David L. Gillespie

David L. Gillespie, PhD, BS

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Neurosurgery

Research Interests

  • Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1
  • Hypoxia induced tumorigenesis and angiogenesis
  • Cell Hypoxia
  • Pseudoprogression
  • Meningioma
  • Glioblastoma
  • Warburg Effect

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

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

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Xia W, Goff M, Singh N, Huang J, Gillespie DL, Need E, Jensen R, Pagel MD, Maity A, Shi S, Goel S (2024). Imaging-Guided Metabolic Radiosensitization of Pediatric Rhabdoid Tumors. bioRxiv. (Read full article)
  2. Tiburcio PDB, Gillespie DL, Jensen RL, Huang LE (2020). Extracellular glutamate and IDH1(R132H) inhibitor promote glioma growth by boosting redox potential. J Neurooncol, 146(3), 427-437. (Read full article)
  3. Tiburcio PDB, Xiao B, Chai Y, Asper S, Tripp SR, Gillespie DL, Jensen RL, Huang LE (2018). IDH1(R132H) is intrinsically tumor-suppressive but functionally attenuated by the glutamate-rich cerebral environment. Oncotarget, 9(80), 35100-35113. (Read full article)
  4. Karsy M, Gillespie DL, Horn KP, Burrell LD, Yap JT, Jensen RL (2018). Correlation of Glioma Proliferation and Hypoxia by Luciferase, Magnetic Resonance, and Positron Emission Tomography Imaging. Methods Mol Biol, 1742, 301-320. (Read full article)
  5. Karsy M, Hoang N, Barth T, Burt L, Dunson W, Gillespie DL, Jensen RL (2015). Combined Hydroxyurea and Verapamil in the Clinical Treatment of Refractory Meningioma: Human and Orthotopic Xenograft Studies. World Neurosurg, 86, 210-9. (Read full article)
  6. de Souza PC, Balasubramanian K, Njoku C, Smith N, Gillespie DL, Schwager A, Abdullah O, Ritchey JW, Fung KM, Saunders D, Jensen RL, Towner RA (2015). OKN-007 decreases tumor necrosis and tumor cell proliferation and increases apoptosis in a preclinical F98 rat glioma model. J Magn Reson Imaging, 42(6), 1582-91. (Read full article)
  7. Choi H, Gillespie DL, Berg S, Rice C, Couldwell S, Gu J, Colman H, Jensen RL, Huang LE (2015). Intermittent induction of HIF-1α produces lasting effects on malignant progression independent of its continued expression. PLoS One, 10(4), e0125125. (Read full article)
  8. 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 Mar). Regression of glioma tumor growth in F98 and U87 rat glioma models by the Nitrone OKN-007. Neuro Oncol.
  9. 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 Oct 23). ELTD1, A Potential New Biomarker for Gliomas. Neurosurgery.
  10. James K Liu, Smruti K Patel, David L Gillespie, Kum Whang, William T Couldwell (09/2011). R-flurbiprofen, a novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, decreases cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in pituitary adenoma cells in vitro. J Neurooncol, 106(3)(56), 1-9.
  11. Yinni Yu, Steve Blair, David Gillespie, Randy Jensen, David G Myszka, Ahmed HBadran, Indraneel Ghosh, and Alexander Chagovetz (2010 June 15). Direct DNA Methylation Profiling Using Methyl Binding Domain Proteins. Anal Chem, 82(12), 5012–5019.
  12. Wang XL, Xu R, Xu X, Gillespie D, Jensen RL, Lu ZR (2009). Targeted systemic delivery of a therapeutic siRNA with a multifunctional carrier controls tumor proliferation in mice. Mol Pharm, 6(3), 738-746.
  13. Gillespie DL, Flynn JR, Ragel BT, Arce-Larreta M, Kelly DA, Tripp SR, Jensen RL (2008). Silencing of HIF-1a by RNA interference in human glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods Mol Biol, 487, 283-301.
  14. Flynn JR, Wang L, Gillespie DL, Stoddard GJ, Reid JK, Owens J, Ellsworth GB, Salzman KL, Kinney AY, Jensen RL (2008). Hypoxia-regulated protein expression, patient characteristics, and preoperative imaging as predictors of survival in adults with glioblastoma multiforme. Cancer, 113(5), 1032-1042.
  15. Ragel BT, Couldwell WT, Gillespie DL, Wendland MM, Whang K, Jensen RL (2008). A comparison of the cell lines used in meningioma research. Surg Neurol, 70, 295–307.
  16. Ragel BT, Elam IL, Gillespie DL, Flynn JR, Kelly DA, Mabey D, Feng H, Couldwell WT, Jensen RL (2008). A novel model of intracranial meningioma in mice using luciferase-expressing meningioma cells. Laboratory investigation. J Neurosurg, 108(2), 304-310.
  17. 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.
  18. Ragel BT, Couldwell WT, Gillespie DL, Jensen RL (2007). Identification of hypoxia-induced genes in a malignant glioma cell line (U-251) by cDNA microarray analysis. Neurosurg Rev, 30(3), 181-7; discussion 187. (Read full article)
  19. Gillespie DL, Whang K, Ragel BT, Flynn JR, Kelly DA, Jensen RL (2007). Silencing of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha by RNA interference attenuates human glioma cell growth in vivo. Clin Cancer Res, 13(8), 2441-8. (Read full article)
  20. Ragel BT, Jensen RL, Gillespie DL, Prescott SM, Couldwell WT (2006). Celecoxib inhibits meningioma tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model. Cancer, 109(3), 588-97. (Read full article)
  21. Ragel B, Jensen RL, Gillespie DL, Prescott SM, Couldwell WT (2007). Celecoxib inhibits meningioma tumor growth in the mouse xenograft model. Cancer, 109(3), 588-597.
  22. Ragel BT, Gillespie DL, Kushnir V, Polevaya N, Kelly D, Jensen RL (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)
  23. Ragel BT, Gillespie DL, Kushnir V, Polevaya N, Kelly D, Jensen RL (2006). Calcium channel antagonists augment hydroxyurea and RU486-induced inhibition of meningioma growth in vivo and in vitro. Neurosurgery, 59(5), 1109-1121.
  24. Jensen RL, Ragel BT, Whang K, Gillespie D (2006). Inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) decreases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and tumor growth in malignant gliomas. J Neurooncol, 78(3), 233-47.
  25. Ragel BT, Jensen RL, Gillespie DL, Prescott SM, Couldwell WT (2005). Ubiquitous expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in meningiomas and decrease in cell growth following in vitro treatment with the inhibitor celecoxib: potential therapeutic application. J Neurosurg, 103(3), 508-17. (Read full article)
  26. Jensen RL, Gillespie D, House P, Layfield L, Shelton C (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. J Neurosurg, 100(3), 488-97.