Email: lchen@nccu.edu
1. Molecular mechanism of intestinal metaplasia in the esophagus (Barrett's esophagus) and chemoprevention of esophageal adenocarcinoma: The goal of this project is to study the roles of gastroesophageal refluxate (acid and bile acids), genetic and epigenetic pathways in the development of Barrett's esophagus, the premalignant lesion of esophageal adenocarcinoma, in cell culture, animal models, and humans. Current studies focus on the functions of a group of differentiation-related transcription factors in intestinal metaplasia in both cell culture and surgical models (rats and genetically modified mice).
2. Molecular mechanism and chemoprevention of alcohol and tobacco-associated oral cancer: We focus on aberrant arachidonic acid metabolism, especially the 5-lipoxygenase pathway, in oral carcinogenesis of carcinogen-induced models in hamsters and mice. Both pharmacological (pharmaceutical and dietary agents) and genetic approaches are employed to elucidate the mechanism of oral carcinogenesis and design chemopreventive strategies.
3. Mechanism of prostate cancer: The primary goal is to find out whether certain gene polymorphism may contribute to a high risk of prostate cancer in Trinidad men of African decent as compared to those of Indian decent. Two other aspects are also been studied: (1) expression of 5-Lox in human prostate cancer tissue and its relationship with clinical outcome and racial disparity; (2) how 5-Lox expression and activity may be regulated by promoter methylation, polymorphism and protein phosphorylation in prostate cancer tissue.
Wang J, Qin R, Ma Y, Wu H, Peters H, Tyska M, Shaheen NJ, and Chen X. Differential gene expression in normal esophagus and Barrett’s esophagus. BMC Gastroenterology 2008; (in press)
Yang P, Sun Z, Chan D, Cartwright C, Vijjeswarapu M, Ding J, Chen X, and Newman RA (2008). Zyflamend® reduces LTB4 formation and prevents oral carcinogenesis in a 7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster cheek pouch model. Carcinogenesis 29; Aug 6 [Epub ahead of print].
Raghuwanshi SK, Nasser MW, Chen X, Strieter RM, and Richardson RM Depletion of βarrestin-2 promotes tumor growth and angiogenesis in a murine model of lung cancer. J Immunol 2008 180:5699-5706.
Chen X, Qin R, Liu B, Ma Y, Su Y, Yang CS, Glickman J, Odze R, Shaheen NJ. Multilayered epithelium in a rat model and human Barrett's esophagus: Expression patterns of transcription factors and differentiation markers. BMC Gastroenterol 2008; 8:1.
Sun Z, Sood S, Li N, Yang P, Newman RA, Yang CS and Chen X. (published online). Chemoprevention of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced oral carcinogenesis in hamster cheek pouch by topical application of a dual inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ErbB2 tyrosine kinases. Oral Oncology 44:652-657.
Zhang X, Yang F, Shim J-Y, Kirk KL, Anderson DE and Chen X (2007) Identification of arsenic-binding proteins in human breast cancer cells. Cancer Letters 255:95-106.
Tong Liu, Xinyan Zhang, Chi-Kwong So, Su Wang, Peng Wang, Liying Yan, Rene Myers, Zhigang Chen, Amy P. Patterson, Chung S. Yang, Xiaoxin Chen. Regulation of Cdx2 expression by promoter methylation, and effects of Cdx2 transfection on morphology and gene expression of human esophageal epithelial cells. Carcinogenesis 2007; 28:488-496.
Hong-Chuan Zhao, Rong Qin, Xiaoxin Chen, Xia Sheng, Ji-Feng Wu, Dao-Bin Wang, Gui-Hua chen. Microvessel density is a prognostic marker of human gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol Dec. 21, 2006; 12:7598-7603.
Peiying Yang, Diana Chan, Edward Felix, Timothy Madden, Russell D. Klein, Imad Shureiqi, Xiaoxin Chen, Andrew J. Dannenberg, Robert A. Newman. Determination of endogenous tissue inflammation profiles by LC/MS/MS: COX- and LOX-derived bioactive lipids. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 2006; 75:385-95.
Chen X, Sood S, Yang CS, Li N and Sun Z. Five-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism in carcinogenesis and cancer chemoprevention. Current Cancer Drug Target 2006; 6: 519-532.
Sun Z, Sood S, Li N, Ramji D, Yang P, Newman RA, Yang CS and Chen X. Involvement of the 5-lipoxygenase/leukotriene A4 hydrolase pathway in 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced oral carcinogenesis in hamster cheek pouch, and inhibition of carcinogenesis by its inhibitors. Carcinogenesis 2006; 27:2702-2708.
Zhang X, Feng J, Ye X, Yao Y, Zhou P and Chen X. Development of an immunocytokine, IL-2-183B2scFv, for targeted immunotherapy of ovarian cancer. Gynecologic Oncology 2006; 103:848-852.
Sood S, Shiff SA, Yang CS and Chen X. Dose selection and topical delivery of NSAIDs for oral cancer chemoprevention. Oral Oncology 2005; 41:562-567.
Li, N., Sood, S., Wang, S., Fang, M., Wang, P., Sun, Z., Yang, C.S. and Chen, X. Overexpression of cyclooxygenase 2 and 5-lipoxygenase in hamster and human oral cancer and chemopreventive effects of Celecoxib and Zileuton. Clin. Cancer Res., 2005; 11: 2089-2096
Chen, X., Wang, S., Wu, N., Sood, S., Wang, P., Jin, Z., Beer, D.G., Giordano, T.J., Lubet, R.A. and Yang, C.S. Overexpression of 5-lipoxygenase in rat and human esophageal adenocarcinoma, and synergistic effects of Zileuton and Celecoxib in the inhibition of carcinogenesis. Clin. Cancer Res. 2004; 10:6703-6709.
Hong, J., Bose, M., Ju, J., Ryu, J., Chen, X., Sang, S., Lee, M. and Yang, C.S. Modulation of arachidonic acid metabolism by curcumin and related beta-diketone derivatives: Effects on cytosolic phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenases and 5-lipoxygenase. Carcinogenesis 2004; 25: 1671-1679.
Su Y*, Chen X*, Klein M, Fang M, Wang S, Yang CS and Goyal RK. Phenotype of columnar-lined esophagus in rats with esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis: similarity to human Barrett's esophagus. Lab. Invest. 2004; 84: 753-765. (*equal contribution to this work)
Chen X, Wang S, Wu N, and Yang CS. Leukotriene A4 hydrolase as a target for cancer therapy and prevention. Current Cancer Drug Targets 2004; 4: 267-283.
Chen X, Li N, Wang S, Wu N, Hong J, Jiao X, Krasna MJ and Yang CS. Leukotriene A4 hydrolase in rat and human esophageal adenocarcinomas and inhibitory effects of bestatin. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 2003; 95:1053-1061.
- Member, Basic Sciences Committee, OESO
(World Organization for Specialized Studies on Esophageal Diseases) - American Association for Cancer Research
- Inflammation Research Society