Dwight Towler, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Resident Research

Louis V. Avioli Professorship in Mineral Metabolism Research
J.D. and Maggie E. Wilson Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Research

Internal Medicine - Endocrinology

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Biography

Dwight Arnold Towler, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of its Division of Endocrinology. He serves as the Associate Dean for Resident Research. A specialist in bone and mineral metabolism disorders – including osteoporosis and the vascular calcification that hardens arteries with aging, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease – he holds both the J.D. and Maggie E. Wilson Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Research and the Louis V. Avioli Professorship in Mineral Metabolism Research.

Dr. Towler earned his medical degree and doctorate in biochemistry at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in metabolism at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Towler joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2015. He previously served at WUSTL as the Lang Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipid Research and the Chief of the Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases.

In addition to his career in academic medicine, Dr. Towler spent four years in the pharmaceutical industry. He is co-inventor of novel, patented selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) that have potential clinical applications in the treatment of musculoskeletal frailty.

Dr. Towler’s Ph.D. research focused on pioneering studies of protein fatty acid acylation. His current research focuses on the endocrine physiology of bone and vascular disease.

He has authored numerous articles, book chapters, and invited lectures, and he serves as a reviewer for multiple journals and as a guest editor and editorial board member for Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. His research has been recognized by the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Association of American Physicians.

Dr. Towler is a member of the American Heart Association, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, the Endocrine Society, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Association of American Physicians.

Education & Training

Medical School - Washington University School of Medicine (1983-1989)
Residency - Washington University/Barnes Hospital (1989-1991), Internal Medicine
Fellowship - Washington University/Barnes Hospital (1991-1992), Metabolism

Professional Associations & Affiliations

The Endocrine Society (1995), Member
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (1993), Member
American Society for Clinical Investigation (2004), Member
American Heart Association (2003), Member

Honors & Awards

Charles E. Culpeper Medical Science Scholar 1996-1999, Career Development Award
Fuller Albright Award, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2000, Young Investigator Award
The 12th Annual John G. Haddad, Jr., MD Memorial Lecture, University of Pennsylvania 2009, Honorary Visiting Lectureship
Bayard D. Catherwood Lecturer and Visiting Professor, Emory University 2006, Honorary Visiting Lectureship
Elected, American Society for Clinical Investigation 2004, Physician-Scientist Honorary Society
J.D. and Maggie E. Wilson Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Sciences, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Internal Medicine - Division of Endocrinology 2015, Endowed Chair
University of Texas System Faculty STARS Program Award, UT Southwestern Medical Center 2015, Translational Research Award
Guest Editor, Circulation Research Series of Pathobiology of Calcific Vasculopathy and Valvulopathy 2011, Invited Guest Editor
Ira M. Lang Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center 2004-2012, Endowed Chair

Books & Publications

Books
- Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Medicine in Vitamin D
  Towler DA and Clemens T (2005), San Diego, CA, Elsevier
- Vascular Disease and the Skeleton in Primer on the Metabolic Bone Diseases & Disorders of Mineral Metabolism (8th Edition)
  Towler, DA (2013), Hoboken, NJ, Wiley-Blackwell
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Osteogenic-Angiogenic Coupling in Principles of Bone Biology, 3rd Ed.
  Towler DA (2008), San Diego, CA, Academic Press
- Physiological Actions of PTH and PTHrP: Vascular, Cardiovascular, and CNS Biology in The Parathyroids: Basic and Clinical Concepts (3rd Edition)
  Towler, DA (2015), London, UK, Elsevier / Academic Press
- Vitamin D: Cardiovascular Effects and Vascular Calcification in Vitamin D (3rd Edition)
  Towler, DA (2011), San Diego, USA, Elsevier / Academic Press
Publications
- Cardiovascular Safety of Abaloparatide in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis: Analysis From the ACTIVE Phase 3 Trial.
  Cosman F, Peterson LR, Towler DA, Mitlak B, Wang Y, Cummings SR, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2020 Nov 105 11
- PTH/PTHrP Receptor Signaling Restricts Arterial Fibrosis in Diabetic LDLR-/- Mice by Inhibiting Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor Relays.
  Behrmann A, Zhong D, Li L, Cheng SL, Mead M, Ramachandran B, Sabaeifard P, Goodarzi M, Lemoff A, Kronenberg HM, Towler DA, Circulation research 2020 Mar
- Lp(a) Oxyphospholipids: Markers and Mediators of Vascular Mineral Metabolism in Calcific Aortic Valve Disease.
  Towler DA, Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2019 May 73 17 2163-2165
- An Endothelial-to-Adipocyte Extracellular Vesicle Axis Governed by Metabolic State.
  Crewe C, Joffin N, Rutkowski JM, Kim M, Zhang F, Towler DA, Gordillo R, Scherer PE Cell 2018 Oct 175 3 695-708.e13
- A GTPase-activating protein binding protein (G3BP1) / antiviral protein relay conveys arteriosclerotic Wnt signals in aortic smooth muscle cells.
  Ramachandran B, Stabley JN, Cheng SL, Behrmann AS, Gay A, Li L, Mead M, Kozlitina J, Lemoff A, Mirzaei H, Chen Z, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 2018 Apr
- Wnt signaling in cardiovascular disease: opportunities and challenges.
  Gay A, Towler DA Current opinion in lipidology 2017 Jul
- Arterial Calcification in Diabetes Mellitus: Preclinical Models and Translational Implications.
  Stabley JN, Towler DA Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2017 Feb 37 2 205-217
- Commonalities Between Vasculature and Bone: An Osseocentric View of Arteriosclerosis.
  Towler DA Circulation 2017 Jan 135 4 320-322
- Nutrition in Cardioskeletal Health.
  Hill Gallant KM, Weaver CM, Towler DA, Thuppal SV, Bailey RL Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) 2016 May 7 3 544-55
- Vascular Smooth Muscle LRP6 Limits Arteriosclerotic Calcification in Diabetic LDLR-/- Mice by Restraining Noncanonical Wnt Signals.
  Cheng SL, Ramachandran B, Behrmann A, Shao JS, Mead M, Smith C, Krchma K, Bello Arredondo Y, Kovacs A, Kapoor K, Brill LM, Perera R, Williams BO, Towler DA Circulation research 2015 Jun
- Arteriosclerosis, bone biology, and calciotropic hormone signaling: learning the ABCs of disease in the bone-vascular axis.
  Towler DA Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN 2015 Feb 26 2 243-5
- Targeted reduction of vascular Msx1 and Msx2 mitigates arteriosclerotic calcification and aortic stiffness in LDLR-deficient mice fed diabetogenic diets.
  Cheng SL, Behrmann A, Shao JS, Ramachandran B, Krchma K, Bello Arredondo Y, Kovacs A, Mead M, Maxson R, Towler DA Diabetes 2014 Dec 63 12 4326-37
- Mitochondrial ROS deficiency and diabetic complications: AMP[K]-lifying the adaptation to hyperglycemia.
  Towler DA The Journal of clinical investigation 2013 Nov 123 11 4573-6
- Dkk1 and MSX2-Wnt7b signaling reciprocally regulate the endothelial-mesenchymal transition in aortic endothelial cells.
  Cheng SL, Shao JS, Behrmann A, Krchma K, Towler DA Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2013 Jul 33 7 1679-89
- Arterial calcification and bone physiology: role of the bone-vascular axis.
  Thompson B, Towler DA Nature reviews. Endocrinology 2012 Sep 8 9 529-43
- Vascular calcification and aortic fibrosis: a bifunctional role for osteopontin in diabetic arteriosclerosis.
  Shao JS, Sierra OL, Cohen R, Mecham RP, Kovacs A, Wang J, Distelhorst K, Behrmann A, Halstead LR, Towler DA Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2011 Aug 31 8 1821-33
- Activation of vascular smooth muscle parathyroid hormone receptor inhibits Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and aortic fibrosis in diabetic arteriosclerosis.
  Cheng SL, Shao JS, Halstead LR, Distelhorst K, Sierra O, Towler DA Circulation research 2010 Jul 107 2 271-82
- Runx2 trans-activation mediated by the MSX2-interacting nuclear target requires homeodomain interacting protein kinase-3.
  Sierra OL, Towler DA Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.) 2010 Jul 24 7 1478-97
- Inflammation and the osteogenic regulation of vascular calcification: a review and perspective.
  Shao JS, Cheng SL, Sadhu J, Towler DA Hypertension 2010 Mar 55 3 579-92
- Identification of anabolic selective androgen receptor modulators with reduced activities in reproductive tissues and sebaceous glands.
  Schmidt A, Harada S, Kimmel DB, Bai C, Chen F, Rutledge SJ, Vogel RL, Scafonas A, Gentile MA, Nantermet PV, McElwee-Witmer S, Pennypacker B, Masarachia P, Sahoo SP, Kim Y, Meissner RS, Hartman GD, Duggan ME, Rodan GA, Towler DA, Ray WJ The Journal of biological chemistry 2009 Dec 284 52 36367-76
- Transcriptional regulation of SM22alpha by Wnt3a: convergence with TGFbeta(1)/Smad signaling at a novel regulatory element.
  Shafer SL, Towler DA Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology 2009 May 46 5 621-35
- Msx2 exerts bone anabolism via canonical Wnt signaling.
  Cheng SL, Shao JS, Cai J, Sierra OL, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 2008 Jul 283 29 20505-22
- Aortic Msx2-Wnt calcification cascade is regulated by TNF-alpha-dependent signals in diabetic Ldlr-/- mice.
  Al-Aly Z, Shao JS, Lai CF, Huang E, Cai J, Behrmann A, Cheng SL, Towler DA Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 2007 Dec 27 12 2589-96
- An osteopontin-NADPH oxidase signaling cascade promotes pro-matrix metalloproteinase 9 activation in aortic mesenchymal cells.
  Lai CF, Seshadri V, Huang K, Shao JS, Cai J, Vattikuti R, Schumacher A, Loewy AP, Denhardt DT, Rittling SR, Towler DA Circulation research 2006 Jun 98 12 1479-89
- Msx2 promotes cardiovascular calcification by activating paracrine Wnt signals.
  Shao JS, Cheng SL, Pingsterhaus JM, Charlton-Kachigian N, Loewy AP, Towler DA The Journal of clinical investigation 2005 May 115 5 1210-20
- MINT, the Msx2 interacting nuclear matrix target, enhances Runx2-dependent activation of the osteocalcin fibroblast growth factor response element.
  Sierra OL, Cheng SL, Loewy AP, Charlton-Kachigian N, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 2004 Jul 279 31 32913-23
- Teriparatide (human parathyroid hormone (1-34)) inhibits osteogenic vascular calcification in diabetic low density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice.
  Shao JS, Cheng SL, Charlton-Kachigian N, Loewy AP, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 2003 Dec 278 50 50195-202
- MSX2 promotes osteogenesis and suppresses adipogenic differentiation of multipotent mesenchymal progenitors.
  Cheng SL, Shao JS, Charlton-Kachigian N, Loewy AP, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 2003 Nov 278 46 45969-77
- Osteopontin transcription in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells is controlled by glucose-regulated upstream stimulatory factor and activator protein-1 activities.
  Bidder M, Shao JS, Charlton-Kachigian N, Loewy AP, Semenkovich CF, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 2002 Nov 277 46 44485-96
- Regulation of osteocalcin gene expression by a novel Ku antigen transcription factor complex.
  Willis DM, Loewy AP, Charlton-Kachigian N, Shao JS, Ornitz DM, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 2002 Oct 277 40 37280-91
- The RRM domain of MINT, a novel Msx2 binding protein, recognizes and regulates the rat osteocalcin promoter.
  Newberry EP, Latifi T, Towler DA Biochemistry 1999 Aug 38 33 10678-90
- Diet-induced diabetes activates an osteogenic gene regulatory program in the aortas of low density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice.
  Towler DA, Bidder M, Latifi T, Coleman T, Semenkovich CF The Journal of biological chemistry 1998 Nov 273 46 30427-34
- Reciprocal regulation of osteocalcin transcription by the homeodomain proteins Msx2 and Dlx5.
  Newberry EP, Latifi T, Towler DA Biochemistry 1998 Nov 37 46 16360-8
- Reciprocal temporospatial patterns of Msx2 and Osteocalcin gene expression during murine odontogenesis.
  Bidder M, Latifi T, Towler DA Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 1998 Apr 13 4 609-19
- Stimulus-selective inhibition of rat osteocalcin promoter induction and protein-DNA interactions by the homeodomain repressor Msx2.
  Newberry EP, Boudreaux JM, Towler DA The Journal of biological chemistry 1997 Nov 272 47 29607-13
- Structure-function analysis of Msx2-mediated transcriptional suppression.
  Newberry EP, Latifi T, Battaile JT, Towler DA Biochemistry 1997 Aug 36 34 10451-62
- Msx-2/Hox 8.1: a transcriptional regulator of the rat osteocalcin promoter.
  Towler DA, Rutledge SJ, Rodan GA Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.) 1994 Nov 8 11 1484-93
- Mechanism of awareness of hypoglycemia. Perception of neurogenic (predominantly cholinergic) rather than neuroglycopenic symptoms.
  Towler DA, Havlin CE, Craft S, Cryer P Diabetes 1993 Dec 42 12 1791-8
- Disruption of the yeast N-myristoyl transferase gene causes recessive lethality.
  Duronio RJ, Towler DA, Heuckeroth RO, Gordon JI Science (New York, N.Y.) 1989 Feb 243 4892 796-800
- Myristoyl CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase activities from rat liver and yeast possess overlapping yet distinct peptide substrate specificities.
  Towler DA, Adams SP, Eubanks SR, Towery DS, Jackson-Machelski E, Glaser L, Gordon JI The Journal of biological chemistry 1988 Feb 263 4 1784-90
- The biology and enzymology of eukaryotic protein acylation.
  Towler DA, Gordon JI, Adams SP, Glaser L Annual review of biochemistry 1988 57 69-99
- Purification and characterization of yeast myristoyl CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase.
  Towler DA, Adams SP, Eubanks SR, Towery DS, Jackson-Machelski E, Glaser L, Gordon JI Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1987 May 84 9 2708-12
- Protein fatty acid acylation: enzymatic synthesis of an N-myristoylglycyl peptide.
  Towler D, Glaser L Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1986 May 83 9 2812-6
- Specificity of fatty acid acylation of cellular proteins.
  Olson EN, Towler DA, Glaser L The Journal of biological chemistry 1985 Mar 260 6 3784-90

Research

Wnt signaling
Transcriptional regulation
Protein Arginine Methylation / Demethylation
Cardiovascular calcification
Bone and Mineral Disease

Links

New Patient Appointment Accepting Virtual Visits or 214-645-2800