Department of Internal Medicine

Hematology, Oncology and Blood &  Marrow Transplantation Faculty

George Weiner photo

Medical School:
Ohio State University

Residency:
Medical College of Ohio

Fellowship:
University of Michigan

George J. Weiner, M.D.
Director, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
C. E. Block Chair of Cancer Research
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Dr. Weiner's clinical interests include medical oncology and hematology with a special interest in the treatment of lymphoma and leukemia. His clinical and laboratory research focuses on the immunotherapy of lymphoma and leukemia including the development and evaluation of genetically modified monoclonal antibody constructs and development of novel immune adjuvants for cancer immunization.

Honors, Awards, and Organizations

Links of Interest

Publications (10 years)

  1. Simon CM, L'Heureux J, Murray JC, Winokur P, Weiner G, Newbury E, Shinkunas L, Zimmerman B. Active choice but not too active: Public perspectives on biobank consent models. Genet Med. 2011 [In Press].
  2. Jahrsdörfer B, Vollmer A, Blackwell S, Maier J, Sontheimer K, Beyer T, Simmet T, Debatin KM, Weiner GJ, Fabricius D. Granzyme B production by human plasmacytoid dendritic cells suppresses T cell expansion. Blood 2010; 115(6): 1156-65.
  3. Shanafelt TD, Drake MT, Maurer M.J., Allmer C, Rabe KG, Slager SL, Weiner GJ, Call TG, Link BK, Zent CS, Kay NE, Hanson CA, Witzig TE, Cerhan JR. Vitamin D insufficiency and prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Blood. 2010 Nov 3. [Epub ahead of print]
  4. Drake MT, Maurer MJ, Link BK, Habermann TM, Ansell SM, Micallef IN, Kelly JL, Macon WR, Nowakowski GS, Inwards DJ, Johnston PB, Singh RJ, Allmer C, Slager SL, Weiner GJ, Witzig TE, and Cerhan JR. Vitamin D insufficiency and prognosis in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Sep 20;28(27):4191-8. Epub 2010 Aug 16.
  5. Weiner GJ. Making a better antibody: all is not lost. Blood. 2010 Jun 24;115(25): 5127-8
  6. Jahrsdörfer B, Vollmer A, Blackwell SE, Maier J, Sontheimer K, Beyer T, Mandel B, Lunov O, Tron K, Nienhaus GU, Simmet T, Debatin KM, Weiner GJ, and Fabricius D. Granzyme B produced by human plasmacytoid dendritic cells suppresses T-cell expansion. Blood. 2010 Feb 11;115(6):1156-65. Epub 2009 Dec 3.
  7. Juweid, M. E., Weiner, G. J., Link, B. K., Horning, S. J., Wiseman, G. A. Measuring granulocyte and monocyte accumulation at malignant lymphoma sites. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(1):154-155.
  8. Salem, A. K., Weiner, G. J. Cpg oligonucleotides as immunotherapeutic adjuvants: Innovative applications and delivery strategies. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2009;61(3):193-194.
  9. Wang, S. Y., Veeramani, S., Racila, E., Cagley, J., Fritzinger, D. C., Vogel, C. W., St John, W., Weiner, G. J. Depletion of the c3 component of complement enhances the ability of rituximab-coated target cells to activate human nk cells and improves the efficacy of monoclonal antibody therapy in an in vivo model. Blood. 2009;114(26):5322-5330.
  10. Weiner, G. J. Cpg oligodeoxynucleotide-based therapy of lymphoid malignancies. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2009;61(3):263-267.
  11. Wang, SY, Racila, E, Taylor, RP, and Weiner, GJ. NK cell activation and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity induced by rituximab-coated target cells is inhibited by the C3b component of complement. Blood 2008;111(3):1456-63.
  12. Racila E, Link BK, Weng WK, Witzig TE, Ansell S, Maurer MJ, Juang J, Dahle C, Halwant A, Levy R and Weiner GJ. A Polymorphism in the Complement Component C1qA Correlates with Prolonged Response Following Rituximab Therapy of Follicular Lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14(20):6697-703.
  13. Jahrsdorfer B, Weiner GJ. CpG oligodeoxynucleotides as immunotherapy in cancer. Update on cancer therapeutics 2008;3(1):27-32.
  14. Jahrsdorfer B, Weiner GJ. Short telomeres in B-CLL: the chicken or the egg? Blood 2008;111(12):5756; author reply -7.
  15. Wang SY, Weiner GJ. Complement and cellular cytotoxicity in antibody therapy of cancer. Expert opinion on biological therapy 2008;8(6):759-68.
  16. Zhang, XQ, Dahle, CE, Baman, NK, Rich, N, Weiner GJ, and Salem, AK. Potent antigen-specific immune responses stimulated by codelivery of CpG ODN and antigens in degradable microparticles. J Immunother (1997) 2007;30(5):469-78.
  17. Leonard, JP, Link, BK, Emmanouilides, C, Gregory, SA, Weisdorf, D, Andrey, J, Hainsworth, J, Sparano, JA, Tsai, DE, Horning, S, Krieg, AM, and Weiner, GJ. Phase I trial of toll-like receptor 9 agonist PF-3512676 with and following rituximab in patients with recurrent indolent and aggressive non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res 2007;13(20):6168-74.
  18. Jahrsdorfer, B, Blackwell, S, and Weiner, GJ. The effects of CpG ODN on CLL proliferation, apoptosis or phenotype could have an impact on its clinical utility. Leukemia 2007;21(11):2354-5.
  19. Zhang, XQ, Dahle, CE, Weiner, GJ, and Salem, AK. A comparative study of the antigen-specific immune response induced by co-delivery of CpG ODN and antigen using fusion molecules or biodegradable microparticles. J Pharm Sci 2007;96(12):3283-92.
  20. Racila, E, Racila, DM, Ritchie, JM, Taylor, C, Dahle, C, and Weiner, GJ.  The pattern of clinical breast cancer metastasis correlates with a single nucleotide polymorphism in the C1qA component of complement. Immunogenetics, 58(1):1-8, 2006.
  21. Bowles, JA, Wang, SY, Link, BK, Allan, B, Beuerlein, G, Campbell, MA, Marquis, D, Ondek, B, Wooldridge, JE, Smith, BJ, Breitmeyer, JB, and Weiner, GJ.  Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody with enhanced affinity for CD16 activates NK cells at lower concentrations and more effectively than rituximab.  Blood, 108(8):2648-2654, 2006.
  22. Link, BK, Ballas, ZK, Weisdorf, D, Wooldridge, JE, Bossler, AD, Shannon, M, Rasmussen, WL, Krieg, AM, and Weiner, GJ.  Oligodeoxynucleotide CpG 7909 delivered as intravenous infusion demonstrates immunologic modulation in patients with previously treated Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.  J. Immunother., 29(5):558-568, 2006.
  23. Taylor CM, and Weiner GJ.  B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells and other B cells can produce Granzyme B and gain cytotoxic potential after Interleukin-21-based activation.  Blood, 108(8):2712-2719, 2006.
  24. Jahrsdörfer, B, Wooldridge, JE, Blackwell, SE, Taylor, CM, Griffith, TS, Link, BK, and Weiner, GJ.  Immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides induce apoptosis of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.  J. Leukocyte Biology, 77: 378-387, 2005.
  25. Jahrsdorfer, B, Mühlenhoff, L, Blackwell, SE, Wagner, M, Poeck, H, Hartmann, E, Jox, R, Giese, T, Emmerich, B, Endres, S, Weiner, GJ, and Hartmann, G.  B-cell lymphomas differ in their responsiveness to CpG oligodeoxynucleotides.  Clinical Cancer Research, 11:1490-1499, 2005.
  26. Jahrsdörfer, B, Wooldridge, JE, Blackwell, SE, Taylor, CM, Link, BK and Weiner, GJ.  Good prognosis cytogenetics in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia is associated in vitro with low susceptibility to apoptosis and enhanced immunogenicity.  Leukemia, 19: 759-766, 2005.
  27. Bowles, JA, and Weiner, GJ.  CD16 polymorphisms and NK activation induced by monoclonal antibody-coated target cells.  J. Immunological Methods, 304:88-99, 2005.
  28. Weiner, GJ, and Link, BK.  Antibody Therapy of Lymphoma.  Advances in Pharmacology, Vol 51: 229-253, 2004.
  29. Bevaart, L, Van Ojik, HH, Sun, AW, Sulahian, TH, Leusen, JH, Weiner, GJ, Van De Winkel, JG, Van Vugt, MJ. CpG oligodeoxynucleotides enhance FcgammaRI-mediated cross presentation by dendritic cells. Int Immunol 16, 1091-8, 2004.
  30. Feldman, E, Kalaycio, M, Weiner, G, Frankel, S, Schulman, P, Schwartzberg, L, Jurcic, J, Velez-Garcia, E, Seiter, K, Scheinberg, D, Levitt, D, and Wedel, N. Treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with humanized anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody HuM195. Leukemia, 17:314, 2003.
  31. Baral, RN, Saha, A, Chatterjee, SA, Foon, KA, Krieg, AA, Weiner, GJ, and Bhattacharya-Chatterjee, M.  Immunostimulatory CpG oligonucleotides enhance the immune response of anti-idiotype vaccine that mimics carcinoembryonic antigen. Cancer Immunol Immunother, 52:317, 2003.
  32. Bains, SK, Mone, A, Tso, JY, Lucas, D, Byrd, JC, Weiner, GJ, and Green, JM.  Mitochondria control of cell death induced by anti-HLA-DR antibodies. Leukemia, 17:1357, 2003.
  33. Jahrsdoerfer, B, and Weiner, GJ.  Immunostimulatory CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides and Antibody Therapy of Cancer.  Seminars in Oncology, Vol 30, No 4 (August):  476-482, 2003.
  34. van Ojik HH, Bevaart L, Dahle CE, Bakker A, Jansen MJH, van Vugt MJ, van de winkel JGJ, and Weiner GJ. CpG-A and B oligodeoxynucleotides Enhance the Efficacy of Antibody Therapy by Activating Different Effector Cell Populations. Cancer Research, 63: 5595-5600, 2003.
  35. Heckman, K. D., Weiner, G.J., and Burns, C. P.: Persistent thrombocytopenia during remission in acute leukemia does not preclude long-term disease-free survival. Am. J. Hematol., Nov;71(3):236-237, 2002.
  36. Kostelny, S. A., Link, B. K., Tso, J. Y., Vasquez, M., Jorgensen, B. H., Wang, H., Hall, W. C. & Weiner, G. J. Humanization and characterization of the anti-HLA-DR antibody 1D10. Int J Cancer 93(4), 556-65, 2001.
  37. Ballas, Z. K., Krieg, A. M., Warren, T., Rasmussen, W., Davis, H. L., Waldschmidt, M., and Weiner, G. J.:  Divergent Therapeutic and Immunologic Effects of Oligodeoxynucleotides with Distinct CpG Motifs.  J. of Immunology, 167:4878-4886, 2001.
  38. Jahrsdörfer, B., Hartmann, G., Racila, E., Jackson, W., Mühlenhoff, L., Meinhardt, G., Endres, S., Krieg, A.M., and Weiner, G.J.: CpG DNA Increases Primary Malignant B Cell Expression of Costimulatory Molecules and Target Antigens.  J. of Leukocyte Biology. J Leukoc Biol 69:81, 2001.
  39. Warren, T.L., Weiner, G J.: Uses of Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-  Stimulating Factor in Vaccine Development. Hematology 7:168-173, 2000.
  40. Davis, T.A., Maloney, D.G., Grillo-Lopez, A.J., White, C.A., Williams, M.E., Weiner, G.J., Dowden, S., Levy, R.: Combination Immunotherapy of Relapsed or Refractory Low-Grade or Follicular Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with Rituximab and Interferon- a-2a1. Clinical Cancer Research 6: 2644-2652, July, 2000.
  41. Warren, T.L., Dahle, C.E., Weiner, G.J.:  CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Enhance Monoclonal Antibody Therapy of a Murine Lymphoma.  Clinical Lymphoma 1:57-61, 2000.
  42. Warren, T.L., Bhatia, S.K., Acosta, A.M., Dahle, C.E., Ratliff, T.L., Krieg, A.M., and Weiner, G.J.: Antigen Presenting Cells Stimulated by CpG Oligodeoxynucleotide Enhance Activation of MHC Class I Restricted T Cells.  J. of Immunology, 165:6244, 2000.

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