David L. Gillespie

David L. Gillespie, PhD, BS

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Neurosurgery

I am a molecular biologist with 20 years’ experience in brain cancer research. I have a long publication record of successfully developing intracranial tumor models in rats and mice. I have a specific research interest in the role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) in malignant brain tumor angiogenesis and growth, but also a broader interest in brain tumor angiogenesis and biology, and in developing novel imaging modalities and treatments for both benign and malignant tumors.

Education History

Undergraduate University of Oklahoma
 BS
Doctoral Training University of New Mexico
 PhD
Postdoctoral Fellowship University of Utah
 Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellowship University of Utah
 Postdoctoral Fellow
Research Fellow University of Utah
 Research Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Yinni Yu, Steve Blair, David Gillespie, Randy Jensen, David G. Myszka, Ahmed H.Badran, Indraneel Ghosh, and Alexander Chagovetz (2010 June 15). Direct DNA Methylation Profiling Using Methyl Binding Domain Proteins. Anal Chem, 82(12), 5012¿5019.
  2. Wang XL, Thanh N, Gillespie D, Jensen R, Lu ZR (2007). A novel multifunctional and reversibly polymerizable carrier for efficient siRNA delivery. Biomaterials, 29(1), 12-22.
  3. Gillespie DL, Flynn JR, Ragel BT, Arce-Larreta M, Kelly DA, Tripp SR, Jensen R (2008). Silencing of HIF-1a by RNA interference in human glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 487, 283-301.
  4. Flynn JR, Wang L, Gillespie DL, Stoddard GJ, Reid JK, Owens J, Ellsworth GB, Salzman KL, Kinney AY, Jensen R (2008). Hypoxia-regulated protein expression, patient characteristics, and preoperative imaging as predictors of survival in adults with glioblastoma multiforme. Cancer, 113(5), 1032-1042.
  5. Ragel B, Jensen RL, Gillespie DL, Prescott SM, Couldwell W (2007). Celecoxib inhibits meningioma tumor growth in the mouse xenograft model. Cancer, 109(3), 588-597.
  6. Jensen RL, Ragel BT, Whang K, Gillespie (2006). Inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) decreases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and tumor growth in malignant gliomas. Journal of neuro-oncology, 78(3), 233-47.
  7. James K Liu, Smruti K Patel, David L Gillespie, Kum Whang, William T Couldwel (2011). R-flurbiprofen, a novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, decreases cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in pituitary adenoma cells in vitro. Journal of neuro-oncology, 106(3)(56), 1-9.
  8. Ragel BT, Jensen RL, Gillespie DL, Prescott SM, Couldwell W (2005). Ubiquitous expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in meningiomas and decrease in cell growth following in vitro treatment with the inhibitor celecoxib: potential therapeutic application. Journal of neurosurgery, 103(3), 508-17. (Read full article)
  9. Ragel BT, Elam IL, Gillespie DL, Flynn JR, Kelly DA, Mabey D, Feng H, Couldwell WT, Jensen R (2008). A novel model of intracranial meningioma in mice using luciferase-expressing meningioma cells. Laboratory investigation. Journal of neurosurgery, 108(2), 304-310.
  10. Jensen RL, Gillespie D, House P, Layfield L, Shelton (2004). Endolymphatic sac tumors in patients with and without von Hippel-Lindau disease: the role of genetic mutation, von Hippel-Lindau protein, and hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha expression. Journal of neurosurgery, 100(3), 488-97.
  11. Ragel BT, Couldwell WT, Gillespie DL, Jensen R (2007). Identification of hypoxia-induced genes in a malignant glioma cell line (U-251) by cDNA microarray analysis. Neurosurgical review, 30(3), 181-7; discussion 187. (Read full article)
  12. Ragel BT, Gillespie DL, Kushnir V, Polevaya N, Kelly D, Jensen R (2006). Calcium channel antagonists augment hydroxyurea and RU486-induced inhibition of meningioma growth in vivo and in vitro. Neurosurgery, 59(5), 1109-1121.
  13. Towner RA, Jensen RL, Colman H, Vaillant B, Smith N, Casteel R, Saunders D, Gillespie DL, Silasi-Mansat R, Lupu F, Giles CB, Wren JD (2012). ELTD1, A Potential New Biomarker for Gliomas. Neurosurgery,
  14. Ragel BT, Couldwell WT, Gillespie DL, Wendland MM, Whang K, Jensen R (2008). A comparison of the cell lines used in meningioma research. Surgical neurology, 70, 295–307.
  15. Gillespie DL, Whang K, Ragel BT, Flynn JR, Kelly DA, Jensen R (2007). Silencing of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha by RNA interference attenuates human glioma cell growth in vivo. Clinical cancer research, 13(8), 2441-8. (Read full article)
  16. Towner RA, Gillespie DL, Schwager A, Saunders DG, Smith N, Njoku CE, Krysiak RS 3rd, Larabee C, Iqbal H, Floyd RA, Bourne DW, Abdullah O, Hsu EW, Jensen RL (2013). Regression of glioma tumor growth in F98 and U87 rat glioma models by the Nitrone OKN-007. Neuro-oncology,
  17. Wang XL, Xu R, Xu X, Gillespie D, Jensen RL, Lu Z (2009). Targeted systemic delivery of a therapeutic siRNA with a multifunctional carrier controls tumor proliferation in mice. Molecular pharmaceutics, 6(3), 738-746.
  18. Tiburcio PDB, Gillespie DL, Jensen RL, Huang L (2020). Extracellular glutamate and IDH1(R132H) inhibitor promote glioma growth by boosting redox potential. Journal of neuro-oncology, 146(3), 427-437. (Read full article)
  19. Tiburcio PDB, Xiao B, Chai Y, Asper S, Tripp SR, Gillespie DL, Jensen RL, Huang L (2018). IDH1(R132H) is intrinsically tumor-suppressive but functionally attenuated by the glutamate-rich cerebral environment. Oncotarget, 9(80), 35100-35113. (Read full article)
  20. Karsy M, Gillespie DL, Horn KP, Burrell LD, Yap JT, Jensen R (2018). Correlation of Glioma Proliferation and Hypoxia by Luciferase, Magnetic Resonance, and Positron Emission Tomography Imaging. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 1742, 301-320. (Read full article)
  21. Karsy M, Hoang N, Barth T, Burt L, Dunson W, Gillespie DL, Jensen R (2016). Combined Hydroxyurea and Verapamil in the Clinical Treatment of Refractory Meningioma: Human and Orthotopic Xenograft Studies. World neurosurgery, 86, 210-9. (Read full article)
  22. de Souza PC, Balasubramanian K, Njoku C, Smith N, Gillespie DL, Schwager A, Abdullah O, Ritchey JW, Fung KM, Saunders D, Jensen RL, Towner R (2015). OKN-007 decreases tumor necrosis and tumor cell proliferation and increases apoptosis in a preclinical F98 rat glioma model. Journal of magnetic resonance imaging, 42(6), 1582-91. (Read full article)
  23. Choi H, Gillespie DL, Berg S, Rice C, Couldwell S, Gu J, Colman H, Jensen RL, Huang L (2015). Intermittent induction of HIF-1¿ produces lasting effects on malignant progression independent of its continued expression. PloS one, 10(4), e0125125. (Read full article)
  24. Ragel BT, Jensen RL, Gillespie DL, Prescott SM, Couldwell W (2007). Celecoxib inhibits meningioma tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model. Cancer, 109(3), 588-97. (Read full article)
  25. Ragel BT, Gillespie DL, Kushnir V, Polevaya N, Kelly D, Jensen R (2006). Calcium channel antagonists augment hydroxyurea- and ru486-induced inhibition of meningioma growth in vivo and in vitro. Neurosurgery, 59(5), 1109-20; discussion 1120-1. (Read full article)
  26. Xia W, Need E, Schiavone C, Singh N, Huang J, Goff M, Cave J, Gillespie DL, Jensen RL, Pagel MD, Dogra P, Shi S, Goel (2025). Image-guided targeting of mitochondrial metabolism sensitizes pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumors to low-dose radiotherapy. Science advances, 11(21), eadv2930. (Read full article)