Fei Chen, PhD

Fei Chen, PhDDr. Fei Chen
Professor
Co-Leader for Oncogenic Drivers and Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis, 
Stony Brook Cancer Center
Department of Pathology
MART, Level 8, Room 830

Phone: 631-216-2801
Fax: 631-444-3424
Email: Fei.Chen.1@stonybrook.edu 

 

Research Summary: 

The broad focus of the Chen lab is to investigate epigenetic and genetic regulations of genes in human cancers related to environmental or occupational exposure to mineral dust, carcinogenic metals and chemical carcinogens. More specifically, the lab employs biochemical, gene editing and multi-omics approaches to elucidate molecular mechanisms by which the expression and function of genes contributing to epigenetics and cancer cell stemness are altered. One of the key signaling events in carcinogenesis is metabolic reprogramming from mitochondrial TCA cycle to glycolysis in response to oncogenic drivers. A principal question to be addressed is how such metabolic shift perturbs the intracellular regulatory circuits that control DNA and histone methylation and other posttranslational modifications of the histone proteins that determine chromatin configuration, the accessibility of the key oncogenic genes by transcription factors, the self-renewal of the cancer stem cells, and genomic instability. 

Education:
1979-1982 Medicine, Nantong Medical College, Nantong, China
1989-1994 PhD, Immunology, Peking University HSC, Beijing, China
1994-1998 Post Doc- Pathology, Penn State University, Hershey, PA
Positions and Employment:
1998-2001 CDC Genetic Fellow, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, WV
1999-2003 Adjunct Assistant Professor, Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, WVU, WV
2001-2008 Senior Service Fellow, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, WV
2003-2010 Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, WVU, WV
2004-2010 Research Biologist, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, WV
2007-2010 Adjunct Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, WV
2009-2010 Tenured Research Biologist, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, WV
2010-2013 Associate Professor with tenure, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, MI
2010-2013 Guest Scientist, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, WV
2011-2013 Associate Professor, Cancer Biology Program, Karmanos Cancer Center, 
Wayne State University, MI
2011-2020 Group Leader, Genes and Environment Interaction in Cancer, 
Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, NIH P30ES020957, Wayne State University
2013-2021 Professor with tenure, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, MI
2013-2021 Professor, Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Center, Wayne State University, MI
2021- Professor, Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, 
Stony Brook University, NY
2021- Professor, Stony Brook Cancer Center, Renaissance School of Medicine, 
Stony Brook University, NY
2021- Co-leader, Oncogenic Drivers and Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis program,  Stony Brook Cancer Center, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, NY
Awards and Honors:
1998 Recipient of Paul E. Strandjord Young Investigator Award
1998-2001 Recipient of CDC Career Development Award on Genetics
2002 Nominee of Charles C. Shepard Science Award, CDC
2005 Nominee of Charles C. Shepard Science Award, CDC
2015 Research Recognition Award, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health, Wayne State University
2021 Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellow. Wayne State University

 

Publications:

  1. Zhang Q, Wadgaonkar P, Xu L, Thakur C, Fu Y, Bi Z, Qiu Y, Almutairy B, Zhang W, Stemmer P, Chen F*. Environmentally-induced mdig contributes to the severity of COVID-19 through fostering expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor NRPs and glycan metabolism.  Theranostics. 2021, 11: 7970-7983
  2. Wadgaonkar P, Chen F*. Connections between endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated unfolded protein response, mitochondria, and autophagy in arsenic-induced carcinogenesis. Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2021, 59: in press
  3. Bi Z, Zhang Q, Fu Y, Seno A, Wadgaonkar P, Qiu Y, Almutairy B, Xu L, Zhang W, Thakur C, Chen F*. Cooperation between Nrf2-mediated transcription and mdig-dependent epigenetics in arsenic-induced carcinogenesis and cancer stem cells. Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2021, 59: in press
  4. Bi Z, Zhang Q, Fu Y, Wadgaonkar P, Zhang W, Almutairy B, Xu L, Rice M, Qiu Y, Thakur C, Chen F*. Nrf2 and HIF1a converge to arsenic-induced metabolic reprogramming and the formation of the cancer stem-like cells. Theranostics. 2020, 10: 4134-4149. 
  5. Zhang Q, Thakur C, Fu Y, Bi Z, Wadgaonkar P, Liu Z, Liu W, Wang J, Kidder BL, Chen F*. Mdig promotes oncogenic gene expression through antagonizing repressive histone methylation markers. Theranostics. 2020, 10:602-614. 
  6. Yang L, Shi P, Zhao G, Xu J, Peng W, Zhang J, Zhang G, Wang X, Dong Z, Chen F*, Cui H. Targeting cancer stem cell pathways for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2020, 5:8. doi: 10.1038/s41392-020-0110-5 
  7. Chen F*. Linking metabolism to epigenetics in stem cells and cancer stem cells (Editorial). Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2019, 57:iii-v. 
  8. Thakur C, Chen F*. Connections between metabolism and epigenetics in cancers. Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2019, 57:52-58. 
  9. Zhang Q, Thakur C, Shi J, Sun J, Fu Y, Stemmer P, Chen F*. New discoveries of mdig in the epigenetic regulation of cancers. Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2019, 57:27-35. 
  10. Li L, Bi Z, Wadgaonkar P, Lu Y, Zhang Q, Fu Y, Thakur C, Wang L, Chen F*. Metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming in the arsenic-induced cancer stem cells. Seminars in Cancer Biology. 2019, 57:10-18. 
  11. Thakur C, Chen B, Li L, Zhang Q, Yang ZG, Chen F*. Loss of mdig expression enhances DNA and histone methylation and metastasis of aggressive breast cancers. Signal Traduction and Targeted Therapy. 2018. 3:25. 
  12. Sun J, Yu M, Lu Y, Chen B, Zhao H, Chen F*. JNK and STAT3 signaling contributes to arsenic-induced expression of the mineral dust-induced gene. Cancer Letter, 2014, 346:257-263.  
  13. Chen F*:  JNK-induced apoptosis, compensatory growth and cancer stem cells.  Cancer Res, 2012, 72: 379-386. 
  14. Beezhold K, Kan H, Meighan TG, Castranova V, Chen F*: MicroRNA-190 contributes to arsenic-induced Akt activation and cell transformation.  Toxicol Sci. 2011, 123:411-420. 
  15. Beezhold K, Castranova V, Chen F*: Microprocessor of miRNA, regulation and potential for therapeutic intervention.  Mol Cancer. 2010, 9: 134. 
  16. Chen F*, Castranova V.  Nuclear factor-kappaB, an unappreciated tumor suppressor. Cancer Res. 2007,  67(23):11093-8. 
  17. Chang Q, Bhatia D, Zhang Y, Meighan T, Castranova V, Shi X, Chen F*. Incorporation of an internal ribosome entry site-dependent mechanism in arsenic-induced GADD45 alpha expression. Cancer Res. 2007,  67(13):6146-54. 
  18. Zhang Y, Lu Y, Yuan BZ, Castranova V, Shi X, Stauffer JL, Demers LM, Chen F*. The Human mineral dust-induced gene, mdig, is a cell growth regulating gene associated with lung cancer. Oncogene. 2005,  24(31):4873-82. 
  19. Chen F*.  Endogenous inhibitors of nuclear factor-kappaB, an opportunity for cancer control.  Cancer Res. 2004,  64(22):8135-8. 
  20. Chen F*, Zhang Z, Bower J, Lu Y, Leonard SS, Ding M, Castranova V, Piwnica-Worms H, Shi X.  Arsenite-induced Cdc25C degradation is through the KEN-box and ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002,  99(4):1990-5.