Department of microbiology and molecular genetics

Faculty profile

• University of Oregon, Eugene, 1966
• MS - University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, Portland, 1971
• PhD - Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, 1978
• Current research interests
• Recent publications
• Teaching

Current research interests

My PhD research was performed in the laboratory of Robert L. Nutter, PhD of the Department of Microbiology at Loma Linda University. It involved analyses of the effects of time and dietary factors on the immune status of rodents with progressively growing herpes simplex virus type 2-transformed tumors. During a sabbatical in the laboratory of Alan L. Epstein, MD, PhD, at the University of Southern California (USC), I participated in cancer immunotherapy studies that entailed designing oligonucleotides encoding immunoglobulin-cytokine sequences. My major focus at Loma Linda has been to evaluate and help develop new treatment strategies for cancer. The data generated in our studies has been presented at national and international scientific meetings and has resulted in a number of publications in scientific journals. I have served as the major professor for seven graduate students. Two of them went on to receive the MD degree and are currently employed as specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, one is working at a biomedical drug company in her homeland of India, one is pursuing research in radiation-cancer studies as a Research Associate at Loma Linda, one is working toward an advanced degree at a research center in Boston, one is performing research in a hospital setting, and one is employed in a gene radioimmunotherapy cancer research program. A post-doctoral student from a large university/medical center in South Korea spent a year and a radiation oncology resident is now performing a research rotation in my laboratory. I am currently mentoring three graduate students, two are working toward a PhD and one toward a combined MD/PhD degree.

Cancer remains a formidable challenge, in spite of improvements made by the three major treatment modalities (radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy). Approximately 1.3 million new cases are diagnosed and more that 560,000 individuals die from the disease each year in the United States alone. Recent advances in genetic engineering, radiation delivery, and our understanding of antitumor immunological mechanisms have greatly increased the possibility for curing cancers that heretofore have been refractory to conventional therapies. In collaboration with James M. Slater, MD, FACR (chair, radiation oncology) and investigators at the Center for Molecular Biology and Gene Therapy at Loma Linda, we are developing preclinical models in which combined proton radiation and gene therapy can be evaluated and optimized. The tumor systems being studied include a highly aggressive glioma (brain tumor), and human prostate, breast, and colon tumors growing as xenografts in athymic rodents. The hope is that the data generated from these investigations will help refine therapeutic protocols for maximum benefit and safety. Furthermore, in conjunction with Dr. Slater and Gregory A. Nelson , PhD (director of the radiobiology program) we are embarking on immunological and other studies of proton radiation effects that are important to astronauts on extended voyages in space. The initiation and promotion of cancer growth after whole-body exposure to proton and other forms of radiation is of especially great concern. These latter studies involve collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Recent publications

Click on the symbol beside the reference to read the corresponding abstract.

Kajioka, E.H., Gheorghe, C., Li, J., Andres, M.L., Folz-Holbeck J., Abell, G.A., Slater, J.M., Nelson, GA, and Gridley, D.S. Effects of whole-body proton and gamma irradiation on lymphocyte populations and acute response to antigen. Int. J. Radiat. Biol. (In review, 1999).

Baher, A.G., Andres, ML, Folz-Holbeck, J., Cao, J.D., and Gridley, D.S. A model using radiation and plasmid-mediated tumor necrosis factor-agene therapy for treatment of glioblastoma. Anticancer Res. (In press, 1999).

Timiryasova, T.M., Li, J., Chen, B. Chong, D., Langridge, W.H.R., Gridley, D.S., and Fodor, I. 1999 Antitumor effect of vaccinia virus in glioma model. Oncol. Res. 11:133-144.

Li J., Andres, ML, Fodor, I., Nelson, GA, and Gridley, D.S. 1999. Evaluation of pGL1-TNF-a therapy in combination with radiation. Oncol Res. 10:379-387.

Gridley, D.S., Andres, ML, Li, J., Timiryasova, T., Chen B., and Fodor, I. 1998. Evaluation of radiation effects against C6 glioma in combination with vaccinia virus-p53 gene therapy. Int. J. Oncol. 13:1093-1098.

Gridley, D.S., Loredo, L.N., Slater, JD, Archambeau, J.O., Bedros, A.A., and Slater, J.M. 1998. Pilot Evaluation of cytokines in patients undergoing radiotherapy for brain tumor. Cancer Detect. Prevent. 22:20-29.

Gridley, D.S., Andres, M.L., Garner, C., Mao, X.W., and Slater, J.M. 1997. Evaluation of tumor necrosis factor-a and radiation effects in a human lung tumor xenograft model. Oncology Research 8:485-495.

Gridley, D.S., Andres, M.L., and Slater, J.M. 1997. Enhancement of prostate cancer xenograft growth with whole-body radiation and vascular endothelial growth factor. Anticancer Research 17:923-928.

Gridley, D.S. 1996. The role of cytokines in radiation therapy for cancer (Review). Cancer Journal 9:236-242.

Gridley, D.S., Slater, J.D., Yonemoto, L., Miller, D.W., Rossi, C., Archambeau, J.O., and Slater, J.M. 1996. Pilot study of cytokine profiles in prostate cancer patients undergoing proton or conventional radiotherapy. International Journal of Oncology. 8:175-181.

Gridley, D.S., MacKensen, D.G., Slater, J.B., Moyers, M.F., and Slater, J.M. 1995. Effects of proton irradiation on radiolabeled monoclonal antibody uptake in human colon tumor xenografts. Journal of Immunotherapy 17:229-237.

Teaching

MICR 511 Medical Microbiology
MICR 520 Basic Immunology

School of Medicine - Graduate School - Loma Linda University

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