Robert James Griffin, PhD

Research Program: Cancer Therapeutics Faculty Rank: Professor Campus: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College: College of Medicine Department: Radiation Oncology

Cancer Research Interest

• Disease Site Focus: Brain, Breast, Cutaneous/Melanoma, Head and Neck, Thoracic/ Lung
• Research Focus Area: Treatment
• Type of Research: Basic
• Research Interest Statement: Robert J. Griffin, PhD, is a Professor of radiation and cancer biology in the Department of Radiation Oncology with over 25 years of experience as a radiation biologist. Much of his work has been studying the interactions of normal and tumor microvasculature with tumor cells, blood flow, hypoxia and the general tumor microenvironment and using various nanomaterials (e.g., nanoliposomes and various nanomedicines) for targeted delivery to the tumor vasculature and improvement of responses to radiation, thermal treatment, or chemotherapy. He has a number of recent publications on a gold-cytokine nanoparticles to target the tumor microenvironment and can be used as a light-activated nanodrug. He has published nearly 140 peer-reviewed articles on the biology of high dose and targeted radiation strategies for solid tumors. Additional interests are in anti-angiogenic/vascular biology of myeloma and breast cancer metastasis models and the development of PET imaging or photoacoustic detection of targeted drug delivery to these cancers.

Contact Information

• Email Address: RJGRIFFIN@UAMS.EDU
• Profiles Research Networking Software: View Profile

Active Grants

• NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute – 1R01CA245083
  “Improvement of cellular immunotherapy during dysbi”
  Co-Investigator
  09/15/21 – 08/31/26
• National Aeronautics & Space Administration – 80NSSC21M0323
  “Preventing immune system dysregulation during deep”
  Co-Investigator
  08/15/21 – 08/14/24

Publications

• Kore RA, Jenkins SV, Jamshidi-Parsian A, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Proteomic analysis of transcription factors involved in the alteration of ischemic mouse heart as modulated by MSC exosomes. Biochemistry and biophysics reports. 2023 34:101463. PMID: 37125076. PMCID: PMC10130341.
• Stolarz AJ, Chhetri BP, Borrelli MJ, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Liposome Formulation for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery Using Radiation Therapy. International journal of molecular sciences. 2022 23(19). PMID: 36232973. PMCID: PMC9569741.
• Amendola BE, Mahadevan A, Blanco Suarez JM, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. An International Consensus on the Design of Prospective Clinical-Translational Trials in Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy for Advanced Gynecologic Cancer. Cancers. 2022 14(17). PMID: 36077802. PMCID: PMC9454841.
• Song CW, Kim H, Cho H, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. HIF-1? Inhibition Improves Anti-Tumor Immunity and Promotes the Efficacy of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR). Cancers. 2022 14(13). PMID: 35805044. PMCID: PMC9265101.
• Kore RA, Henson JC, Hamzah RN, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Author Correction: Molecular events in MSC exosome mediated cytoprotection in cardiomyocytes. Scientific reports. 2022 12(1):7874. PMID: 35551219. PMCID: PMC9098878.
• Macchi S, Jalihal A, Hooshmand N, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Enhanced photothermal heating and combination therapy of NIR dye via conversion to self-assembled ionic nanomaterials. Journal of materials chemistry. B. 2022 10(5):806-816. PMID: 35043823. PMCID: PMC8928910.
• Zubair M, Hamzah R, Griffin R, Ali N. Identification and functional characterization of multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatase1 (Minpp1) isoform-2 in exosomes with potential to modulate tumor microenvironment. PloS one. 2022 17(3):e0264451. PMID: 35235602. PMCID: PMC8890658.
• Zhang X, Griffin RJ, Galhardo EP, Penagaricano J. Feasibility Study of 3D-VMAT-Based GRID Therapy. Technology in cancer research & treatment. 2022 21:15330338221086420. PMID: 35289202. PMCID: PMC8928354.
• Dagtas S, Griffin RJ. Nigella sativa extract kills pre-malignant and malignant oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Journal of herbal medicine. 2021 29. PMID: 34485026. PMCID: PMC8415487.
• McDonald JT, Enguita FJ, Taylor D, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Role of miR-2392 in driving SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cell reports. 2021:109839. PMID: 34624208. PMCID: PMC8481092.
• Hamzah RN, Alghazali KM, Biris AS, Griffin RJ. Exosome Traceability and Cell Source Dependence on Composition and Cell-Cell Cross Talk. International journal of molecular sciences. 2021 22(10). PMID: 34069542. PMCID: PMC8161017.
• Abraham EH, Guidotti G, Rapaport E, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Cystic fibrosis improves COVID-19 survival and provides clues for treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Purinergic signalling. 2021. PMID: 33970408. PMCID: PMC8107773.
• Jung S, Harris N, Niyonshuti II, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Photothermal Response Induced by Nanocage-Coated Artificial Extracellular Matrix Promotes Neural Stem Cell Differentiation. Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland). 2021 11(5). PMID: 34064443. PMCID: PMC8147862.
• McDonald JT, Enguita FJ, Taylor D, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. The Great Deceiver: miR-2392's Hidden Role in Driving SARS-CoV-2 Infection. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology. 2021. PMID: 33948587. PMCID: PMC8095194.
• Jenkins SV, Alimohammadi M, Terry AS, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Dysbiotic stress increases the sensitivity of the tumor vasculature to radiotherapy and c-Met inhibitors. Angiogenesis. 2021. PMID: 33629198. PMCID: PMC8295215.
• Sadhukhan R, Majumdar D, Garg S, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Simultaneous exposure to chronic irradiation and simulated microgravity differentially alters immune cell phenotype in mouse thymus and spleen. Life sciences in space research. 2021 28:66-73. PMID: 33612181. PMCID: PMC7900614.
• Kore RA, Wang X, Ding Z, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. MSC exosome-mediated cardioprotection in ischemic mouse heart comparative proteomics of infarct and peri-infarct areas. Molecular and cellular biochemistry. 2021. PMID: 33423165. PMCID: PMC8186026.
• Pakniyat F, Nedaie HA, Mozdarani H, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Enhanced response of radioresistant carcinoma cell line to heterogeneous dose distribution of grid; the role of high-dose bystander effect. International journal of radiation biology. 2020 96(12):1585-1596. PMID: 33074047.
• Johnsrud AJ, Jenkins SV, Jamshidi-Parsian A, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Evidence for Early Stage Anti-Tumor Immunity Elicited by Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy-Immunotherapy Combinations. Radiation research. 2020 194(6):688-697. PMID: 33348372. PMCID: PMC8008989.
• Zhang H, Wu X, Zhang X, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Photon GRID Radiation Therapy: A Physics and Dosimetry White Paper from the Radiosurgery Society (RSS) GRID/LATTICE, Microbeam and FLASH Radiotherapy Working Group. Radiation research. 2020 194(6):665-677. PMID: 33348375.
• Dadgar S, Troncoso JR, Siegel ER, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Spectroscopic investigation of radiation-induced reoxygenation in radiation-resistant tumors. Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.). 2020 23(1):49-57. PMID: 33220616. PMCID: PMC7683290.
• Zhang H, Wu X, Zhang X, [et al., including Griffin R]. Photon GRID Radiation Therapy: A Physics and Dosimetry White Paper from the Radiosurgery Society (RSS) GRID-Lattice-Microbeam-FLASH Radiotherapy Working Group. Radiation research. 2020. PMID: 33064818.
• Wu X, Perez N, Zheng Y, [et al., including Griffin R]. The Technical and Clinical Implementation of LATTICE Radiation Therapy (LRT). Radiation research. 2020. PMID: 33064814.
• Griffin RJ, Limoli CL, Simone CB. Radiation Research Special Issue: New Beam Delivery Modalities are Shaping the Future of Radiotherapy. Radiation research. 2020. PMID: 32926736. PMCID: PMC7855553.
• Griffin RJ, Prise KM, McMahon SJ, [et al.]. History and current perspectives on the biological effects of high-dose spatial fractionation and high dose-rate approaches: GRID, Microbeam & FLASH radiotherapy. The British journal of radiology. 2020 93(1113):20200217. PMID: 32706989. PMCID: PMC7465857.
• Griffin RJ, Ahmed MM, Amendola B, [et al.]. Understanding High-Dose, Ultra-High Dose Rate, and Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics. 2020 107(4):766-778. PMID: 32298811.
• Corry PM, Griffin RJ. A Radiation Mitigator as a Potential Treatment for COVID-19. Radiation research. 2020 193(6):505. PMID: 32352871.
• Miousse IR, Tobacyk J, Quick CM, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Reply to Flugge: the anti-metastatic potential of methionine restriction in melanoma. Carcinogenesis. 2020 41(3):390-391. PMID: 31140558. PMCID: PMC7221500.
• Darrigues E, Nima ZA, Griffin RJ, [et al.]. 3D cultures for modeling nanomaterial-based photothermal therapy. Nanoscale horizons. 2020 5(3):400-430. PMID: 32118219.
• Sharma KD, Schaal D, Kore RA, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Glioma-derived exosomes drive the differentiation of neural stem cells to astrocytes. PloS one. 2020 15(7):e0234614. PMID: 32649728. PMCID: PMC7351166.
• Song CW, Terezakis S, Emami B, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Indirect cell death and the LQ model in SBRT and SRS. Journal of radiosurgery and SBRT. 2020 7(1):1-4. PMID: 32802572. PMCID: PMC7406346.
• Kore RA, Henson JC, Hamzah RN, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Molecular events in MSC exosome mediated cytoprotection in cardiomyocytes. Scientific reports. 2019 9(1):19276. PMID: 31848380. PMCID: PMC6917778.
• Jenkins SV, Robeson MS 2nd, Griffin RJ, [et al.]. Gastrointestinal Tract Dysbiosis Enhances Distal Tumor Progression through Suppression of Leukocyte Trafficking. Cancer research. 2019 79(23):5999-6009. PMID: 31591154. PMCID: PMC6891208.
• Blakely EA, Faddegon B, Tinkle C, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Three discipline collaborative radiation therapy (3DCRT) special debate: The United States needs at least one carbon ion facility. Journal of applied clinical medical physics. 2019 20(11):6-13. PMID: 31573146. PMCID: PMC6839391.
• Song CW, Griffin RJ, Lee YJ, [et al.]. Reoxygenation and Repopulation of Tumor Cells after Ablative Hypofractionated Radiotherapy (SBRT and SRS) in Murine Tumors. Radiation research. 2019 192(2):159-168. PMID: 31188068.
• Alghazali KM, Hamzah RN, Nima ZA, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Plasmonic Nanofactors as Switchable Devices to Promote or Inhibit Neuronal Activity and Function. Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland). 2019 9(7). PMID: 31323847. PMCID: PMC6669654.
• Paidi SK, Diaz PM, Dadgar S, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Label-Free Raman Spectroscopy Reveals Signatures of Radiation Resistance in the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancer research. 2019 79(8):2054-2064. PMID: 30819665. PMCID: PMC6467810.
• Boysen G, Jamshidi-Parsian A, Davis MA, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 increases radiation sensitivity of lung tumor cells and human lung tumor xenografts in mice. International journal of radiation biology. 2019 95(4):436-442. PMID: 30557074. PMCID: PMC6622448.
• Koturbash I, Griffin RJ. Harnessing epigenetics and metabolism to modulate tissue response to radiotherapy. International journal of radiation biology. 2019 95(4):379-381. PMID: 30856046. PMCID: PMC6818243.
• Mohindra P, Sawant A, Griffin RJ, [et al.]. Three discipline collaborative radiation therapy (3DCRT) special debate: I would treat all early-stage NSCLC patients with SBRT. Journal of applied clinical medical physics. 2019 20(3):7-13. PMID: 30793828. PMCID: PMC6414141.
• Jenkins SV, Nedosekin DA, Shaulis BJ, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Enhanced Photothermal Treatment Efficacy and Normal Tissue Protection via Vascular Targeted Gold Nanocages. Nanotheranostics. 2019 3(2):145-155. PMID: 31008023. PMCID: PMC6470343.
• Jenkins SV, Vang KB, Gies A, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Sample storage conditions induce post-collection biases in microbiome profiles. BMC microbiology. 2018 18(1):227. PMID: 30591021. PMCID: PMC6307155.
• Jamshidi-Parsian A, Griffin RJ, Kore RA, [et al.]. Tumor-endothelial cell interaction in an experimental model of human hepatocellular carcinoma. Experimental cell research. 2018 372(1):16-24. PMID: 30205087.
• Vargas I, Alhallak K, Kolenc OI, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Rapid quantification of mitochondrial fractal dimension in individual cells. Biomedical optics express. 2018 9(11):5269-5279. PMID: 30460127. PMCID: PMC6238904.
• Miousse IR, Tobacyk J, Quick CM, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Modulation of dietary methionine intake elicits potent, yet distinct, anticancer effects on primary versus metastatic tumors. Carcinogenesis. 2018 39(9):1117-1126. PMID: 29939201. PMCID: PMC6148987.
• Moore CL, Taylor EM, Ball KK, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Quantitative microinjection using fluorescence calibration of streaming microdroplets on a superhydrophobic surface. Experimental cell research. 2018 370(2):426-433. PMID: 29981341.
• Diaz PM, Jenkins SV, Alhallak K, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Quantitative diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of short-term changes in tumor oxygenation after radiation in a matched model of radiation resistance. Biomedical optics express. 2018 9(8):3794-3804. PMID: 30338156. PMCID: PMC6191608.
• Nowak-Sliwinska P, Alitalo K, Allen E, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Consensus guidelines for the use and interpretation of angiogenesis assays. Angiogenesis. 2018 21(3):425-532. PMID: 29766399. PMCID: PMC6237663.
• Kore RA, Edmondson JL, Jenkins SV, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Hypoxia-derived exosomes induce putative altered pathways in biosynthesis and ion regulatory channels in glioblastoma cells. Biochemistry and biophysics reports. 2018 14:104-113. PMID: 29872742. PMCID: PMC5986551.
• Lee DE, Alhallak K, Jenkins SV, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. A Radiosensitizing Inhibitor of HIF-1 alters the Optical Redox State of Human Lung Cancer Cells In Vitro. Scientific reports. 2018 8(1):8815. PMID: 29891977. PMCID: PMC5995847.
• Kirsch DG, Diehn M, Kesarwala AH, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. The Future of Radiobiology. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2018 110(4):329-340. PMID: 29126306. PMCID: PMC5928778.
• Dings RPM, Miller MC, Griffin RJ, Mayo KH. Galectins as Molecular Targets for Therapeutic Intervention. International journal of molecular sciences. 2018 19(3). PMID: 29562695. PMCID: PMC5877766.
• Jenkins SV, Nedosekin DA, Miller EK, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Galectin-1-based tumour-targeting for gold nanostructure-mediated photothermal therapy. International journal of hyperthermia : the official journal of European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology, North American Hyperthermia Group. 2018 34(1):19-29. PMID: 28540812. PMCID: PMC5872830.
• Miousse IR, Ewing LE, Kutanzi KR, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. DNA Methylation in Radiation-Induced Carcinogenesis: Experimental Evidence and Clinical Perspectives. Critical reviews in oncogenesis. 2018 23(1-2):1-11. PMID: 29953365. PMCID: PMC6369919.
• Koonce NA, Griffin RJ, Dings RPM. Galectin-1 Inhibitor OTX008 Induces Tumor Vessel Normalization and Tumor Growth Inhibition in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Models. International journal of molecular sciences. 2017 18(12). PMID: 29232825. PMCID: PMC5751273.
• Koonce NA, Juratli MA, Cai C, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Real-time monitoring of circulating tumor cell (CTC) release after nanodrug or tumor radiotherapy using in vivo flow cytometry. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. 2017 492(3):507-512. PMID: 28822765. PMCID: PMC5743220.
• Vang KB, Safina I, Darrigues E, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Modifying Dendritic Cell Activation with Plasmonic Nano Vectors. Scientific reports. 2017 7(1):5513. PMID: 28710434. PMCID: PMC5511287.
• Alhallak K, Jenkins SV, Lee DE, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Optical imaging of radiation-induced metabolic changes in radiation-sensitive and resistant cancer cells. Journal of biomedical optics. 2017 22(6):60502. PMID: 28622395. PMCID: PMC5499259.
• Darrigues E, Dantuluri V, Nima ZA, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Raman spectroscopy using plasmonic and carbon-based nanoparticles for cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment guidance. Part 2: Treatment. Drug metabolism reviews. 2017 49(2):253-283. PMID: 28298144.
• Darrigues E, Nima ZA, Majeed W, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Raman spectroscopy using plasmonic and carbon-based nanoparticles for cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment guidance.Part 1: Diagnosis. Drug metabolism reviews. 2017 49(2):212-252. PMID: 28264609.
• Griffin RJ, Dings RPM, Makhoul I. Further rationale for optimal combined modality treatments. Oncotarget. 2017 8(16):25831-25832. PMID: 28415727. PMCID: PMC5432217.
• Sharma S, Narayanasamy G, Przybyla B, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Advanced Small Animal Conformal Radiation Therapy Device. Technology in cancer research & treatment. 2017 16(1):45-56. PMID: 26792490. PMCID: PMC5616115.
• Makhoul I, Todorova VK, Siegel ER, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Germline Genetic Variants in TEK, ANGPT1, ANGPT2, MMP9, FGF2 and VEGFA Are Associated with Pathologic Complete Response to Bevacizumab in Breast Cancer Patients. PloS one. 2017 12(1):e0168550. PMID: 28045923. PMCID: PMC5207665.
• Sharma S, Narayanasamy G, Clarkson R, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Study of Image Qualities From 6D Robot-Based CBCT Imaging System of Small Animal Irradiator. Technology in cancer research & treatment. 2017:1533034617700558. PMID: 28355964. PMCID: PMC5762036.
• Butterworth KT, Ghita M, McMahon SJ, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Modelling responses to spatially fractionated radiation fields using preclinical image-guided radiotherapy. The British journal of radiology. 2017 90(1069):20160485. PMID: 27557131. PMCID: PMC5605025.
• Jenkins SV, Nima ZA, Vang KB, [et al., including Griffin RJ]. Triple-negative breast cancer targeting and killing by EpCAM-directed, plasmonically active nanodrug systems. NPJ precision oncology. 2017 1(1):27. PMID: 29872709. PMCID: PMC5871908.