Education

1997, B.Sc., Xiamen University;

2000, M.Sc, Xiamen University;

2006, Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.

Professional Experience

2007-2012, Postdoctoral Fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston;

2012-present,Principal Investigator for Inflammation and Diseases’s group , School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University;

2013/08-present,Professor, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University.

Research Area

The Hippo pathway kinase Mst1, a homolog of the Drosphila tumor suppressor hippo, is a key determinant of peripheral T cell activation, proliferation and maturation. The combined deletion of Mst1 and Mst2 from the hematopoietic compartment results in the absence of all peripheral lymphocytes and a profound immunodeficiency syndrome. Our research group proposes to characterize the regulation and physiologic functions of the Hippo pathway in the immune system.

Selected Publications

1. Geng J, Sun X, Wang P, Zhang S, Wang X, Wu H1, Hong L, Xie C, Li X, Zhao H, Liu Q, Jiang M, Chen Q, Zhang J, Li Y, Song S, Wang HR, Zhou R, Johnson RL, Chien KY, Lin SC, Han J, Avruch J,Chen L*, Zhou D*. Kinases Mst1 and Mst2 positively regulate phagocytic induction of reactive oxygen species and bactericidal activity.Nat Immunol. 2015, 16(11): 1142-52.

2. Wu H, Wei L, Fan F, Ji S, Zhang S, Geng J, Hong L, Fan X, Chen Q, Tian J, Jiang M, Sun X, Jin C, Yin ZY, Liu Q, Zhang J, Qin F, Lin KH, Yu JS, Deng X, Wang HR, Zhao B, Johnson RL,Chen L*, Zhou D*. Integration of Hippo signalling and the unfolded protein response to restrain liver overgrowth and tumorigenesis. Nat Commun. 2015, 19(6): 6239.

3. Hong L, Cai Y, Jiang M, Zhou D*,Chen L*. The Hippo signaling pathway in liver regeneration and tumorigenesis. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai). 2015, 47(1): 46-52.

4. Wu H, Xiao Y, Zhang S,Ji S, Wei L, Fan F,Geng J, Tian J, Sun X, Qin F, Jin C, Lin J, Yin Z-Y, Zhang T, Luo L, Li Y, Song S, Lin S-C, Deng X,Camargo F, Avruch J,Chen L* and Zhou D *. The Ets transcription factor GABP is a component of the Hippo pathway essential for growth and antioxidant defense. Cell Reports.2013, 3(5):1663-77.

5. Qin F, Tian J, Zhou D*, Chen L*. Mst1 and Mst2 kinases: regulations and diseases.Cell Biosci. 2013,3(1): 31.

6. Wu J, Huang Z, Ren J, Zhang Z, He P, Li Y, Ma J, Chen W, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Yang Z, Wu SQ,Chen L, Han J. Mlkl knockout mice demonstrate the indispensable role of Mlkl in necroptosis.Cell Res. 2013, 23(8): 994-1006.

7. Chen L, Chen Z, Baker K, Halvorsen EM, Pires da Cunha A, Flak MB, Gerber G, Huang YH, Hosomi S, Arthur JC, Dery KJ, Nagaishi T, Beauchemin N, Holmes KV, Ho JW, Shively JE, Jobin C, Onderdonk AB, Bry L, Weiner HL, Higgins DE, Blumberg RS. The Short Isoform of the CEACAM1 Receptor in Intestinal T Cells Regulates Mucosal Immunity and Homeostasis via Tfh Cell Induction.Immunity. 2012, 37(5): 930-46.

8. Chen L*, Qin F, Deng X, Avruch J, Zhou D*. Hippo pathway in intestinal homeostasis and tumorigenesis.Protein Cell. 2012, (4): 305-10.

9. Chen Z^#,Chen L^#,Baker K, Olszak T, Zeissig S, Mandelboim O, Beauchemin N, Lanier LL,. Blumberg RS. CEACAM1 dampens anti-tumor immunity via bidirectional down-regulation of NKG2D ligand expression on tumor cells and NKG2D function on NK cells.J Exp Med. 2011, 208(13): 2633-40 ( # co-first authorship)

10. Zhou D, Medoff BD, Chen L, Li L, Liu M, Landry A, Blumberg RS, Boussiotis V, Xavier R and Avruch J. The Nore1B/Mst1 complex restrains antigen receptor-induced proliferation of naïve T cells.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008, 105(51): 20321-6 .

11. Chen Z,Chen L, Qiao S-W, Nagaishi T and Blumberg RS. CEACAM1 Inhibits Proximal T Cell Receptor Signaling by Targeting ZAP-70.Journal of Immunology. 2008, 180 (9): 6085-93.

12. Chen L* and Brosnan CF. Regulation of immune response by P2X7 receptor.Critical review in immunology. 2006, 26(6): 499-51.

13. Witting A, Chen L, Cudaback E, Straiker A, Walter L,Rickman B, Möller T, Brosnan CF and Stella N. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis disrupts endocannabinoid-mediated neuroprotection.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2006, 103(16): 6362-7.

14.Chen L* and Brosnan CF. Exacerbation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in P2X7R-/- mice: evidence for loss of apoptotic activity. Journal of Immunology. 2006, 176(5): 3115-26. 

15.Chen L*, Cencioni MT, Angelini DF, Borsellino G, Battistini L and Brosnan CF. Transcriptional profiling of γδ T Cells identifies a role for vitamin D in the immunoregulation of the Vg9Vd2 response to phosphate-containing ligands.Journal of Immunology. 2005, 174(10): 6144-52.

16. John GR,Chen L, Rivieccio MA, Melendez-Vasquez CV, Hartley A, and Brosnan CF. Interleukin-1beta induces a reactive astroglial phenotype via deactivation of the Rho GTPase-Rock axis. Journal of Neuroscience. 2004, 24(11): 2837-45.

17. Cipriani B,Chen L, Hiromatsu K, Knowles H, Raine CS, Battistini L, Porcelli SA, and Brosnan CF.Upregulation of group 1 CD1 antigen presenting molecules in guinea pigs with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: an immunohistochemical study.Brain Pathology. 2003, 13:1-9.

18. Cipriani B, Knowles H,Chen L, Battistini L, and Brosnan CF. Involvement of classical and novel protein kinase C isoforms in the response of human V gamma 9V delta 2 T cells to phosphate antigens.Journal of Immunology. 2002, 169: 5761-70.