Christopher M. Weghorst, PhD

Christopher Weghorst works collaboratively with individual faculty members, divisions, and centers to advance the college's research mission. He directs the work of the Office of Research. Weghorst earned his PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Pathology) from the Medical College of Ohio. He has a distinguished record of research, including advances in food-based cancer prevention and cancer genetics.

• Molecular mechanisms of oral carcinogenesis and prevention

• 1989 Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences (Pathology), Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH
• 1984 B.A. Biology, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Mount Vernon, OH

• V Foundation Scholar, The V Foundation for Cancer Research, Cary, NC
• American Cancer Society Research Scholar, The American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA

1: Oghumu S, Casto BC, Ahn-Jarvis J, Weghorst LC, Maloney J, Geuy P, Horvath KZ,
Bollinger CE, Warner BM, Summersgill KF, Weghorst CM, Knobloch TJ. Inhibition of
Pro-inflammatory and Anti-apoptotic Biomarkers during Experimental Oral Cancer
Chemoprevention by Dietary Black Raspberries. Front Immunol. 2017 Oct 23;8:1325.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01325. eCollection 2017. PubMed PMID: 29109723; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC5660285.

2: Oghumu S, Knobloch TJ, Terrazas C, Varikuti S, Ahn-Jarvis J, Bollinger CE,
Iwenofu H, Weghorst CM, Satoskar AR. Deletion of macrophage migration inhibitory
factor inhibits murine oral carcinogenesis: Potential role for chronic
pro-inflammatory immune mediators. Int J Cancer. 2016 Sep 15;139(6):1379-90. doi:
10.1002/ijc.30177. Epub 2016 Jun 16. PubMed PMID: 27164411; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC4939094.

3: Knobloch TJ, Uhrig LK, Pearl DK, Casto BC, Warner BM, Clinton SK,
Sardo-Molmenti CL, Ferguson JM, Daly BT, Riedl K, Schwartz SJ, Vodovotz Y, Buchta
AJ Sr, Schuller DE, Ozer E, Agrawal A, Weghorst CM. Suppression of
Proinflammatory and Prosurvival Biomarkers in Oral Cancer Patients Consuming a
Black Raspberry Phytochemical-Rich Troche. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2016
Feb;9(2):159-71. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-15-0187. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PubMed
PMID: 26701664; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4764140.

4: Poi MJ, Knobloch TJ, Sears MT, Warner BM, Uhrig LK, Weghorst CM, Li J.
Alterations in RD(INK4/ARF) -mediated en bloc regulation of the INK4-ARF locus in
human squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Mol Carcinog. 2015
Jul;54(7):532-42. doi: 10.1002/mc.22119. Epub 2013 Dec 2. PubMed PMID: 24302590;
PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4102663.

5: Joehlin-Price AS, Elkins CT, Stephens JA, Cohn DE, Knobloch TJ, Weghorst CM,
Suarez AA. Comprehensive evaluation of caspase-14 in vulvar neoplasia: an
opportunity for treatment with black raspberry extract. Gynecol Oncol. 2014
Dec;135(3):503-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.09.012. Epub 2014 Sep 23. PubMed
PMID: 25256208.

6: Warner BM, Casto BC, Knobloch TJ, Accurso BT, Weghorst CM. Chemoprevention of
oral cancer by topical application of black raspberries on high at-risk mucosa.
Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2014 Dec;118(6):674-83. doi:
10.1016/j.oooo.2014.09.005. Epub 2014 Sep 16. PubMed PMID: 25457886; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC4254525.

7: Mace TA, King SA, Ameen Z, Elnaggar O, Young G, Riedl KM, Schwartz SJ, Clinton
SK, Knobloch TJ, Weghorst CM, Lesinski GB. Bioactive compounds or metabolites
from black raspberries modulate T lymphocyte proliferation, myeloid cell
differentiation and Jak/STAT signaling. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2014
Sep;63(9):889-900. doi: 10.1007/s00262-014-1564-5. Epub 2014 Jun 4. PubMed PMID:
24893859; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4142082.

8: Poi MJ, Knobloch TJ, Sears MT, Uhrig LK, Warner BM, Weghorst CM, Li J.
Coordinated expression of cyclin-dependent kinase-4 and its regulators in human
oral tumors. Anticancer Res. 2014 Jul;34(7):3285-92. PubMed PMID: 24982332;
PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4183149.

9: Li J, Knobloch TJ, Poi MJ, Zhang Z, Davis AT, Muscarella P, Weghorst CM.
Genetic alterations of RD(INK4/ARF) enhancer in human cancer cells. Mol Carcinog.
2014 Mar;53(3):211-8. doi: 10.1002/mc.21965. Epub 2012 Oct 12. PubMed PMID:
23065809; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5557374.

10: Guo Y, Pennell ML, Pearl DK, Knobloch TJ, Fernandez S, Weghorst CM. The
choice of reference gene affects statistical efficiency in quantitative PCR data
analysis. Biotechniques. 2013 Oct;55(4):207-9. doi: 10.2144/000114090. PubMed
PMID: 24107253; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4102495.

11: Yuan C, Guo Y, Zhu L, Guo W, Mahajan A, Weghorst CM, Li J. The study of
pH-dependent stability shows that the TPLH-mediated hydrogen-bonding network is
important for the conformation and stability of human gankyrin. Biochemistry.
2013 Jul 16;52(28):4848-57. doi: 10.1021/bi4005717. Epub 2013 Jul 8. PubMed PMID:
23777370; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3843994.

12: Poi MJ, Knobloch TJ, Yuan C, Tsai MD, Weghorst CM, Li J. Evidence that P12, a
specific variant of P16(INK4A), plays a suppressive role in human pancreatic
carcinogenesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013 Jun 28;436(2):217-22. doi:
10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.05.078. Epub 2013 May 29. PubMed PMID: 23727582; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC3752424.

13: Pereira MA, Warner BM, Knobloch TJ, Weghorst CM, Lubet RA, Steele VE, Casto
BC. Chemoprevention of mouse lung and colon tumors by suberoylanilide hydroxamic
acid and atorvastatin. Int J Cancer. 2012 Sep 15;131(6):1277-86. doi:
10.1002/ijc.27395. Epub 2012 Jan 31. PubMed PMID: 22161747; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC4046909.

14: Zhang Z, Knobloch TJ, Seamon LG, Stoner GD, Cohn DE, Paskett ED, Fowler JM,
Weghorst CM. A black raspberry extract inhibits proliferation and regulates
apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. Gynecol Oncol. 2011 Nov;123(2):401-6. doi:
10.1016/j.ygyno.2011.07.023. Epub 2011 Aug 9. PubMed PMID: 21831414; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC3919135.

15: Li J, Knobloch TJ, Kresty LA, Zhang Z, Lang JC, Schuller DE, Weghorst CM.
Gankyrin, a biomarker for epithelial carcinogenesis, is overexpressed in human
oral cancer. Anticancer Res. 2011 Sep;31(9):2683-92. PubMed PMID: 21868508.

16: Accurso BT, Warner BM, Knobloch TJ, Weghorst CM, Shumway BS, Allen CM, Kalmar
JR. Allelic imbalance in oral lichen planus and assessment of its classification
as a premalignant condition. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod.
2011 Sep;112(3):359-66. doi: 10.1016/j.tripleo.2011.03.042. Epub 2011 Jul 20.
PubMed PMID: 21764610; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3324304.

17: Guo Y, Yuan C, Tian F, Huang K, Weghorst CM, Tsai MD, Li J. Contributions of
conserved TPLH tetrapeptides to the conformational stability of ankyrin repeat
proteins. J Mol Biol. 2010 May 28;399(1):168-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2010.04.010.
Epub 2010 Apr 14. PubMed PMID: 20398677; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2879631.

18: Guo Y, Yuan C, Weghorst CM, Li J. IKKbeta specifically binds to P16 and
phosphorylates Ser8 of P16. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Mar 12;393(3):504-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.02.035. Epub 2010 Feb 10. PubMed PMID: 20152798; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC2857921.

19: Guo Y, Mahajan A, Yuan C, Joo SH, Weghorst CM, Tsai MD, Li J. Comparisons of
the conformational stability of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4-interacting
ankyrin repeat (AR) proteins. Biochemistry. 2009 May 19;48(19):4050-62. doi:
10.1021/bi802247p. PubMed PMID: 19320462.

20: Casto BC, Sharma S, Fisher JL, Knobloch TJ, Agrawal A, Weghorst CM. Oral
cancer in Appalachia. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2009 Feb;20(1):274-85. doi:
10.1353/hpu.0.0097. PubMed PMID: 19202262.