Physicians

Chief, Neuropathology and Surgical Pathology
Director, Anatomic Pathology Services
Director, Brain Tumor Center Tissue Bank

Department / Division
Pathology / Pathology Clinical Services

Address
DUMC 3712
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone
919-684-2533

Office Telephone
919-684-6940

Fax Telephone
919-681-7634

Training

• MD, Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, 1982

Residency

• Anatomic Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, 1983-1985
• Neuropathology, Duke University Medical Center, 1985-1987

Clinical Interests
Surgical and autopsy pathology of the brain, spinal cord, and their coverings, muscle, and nerve. Call 919-684-3648 for nerve-submission protocols.

Research Interests
Brain tumors are diagnosed in more than 20,000 Americans annually.  The most malignant neoplasm, glioblastoma, is also the most common.  Similarly, brain tumors constitute the second most common neoplasm in children of which the medulloblastoma is the most common.  My research is dedicated to bringing molecular advances involved in the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of brain tumors from the bench to clinical application.  My primary interest is in finding markers of prognostic and therapeutic significance in medulloblastoma and adult gliomas. The recent identification of mutations of the IDH1 and IHD2 genes as markers of glioblastomas with good prognosis is now online as a diagnostic test.  Amplification of oncogenes, particularly EGFR, MYCC, and MYCN and losses of genetic material that may include tumor suppressors at loci such as 10q23, 9p21, 1p, 19q, and 6q are being analyzed in adult and childhood brain tumors to identify unusually aggressive neoplasms. We have developed assays for MGMT that allow the identification of high grade gliomas that may respond to alkylating chemotherapy.  We have also developed assays to characterize the activation status of the EGFR second messenger system in order to identify those patients who may benefit from EGFR therapeutic inhibitors.  We are currently working to identify the therapeutic and prognostic significance of cells found in many gliomas that exhibit features of stem cells.

Industry Relationships and Collaborations (What's this?)

This physician (or a member of their immediate family) has a working relationship (i.e. consulting, research, and/or educational services) with the companies listed below. These relations have been reported to the health system leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts.

• Adnexus Therapeutics Inc.

Representative Publications
McLendon RE, Rich JN. Glioblastoma Stem Cells: A Neuropathologist's View. J Oncol. 2011;2011:397195. (2011) Abstract

Adamson DC, Shi Q, Wortham M, Northcott PA, Di C, Duncan CG, Li J, McLendon RE, Bigner DD, Taylor MD, Yan H. OTX2 is critical for the maintenance and progression of Shh-independent medulloblastomas. Cancer Res. 2010 Jan 1;70(1):181-91. (2010) Abstract

Cao Y, Lathia JD, Eyler CE, Wu Q, Li Z, Wang H, McLendon RE, Hjelmeland AB, Rich JN. Erythropoietin Receptor Signaling Through STAT3 Is Required For Glioma Stem Cell Maintenance. Genes Cancer. 2010 Jan 1;1(1):50-61. (2010) Abstract

Hjelmeland AB, Wu Q, Wickman S, Eyler C, Heddleston J, Shi Q, Lathia JD, Macswords J, Lee J, McLendon RE, Rich JN. Targeting A20 decreases glioma stem cell survival and tumor growth. PLoS Biol. 2010 Feb;8(2):e1000319. (2010) Abstract

Kuan CT, Wakiya K, Herndon JE 2nd, Lipp ES, Pegram CN, Riggins GJ, Rasheed A, Szafranski SE, McLendon RE, Wikstrand CJ, Bigner DD. MRP3: a molecular target for human glioblastoma multiforme immunotherapy. BMC Cancer. 2010;10:468. (2010) Abstract

Lathia JD, Gallagher J, Heddleston JM, Wang J, Eyler CE, Macswords J, Wu Q, Vasanji A, McLendon RE, Hjelmeland AB, Rich JN. Integrin alpha 6 regulates glioblastoma stem cells. Cell Stem Cell. 2010 May 7;6(5):421-32. (2010) Abstract

Lopez GY, Reitman ZJ, Solomon D, Waldman T, Bigner DD, McLendon RE, Rosenberg SA, Samuels Y, Yan H. IDH1(R132) mutation identified in one human melanoma metastasis, but not correlated with metastases to the brain. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Jul 30;398(3):585-7. (2010) Abstract

Sampson JH, Heimberger AB, Archer GE, Aldape KD, Friedman AH, Friedman HS, Gilbert MR, Herndon JE 2nd, McLendon RE, Mitchell DA, Reardon DA, Sawaya R, Schmittling RJ, Shi W, Vredenburgh JJ, Bigner DD. Immunologic escape after prolonged progression-free survival with epidermal growth factor receptor variant III peptide vaccination in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Nov 1;28(31):4722-9. (2010) Abstract

Sathornsumetee S, Desjardins A, Vredenburgh JJ, McLendon RE, Marcello J, Herndon JE, Mathe A, Hamilton M, Rich JN, Norfleet JA, Gururangan S, Friedman HS, Reardon DA. Phase II trial of bevacizumab and erlotinib in patients with recurrent malignant glioma. Neuro Oncol. 2010 Dec;12(12):1300-10. (2010) Abstract

Boskovitz A, McLendon RE, Okamura T, Sampson JH, Bigner DD, Zalutsky MR. Treatment of HER2-positive breast carcinomatous meningitis with intrathecal administration of alpha-particle-emitting (211)At-labeled trastuzumab. Nucl Med Biol. 2009 Aug;36(6):659-69. (2009) Abstract

Heddleston JM, Li Z, McLendon RE, Hjelmeland AB, Rich JN. The hypoxic microenvironment maintains glioblastoma stem cells and promotes reprogramming towards a cancer stem cell phenotype. Cell Cycle. 2009 Oct 15;8(20):3274-84. (2009) Abstract

Horbinski C, Dacic S, McLendon RE, Cieply K, Datto M, Brat DJ, Chu CT. Chordoid glioma: a case report and molecular characterization of five cases. Brain Pathol. 2009 Jul;19(3):439-48. (2009) Abstract

Lu Z, Zhou L, Killela P, Rasheed AB, Di C, Poe WE, McLendon RE, Bigner DD, Nicchitta C, Yan H. Glioblastoma proto-oncogene SEC61gamma is required for tumor cell survival and response to endoplasmic reticulum stress. Cancer Res. 2009 Dec 1;69(23):9105-11. (2009) Abstract

Brat DJ, Parisi JE, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Yachnis AT, Montine TJ, Boyer PJ, Powell SZ, Prayson RA, McLendon RE, . Surgical neuropathology update: a review of changes introduced by the WHO classification of tumours of the central nervous system, 4th edition. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2008 Jun;132(6):993-1007. (2008) Abstract

Parisi JE, Miller DV, Boyer PJ, Brat DJ, Cochran EJ, Cohen ML, Demasters BK, Dolinak D, McComb RD, McLendon RE, Powell SZ, Prayson RA, Vinters HV, Yachnis AT, . Protocol for the examination of specimens from patients with tumors of the brain/spinal cord. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2008 Jun;132(6):907-12. (2008) Abstract

Zalutsky MR, Reardon DA, Akabani G, Coleman RE, Friedman AH, Friedman HS, McLendon RE, Wong TZ, Bigner DD. Clinical experience with alpha-particle emitting 211At: treatment of recurrent brain tumor patients with 211At-labeled chimeric antitenascin monoclonal antibody 81C6. J Nucl Med. 2008 Jan;49(1):30-8. (2008) Abstract

Grunkemeier MN, Turner K, McLendon RE. Recurrent glioblastoma diagnosed by fluorescence in situ hybridization for EGFR. Acta Neuropathol. 2007 Feb;113(2):217-9. (2007) Abstract

McLendon RE, Turner K, Perkinson K, Rich J. Second messenger systems in human gliomas. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2007 Oct;131(10):1585-90. (2007) Abstract

McLendon, R.E., Judkins, A.R., Fuller, G., Sarkar, C., and Ng, H.K.: Central Nervous System Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors. In: Pathology of Tumours of the Nervous System. World Health Organization Classification of Brain Tumors. Cavenee, W.W. and Kleihues, P., eds., International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, 2007. (2007)

McLendon, R.E., Wiestler, O., Kros, J.M., Korshunov, A., and Ng, H.K.: Ependymona. In: Pathology of Tumours of the Nervous System. World Health Organization Classification of Brain Tumors. Cavenee, W.W. and Kleihues, P., eds., International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, 2007. (2007)

Bao S, Wu Q, McLendon RE, Hao Y, Shi Q, Hjelmeland AB, Dewhirst MW, Bigner DD, Rich JN. Glioma stem cells promote radioresistance by preferential activation of the DNA damage response. Nature. 2006 Dec 7;444(7120):756-60. (2006) Abstract

Maxwell JA, Johnson SP, Quinn JA, McLendon RE, Ali-Osman F, Friedman AH, Herndon JE 2nd, Bierau K, Bigley J, Bigner DD, Friedman HS. Quantitative analysis of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase in malignant glioma. Mol Cancer Ther. 2006 Oct;5(10):2531-9. (2006) Abstract

McLendon RE, Rosenblum MK, Bigner DD.  Russell and Rubinstein's Pathology of Tumors of the Nervous System, 7th Ed. Edward Arnold: London, 2006 (2006)

McLendon, R.E., Bigner, D.D., Bigner, S.H., and Provenzale, J.M.: Pathology of Tumors of the Central Nervous System: A Guide to Histologic Diagnosis. Arnold, London, 2000. (2000)

McLendon, R.E., Friedman, H.S., Fuchs, H.E., Kun, L.E., and Bigner, S.H.: Diagnostic markers in pediatric medulloblastomas: a Paediatric Oncology Group Study. Histopathology 34: 154-162, 1999. (1999)

Bigner, D.D., McLendon, R., and Bruner, J., eds.: Russell and Rubinstein's Pathology of Tumors of the Nervous System. Sixth edition. Arnold, London, 1998. (1998)

McLendon, R.E., Cleveland, L., Pegram, C., Bigner, S.H., Bigner, D.D., and Friedman, H.S.: Immunohistochemical detection of the DNA repair enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in formalin fixed paraffin embedded astrocytomas. Lab. Invest. 78: 643-644, 1998. (1998)

McLendon, R.E., Bentley, R.C., Parisi, J.E., Tien, R.D., Harrison, J.C., Tarbell, N.J., Billitt, A.L., Gualtieri, R.J., and Friedman, H.S.: Malignant supratentorial glial-neuronal neoplasms: Report of two cases and review of the literature. Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 121: 485-492, 1997. (1997)

McLendon, R.E., Robinson, J.S., Jr., Chambers, D.B., Grufferman, S., and Burger, P.C.: The glioblastoma multiforme in Georgia: 1977-1981. Cancer 56:894 897, 1985. (1985)