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West Virginia University, Ph.D., 2005
There are two major research directions in my laboratory. One is ethanol neurotoxicity, in which we investigate the mechanism(s) for ethanol-induced damage to the developing central nervous system and consequent behavioral deficits targeting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). The other one is carcinogenesis induced by environmental factors, such as arsenic and chromium.
FASD and the cancers caused by environmental factors are severe public health problems. The ultimate goal for our research is to find strategies for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Our overall approach is to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the diseases and identify the responsible targets (genes, proteins or signaling pathways) using pharmacological or genetic manipulation methods in cell culture and animal models.
NIH (R01AA020051)
NIH (R01ES026657)
1. Wenhua Xu; Hui Li; Caigu He, Jacqueline A. Frank; and Gang Chen. Early ethanol exposure inhibits the differentiation of hippocampal dentate gyrus granule cells in a mouse model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2020 May;44(5):1112-1122.
2. Wenhua Xu, Andrew Hawkey, Hui Li, Lu Dai, Howard H. Brim, Jacqueline A. Frank, Jia Luo, Susan Barron and Gang Chen. Early Postnatal Ethanol Exposure Causes Behavioral Deficits in Young Mice. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2018 Apr;42(4):743-750.
3. Lu Dai, Wenhua Xu, Hui Li, Jacqueline A. Frank, Caigu He, Zhuo Zhang and Gang Chen. Effects of hexavalent chromium on mouse splenic T lymphocytes. Toxicol In Vitro. 2017 Sep 9;45(Pt 1):166-171.
4. Jiajun Cui, Wenhua Xu, Hui Li, Lu Dai, Jacqueline A. Frank, Siying Wang and Gang Chen. M2 polarization of macrophages facilitates arsenic-induced cell transformation of lung epithelial cells. Oncotarget. 2017 Mar 28;8(13):21398-21409.
5. Yuanlin Qi; Mingfang Zhang; Hui Li; Jiajun Cui; Lu Dai; Jacqueline A. Frank; Wenhua Xu and Gang Chen. AIM2 inflammasome mediates arsenic-induced secretion of IL-1 beta and IL-18. Oncoimmunology, 2016 Mar 28;5(6):e1160182.
6. Hui Li, Jian Chen, Yuanlin Qi, Lu Dai, Mingfang Zhang, Jacqueline A. Frank, Jonathan W Handshoe, Jiajun Cui, Wenhua Xu, and Gang Chen. Deficient PKR in RAX/PKR Association Ameliorates Ethanol-Induced Neurotoxicity in the Developing Cerebellum. Cerebellum. 2015 Aug;14(4):386-97.
7. Gang Chen. STAT3 in arsenic lung carcinogenesis. Oncoimmunology. 2015 Jan 22;4(4):e995566. eCollection 2015 Apr.
8. Yuanlin Qi, Mingfang Zhang, Hui Li, Jacqueline Frank, Lu Dai, Huijuan Liu, Zhuo Zhang, Chi Wang, Gang Chen. Autophagy inhibition by sustained over-production of IL-6 contributes to arsenic-induced carcinogenesis. Cancer Res. 2014 May 15.