Bruce F. Smith, V.M.D, Ph.D. Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Scientist in the Scott-Ritchey Research Center.  He earned the V.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988, where he was appointed a Kleberg Fellow in Medical Genetics. He received a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. His long range research interests are in gene therapy of inherited muscle diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, gene therapy of cancer and nucleic acid immunization.
334-844-5951 smithbf@vetmed.auburn.edu Personal Web page
Research Interests Dr. Smith’s research program in muscular dystrophies is currently focused on identifying canine models of these diseases and applying novel genetic therapies to their treatment. Currently, two models of X-linked Duchenne-like muscular dystrophy (DMD), as well as an autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy (aka ARMD, PTPLA deficeincy, Labrador Retriver Myopathy) are being studied. The laboratory is has identified the gene defects in the DMD models and is working on identifying the pathogenic effects of the gene defects in ARMD. The laboratory will then use these models to develop gene therapy approaches to the muscular dystrophies, as well as DNA based testing programs to eliminate these diseases from the canine population. His research program on immunologic and gene therapy for cancer is part of a large collaborative program involving multiple investigators from Auburn University and the University of Alabama, Birmingham. The following project areas are now under investigation: Conditionally replicative adenoviruses (CRADs) for canine osteosarcoma.  These viruses have been tested and encouraging results were seen in a small clinical trial.  Additional clinical trials in dogs with this tumor are on hold pending funding. Tumor cell targeted suicide gene therapy in canine lymphoma.  This work is currently funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and involves specifically targeting viral verctors to lymphoma cells and delivery to genes that may be induced to kill the tumor cells.  Preliminary clinical trials may begin in affected dogs as soon as the summer of 2008. Dendritic cell fusion vaccines in canine mammary cancer (Dr. R. Curtis Bird, PI).  These vaccines use autologous dendritic cells fused with canine breast cancer cell lines to create anti-tumor immune responses. Recent Publications Wang CY. and Smith B. F. Development of quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays for allelic discrimination of gangliosidoses in cats. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 68(3):231-5, 2007 Mar. Smith, B. F., Curiel, D.T., Ternovoi, V.V., Borovjagin, A.V., Baker, H.J., Cox, N., and Siegal, G.P. Administration of a conditionally replicative oncolytic canine adenovirus in normal dogs, Cancer Biotherapy & Radiopharmaceuticals Dec 2006, Vol. 21, No. 6: 601-606. Ternovoi VV. Curiel DT. Smith B. F. and Siegal GP. Adenovirus-mediated p53 tumor suppressor gene therapy of osteosarcoma. Laboratory Investigation. 86(8):748-66, 2006 Aug. Migone F. DeInnocentes P. Smith B. F. Bird RC. Alterations in CDK1 expression and nuclear/nucleolar localization following induction in a spontaneous canine mammary cancer model.  Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. 98(3):504-18, 2006 Jun 1. Le LP. Rivera AA. Glasgow JN. Ternovoi VV. Wu H. Wang M. Smith B. F. Siegal GP. Curiel DT. Infectivity enhancement for adenoviral transduction of canine osteosarcoma cells. Gene Therapy. 13(5):389-99, 2006 Mar. Ternovoi, VV. Le LP. Belousova N. Smith B. F. Siegal GP. Curiel DT. Productive replication of human adenovirus type 5 in canine cells.  Journal of Virology. (Jan) 79(2):1308-11, 2005. Martin, D.R., Krum, B.K., Varadarajan,  G.S., Hathcock, T.L., Smith, B. F., Baker, H.J.,  An inversion of 25 base pairs causes feline GM2 GangliosidosisVariant 0.  Experimental Neurology, 187:30-37, 2004. Spencer, J.A., Smith, B.F., Gaurino, A.J., Blagburn, B.L., Baker, H.J.  The use of CpG as an adjuvant to Toxoplasma gondii vaccination.  Parasitology Research, 92:313-316, 2004. Smith, B. F., Migone, F.K., Cox, N.R., Baker, H.J.  An in utero allotransplantation model of metastatic breast cancer in the cat. In Vivo, 17(1), 2003. Hemminki, A., Kanerva, A., Kremer, E.J., Bauerschmitz G.J., Smith, B.F., Liu, B., Wang, M., Desomd, R.A., Keriel, A., Barnett, B, Baker, H.J., Siegal G.P., Curiel, D.T.  A canine conditionally replicating adenovirus for evaluating oncolytic virotherapy in a syngeneic animal model.  Molecular Therapy, 7(2)163-173, 2003. Jiang, W., Baker H.J., Smith, B. F., Mucosal immunization with helicobacter, CpG DNA and cholera toxin is protective.  Infection and Immunity, vol 71(1), January 2003. Whitley E.M. Sellins K.S. Ewald SJ. Smith B. F. Yang S. Sartin EA. Wolfe LG. Canine mammary tumor cells transfected with B7-1 or B7-2 stimulate proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Anticancer Research. 22(5):2567-74, 2002 Sep-Oct. Wang, C-Y. J.,  Giambrone, J. J., Smith, B.F., Detection of duck hepatitis b virus DNA on filter paper by PCR and SyBr green dye-based quantitative PCR.  Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 40(7): 2584-2590, 2002. Wang, C-Y. J.,  Giambrone, J. J., Smith, B.F., Comparison of cell culture systems for duck hepatitis B virus using SyBr green quantitative PCR.  Journal of Virological Methods 106(2), 175-184, 2002. Wang, C-Y. J.,  Giambrone, J. J., Smith, B.F., Development of viral disinfectant assays for duck hepatitis B virus using cell culture / PCR.  Journal of Virological Methods, 106(1), 39-50, 2002.  Samoylov, A. M., Samoylova, T. I., Hartell, M. G., Pathirana, S. T., Smith, B. F., Vodyanoy, V. J.  Recognition of cell-specific binding of phage display derived peptides using an acoustic wave sensor. Biomolecular Engineering, 18(6):269-272, 2002.  Wernette, C. M., Smith, B. F., Barksdale, Z. M., Hecker, R., Baker, H. J.  CpG oligodexoynucleotides stimulate canine and feline immune cell proliferation.  Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 84:223-236, 2002. Nusbaum, K. E., Smith, B. F., DeInnocentes, P., Bird, R. C.  DNA vaccination of channel catfish against early and late transcripts of the channel catfish herpesvirus (IHV-1).  Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 84:151-168, 2002.  Skibild, E. Dahlgaad, K. Rajpurohit, Y. Smith, B.F. Giger, U. Haemolytic anaemia and exercise intolerance due to phosphofructokinase deficiency in related springer spaniels. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 42 (6) p. 298-300, 2001. Samoilova, T. and Smith, B. F.  Flow microsphere immunoassay based method of virus quantitation.  BioTechniques, 27(2):356-361, 1999. Samoilova, T. and Smith, B. F.  Elucidation of muscle binding peptides by in vivo phage display screening.  Muscle and Nerve, 22:460-466, 1999. Lockaby, S.B., Hoerr, F.J., Lauerman, L.H., Smith, B. F., Samoylov, A.M., Toivio-Kinnucan, and Kleven, S.H.  Factors associated with virulence of Mycoplasma synoviae.  Avian Diseases, 43:251-261, 1999. Smith, B. F., Baker. H. J., Curiel, D.T., Jiang, W., and Conry, R.M. Humoral and cellular immune responses of dogs immunized with a nucleic acid vaccine encoding human carcinoembryonic antigen.  Gene Therapy, 5:865-868, 1998.  Jiang, W., Baker, H.J., Swango, L.J., Schorr, J., Self, M.J., and Smith, B.F. Nucleic acid immunization protects dogs against challenge with virulent canine parvovirus.  Vaccine, 16(6), pp.601-607, 1998. Books: Bird, R. C. and Smith, B. F., co-editors, Genetic Library Construction and Screening: Advanced Cloning Techniques and Applications, Springer-Verlag, 2002. Book Chapters: Samoilova, T. and Smith, B. In vivo phage display screening, in Genetic Library Construction and Screening: Advanced DNA Cloning Techniques and Applications, Springer-Verlag, 2002. Jiang, W. and Smith, B. Homemade TA cloning, in Genetic Library Construction and Screening: Advanced DNA Cloning Techniques and Applications, Springer-Verlag, 2002. Baker, H. J., Smith, B. F. , Martin, D. R. and Foureman, P. Molecular Diagnosis of the Feline Gangliosidoses: A Model for Elimination of Inherited Diseases in Pure Breeds. In August, J. Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine, Volume 4, W.B. Saunders, Co, Orlando, Florida, 2001.