Xin Chen, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Bioengineering
[email protected]
+1 415 502-6526

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.

Publications: 

Identifying strategies to target the metabolic flexibility of tumours.

Nature metabolism

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

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 Signaling Is Required for Liver Regeneration in a Cholestatic Liver Injury Murine Model.

The American journal of pathology

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

Publisher Correction: Harnessing big 'omics' data and AI for drug discovery in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology

Chen B, Garmire L, Calvisi DF, Chua MS, Kelley RK, Chen X

Oncogene-dependent function of BRG1 in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Cell death & disease

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

SNAI1 Promotes the Cholangiocellular Phenotype, but not Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, in a Murine Hepatocellular Carcinoma Model.

Cancer research

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

The mTORC2-Akt1 Cascade Is Crucial for c-Myc to Promote Hepatocarcinogenesis in Mice and Humans.

Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.)

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

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 ß-Catenin but Not Notch Cascade in Mice.

Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.)

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

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

Notch2 controls hepatocyte-derived cholangiocarcinoma formation in mice.

Oncogene

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

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

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

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

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

Glucose Catabolism in Liver Tumors Induced by c-MYC Can Be Sustained by Various PKM1/PKM2 Ratios and Pyruvate Kinase Activities.

Cancer research

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.)

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

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

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.)

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

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

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