Fibons, Inc Publications
Dr. Colin Paul Spears has authored and co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications across oncology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and mathematical biology. His work spans foundational cancer research, clinical trials, and theoretical modeling, forming a strong scientific foundation for ongoing innovations, including the development of the Delian Ruler.
Selected Publications
This publication list represents peer-reviewed scientific contributions indexed across major medical and research journals. These publications establish Dr. Spears’ expertise in cancer research, drug development, and mathematical modeling.
Table of Contents
Selected Publications highlights a small group of representative works from Dr. Spears’s broader research record.
Verstovsek, S., Mersa, R.A., Gotlib, J., … Spears, C.P., et al.
Efficacy, Safety, and Survival with Ruxolitinib in Patients with Myelofibrosis: Results of a Median 3-years follow up of COMFORT-I.
Haematologica. 2015 Apr;100(4):479-88.
Vannucchi, A.M., Kantarjian, H.M., Kiladjian, J.J., … Spears, C.P., et al.
A Pooled Analysis of Overall Survival in COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II, 2 Randomized Phase III Trials of Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Myelofibrosis.
Haematologica. 2015 Sep;100(9):1139-45.
Odin, E., Wettergren, Y., Nilsson, S., Willen, R., Carlsson, G., Spears, C.P., and Gustavsson, B.
Altered gene expression of folate enzymes in adjacent mucosa is associated with outcome of colorectal cancer patients.
Clin. Cancer Res. 9(16):6012-6019, 2004.
Leichman, L., Silberman, H., Leichman, C.G., Spears, C.P., et al.
Preoperative systemic chemotherapy followed by adjuvant postoperative intraperitoneal therapy for gastric cancer: a University of Southern California pilot program.
J. Clin. Oncol. 10:1933-1942, 1992.
Moran, R.G., Spears, C.P., and Heidelberger, C.
Biochemical determinants of tumor sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil: ultrasensitive methods for the determination of 5-fluoro-2’-deoxyuridylate, 2’-deoxyuridylate, and thymidylate synthetase.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 75:1456-1460, 1979.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
The following publications are peer-reviewed scientific articles authored or co-authored by Dr. Colin Paul Spears, listed with full citation details including authors, journal, and year of publication.
Oncology & Clinical Research
Research focused on chemotherapy, tumor biology, clinical trials, cancer treatment outcomes, and related translational studies.
(Newest → Oldest)
Verstovsek, S, Mersa RA, Gotlib J, … Spears, C.P et al.
Efficacy, Safety, and Survival with Ruxolitinib in Patients with Myelofibrosis: Results of a Median 3-years follow up of COMFORT-I.
Haematologica. 2015 Apr;100(4):479-88.
Vannucchi AM, Kantarjian HM, Kiladjian JJ, … Spears C.P et al.
A Pooled Analysis of Overall Survival in COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II, 2 Randomized Phase III Trials of Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Myelofibrosis.
Haematologica. 2015 Sep;100(9):1139-45.
Odin, E., Wettergren, Y., Nilsson, S., Willen, R., Carlsson, G., Spears, C.P., and Gustavsson, B.
Altered gene expression of folate enzymes in adjacent mucosa is associated with outcome of colorectal cancer patients.
Clin. Cancer Res. 9(16):6012-6019, 2004.
Garcia, A.A, Muggia, F.M., Spears, C.P., Jeffers, S., Silberman, H., Pujari, M., Koda, R.T.
Phase I and pharmacologic study of i.v. hydroxyurea infusion given with i.p. 5-fluoro-2’-deoxyuridine and leucovorin.
Anticancer Drugs 12(6):505-511, 2001.
Yazan, O., Spears, C.P., Carlsson, G., Gustavsson, B., Ingram, M.L., and Gruia, G.
Thymidylate Synthase (TS) and Ki-67 expression in tumor cells of patients with advanced colon cancer randomized to irinotecan (CPT-11) vs. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).
Annals of Oncology (11):54, 2000.
Williams-Hill, D.M., Spears, C.P., Parkash, S., Olah, G.A., Shamma, T., Moin, T., Kim, L.Y., and Hill, C.K.
Mutagenicity studies of methy-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) using the Ames tester strain TA102.
Mutation Res. 446:15-21, 1999.
Ju, J.F., Banerjee, D., Lenz, H.J., Danenberg, K.D., Schmittgen, T.C., Spears, C.P., Schonthal, A.H., Manno, D.J., Hochhauser, D., Bertino, J.R., and Danenberg, P.V.
Restoration of wild-type p53 activity in p53-null HL-60 cells confers multidrug sensitivity.
Clin. Cancer Res. 4(5):1315-1322, 1998.
Yang, L., Chiang, Y., Lenz, H.J., Danenberg, K.D., Spears, C,P., Gordon, E.M., Anderson, W.F., and Parekh, D.
Intercellular communication mediates the bystander effect during herpes simplex thymidine kinase/ganciclovir-based gene therapy of human gastrointestinal tumor cells.
Hum. Gene Ther. 9:719-728, 1998.
Odin, E., Carlsson, G., Frösing, R., Gustavsson, B., Spears, C.P., and Larsson, P.A.
Chemical stability and human plasma pharmacokinetics of reduced folates.
Cancer Invest. 16(7):447-455, 1998.
Frösing, R., Gustavsson, B., Carlsson, G., Larsson, P-A., Odin, E., and Spears, C.P.
Decreases in FdUMP ligand-binding sites in normal liver and adenocarcinoma in patients receiving various folates.
Reg. Cancer Treat., 1997.
Quan, W.D.Y., Jr., Dean, G.E., Spears, L., Spears, C.P., Groshen, S., Merritt, J.A., and Mitchell, M.A.
Active Specific Immunotherapy of Metastatic Melanoma with Anti-Idiotype Vaccine: A Phase I/II Trial of I-Mel-2 Plus SAF-m.
J. Clin. Oncol. 15:2103-2110, 1997.
Carlsson, G., Odin, E., P-A. Larsson, Frösing, R., Spears, C.P., and Gustavsson, B.
Phase I-II study of weekly 5-fluorouracil and 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate in patients with advanced gastrointestinal and breast cancer.
Cancer J. 10:266-273, 1997.
Carlsson, G., Hafström, L-O, and Spears, C.P., Gustavsson, B., and Larsson, P.A.
5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate (CH2FH4) as adjuvant therapy in an experimental colon carcinoma in rats.
Anticancer Res. 17(5A):3671-3674, 1997.
Larsson, P.-A., Carlsson, G., Gustavsson, B, and Spears, C.P.
Thymidylate synthase in advanced gastrointestinal and breast cancers.
Acta Oncol. 35:469-472, 1996.
Spears, C.P., Carlsson, G., Muggia, F.M., Waugh, W., Jaresko, G., and Gustavsson, B.G.
Aspects of one-carbon folate cycling related to fluoropyrimidine and antifolate therapy.
Cancer Treat. Res. 78:115-134, 1995.
Banerjee, D., Lenz, H-J., Schnieders, B., Manno, D.J., Ju, J.F., Spears, C.P., Hochhauser, D., Danenberg, K., Danenberg, P., and Bertino, J.R.
Transfection of wild-type but not mutant p53 induces early monocytic differentiation in HL60 cells and increases their sensitivity to stress.
Cell Growth & Differ. 6:1405-1413, 1995.
Carlsson, G., Gustavsson, B., Frösing, R., Odin, E., Hafström, L-O., Spears, C.P., and Larsson, P-A.
Antitumour effects of pure diastereoisomers of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate in hepatic transplants of a rodent colon carcinoma model.
Biochem. Pharmacol. 50:1347-1351, 1995.
Larsson, P-A., Carlsson, G., Gustavsson, B., Hafström, L-O., Peterson, A., and Spears, C.P.
Effects of 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate on rat colon tumour growth and biomodulation of 5-fluorouracil.
Reg. Cancer Treat. 8:101-108, 1995.
Leichman, L., Lenz, H-J., Leichman, C.G., Groshen, S., Danenberg, K., Baranda, J., Spears, C.P., Boswell, W., Silberman, H., Ortega, A., Stain, S., Beart, R., and Danenberg, P.
Quantitation of intratumoral thymidylate synthase expression predicts for resistance to protracted infusion of 5-fluorouracil and weekly leucovorin in disseminated colorectal cancers: preliminary report from an ongoing trial.
Eur. J. Cancer 31A:1306-1310, 1995.
Carlsson, G., Larsson, P-A., Frösing, R., Hafström, L-O., Spears, C.P., Peterson, A., and Gustavsson, B.
5-Fluorouracil sensitive adenocarcinoma – A new experimental model in the rat.
Anticancer Res. 15:433-440, 1995.
Spears, C.P.
Clinical resistance to antimetabolites.
Hematol./Oncol. Clin. N. Amer. 9:397-413, 1995.
Muggia, F.M., Tulpule, A., Retzios, A., Chen, F., Jeffers, S., Leichman, C.G., Leichman, L., Spears, C.P., and Chan, K.K.
Intraperitoneal 5-fluoro-2’-deoxyuridine with escalating doses of leucovorin: pharmacology and clinical tolerance.
Invest. New Drugs, 12:197-206, 1994.
Carlsson, G., Hofström, L-O., Spears, C.P., and Gustavsson, B.G.
Sequential 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. An experimental study in rats with hepatic metastasis of a rat colon carcinoma: clinical relevance for scheduling.
Reg. Cancer Treat., 3:140-143, 1993.
Leichman, C.G., Leichman, L., Spears, C.P., Rosen, P.J., Jeffers, S., and Groshen, S.
Prolonged continuous infusion of fluorouracil with weekly bolus leucovorin: a phase II study in patients with disseminated colorectal cancer.
J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 85:41-44, 1993.
Leichman, L., Silberman, H., Leichman, C.G., Spears, C.P., et al.
Preoperative systemic chemotherapy followed by adjuvant postoperative intraperitoneal therapy for gastric cancer: a University of Southern California pilot program.
J. Clin. Oncol., 10:1933-1942, 1992.
Horikoshi, T., Danenberg, K.D., Stadlbauer, T.H.W., Volkenandt, M., Shea, L.C.C., Aigner, K., Gustavsson, B.G., Leichman, L., Frösing, R., Ray, M., Gibson, N.W., Spears, C.P., and Danenberg, P.V.
Quantitation of thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase, and DT-diaphorase gene expression in human tumors using the polymerase chain reaction.
Cancer Res., 52:108-116, 1992.
Carlsson, G., Gustavsson, B.G., Glimelius, B., Graf, W., Påhlman, L., and Spears, C.P.
Sequential 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with advanced symptomatic colorectal cancer.
Eur. J. Cancer, 26:874-876, 1990.
Carlsson, G., Gustavsson, B.G., Spears, C.P., and Hofström, L-O.
5-Fluorouracil plus leucovorin as adjuvant therapy of an experimental liver tumor in rats.
Anticancer Res., 10:813-816, 1990.
Leichman, C.G., Leichman, L., Spears, C.P., Rosen, P., Muggia, F.M., Jeffers, S., and Waugh, W.
Biological modification of protracted infusion of 5-fluorouracil with weekly leucovorin. A dose seeking clinical trial for patients with disseminated gastrointestinal cancers.
Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol., 26:57-61, 1990.
Buzaid, A.C., Alberts, D.S., Einspahr, J., Mosley, K., Peng, Y-M., Garewal, H.S., Tutsch, K., and Spears, C.P.
Effect of dipyridamole on fluorodeoxyuridine cytotoxicity in vitro and in cancer patients.
Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol., 25:124-130, 1989.
Peterson, A.R., Peterson, H., Spears, C.P., Trosko, J.E., and Sevanian, A.
Mutagenic characterization of cholesterol epoxides in Chinese hamster V79 cells.
Mut. Res., 203:355-366, 1988.
Spears, C.P., Gustavsson, B.G., Berne, M., Frösing, R., and Hayes, A.A.
Mechanisms of innate resistance to thymidylate synthase inhibition after fluorouracil.
Cancer Res., 48:5894-5900, 1988.
Berne, M., Gustavsson, B., Almersjo, O., Spears, C.P., and Sundstrom, E.
Inhibition of thymidylate synthase after administration of doxifluridine in a transplantable colon carcinoma in the rat.
Cancer Invest., 6:377-384, 1988.
Berne, M.H.O., Gustavsson, B., Almersjo, O., Spears, C.P., and Waldenstrom, J.
Concurrent allopurinol and 5-fluorouracil: 5-fluoro-2’-deoxyuridylate formation and thymidylate synthase inhibition in rat colon carcinoma and in regenerating rat liver.
Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol., 20:193-197, 1987.
Berne, M.H.O., Gustavsson, B.G., Almersjo, O., Spears, C.P., and Frösing, R.
Sequential methotrexate-5-FU: FdUMP formation and TS inhibition in a transplantable rodent colon adenocarcinoma.
Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol., 16:237-242, 1986.
Spears, C.P., Gustavsson, B.G., Mitchell, M.S., Spicer, D.V., Berne, M., Bernstein, L., and Danenberg, P.V.
Thymidylate synthetase inhibition in malignant tissues and normal liver of patients given intravenous 5-fluorouracil.
Cancer Res., 44:4144-4150, 1984.
Spears, C.P.
Volume doubling measurement of spherical and ellipsoidal tumors.
Med. Pediat. Oncol., 12:212-217, 1984.
Spears, C.P., Shahinian, A.H., Moran, R.G., Heidelberger, C., and Corbett, T.H.
In vivo kinetics of thymidylate synthetase inhibition in 5-fluorouracil-sensitive and resistant murine colon adenocarcinomas.
Cancer Res., 42:450-456, 1982.
Peterson, A.R., Landolph, J.R., Peterson, H., Spears, C.P., and Heidelberger, C.
Oncogenic transformation and mutation of C3H&10T1&2 CL 8 mouse embryo fibroblasts by alkylating agents.
Cancer Res., 41:3095-3099, 1981.
Moran, R.G., Spears, C.P., and Heidelberger, C.
Biochemical determinants of tumor sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil: ultrasensitive methods for the determination of 5-fluoro-2’-deoxyuridylate, 2’-deoxyuridylate, and thymidylate synthetase.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 75:1456-1460, 1979.
Hyatt, K.H., Johnson, P.C., Hoffler, G.W., Rambaut, P.C., Rummel, J.A., Hulley, S.B., Vogel, J.M., Huntoon, C., and Spears, C.P.
Effect of potassium depletion in normal males: an Apollo 15 simulation.
Aviat. Space Environ. Med., 46:11-15, 1975.
Spears, C.P., Hyatt, K.H., Vogel, J.M., and Langfitt, S.G.
Unified method for serial study of body fluid compartments.
Aerosp. Med., 45:274-278, 1974.
Biochemistry & Pharmacology
Research focused on drug mechanisms, enzymatic pathways, synthetic compounds, pharmacodynamics, and molecular pharmacology.
(Newest → Oldest)
Kundu, N.G., Mahanty, J.S., Chowdhury, C., Dasgupta, S.K., Das, B., Spears, C.P., Balzarini, J., and De Clerq, E.
5-(Acylethynyl)uracils, 5-(acylethynyl)-2′-deoxyuridines and 5-(acylethynyl)-1-(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyluracils. Their synthesis, antiviral and cytotoxic activities.
Eur. J. Medicinal Chem. 34(5):389-398, 1999.
Spears,C.P., S-I Kang, N.G. Kundu, T. Shamma, and G.A. Olah.
Swain-Scott constants and alkylating agent drug design.
Current Topics Medicinal Chem. 2:85-100, 1997.
Das, P., Spears, C.P., Shahinian, A.H., Dasgupta, S.K., and Kundu, N.G.
Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of some biologically-active 5,6-disubstituted uracils.
Biorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 6:2477-2480, 1996.
Kundu, N.G., Mahanty, J.S.
Unusual cytotoxicities of 5-(acylethynyl)-1-(2-hydroxy-ethoxy)methyl uracils.
Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 6:1497-1502, 1996.
Kundu, N.G., Mahanty, J.S., Spears, C.P., Andrei, G., Snoeck, R., Balzarini, J.,DeClerque,E.
Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of (E)-5-(2-acylvinyl)-2′-deoxyuridines and their antiviral and cytotoxic activities.
Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 5:1627-1632, 1995.
Kundu, N.G., Mahanty, J.S., Spears, C.P., Andrei, G., Snoek, R., Balzarini, J., and DeClercq, E.
Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of [E]-5-(2-acylvinyl)-2’-deoxyuridines and their biological activities.
Bioorg. Medicinal Chem. Lett., 5:1627-1632, 1995.
Hoier, H., Carrell, H.L., Glusker, J.P., and Spears, C.P.
Structure of ethyl phenylselenone.
Acta Crystallogr., 49:520-523, 1993.
Kundu, N.G., Dasgupta, S.K., Chadhuri, L.N., Mahanty, J.S., Spears, C.P., and Shahinian, A.H.
Synthesis and biological activities of 5-(2-acylvinyl) uracils.
Eur. J. Med. Chem., 28:473-479, 1993.
Kundu, N.G., Das, B., Spears, C.P., Mazumder, A., and Kang, S-I.
Synthesis and biological activities of novel 5-(2-acylethynyl)uracils.
J. Med. Chem., 33:1975-1979, 1990.
Kang, S-I., and Spears, C.P.
Phenyl selenones: alkyl transfer by selenium-carbon bond-cleavage.
J. Med. Chem., 33:1544-1547, 1990.
Kang, S-I., and Spears, C.P.
Structure-activity studies on organoselenium alkylating agents.
J. Pharm Sci., 79:57-62, 1990.
Spears, C.P., Hayes, A.H., Danenberg, P.V., Shahinian, A., Frösing, R., and Gustavsson, B.G.
Deoxyuridylate effects on thymidylate synthase-5-fluorodeoxyuridylate-folate ternary complex formation.
Biochem. Pharmacol., 38:2985-2993, 1989.
Spears, C.P., Gustavsson, B.G., and Frösing, R.
Folinic acid modulation of fluorouracil: kinetics of bolus administration.
Invest. New Drugs, 7:27-36, 1989.
Gustavsson, B.G., Carlsson, G., Frösing, R., and Spears, C.P.
Pharmacodynamics of fluorouracil and leucovorin.
Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 244:219-224, 1988.
Spears, C.P., and Gustavsson, B.G.
Methods for thymidylate synthase pharmacodynamics: Serial Biopsy, free and total TS, FdUMP and dUMP, and H4PteGlu and CH2-H4PteGlu assays.
Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 244:97-106, 1988.
Kang, S-I., and Spears, C.P.
A facile synthesis of 2- and 3-hydroxyalkylseleno compounds.
Synthesis, 133-135, 1988.
Spears, C.P., Shani, J., Shahinian, A.H., Wolf, W., Heidelberger, C., and Danenberg, P.V.
Assay and time course of 5-fluorouracil incorporation into RNA of L1210&0 ascites cells in vivo.
Mol. Pharmacol., 27:302-307, 1985.
Spears, C.P.
Thymidylate synthetase inhibition in Peyton colon adenocarcinoma xenografts following bolus 5-fluorouracil.
Exerpta Med. Int. Congr. Series 647:12-19, 1984.
Spears, C.P.
Nucleophilic selectivity ratios of model and clinical alkylating agents by 4-(4’-nitrobenzyl)pyridine product competition.
Mol. Pharmacol., 19:496-504, 1981.
Mathematical & Theoretical Work
Research exploring generalized Fibonacci numbers, phyllotaxis, mathematical biology, and related theoretical models.
(Newest → Oldest)
Bicknell-Johnson, M. and Spears, C.P.
The Golden Ratio in Classical Maya Architecture.
Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Fibonacci Numbers and their Applications, Eszterhay College, Eger, Hungary, June 26, 2012.
Bicknell-Johnson, M. and Spears, C.P.
Hexahexaflexagons: a Mathematical Ramble.
Aportaciones Matimaticas Investigation 20:61-70, 2011.
Bicknell-Johnson, M. and Spears, C.P.
Lucas Quotient Lemmas.
Congressus Numerantium 201:273-275, 2009.
Spears, C.P., Bicknell-Johnson, M., and Yan, J.J.
Fibonacci Phyllotaxis by Asymmetric Cell Division: Zeckendorf and Wythoff Trees.
Congressus Numerantium 201:257-272, 2009.
Spears, C.P., and Bicknell-Johnson, M.
Asymmetric cell division: Binomial identities for age analysis of mortal and immortal trees.
Fibonacci Numbers and their Applications 7:377-391, 1998.
Bicknell-Johnson, M., and Spears, C.P.
Classes of identities for the generalized Fibonacci numbers Gn = Gn-1 + Gn-c from matrices with constant valued determinants.
Fibonacci Quarterly 34.3:121-128, 1996.

Join our weekly newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest news.
Miscellaneous Publications
Spears, C. P.
Writers Block and A Song of Fertility. Poems in: Writers Talk, Monthly Newsletter of South Bay Writers Club. 21(6):10,11, 2014.
Spears, C.P.
Parallel, and Our. Poems in: Writers Talk, Monthly Newsletter of South Bay Club 22(4):11, 2014.
Spears, C. P.
Thyroid Cancer, IN: The Complete Cancer Survival Guide, by P. Teely and P. Bashe, Doubleday Books, May, 2000.
Spears, C. P.
Photo credit. Dedication to Herta Taussig Freitag, Fibonacci Quarterly 34(5):467, 1996.
Spears, C.P., and Danenberg, P.V.
Thymidylate synthase pharmacodynamics; Minutes of the NCI Phase I Working Group, NCI, CTEP, DCT. Bethesda, MD, October 27 and 28, pp. 87-109, 1993.
Alaverdian, A., Spears, C.P., Kang, S-I., and Shahinian, A.H.
High nitrogen and low sulfur selectivities of alkyl aryl selenones and activities against drug-resistant tumor cell lines.
USC Undergrad. J., 2:(1992).
Spears, C.P., Ray, M., Granger, S., Diasio, R.B., and Gustavsson, B.G.
Dual role of serine hydroxymethyltransferase in the synergy of fluorouracil and leucovorin: effects of L-serine and glycine on H4PteGlu/5,10-CH2-H4PteGlu ratios; and H4PteGlu-catalyzed release of fluoride ion from alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine.
IN: Pteridines and Folic Acid Derivatives (H.Ch. Curtius, S. Ghisla and N. Blau, eds.), Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 1990.
Spears, C.P.
Management of the Patient with Paraneoplasia.
Hospital of the Good Samaritan Manual, Hematology-Oncology Unit, 1984, pp. 1-118.
Spears, C.P.
Thymidylate synthetase inhibition in Peyton adenocarcinoma xenografts following bolus 5-fluorouracil.
Exerpta Med. Int. Congr. Series, 647:12-19, 1984.
Hyatt, K.H., Sullivan, R.W., Spears, C.P., and Vetter W.R.
A Study of ventricular contractility and other parameters possibly related to vasodepressor syncope.
US Public Health Service Hospital, San Francisco. NASA CR T-81035, pp.1-35, 1973.

