Xin Chen, PhD

Professor Emeritus

Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences

Elisabeth Fall

[email protected]

Phone: +1 415 502-6526

Links

Xin Chen Lab UCSF Profiles

Affiliations

What I do

I study molecular genetics and signaling pathways in liver cancer development with the goal to develop better targeted therapy for this deadly malignancy.

Departmental research area

pharmacogenomics and genomics

My research expertise

liver cancer, gastric cancer, colon cancer, genomics, signaling pathway, Stem Cells, cancer metabolism, pharmacogenomics, targeted therapy

Professional background

Biography

My lab studies molecular genetics and signaling pathways during hepatic carcinogenesis. Specifically, using genomic approaches including expression arrays and array based CGH, we have identified large numbers of genes which are deregulated during liver cancer development. Using murine models, we are studying how these genetic alterations contribute to malignant transformation and progression in vivo. Our current studies focus on AKT/mTOR and Notch pathways and how they regulate cancer metabolism and cancer cell proliferation. In addition, using the novel mouse models as preclinical models, we are testing the therapeutic potentials of PI3K/mTOR or Notch inhibitors in treating liver cancers.

Research keywords

Snail Family Transcription Factors
Liver Neoplasms
Carcinogenesis
Receptor, Notch2
Axin Protein
Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Bile Duct Neoplasms
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
Cholangiocarcinoma
Liver Neoplasms, Experimental
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
Liver Regeneration
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met

1.	Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Life Science Research Foundation, Baltimore, MD, 1998
2.	First Prize Award, Beijing Medical University, Beijing, China, 1991

Publications

Méndez-Lucas A, Lin W, Driscoll PC, Legrave N, Novellasdemunt L, Xie C, Charles M, Wilson Z, Jones NP, Rayport S, Rodríguez-Justo M, Li V, MacRae JI, Hay N, Chen X, Yuneva M. Identifying strategies to target the metabolic flexibility of tumours. Nat Metab. 2020 04; 2(4):335-350.

Zhou Y, Xu M, Liu P, Liang B, Qian M, Wang H, Song X, Nyshadham P, Che L, Calvisi DF, Li F, Lin S, Chen X. Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 Signaling Is Required for Liver Regeneration in a Cholestatic Liver Injury Murine Model. Am J Pathol. 2020 07; 190(7):1414-1426.

Chen B, Garmire L, Calvisi DF, Chua MS, Kelley RK, Chen X. Publisher Correction: Harnessing big 'omics' data and AI for drug discovery in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Mar 11.

Wang P, Song X, Cao D, Cui K, Wang J, Utpatel K, Shang R, Wang H, Che L, Evert M, Zhao K, Calvisi DF, Chen X. Oncogene-dependent function of BRG1 in hepatocarcinogenesis. Cell Death Dis. 2020 02 04; 11(2):91.

Xu M, Wang J, Xu Z, Li R, Wang P, Shang R, Cigliano A, Ribback S, Solinas A, Pes GM, Evert K, Wang H, Song X, Zhang S, Che L, Pascale RM, Calvisi DF, Liu Q, Chen X. SNAI1 Promotes the Cholangiocellular Phenotype, but not Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, in a Murine Hepatocellular Carcinoma Model. Cancer Res. 2019 11 01; 79(21):5563-5574.

Xu Z, Xu M, Liu P, Zhang S, Shang R, Qiao Y, Che L, Ribback S, Cigliano A, Evert K, Pascale RM, Dombrowski F, Evert M, Chen X, Calvisi DF, Chen X. The mTORC2-Akt1 Cascade Is Crucial for c-Myc to Promote Hepatocarcinogenesis in Mice and Humans. Hepatology. 2019 11; 70(5):1600-1613.

Wang J, Wang H, Peters M, Ding N, Ribback S, Utpatel K, Cigliano A, Dombrowski F, Xu M, Chen X, Song X, Che L, Evert M, Cossu A, Gordan J, Zeng Y, Chen X, Calvisi DF. Loss of Fbxw7 synergizes with activated Akt signaling to promote c-Myc dependent cholangiocarcinogenesis. J Hepatol. 2019 10; 71(4):742-752.

Qiao Y, Wang J, Karagoz E, Liang B, Song X, Shang R, Evert K, Xu M, Che L, Evert M, Calvisi DF, Tao J, Wang B, Monga SP, Chen X. Axis inhibition protein 1 (Axin1) Deletion-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis Requires Intact β-Catenin but Not Notch Cascade in Mice. Hepatology. 2019 12; 70(6):2003-2017.

Che L, Chi W, Qiao Y, Zhang J, Song X, Liu Y, Li L, Jia J, Pilo MG, Wang J, Cigliano A, Ma Z, Kuang W, Tang Z, Zhang Z, Shui G, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Evert M, Pascale RM, Cossu C, Pes GM, Osborne TF, Calvisi DF, Chen X, Chen L. Cholesterol biosynthesis supports the growth of hepatocarcinoma lesions depleted of fatty acid synthase in mice and humans. Gut. 2020 01; 69(1):177-186.

Wang J, Dong M, Xu Z, Song X, Zhang S, Qiao Y, Che L, Gordan J, Hu K, Liu Y, Calvisi DF, Chen X. Notch2 controls hepatocyte-derived cholangiocarcinoma formation in mice. Oncogene. 2018 06; 37(24):3229-3242.

Zhang S, Wang J, Wang H, Fan L, Fan B, Zeng B, Tao J, Li X, Che L, Cigliano A, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Chen B, Cong W, Wei L, Calvisi DF, Chen X. Hippo Cascade Controls Lineage Commitment of Liver Tumors in Mice and Humans. Am J Pathol. 2018 04; 188(4):995-1006.

Dong M, Liu X, Evert K, Utpatel K, Peters M, Zhang S, Xu Z, Che L, Cigliano A, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Cossu A, Gordan J, Calvisi DF, Evert M, Liu Y, Chen X. Efficacy of MEK inhibition in a K-Ras-driven cholangiocarcinoma preclinical model. Cell Death Dis. 2018 01 18; 9(2):31.

Xu Z, Hu J, Cao H, Pilo MG, Cigliano A, Shao Z, Xu M, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Calvisi DF, Chen X. Loss of Pten synergizes with c-Met to promote hepatocellular carcinoma development via mTORC2 pathway. Exp Mol Med. 2018 01 05; 50(1):e417.

Zhang S, Song X, Cao D, Xu Z, Fan B, Che L, Hu J, Chen B, Dong M, Pilo MG, Cigliano A, Evert K, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Pascale RM, Cossu A, Vidili G, Porcu A, Simile MM, Pes GM, Giannelli G, Gordan J, Wei L, Evert M, Cong W, Calvisi DF, Chen X. Pan-mTOR inhibitor MLN0128 is effective against intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in mice. J Hepatol. 2017 12; 67(6):1194-1203.

Méndez-Lucas A, Li X, Hu J, Che L, Song X, Jia J, Wang J, Xie C, Driscoll PC, Tschaharganeh DF, Calvisi DF, Yuneva M, Chen X. Glucose Catabolism in Liver Tumors Induced by c-MYC Can Be Sustained by Various PKM1/PKM2 Ratios and Pyruvate Kinase Activities. Cancer Res. 2017 08 15; 77(16):4355-4364.

Liu P, Ge M, Hu J, Li X, Che L, Sun K, Cheng L, Huang Y, Pilo MG, Cigliano A, Pes GM, Pascale RM, Brozzetti S, Vidili G, Porcu A, Cossu A, Palmieri G, Sini MC, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Tao J, Calvisi DF, Chen L, Chen X. A functional mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling is indispensable for c-Myc-driven hepatocarcinogenesis. Hepatology. 2017 07; 66(1):167-181.

Cao D, Song X, Che L, Li X, Pilo MG, Vidili G, Porcu A, Solinas A, Cigliano A, Pes GM, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Chen X, Li L, Calvisi DF. Both de novo synthetized and exogenous fatty acids support the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Liver Int. 2017 01; 37(1):80-89.

Li L, Che L, Tharp KM, Park HM, Pilo MG, Cao D, Cigliano A, Latte G, Xu Z, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Evert M, Gores GJ, Stahl A, Calvisi DF, Chen X. Differential requirement for de novo lipogenesis in cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma of mice and humans. Hepatology. 2016 06; 63(6):1900-13.

Hu J, Che L, Li L, Pilo MG, Cigliano A, Ribback S, Li X, Latte G, Mela M, Evert M, Dombrowski F, Zheng G, Chen X, Calvisi DF. Co-activation of AKT and c-Met triggers rapid hepatocellular carcinoma development via the mTORC1/FASN pathway in mice. Sci Rep. 2016 Feb 09; 6:20484.

Li L, Pilo GM, Li X, Cigliano A, Latte G, Che L, Joseph C, Mela M, Wang C, Jiang L, Ribback S, Simile MM, Pascale RM, Dombrowski F, Evert M, Semenkovich CF, Chen X, Calvisi DF. Inactivation of fatty acid synthase impairs hepatocarcinogenesis driven by AKT in mice and humans. J Hepatol. 2016 Feb; 64(2):333-341.