Xin Chen • UCSF Profiles

Xin Chen, PhD

Title(s)	Professor Emeritus, Bioengineering
School	School of Pharmacy
Address	Location Required, #001
Phone	415-502-6526
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Biography

Awards and Honors

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

Overview

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.

Websites

Profile at UCSF Cancer Center

In The News

Deadly Liver Cancer May Be Triggered by Cells Changing Identity, UCSF Study Shows (07/16/2012)

Research

Research Activities and Funding

Investigating multifactorial beta-catenin activation in hepatocellular cancers
NIH R01CA250227Jan 7, 2021 - Dec 31, 2025
Role: Principal Investigator

Cabozentinib based combination therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
NIH R03CA249236Apr 1, 2020 - Mar 31, 2022
Role: Principal Investigator

Signaling pathways during hepatocarcinogenesis
NIH R01CA239251Mar 1, 2020 - Feb 28, 2025
Role: Principal Investigator

Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Cholangiocarcinoma
NIH R01CA228483Jun 19, 2018 - May 31, 2023
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

SWI/SNF complex in mouse HCC development
NIH R03CA208215Aug 1, 2017 - Jul 31, 2020
Role: Principal Investigator

Inducible systems for studying liver tumor mainenance in vivo
NIH R03CA208311Jul 1, 2017 - Jun 30, 2020
Role: Principal Investigator

Signaling cascades in cholangiocarcinoma development
NIH R01CA190606Apr 5, 2016 - Mar 31, 2021
Role: Principal Investigator

Yap and beta-catenin interactions in liver: Implications in Pathophysiology
NIH R01CA204586Apr 5, 2016 - Mar 31, 2021
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Glutamine catabolism in c-Myc driven liver tumor development
NIH R21CA198490Jun 1, 2015 - May 31, 2018
Role: Principal Investigator

Fatty acid transporters in cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis
NIH R21CA187306Jul 1, 2014 - Jun 30, 2018
Role: Principal Investigator

Lipogenic inhibitors in prevention of oncogene induced liver cancer
NIH R03CA165122Mar 1, 2012 - Feb 28, 2015
Role: Principal Investigator

Virus-gene interactions during hepatic carcinogenesis
NIH R21CA158508Sep 12, 2011 - Aug 31, 2014
Role: Principal Investigator

Genetic Alterations Promoting Alcohol Induced Hepatic Carcinogenesis
NIH R21AA020078Sep 1, 2011 - Aug 31, 2014
Role: Principal Investigator

Targeted siRNA Delivery to Liver with EIT guided Sonoporation
NIH R43AA019638Sep 30, 2009 - Mar 31, 2011
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

Molecular Genetics of Liver Cancers
NIH R01CA136606May 1, 2009 - Feb 28, 2019
Role: Principal Investigator

A flexible somatic and sporadic mouse model for liver cancers
NIH R21CA131625Jul 1, 2008 - Jun 30, 2011
Role: Principal Investigator

Expression Programs of Intestinal Cell Differentiation
NIH R21DK069309Sep 15, 2005 - Aug 31, 2008
Role: Principal Investigator

Hedgehog signaling in human hepatocellular carcinoma
NIH R21CA113393Jul 1, 2005 - Jun 30, 2008
Role: Principal Investigator

Expression patterns of gastric premalignant lesions
NIH R03CA112638Sep 30, 2004 - Aug 31, 2007
Role: Principal Investigator

Gene Expression Profiles in Human Liver Cancers
NIH K01CA096774Sep 11, 2003 - Aug 31, 2009
Role: Principal Investigator

ORNG Applications

Academic Senate

Bibliographic

Publications

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.

Altmetrics Details

PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.

Identifying strategies to target the metabolic flexibility of tumours. Nat Metab. 2020 04; 2(4):335-350. 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. PMID: 32694609; PMCID: PMC7436715.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 50 Fields:
Met Metabolism
Translation:Humans Animals
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. 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. PMID: 32275903; PMCID: PMC7341974.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 5 Fields:
Pat Pathology
Translation:Animals Cells
Publisher Correction: Harnessing big 'omics' data and AI for drug discovery in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Mar 11. Chen B, Garmire L, Calvisi DF, Chua MS, Kelley RK, Chen X. PMID: 32161375; PMCID: PMC7483291.

View in: PubMed Mentions: Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Oncogene-dependent function of BRG1 in hepatocarcinogenesis. Cell Death Dis. 2020 02 04; 11(2):91. 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. PMID: 32019910; PMCID: PMC7000409.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 12 Fields:
Cel Cell Biology Int Internal Medicine
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
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 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. PMID: 31383647; PMCID: PMC7237201.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 9 Fields:
Neo Neoplasms
Translation:Humans Animals
The mTORC2-Akt1 Cascade Is Crucial for c-Myc to Promote Hepatocarcinogenesis in Mice and Humans. Hepatology. 2019 11; 70(5):1600-1613. 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. PMID: 31062368; PMCID: PMC7195156.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 42 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals
Loss of Fbxw7 synergizes with activated Akt signaling to promote c-Myc dependent cholangiocarcinogenesis. J Hepatol. 2019 10; 71(4):742-752. 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. PMID: 31195063; PMCID: PMC6773530.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 31 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
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. 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. PMID: 30737831; PMCID: PMC7206928.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 23 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Animals Cells
Cholesterol biosynthesis supports the growth of hepatocarcinoma lesions depleted of fatty acid synthase in mice and humans. Gut. 2020 01; 69(1):177-186. 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. PMID: 30954949; PMCID: PMC6943247.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 68 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
Notch2 controls hepatocyte-derived cholangiocarcinoma formation in mice. Oncogene. 2018 06; 37(24):3229-3242. Wang J, Dong M, Xu Z, Song X, Zhang S, Qiao Y, Che L, Gordan J, Hu K, Liu Y, Calvisi DF, Chen X. PMID: 29545603; PMCID: PMC6002343.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 51 Fields:
Mol Molecular Biology Neo Neoplasms
Translation:Animals Cells
Hippo Cascade Controls Lineage Commitment of Liver Tumors in Mice and Humans. Am J Pathol. 2018 04; 188(4):995-1006. 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. PMID: 29378174; PMCID: PMC5866106.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 17 Fields:
Pat Pathology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
Efficacy of MEK inhibition in a K-Ras-driven cholangiocarcinoma preclinical model. Cell Death Dis. 2018 01 18; 9(2):31. 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. PMID: 29348467; PMCID: PMC5833851.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 12 Fields:
Cel Cell Biology Int Internal Medicine
Translation:Humans Animals
Loss of Pten synergizes with c-Met to promote hepatocellular carcinoma development via mTORC2 pathway. Exp Mol Med. 2018 01 05; 50(1):e417. Xu Z, Hu J, Cao H, Pilo MG, Cigliano A, Shao Z, Xu M, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Calvisi DF, Chen X. PMID: 29303510; PMCID: PMC5992985.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 27 Fields:
Bio Biochemistry Mol Molecular Biology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
Pan-mTOR inhibitor MLN0128 is effective against intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in mice. J Hepatol. 2017 12; 67(6):1194-1203. 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. PMID: 28733220; PMCID: PMC5696057.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 48 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
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. 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. PMID: 28630053; PMCID: PMC5559320.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 40 Fields:
Neo Neoplasms
Translation:Animals Cells
A functional mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling is indispensable for c-Myc-driven hepatocarcinogenesis. Hepatology. 2017 07; 66(1):167-181. 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. PMID: 28370287; PMCID: PMC5481473.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 79 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
Both de novo synthetized and exogenous fatty acids support the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Liver Int. 2017 01; 37(1):80-89. 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. PMID: 27264722; PMCID: PMC5140766.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 44 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
Differential requirement for de novo lipogenesis in cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma of mice and humans. Hepatology. 2016 06; 63(6):1900-13. 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. PMID: 26910791; PMCID: PMC4874885.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 46 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
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. 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. PMID: 26857837; PMCID: PMC4746674.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 70 Fields:
Sci Science
Translation:Humans Animals Cells
Inactivation of fatty acid synthase impairs hepatocarcinogenesis driven by AKT in mice and humans. J Hepatol. 2016 Feb; 64(2):333-341. 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. PMID: 26476289; PMCID: PMC4718802.

View in: PubMed Mentions: 64 Fields:
Gas Gastroenterology
Translation:Humans Animals Cells