George R. Dodge, Ph.D.

Adjunct Associate Professor
Head, Bone and Cartilage Reseach Laboratory, and
Director, Orthopaedic Research Program, A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University

Contact

Dodge

A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
A/R Building, Room 300
1600 Rockland Road
Wilmington, DE 19803

Lab: A/R Building, Room 330, 324

Phone: (302) 651-6834
Fax: (302) 651-6888
E-mail: gdodge@nemours.org

Education

B.S.: State University of New York at Brockport
Ph.D.: McGill University, Canada
Postdoctoral: Thomas Jefferson University

Research Interests

• Cartilage extracellular matrix
• Chondrocyte cell biology
• Regulation of matrix gene expression in Arthritis

Current Projects

• Characterization of alternaive-spliced forms of Perlecan(a large heparan sulfate proteoglycan)and its regulation in vivo
• Mechanism of glucosamine on chondrocyte function and potential as a achondroprptective agent
• Novel approaches of imaging and detection of carialge proteoglycans by MRI
• The role the microenvirnment has in chondrocyte and osteocyte function and cell death
• Leptin's role in bone growth
• Platelet Growth factors and role in angiogenesis and bone healing
• Electrical stimulation of bone and cartilage a model of epiphysiodesis

Research Group

• Kevin Eanes - Medical Student, Thomas Jefferson University.
• Jeff Kraft - Graduate Student, University of Delaware.
• Dan Kiss - Undergraduate Student, University of Delaware.

Bone and Cartilage Reseach Laboratory Group

Selected Publications

Novotny, J.E., C.M. Turka, C.H. Jeong, D.W. Richardson and G.R. Dodge (2006). Biomechanical and MRI of Characteristics of a Cartilage-like Equivalent Generated in a Suspension Culture. Tissue Eng. 12:2755-2764.

Wheaton, A.J., G.R. Dodge, D.M. Elliot, S.B. Nicoll and R. Reddy (2005). Quantification of Cartilage and Biomechanical Properties via T1ρ magnetic resonance imaging. Magn. Reson. Med. 54:1087-1093.

Wheaton, A.J., G.R. Dodge, A. Borthakur, J.B. Kneeland, H.R. Schumacher and R. Reddy (2004). Detection of changes in articular cartilage proteoglycan by T1ρ magnetic resonance imaging. J. Orthopaedic Res. 54:102-108.

Wheaton, A.J., F.L. Casey, A.J. Gougoutas, G.R. Dodge, A. Borthakur, J.H. Lonner, H.R. Schumacher and R. Reddy (2004). Correlation of T1ρ with fixed charge density in cartilage. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging. 20:519-525.

Wheaton, A.J., A. Borthakur, G.R. Dodge, J.B. Kneeland, H.R. Schumacher and R. Reddy (2004). Sodium magnetic resonance imaging of proteoglycan depletion in an in vivo model of osteoarthritis. Acad Radiol. 11:21-28.

Dodge, G.R. and S.A. Jimenez (2003). Glucosamine sulfate modulates the levels of aggrecan and matrix metalloproteinase-3 synthesized by cultured adult human osteoarthritis articular chondrocytes. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 11:424-432.

Richardson, D.W. and G.R. Dodge (2003). Dose-dependant effects of corticosteriods on the expression of matrix related genes in normal and cytokine treated articular chondrocytes. Inflammation Res. 52:39-49.

Tsark, E.C., W. Wang, Y-C. Teng, D. Arkfeld, G.R. Dodge and S. Kovats (2002). Differential MHC Class II-mediated Presentation of Rheumatoid Arthritis Autoantigens by Human Dendritic Cells and Macrophages. J. Clin. Invest. 66:25-33.

Estrada, L.E., G.R. Dodge, D.W. Richardson, A. Farole and S.A. Jimenez (2001). Characterization of cartilage-like tissue produced in an in vitro model of chondrogenesis using porcine neonatal chondrocytes. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 9:169-177.

Noyszewski, E.A., K. Wroblewski, G.R. Dodge, S. Kudchodkar, J. Beers, A.V.S. Sarma and R. Reddy (2001). Preferential Incorporation of Glucosamine into the Galactosamine Moieties of Chondroitin Sulfates in Articular Cartilage Explants. Arthritis and Rheum. 44:1089-1095.

Richardson, D.W. and G.R. Dodge (2000). Effects of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α on the expression of matrix related genes in cultured equine articular chondrocytes. Am. J. of Vet. Res. 61:624-630.

Fang, Q., Y-Y. Sun, W. Cai, G.R. Dodge, P. Lotke and W.V. Williams (1999). Cartilage-reactive T cells in rheumatoid synovium. Intl. Immunol. 12:659-669.

Dodge, G.R., A. Diaz, C. Sanz-Rodriguez, A.M. Reginatio and S.A. Jimenez (1998). Effects of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor α on the expression of the genes encoding aggrecan, biglycan, and decorin core proteins in cultured human chondrocytes. Arthritis and Rheum. 41:274-283.

Dodge, G.R., D. Hawkins, E. Boesler, L. Sakai and S.A. Jimenez (1998). Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is produced by human dermal and synovial fibroblasts. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 6:435-440.

Richardson, D.W. and G.R. Dodge (1998). Molecular characteristics of equine stromelysin (MMP-3) and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). Am. J. of Vet. Res. 59:1557-62.

Jordan, K.L., T.J. Logan, P. Norton, M. Stubbs, I-S., Min, A. Derfoul, G.R. Dodge and D.J. Hall (1997). Reduction in fibronectin expression and alteration in cell morphology are coincident in NIH3T3 cells expressing a mutant E2F-1 transcription factor. Exp. Cell Res. 236:527-536.

Jimenez, S.A., L. Ala-Kokko, D.J. Prockop, C.F. Merryman, N. Shepard and G.R. Dodge (1997). Characterization of human type II procollagen and collagen-specific antibodies and there application to study human type II collagen processing and ultrastructure. Matrix Biol. 16:29-39.

Richardson, D.W. and G.R. Dodge (1997). Cloning of Equine type II procollagen and the modulation of its expression in cultured equine chondrocytes. Matrix Biol. 16:59-65.

Dodge, G.R., E.W. Boesler and S.A. Jimenez (1995). Expression of the basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan (perlecan) in human synovium and in cultured synovial cells. Lab. Invest. 73:649-657.

Murdoch, A.D., G.R. Dodge, I. Cohen, R.S. Tuan and R.V. Iozzo (1992). Primary structure of the human heparan sulfate proteoglycan from basement membrane (HSPG2/Perlecan). A chimeric molecule with multiple domains homologous to the low density lipoprotein receptor, laminin, neural cell adhesion molecules, and epidermal growth factor. J. Biol. Chem. 267:8544-8557.

Dodge, G.R., I. Kovalszky, J.R. Hassell and R.V. Iozzo (1990). Transforming growth factor beta alters the expression of heparan sulfate proteoglycan in human carcinoma cells. J. Biol. Chem. 265:18023-18029.

Iozzo, R.V., I. Kovalszky, N. Hacobian, P. Schick, J.S. Ellingson and G.R. Dodge (1990). Fatty acylation of heparan sulfate proteoglycan from human colon carcinoma cells. J. Biol. Chem. 265:19980-19989.