Xin Chen, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Bioengineering
School of Pharmacy

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.

• The mTORC2-Akt1 Cascade Is Crucial for c-Myc to Promote Hepatocarcinogenesis in Mice and Humans.
  Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2019 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
• Loss of Fbxw7 synergizes with activated Akt signaling to promote c-Myc dependent cholangiocarcinogenesis.
  Journal of hepatology 2019 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
• Axis inhibition protein 1 (Axin1) Deletion-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis Requires Intact β-Catenin but Not Notch Cascade in Mice.
  Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2019 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
• Cholesterol biosynthesis supports the growth of hepatocarcinoma lesions depleted of fatty acid synthase in mice and humans.
  Gut 2019 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 …
• Notch2 controls hepatocyte-derived cholangiocarcinoma formation in mice.
  Oncogene 2018 Wang J, Dong M, Xu Z, Song X, Zhang S, Qiao Y, Che L, Gordan J, Hu K, Liu Y, Calvisi DF, Chen X
• Hippo Cascade Controls Lineage Commitment of Liver Tumors in Mice and Humans.
  The American journal of pathology 2018 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
• Efficacy of MEK inhibition in a K-Ras-driven cholangiocarcinoma preclinical model.
  Cell death & disease 2018 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
• Loss of Pten synergizes with c-Met to promote hepatocellular carcinoma development via mTORC2 pathway.
  Experimental & molecular medicine 2018 Xu Z, Hu J, Cao H, Pilo MG, Cigliano A, Shao Z, Xu M, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Calvisi DF, Chen X
• Pan-mTOR inhibitor MLN0128 is effective against intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in mice.
  Journal of hepatology 2017 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 …
• Glucose Catabolism in Liver Tumors Induced by c-MYC Can Be Sustained by Various PKM1/PKM2 Ratios and Pyruvate Kinase Activities.
  Cancer research 2017 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
• A functional mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling is indispensable for c-Myc-driven hepatocarcinogenesis.
  Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2017 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 …
• Both de novo synthetized and exogenous fatty acids support the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
  Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver 2016 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
• Differential requirement for de novo lipogenesis in cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma of mice and humans.
  Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2016 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
• Co-activation of AKT and c-Met triggers rapid hepatocellular carcinoma development via the mTORC1/FASN pathway in mice.
  Scientific reports 2016 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
• Inactivation of fatty acid synthase impairs hepatocarcinogenesis driven by AKT in mice and humans.
  Journal of hepatology 2015 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