UCSF Neurological Surgery faculty since 2006
 
The broad-based objectives of my laboratory's research are to increase our understanding of the molecular biology underlying the development of central nervous system cancer, and to apply this knowledge towards improved outcomes for brain tumor patients. Within this all-inclusive framework, the laboratory has maintained focus on two specific areas of neuro-oncology research:
 
Analysis of mutant epidermal growth factor receptors in malignant gliomas. In addition to its amplification, the EGFR gene is frequently mutated in malignant gliomas. These mutations result in two classes of aberrant receptor: those having extracellular domain alterations (deletion or missense) and those having deletions of intracellular domain sequences. The functional and biological consequences of these mutations have been and continue to be subjects of research interest for the laboratory.
 
Rodent model testing of experimental therapies. The number of anti-cancer therapeutics, combination therapies, and therapy regimen variations to consider for use in the treatment of cancer patients is already substantial and is rapidly increasing. A necessary intermediate between cell culture assessment of therapy activity and assessment of patient benefit through clinical trials involves therapeutic testing in animal models. The laboratory has established an intracranial xenograft panel approach for pre-clinical testing of malignant glioma candidate therapies, and it is our goal to adapt this system for high throughput therapy screening that will, in turn, expedite the identification of the most promising approaches for treating patients. With respect to this goal, we are extensively utilizing and evaluating bioluminescence imaging for its full range of application.
 
Selected Professional Memberships and Appointments
American Association for Cancer Research
Society for Neuro-Oncology
Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States
Member, Scientific Advisory Council, Brain Tumor Society
Editorial Board, Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology
Editorial Board, Clinical Cancer Research
Senior Editor, Neuro-Oncology
 
Contact
 
Contact: C. David James, PhD
Department of Neurological Surgery
University of California, San Francisco
513 Parnassus Ave., Rm. HSW 792
San Francisco, CA 94143-0520
Phone: (415) 476-5876
 
Selected Recent Publications
 
Chi JH, Panner A, Cachola K, Crane CA, Murray J, Pieper RO, James CD, Parsa AT. Increased expression of the glioma-associated antigen ARF4L after loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN. J Neurosurg 2008;108(2):299-303.
 
McAvoy S, Ganapathiraju S, Perez DS, James CD, Smith DI. DMD and IL1RAPL1: two large adjacent genes localized within a common fragile site (FRAXC) have reduced expression in cultured brain tumors. Cytogenet Genome Res 2007;119(3-4):196-203.
 
Baia GS, Dinca EB, Ozawa T, Kimura ET, McDermott MW, James CD, Vandenberg SR, Lal A. An Orthotopic Skull Base Model of Malignant Meningioma. Brain Pathol. 2007; [Epub ahead of print].
 
Liu C, Sarkaria JN, Petell CA, Paraskevakou G, Zollman PJ, Schroeder M, Carlson B, Decker PA, Wu W, James CD, Russell SJ, Galanis E. Combination of measles virus virotherapy and radiation therapy has synergistic activity in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. Clin Cancer Res 2007;13(23):7155-65.
 
McAvoy S, Ganapathiraju SC, Ducharme-Smith AL, Pritchett JR, Kosari F, Perez DS, Zhu Y, James CD, Smith DI. Non-random inactivation of large common fragile site genes in different cancers. Cytogenet Genome Res 2007;118(2-4):260-9.
 
Dinca EB, Sarkaria JN, Schroeder MA, Carlson BL, Voicu R, Gupta N, Berger MS, James CD. Bioluminescence monitoring of intracranial glioblastoma xenograft: response to primary and salvage temozolomide therapy. J Neurosurg 2007;107(3):610-6.
 
Pelloski CE, Ballman KV, Furth AF, Zhang L, Lin E, Sulman EP, Bhat K, McDonald JM, Yung WK, Colman H, Woo SY, Heimberger AB, Suki D, Prados MD, Chang SM, Barker FG 2nd, Buckner JC, James CD, Aldape K. Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III status defines clinically distinct subtypes of glioblastoma. J Clin Oncol 2007;25(16):2288-94.
 
Sarkaria JN, Yang L, Grogan PT, Kitange GJ, Carlson BL, Schroeder MA, Galanis E, Giannini C, Wu W, Dinca EB, James CD. Identification of molecular characteristics correlated with glioblastoma sensitivity to EGFR kinase inhibition through use of an intracranial xenograft test panel. Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(3):1167-74.
 
Yung WK, James CD. Mapping the future of Neuro-Oncology. Neuro Oncol 2007;9(1):1-2.
 
Sarkaria JN, Carlson BL, Schroeder MA, Grogan P, Brown PD, Giannini C, Ballman KV, Kitange GJ, Guha A, Pandita A, James CD. Use of an orthotopic xenograft model for assessing the effect of epidermal growth factor receptor amplification on glioblastoma radiation response. Clin Cancer Res 2006;12(7 Pt 1):2264-71.
 
Pollack IF, Hamilton RL, James CD, Finkelstein SD, Burnham J, Yates AJ, Holmes EJ, Zhou T, Finlay JL; Children's Oncology Group. Rarity of PTEN deletions and EGFR amplification in malignant gliomas of childhood: results from the Children's Cancer Group 945 cohort. J Neurosurg 2006;105(5 Suppl):418-24.
 
Paraskevakou G, Allen C, Nakamura T, Zollman P, James CD, Peng KW, Schroeder M, Russell SJ, Galanis E. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-retargeted measles virus strains effectively target EGFR- or EGFRvIII expressing gliomas. Mol Ther 2007;15(4):677-86.
 
Nakamura T, Peng KW, Harvey M, Greiner S, Lorimer IA, James CD, Russell SJ. Rescue and propagation of fully retargeted oncolytic measles viruses. Nat Biotechnol 2005;23(2):209-14.
 
Giannini C, Sarkaria JN, Saito A, Uhm JH, Galanis E, Carlson BL, Schroeder MA, James CD. Patient tumor EGFR and PDGFRA gene amplifications retained in an invasive intracranial xenograft model of glioblastoma multiforme. Neuro-oncol 2005;7(2):164-76.