Liu JW, De Leon M. Characterization of methyl-beta-Cyclodextrin toxicity in NGF-differentiated PC12 cell death. Neurotoxicology: 28:613-621, 2007.

16. Chang Y, Edeen K, Lu X, De Leon, M, and Mason RJ. Keratinocyte growth factor induces lipogenesis in alveolar type II cells through a sterol regulatory element binding protein-ic-dependent pathway. 2006. American Journal Cell Molecular Biology 35: 268-274.

17. Allen, GA, Denes B, Fodor I., and De Leon M. Vaccinia virus infection & gene transduction in cultured neurons. 2005. Microbes and Infection 7:1087-1096.

18. Ulloth JE, Casiano CA, and De Leon M. Palmitic and Stearic Fatty Acids Induce Caspase Dependent and Independent Cell Death in Nerve Growth Factor Differentiated PC12 Cells. 2003. Journal of Neurochemistry 84: 655-668.

19. Allen GW, Liu J-W, Kirby MA and De Leon M. Induction and axonal localization of E-FABP in retinal Ganglion cells is associated with axonal growth and regeneration. 2001 Journal of Neuroscience Research 66: 396-400.

20. Allen GW, Liu J-W and De Leon M. Depletion of a fatty acid-binding protein impairs neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. 2000. Molecular Brain Research 29: 315-324.

21. Liu Y, Longo LD and De Leon M. In situ and immunocytochemical localization of E-FABP mRNA and protein during neuronal migration and differentiation in rat brain. 1999. Brain Research 852: 16-27.

22. Liu Y, Molina CA, Welcher AA, Longo LD, and De Leon M. Expression of DA11, a neuronal-injury induced fatty acid binding protein, coincides with axon growth and neuronal differentiation during central nervous system development. 1997. Journal of Neuroscience Research 48:551-562.

23. De Leon M, Welcher AA, Nahin RH, Liu Y, Ruda MA, Shooter EM and Molina CA. Fatty acid binding protein is induced in neurons of the dorsal root ganglia after peripheral nerve injury. 1996. Journal of Neuroscience Research 44: 283-292.