Xu Chen, PhD
Associate Professor
Dermatology
School of Medicine
I am a biomedical scientist with special expertise in the development of mouse models, biochemistry and cell biology, and signal transduction of cancer-relevant signaling pathways. My research interest has been on understanding the mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression by oncogenes, with the goal to identify therapeutic targets for patients with cancer.
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My current research interests lie in the following fields: (1) to dissect the downstream signaling pathways of oncogenic GNAQ and GNA11 to identify therapeutic targets for human uveal melanoma; (2) to develop primary/metastatic uveal melanoma mouse models to validate the role of candidate melanoma genes in tumor formation and progression and to evaluate potential therapies in a preclinical setting; (3) to seeks to understand the mechanisms of adaptive and acquired resistance of G alpha q pathway inhibition in uveal melanoma; (4) to investigate the underlying mechanism of uveal melanoma liver metastasis; (5) to develop effective immunotherapy strategies for metastatic uveal melanoma.
Awards
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- R01 award, NIH/NCI, 2023-2027
- R01 award, NIH/NCI, 2022-2027
- Idea award, Department of Defense, 2022-2025
- Young Investigator Award, Melanoma Research Alliance, 2014-2017
- Tri-Institute T32 Endocrine Research Fellow, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2007-2009
Education & Training
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- Ph.D. Biochemistry Cornell University Weill Medical College
- Postdoc Neuroscience Cornell University Weill Medical College
- Postdoc Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- M.S Biochemistry Tsinghua University
- B.S. biology Tsinghua University
Interests
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- liver metastasis
- GNAQ and GNA11
- RasGRP3
- signal transduction
- uveal melanoma
- PKC
- translational research
- combination therapy
- drug resistance
- mouse model
Publications (13)
Top publication keywords:
beta-CyclodextrinsEnzyme InhibitorsGTP-Binding Protein alpha SubunitsFarnesyltranstransferaseGuanine Nucleotide Exchange FactorsPapillomaUveal NeoplasmsOncogenesMAP Kinase Signaling SystemExtracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinasesras ProteinsMelanomaGTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11Genes, rasMutation
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Functional characterization of uveal melanoma oncogenes.
Oncogene 2020 Ma J, Weng L, Bastian BC, Chen X -
The Tumor Suppressor BAP1 Regulates the Hippo Pathway in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.
Cancer research 2020 Lee HJ, Pham T, Chang MT, Barnes D, Cai AG, Noubade R, Totpal K, Chen X, Tran C, Hagenbeek T, Wu X, Eastham-Anderson J, Tao J, Lee W, Bastian BC, Carbone M, Webster JD, Dey A -
Combined activation of MAP kinase pathway and β-catenin signaling cause deep penetrating nevi.
Nature communications 2017 Yeh I, Lang UE, Durieux E, Tee MK, Jorapur A, Shain AH, Haddad V, Pissaloux D, Chen X, Cerroni L, Judson RL, LeBoit PE, McCalmont TH, Bastian BC, de la Fouchardière A -
Transposon mutagenesis identifies chromatin modifiers cooperating with Ras in thyroid tumorigenesis and detects ATXN7 as a cancer gene.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2017 Montero-Conde C, Leandro-Garcia LJ, Chen X, Oler G, Ruiz-Llorente S, Ryder M, Landa I, Sanchez-Vega F, La K, Ghossein RA, Bajorin DF, Knauf JA, Riordan JD, Dupuy AJ, Fagin JA -
RasGRP3 Mediates MAPK Pathway Activation in GNAQ Mutant Uveal Melanoma.
Cancer cell 2017 Chen X, Wu Q, Depeille P, Chen P, Thornton S, Kalirai H, Coupland SE, Roose JP, Bastian BC
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Mutant Gq/11 promote uveal melanoma tumorigenesis by activating YAP.
Cancer cell 2014 Yu FX, Luo J, Mo JS, Liu G, Kim YC, Meng Z, Zhao L, Peyman G, Ouyang H, Jiang W, Zhao J, Chen X, Zhang L, Wang CY, Bastian BC, Zhang K, Guan KL -
Transformation by Hras(G12V) is consistently associated with mutant allele copy gains and is reversed by farnesyl transferase inhibition.
Oncogene 2013 Chen X, Makarewicz JM, Knauf JA, Johnson LK, Fagin JA -
Combined PKC and MEK inhibition in uveal melanoma with GNAQ and GNA11 mutations.
Oncogene 2013 Chen X, Wu Q, Tan L, Porter D, Jager MJ, Emery C, Bastian BC -
Endogenous expression of Hras(G12V) induces developmental defects and neoplasms with copy number imbalances of the oncogene.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2009 Chen X, Mitsutake N, LaPerle K, Akeno N, Zanzonico P, Longo VA, Mitsutake S, Kimura ET, Geiger H, Santos E, Wendel HG, Franco A, Knauf JA, Fagin JA -
RET/PTC-induced cell growth is mediated in part by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation: evidence for molecular and functional interactions between RET and EGFR.
Cancer research 2008 Croyle M, Akeno N, Knauf JA, Fabbro D, Chen X, Baumgartner JE, Lane HA, Fagin JA -
Crooked tail (Cd) model of human folate-responsive neural tube defects is mutated in Wnt coreceptor lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2005 Carter M, Chen X, Slowinska B, Minnerath S, Glickstein S, Shi L, Campagne F, Weinstein H, Ross ME -
Cholesterol depletion from the plasma membrane triggers ligand-independent activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2002 Chen X, Resh MD -
Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase by membrane-targeted Raf chimeras is independent of raft localization.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2001 Chen X, Resh MD