Gwendalyn King, PhD

Associate Professor

G King

Contact

gwenking@creighton.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate School
Neuroscience (Master of Science)
Biology
Translational Hearing
HLSB - Hixson Lied Science Building - 419

Gwendalyn King, PhD

Associate Professor

I was raised in Loveland, Colorado.  I earned my Bachelor of Science Degree from the Purdue University School of Science in Molecular Biology with research honors.  I conducted undergraduate research to understand why leeches can regenerate their nerve cord but humans cannot regenerate their spinal cord.  I then directly entered the PIBS program at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and joined the Neuroscience Program.  In completing my Ph.D. I earned an F31 fellowsihp from NIH and published several papers on the intracellular protein:protein interactions of the amyloid precursor protein. From there I moved to my first postdoctoral fellowship at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center's Gene Therapeutics Research Inistitute.  I was earned an F32 fellowship from NIH for my work characterizing a combination therapy to treat glioma.  My second postdoctoral fellowship was at Boston University's Biochemistry Department.  There I conducted work to understand the mechanisms of age-related klotho gene expression downregulation. I was earned a K99/R01 NIH award to transition from postdoctoral fellow to tenure-track Faculty.  I moved to the University of Alabama at Birmingham taking my first faculty position in the Department of Neurobiology in the School of Medicine.  There I taught medical, graduate, and undergraduate courses.  I also published papers from the discoveries made in my research lab and mentored undergraduate, post-bac, and Ph.D. students.  I earned several small grants and an R56 from NIH. I am currently a member of the Creighton Biology faculty supporting the interdepartmental Neuroscience Program in every academic direction: service, teaching, and research.  My lab was awarded its first R15 at Creighton in 2020 where we use mouse models of aging to understand age-related change of the brain. Information about my research, past and present can be found at gdkinglab.com. 

Research Focus

I am interested in changes that occur in the brain as a result of the normal aging process.  Understanding the breakpoints between normal aging and development of neurodegenerative disease is crucial to developing new therapies to treat and prevent neurodegeneration.  My lab website is : gdkinglab.com.

Department

Biology

Position

Associate Professor

Articles

  • King Gwendalyn, Klotho MAb 2014
  • King Gwendalyn D., etal High-capacity adenovirus vector-mediated anti-glioma gene therapy in the presence of systemic antiadenovirus immunity (Journal of Virology (2008) 82, 9, (4680-4684)) 2008

Publications

  • Cell reports (Cambridge)
    Gonzalez Jose Carlos, etal Circadian regulation of dentate gyrus excitability mediated by G-protein signaling
    42:2, p. 112039 - 112039 2023
  • Frontiers in Medicine
    Garth Jaleesa, etal The Effects of the Anti-aging Protein Klotho on Mucociliary Clearance
    6 2020
  • JCI insight
    Xiao Zhousheng, etal FGF23 expression is stimulated in transgenic α-Klotho longevity mouse model
    4:23 2019
  • Journal of molecular cell biology
    Shah Kushani, etal A chromatin modulator sustains self-renewal and enables differentiation of postnatal neural stem and progenitor cells
    12:1, p. 4 - 16 2019
  • Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
    Vo Hai T., etal Klotho deficiency affects the spine morphology and network synchronization of neurons
    98, p. 1 - 11 2019
  • eNeuro
    Laszczyk Ann M., etal FGF-23 deficiency impairs hippocampal-Dependent cognitive function
    6:2 2019
  • American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
    Barnes Jarrod W., etal Role of fibroblast growth factor 23 and klotho cross talk in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
    317:1, p. L141 - L154 2019
  • Brain plasticity (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
    Vo Hai T, etal Klotho, the Key to Healthy Brain Aging?
    3:2, p. 183 - 194 2018
  • European Respiratory Journal
    Krick Stefanie, etal Fibroblast growth factor 23 and Klotho contribute to airway inflammation
    52:1 2018
  • Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN
    Han Xiaobin, etal Cardiovascular effects of renal distal tubule deletion of the fgf receptor 1 gene
    29:1, p. 69 - 80 2018
  • Scientific Reports
    Krick Stefanie, etal Klotho Inhibits Interleukin-8 Secretion from Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelia
    7:1 2017
  • Neurobiology of Aging
    Laszczyk Ann M., etal Klotho regulates postnatal neurogenesis and protects against age-related spatial memory loss
    59, p. 41 - 54 2017
  • Neuroscience
    Li Qin, etal Klotho regulates CA1 hippocampal synaptic plasticity
    347, p. 123 - 133 2017
  • eLife
    Adlaf Elena W., etal Adult-born neurons modify excitatory synaptic transmission to existing neurons
    6 2017
  • American Journal of Hypertension
    Liu Xue, etal Differential regulatory role of soluble klothos on cardiac fibrogenesis in hypertension
    29:10, p. 1140 - 1147 2016
  • PloS one
    Han Xiaobin, etal Conditional deletion of Fgfr1 in the proximal and distal tubule identifies distinct roles in phosphate and calcium transport
    11:2 2016
  • FEBS Letters
    Han Xiaobin, etal Counter-regulatory paracrine actions of FGF-23 and 1,25(OH)2D in macrophages
    590:1, p. 53 - 67 2016
  • PLoS genetics
    Watson Jennifer A., etal Motor and Sensory Deficits in the teetering Mice Result from Mutation of the ESCRT Component HGS
    11:6 2015
  • Molecular Neurodegeneration
    Vaden Jada H., etal Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 regulates c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling at the neuromuscular junction
    10:1 2015
  • Monoclonal Antibodies in Immunodiagnosis and Immunotherapy
    Maltare Astha, etal Development and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to detect Klotho
    33:6, p. 420 - 427 2014
  • Age
    Mehi Stephen J., etal MicroRNA-339 and microRNA-556 regulate Klotho expression in vitro
    36:1, p. 141 - 149 2014
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry
    Zhou Tracey B.Tucker, etal Biochemical and functional characterization of the klotho-VS polymorphism implicated in aging and disease risk
    288:51, p. 36302 - 36311 2013
  • Brain Research
    Clinton Sarah M., etal Expression of klotho mRNA and protein in rat brain parenchyma from early postnatal development into adulthood
    1527, p. 1 - 14 2013
  • Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
    Reish Nicholas J., etal The age-regulating protein klotho is vital to sustain retinal function
    54:10, p. 6675 - 6685 2013
  • Age
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Promoter methylation and age-related downregulation of Klotho in rhesus monkey
    34:6, p. 1405 - 1419 2012
  • Neoplasia
    Candolfi Marianela, etal Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the tumor microenvironment
    14:8, p. 757 - 770 2012
  • Biochemical Journal
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Identification of novel small molecules that elevate Klotho expression
    441:1, p. 453 - 461 2012
  • American Journal of Neurodegenerative Diseases
    So Pauline P.L., etal Lowering of amyloid beta peptide production with a small molecule inhibitor of amyloid-β precursor protein dimerization
    1:1, p. 75 - 87 2012
  • Molecular Therapy
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Combined Flt3L/TK gene therapy induces immunological surveillance which mediates an immune response against a surrogate brain tumor neoantigen
    19:10, p. 1793 - 1801 2011
  • Clinical Cancer Research
    Mineharu Yohei, etal Engineering the brain tumor microenvironment enhances the efficacy of dendritic cell vaccination
    17:14, p. 4705 - 4718 2011
  • Current Gene Therapy
    Castro Maria G., etal Gene therapy and targeted toxins for glioma
    11:3, p. 155 - 180 2011
  • Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.)
    Candolfi MARIANELA, etal Abstract 467: Circulating DNA released from brain tumors in response to conditional cytotoxic/immune stimulatory gene therapy induces activation of TLR9 on pDCs, leading to antitumor immunity
    71:8_Supplement, p. 467 - 467 2011
  • Alzheimer's & dementia
    Abraham Carmela R., etal P3‐469: Development of Klotho enhancers as novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease
    6:4S_Part_19, p. S591 - S591 2010
  • Journal of clinical oncology
    Lowenstein P. R., etal Comparison of intratumoral loading of Flt3L/TK-recruited dendritic cells and systemic vaccination with tumor-lysate loaded dendritic cells in the stringent syngeneic CNS1 rat glioma model: Effect of temozolomide on anti-glioma immunity
    28:15_suppl, p. 2093 - 2093 2010
  • Clinical Cancer Research
    Muhammad A. K.M.Ghulam, etal Antiglioma immunological memory in response to conditional cytotoxic/immune-stimulatory gene therapy
    15:19, p. 6113 - 6127 2009
  • Clinical Cancer Research
    Candolfi Marianela, etal Release of HMGB1 in response to proapoptotic glioma killing strategies
    15:13, p. 4401 - 4414 2009
  • Alzheimer's & dementia
    King Gwendalyn D., etal P4‐186: Modulating Klotho expression to protect against age‐induced neurodegeneration
    4:4S_Part_22, p. T725 - T726 2008
  • Journal of Virology
    King Gwendalyn D., etal High-capacity adenovirus vector-mediated anti-glioma gene therapy in the presence of systemic antiadenovirus immunity
    82:9, p. 4680 - 4684 2008
  • Molecular Therapy
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Flt3L in combination with HSV1-TK-mediated gene therapy reverses brain tumor-induced behavioral deficits
    16:4, p. 682 - 690 2008
  • The FASEB journal
    Muhammad A.K.M Ghulam, etal Systemic Flt3L and intratumoral HSV1‐TK treatment eradicates intracranial GBM in a syngeneic model
    22:S1 2008
  • The FASEB journal
    Candolfi Marianela, etal Evaluation of proapototic transgenes to use in combination with Flt3L in an immune‐stimulatory gene therapy approach for Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)
    22:S1 2008
  • The FASEB journal
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Overcoming brain immune privilege with Flt3L and TK treatment in a recurrent rat glioma model
    22:S1 2008
  • The FASEB journal
    Candolfi Marianela, etal In vivo tumor antigen phagocytosis and trafficking by macrophages and pDCs infiltrating intracranial glioblastomas (GBM) in rats treated with adenoviruses (Ads) expressing TK and Flt3L
    22:S1 2008
  • Neuro-Oncology
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Flt3L and TK gene therapy eradicate multifocal glioma in a syngeneic glioblastoma model
    10:1, p. 19 - 31 2008
  • Molecular Therapy
    Barcia Carlos, etal One-year expression from high-capacity adenoviral vectors in the brains of animals with pre-existing anti-adenoviral immunity
    15:12, p. 2154 - 2163 2007
  • Journal of Neuro-Oncology
    Candolfi Marianela, etal Intracranial glioblastoma models in preclinical neuro-oncology
    85:2, p. 133 - 148 2007
  • Journal of Experimental Medicine
    Barcia Carlos, etal In vivo mature immunological synapses forming SMACs mediate clearance of virally infected astrocytes from the brain
    203:9, p. 2095 - 2107 2006
  • Molecular therapy
    Curtin James, etal 424. Myd88/TLR Signaling Is Required for Immunotherapy-Mediated Glioblastoma Regression
    13:S1, p. S163 - S163 2006
  • Molecular therapy
    King Gwendalyn, etal 621. Immunological Memory in a Syngeneic Model of Recurrent and Multifocal Glioblastoma
    13:S1, p. S239 - S239 2006
  • Journal of Immunology
    Curtin James F., etal Fins-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand recruits plasmacytoid dendritic cells to the brain
    176:6, p. 3566 - 3577 2006
  • Journal of Virology
    Xiong Weidong, etal Regulatable gutless adenovirus vectors sustain inducible transgene expression in the brain in the presence of an immune response against adenoviruses
    80:1, p. 27 - 37 2006
  • Current Gene Therapy
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Gene therapy and targeted toxins for glioma
    5:6, p. 535 - 557 2005
  • Cancer Research
    Ali Sumia, etal Combined immunostimulation and conditional cytotoxic gene therapy provide long-term survival in a large glioma model
    65:16, p. 7194 - 7204 2005
  • Molecular Therapy
    Goverdhana S., etal Regulatable gene expression systems for gene therapy applications
    12:2, p. 189 - 211 2005
  • Molecular therapy
    Xiong Weidong, etal 143. Regulated, High Capacity Adenoviral Vectors Mediated Long-Term Gene Expression in the Brain Even in the Presence of a Peripheral Immune Response to Adenovirus
    11:S1, p. S58 - S58 2005
  • Molecular therapy
    Curtin James, etal 269. Stimulation of the Immune System Using Gene Therapy Is an Effective Approach for Treating Brain Tumors in Mouse and Rat Models
    11:S1, p. S106 - S106 2005
  • Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
    Curtin James F., etal Combining cytotoxic and immune-mediated gene therapy to treat brain tumors
    5:12, p. 1151 - 1170 2005
  • Molecular Therapy
    Ali Sumia, etal Inflammatory and anti-glioma effects of an adenovirus expressing human soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (hsFlt3L)
    10:6, p. 1071 - 1084 2004
  • Experimental Neurology
    King Gwendalyn D., etal Adaptor protein interactions
    185:2, p. 208 - 219 2004
  • Journal of Neurochemistry
    King Gwendalyn D., etal X11α impairs γ- but not β-cleavage of amyloid precursor protein
    88:4, p. 971 - 982 2004
  • Neuroscience
    King G. D., etal X11α modulates secretory and endocytic trafficking and metabolism of amyloid precursor protein
    120:1, p. 143 - 154 2003

Grants

  • Regulation of Choroid Plexus Epithelial Function by Klotho/Sponsor: National Institutes of Health/NIH

  • Newborn Neurons in the Adult Hippocampal Network/Sponsor: University of Alabama at Birmingham/UAB

  • Klotho-Deficient Effects on Choroid Plexus Cells/Sponsor: Dr. George F. Haddix President's Faculty Research Grant

Awards

  • Dean's Award for Professional Excellence: Major Advising
    CCAS Student Senate
  • Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award for Teaching Achievement
    Creighton Student Union
  • Outstanding Service Award
    University of Alabama at Birmingham Graduate in Biomedical Sciences
  • Graduate School Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship
    University of Alabama at Birmingham Graduate School