Back to Main

Faculty Detail     Name GREGORY ADAM CLINES MD, PhD   Campus Address BDB 730 Zip 0012 Phone 205-934-4187 E-mail clines@uab.edu Other websites

Education Medical School  University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas    1999  MD  Graduate  University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas    1999  PhD  Residency  Duke University Medical Center    2002  Internal Medicine  Fellowship  University of Virginia    2005  Endocrinology

Certifications American Board of Internal Medicine  2002, 2012  American Board of Internal Medicine, Subspecialty Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism  2005

Faculty Appointment(s) Appointment Type Department Division Rank Primary  Medicine  Med - Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Assistant Professor Secondary  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology Assistant Professor Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Assistant Professor Center  Cystic Fibrosis Research Center  Cystic Fibrosis Research Center Assistant Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations Cancer Biology  Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine

Society Memberships Organization Name Position Held Org Link American Society of Bone and Mineral Research      Endocrine Society

Research/Clinical Interest Title Mechanisms of osteoblast dysfunction Description Bone undergoes continuous remodeling that is coordinated by the bone forming osteoblasts and the bone resorbing osteoclasts. Diseases such as bone metastasis, a devastating complication of breast and prostate cancer, disrupt bone remodeling and increase fracture risk. My laboratory investigates how the metastasis of tumor cells to bone alters the bone microenvironment and how factors secreted by the osteoblast provide an environment for tumor cells to flourish. We have found that DKK1, an inhibitor of Wnt signaling secreted by both cancer cells and osteoblasts, is inversely related to osteoblast activity in bone metastasis. Using animal models of bone metastasis, we are investigating mechanisms of DKK1 regulation by osteoblasts and cancer cells themselves. Understanding the role of DKK1 and other modulators of Wnt signaling will facilitate the development of novel therapies to prevent and treat bone metastasis. Another research focus of the laboratory is uncovering mechanisms of altered bone homeostasis in cystic fibrosis (CF). CF-related bone disease is associated with reduced bone mineral density, increased fracture risk, reduced bone formation and enhanced osteoclastic bone resorption. We have discovered that Cftr, the gene mutated in CF, is expressed principally in the osteoblast in bone and that inactivation of this gene delays osteoblast differentiation and downregulates Wnt signaling. The future goals of this project are to better define the osteoblast signaling pathways regulated by CFTR, determine CFTR interacting partners in the osteoblast, and develop animal models of CF bone disease.

Selected Publications  Publication PUBMEDID Grunda JM, Wang D, Clines GA. Identification and characterization of novel murine models of medulloblastoma skeletal metastasis. Clinical & Experimental Metastasis, In press, 2013.  23494821  Clines GA. Mechanisms and treatment of hypercalcemia of malignancy. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity 18: 339-346, 2011  21897221  Clines GA, Mohammad KS, Grunda JM, Clines KL, Niewolna M, McKenna CR, McKibbin CR, Yanagisawa M, Suva LJ, Chirgwin JM, Guise TA. Regulation of postnatal bone formation by the osteoblast endothelin A receptor. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 26: 2523-2536, 2011.  21698666  Clines, GA. Prospects for osteoprogenitor stem cells in fracture repair and osteoporosis. Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation 15: 73-78, 2010  19935065

Keywords Bone biology, osteoblast, bone metastasis, cystic fibrosis

© 2008 University of Alabama at Birmingham. All rights reserved. DisclaimerAbout this SiteGraphic Design Created by UAB Web Communications.
Calendar Designed by Medical Education Information Services. To report problems with the site, email us at meis@uab.edu. Last Revision: February 15, 2012.
The UAB School of Medicine Mailing Address: 1530 3rd Avenue South, FOT 1203, Birmingham AL 35294-3412