David S. Baskin, MD, FAANS, FACS

Kenneth R. Peak Presidential Distinguished Chair & Program Director, Neurosurgery Residency, Department of Neurosurgery
Professor of Neurosurgery, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Peak Center Lab


Biography

Dr. Baskin began his research career while still a resident at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). In 1982, he spent a year as a Research Associate at the University of Capetown Medical School and Groote Schuur Hospital in Capetown, South Africa. The following year, Dr. Baskin returned to UCSF and served as a Research Associate in the Hormone Research Laboratory. After completing his residency, Dr. Baskin was appointed as Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery and Assistant Professor of the Center for Biotechnology at Baylor College of Medicine, with a joint appointment as Chief of Neurological Surgery at the VA Hospital. In 1994 he was promoted to Professor at Baylor College of Medicine in the departments of Neurosurgery and Anesthesiology, positions he held until 2005 when his academic career transitioned to Methodist.

Dr. Baskin has received many national and international honors and awards. He has served as principal investigator on numerous research projects funded by private, state and federal sources, resulting in multiple patents and patent applications. He has also chaired or served on review panels and advisory councils for private, state and federal agencies. Dr. Baskin has published over 100 scientific manuscripts and book chapters and currently serves as Program Director in Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, as well as Professor of Neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Research Professor at the University of Houston in both the Cullen College of Engineering's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the School of Pharmacy.

Description of Research

The long-term goals of the Neurosurgery Research Laboratory are to elucidate the DNA mechanisms in various types of neurological disease, and to develop novel diagnostics and treatments for primary brain tumors and autistic spectrum disorder. Dr. Baskin has recently developed methodologies to quantify the levels of different types of DNA damage and of labeled antibody staining in the field of fluorescence microscopy, using a new type of labeled tissue phantoms. His laboratory has introduced innovative techniques that allow the quantification of five different types of DNA damage; blunt ended breaks, overhanging breaks, 3'OH ends and nicks, 3'PO4 ends and nicks and also damaged/oxidized DNA bases. These techniques are in the process of being patented.

In addition, and in conjunction with these tools for examining DNA damage, his research group is pursuing mitochondrially targeted chemotherapeutic agents. These pro-drug agents are activated by enzyme systems known to be up-regulated in certain cancers. The active drug then attacks mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial RNA; causing loss of mitochondria and cell death. In collaboration with Dr. James Tour, of the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice University, Dr. Baskin's group is investigating the use of nanoscale carbon clusters in numerous biomedical applications including as a means to deliver chemotherapeutic agents that are targeted specifically to cancer cells, as well as use as cellular protective agents.

The relationship between environmental pollutants and Autism is also a major research topic being pursued by Dr. Baskin and his group. They have been evaluating the role of possible causative agents, including the classical toxin, organic mercury, which he has shown to have high toxicity in a subgroup of autistic individuals. A second class of causative agents being investigated by his group are hormone disrupting agents such as the agro-chemicals DDT and Atrazine. Their preliminary data suggests that there is major difference in the response of cells from autistic individuals, compared to external controls.

Areas Of Expertise

Stroke Neurological surgery Brain tumors
Education & Training

Residency, University of California
Internship, University of California
MD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York City
Publications

Advances in gene therapy for high-grade glioma: a review of the clinical evidence
Goldman, MJ, Baskin, AM, Sharpe, MA & Baskin, DS 2024, , Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, vol. 24, no. 9, pp. 879-895. https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2024.2376847

Letter to the Editor Response: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR RESPONSE
Stuebe, CM, Jenson, AV, Lines, TW, Holloman, AM, Cykowski, MD, Fung, SH, Fisher, RE, McClain, KL & Baskin, DS 2024, , Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons, vol. 7, no. 9, CASE23667. https://doi.org/10.3171/CASE23667

Spinning magnetic field patterns that cause oncolysis by oxidative stress in glioma cells
Hambarde, S, Manalo, JM, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Helekar, SA 2023, , Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, 19264, pp. 19264. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46758-w

Retinal Hemifield Slide Phenomenon as a Presenting Symptom of Pituitary Abscess 2 Months After Pituitary Adenoma Resection
Schwartz, L, Raviskanthan, S, Mortensen, PW, Baskin, DS & Lee, AG 2023, , Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. E217-E218. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNO.0000000000001439

International Tuberculum Sellae Meningioma Study: Preoperative Grading Scale to Predict Outcomes and Propensity-Matched Outcomes by Endonasal Versus Transcranial Approach
on behalf of the International Tuberculum Sellae Meningioma Study 2023, , Neurosurgery, vol. 93, no. 6, pp. 1271-1284. https://doi.org/10.1227/neu.0000000000002581

International Tuberculum Sellae Meningioma Study: Surgical Outcomes and Management Trends
on behalf of the International Tuberculum Sellae Meningioma Study Authors 2023, , Neurosurgery, vol. 93, no. 6, pp. 1259-1270. https://doi.org/10.1227/neu.0000000000002569

EXTH-05 - Anti-tumor immune response of Oncomagnetic monotherapy in glioblastoma
Pandey, A, Hambarde, S, Baskin, DS & Helekar, S 2023, , 28th Annual Meeting of Society for NeuroOncology, Vancouver, Canada, 11/15/23 - 11/19/23.

Spinning magnetic field patterns that cause oncolysis by oxidative stress in glioma cells
Hambarde, S, Manalo, JM, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Helekar, SA 2023, , Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 19264. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46758-w

Recurrent petit mal seizures in Erdheim-Chester disease mimicking an intra-axial brain tumor: illustrative case
Stuebe, CM, Jenson, AV, Lines, TW, Holloman, AM, Cykowski, MD, Fung, SH, Fisher, RE, McClain, KL & Baskin, DS 2023, , Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons, vol. 6, no. 16, CASE23248. https://doi.org/10.3171/CASE23248

Oscillation patterns for oncomagnetic treatment
Helekar, S, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Apr. 13 2023, , Patent No. WO2023060149A1.

Method and apparatus for oncomagnetic treatment
Helekar, S, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Feb. 09 2023, , Patent No. 20230043685.

Method and apparatus for oncomagnetic treatment
Helekar, S, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Feb. 07 2023, , Patent No. US11571585B2.

Acquisition of Immune Privilege in GBM Tumors: Role of Prostaglandins and Bile Salts
Sharpe, MA, Baskin, DS, Johnson, RD & Baskin, AM 2023, , International journal of molecular sciences, vol. 24, no. 4, 3198. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043198

Association of Autologous Tumor Lysate-Loaded Dendritic Cell Vaccination with Extension of Survival among Patients with Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Glioblastoma: A Phase 3 Prospective Externally Controlled Cohort Trial
Liau, LM, Ashkan, K, Brem, S, Campian, JL, Trusheim, JE, Iwamoto, FM, Tran, DD, Ansstas, G, Cobbs, CS, Heth, JA, Salacz, ME, DAndre, S, Aiken, RD, Moshel, YA, Nam, JY, Pillainayagam, CP, Wagner, SA, Walter, KA, Chaudhary, R, Goldlust, SA, Lee, IY, Bota, DA, Elinzano, H, Grewal, J, Lillehei, K, Mikkelsen, T, Walbert, T, Abram, S, Brenner, AJ, Ewend, MG, Khagi, S, Lovick, DS, Portnow, J, Kim, L, Loudon, WG, Martinez, NL, Thompson, RC, Avigan, DE, Fink, KL, Geoffroy, FJ, Giglio, P, Gligich, O, Krex, D, Lindhorst, SM, Lutzky, J, Meisel, HJ, Nadji-Ohl, M, Sanchin, L, Sloan, A, Taylor, LP, Wu, JK, Dunbar, EM, Etame, AB, Kesari, S, Mathieu, D, Piccioni, DE, Baskin, DS, Lacroix, M, May, SA, New, PZ, Pluard, TJ, Toms, SA, Tse, V, Peak, S, Villano, JL, Battiste, JD, Mulholland, PJ, Pearlman, ML, Petrecca, K, Schulder, M, Prins, RM, Boynton, AL & Bosch, ML 2023, , JAMA oncology, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 112-121. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.5370

INNV-12. Reproducible reductions of contrast-enhanced tumor volumes in two end-stage recurrent glioblastoma patients with in-home Oncomagnetic monotherapy
Helekar, S & Baskin, DS 2022, , Society for Neuro-Oncology 27th Annual Meeting, Tampa, United States, 11/16/22 - 11/20/22 pp. vii143.

EXTH-65. Synergistic oncolytic effects of temozolomide and Oncomagnetic therapies in glioblastoma.
Pandey, A, Hambarde, S, Baskin, DS & Helekar, S 2022, , Society for Neuro-Oncology 27th Annual Meeting, Tampa, United States, 11/16/22 - 11/20/22 pp. vii224.

EXTH-68. Oncomagnetic treatment selectively kills glioma cancer cells by inducing oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Hambarde, S, Pandey, A, Baskin, DS & Helekar, S 2022, , Society for Neuro-Oncology 27th Annual Meeting, Tampa, United States, 11/16/22 - 11/20/22 pp. vii224-vii225.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ONCOMAGNETIC TREATMENT
Helekar, SA, Baskin, DS, Sharpe, MA & Pichumani, K Jun. 23 2022, , Patent No. US2022193436.

Cancer stem cells, not bulk tumor cells, determine mechanisms of resistance to SMO inhibitors
George, J, Chen, Y, Abdelfattah, N, Yamamoto, K, Gallup, TD, Adamson, SI, Rybinski, B, Srivastava, A, Kumar, P, Lee, MG, Baskin, DS, Jiang, W, Choi, JM, Flavahan, W, Chuang, JH, Kim, BY, Xu, J, Jung, SY & Yun, K 2022, , Cancer research communications, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 402-416. https://doi.org/10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0124

Cancer Stem Cells, not Bulk Tumor Cells, Determine Mechanisms of Resistance to SMO Inhibitors
George, J, Chen, Y, Abdelfattah, N, Yamamoto, K, Gallup, TD, Adamson, SI, Rybinski, B, Srivastava, A, Kumar, P, Lee, MG, Baskin, DS, Jiang, W, Choi, JM, Flavahan, W, Chuang, JH, Kim, BYS, Xu, J, Jung, SY & Yun, K 2022, , Cancer research communications, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 402-416. https://doi.org/10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-22-0124