Office address

421 E. Canfield Street, Detroit, MI 48201

> Lab website
> Cancer Biology program profile

Biography

Dr. Chen studied in the National University of Singapore on a Singapore government scholarship, initially majored in computer science and later graduated in biochemistry. He was then admitted to the University of Cambridge but stayed in Singapore to work with Dr. Yunn-Hwen Gan on tumor immunology and microbial pathogenesis. He did doctoral research in immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Hospital for Special Surgery, and had postdoctoral training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai with Dr. Andrea Cerutti. He also worked with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) on initiatives of sustainable urbanization and public health and helped organize seminars in the UN Headquarters to host organizations and leaders to share experiences and discuss solutions towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

He has contributed to some significant scientific discoveries, such as the function of the antibody immunoglobulin D and immune protective mechanisms against preterm labor, and received awards such as the Charles Janeway Memorial Award. He currently co-chairs the Immunology Focus Group of Wayne State University, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Henry Ford Health to promote research, education and scientific collaboration in metro Detroit.

Education

B.Sc. (First-Class Honours), National University of Singapore
Thesis: Heat shock protein-assisted antigen presentation

Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Hospital for Special Surgery
Thesis: The regulation and function of immunoglobulin D

Courses taught

MD2 Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
IM7010/CB7010/IBS7090 Fundamentals of Immunology
CB7410/IM7410 Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (Course Co-director)
PSL7700 Stem Cell Biology
MGG7400 Molecular Biology of Cell Signaling
PSL7690 Principles and Techniques of Reproductive Biology

Directed study or research:
CB7700 Cancer Biology Journal Club
MGG7091 Scientific Communication
IM8999 Master's Thesis Research and Direction
BMS7999 Essays in Basic Medical Science
HON4990 Honors Directed Study
HON4998 University Honors Thesis
BIO6999 Honors Program Terminal Essay
BIO6990 Directed Study in Biology

Research

The immune system regulates arguably every physiological process in our body and is intimately linked to health and disease. My lab's research goal is to understand the immune regulation of infection, reproduction, allergy, metabolic diseases and cancer. We work with basic scientists and clinician colleagues to apply molecular, cellular, imaging and informatics techniques in studies involving cells, animal models, human specimens and cohorts.

One focus of our current work is to understand the role of the immune system in healthy reproduction and immune dysfunction in reproductive diseases. Recent studies in the lab have revealed immune cells and mechanisms that respond to uterine tissue stress to guard against preterm birth and promote pregnancy to term. We are also studying the mechanism and impact of immune interaction between the mother and the fetus, specifically how changes in the mother's immune health during stress, infections, allergies and metabolic dysfunction impact fetal and postnatal immune development and contribute to child diseases. Such knowledge can help scientists and clinicians to develop methods to prevent or reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes and diseases in the offspring.

Another focus is to understand how antibodies are produced and diversified and how these processes are dysregulated in diseases such as immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases and cancer. Specifically, we are identifying molecules and mechanisms that regulate B lymphocyte class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation in systemic and mucosal barrier tissues, which are important for the generation of protective immunity, the avoidance of autoimmunity and lymphoma/leukemia as well as the development of better vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.

Research interests

• Infection and immunodeficiency
• Immune regulation of pregnancy
• Antibody therapeutics
• Mucosal immunology
• Cancer Immunology

Publications

Some research papers:

• Li H, Liu T, Wang Y, Miao X-M, Xiong Y-Y, Zhao Q, Shen W-Y, Su F-H, Chen K, Dai R-P. Paraventricular nucleus CRH neurons regulate acute lung injury via sympathetic nerve–neutrophil axis. Nature Communications 2025;16:8870.
• Wang X, Zhu R, Yu P, Qi S, Zhong Z, Jin R, Wang Y, Gu Y, Ye D, Chen K, Shu Y, Wang Y, Yu F-X. WWC proteins–mediated compensatory mechanism restricts schwannomatosis driven by NF2 loss of function. Science Advances 2025;11:eadp4765.
• Zhu R, Liu X, Zhang X, Zhong Z, Qi S, Jin R, Gu Y, Wang Y, Chen L, Chen K, Ye D, Yu F-X. Gene therapy for diffuse pleural mesotheliomas in preclinical models by concurrent expression of NF2 and SuperHippo. Cell Reports Medicine 2024;5:101763.
• Chen Y-Q, Li P-C, Pan N, Gao R, Wen Z-F, Zhang T-Y, Huang F, Wu F-Y, Ou X-L, Zhang J-P, Zhu X-J, Hu H-M, Chen K, Cai Y-L, Wang L-X. Tumor-released autophagosomes induces CD4+ T cell-mediated immunosuppression via a TLR2–IL-6 cascade. Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer 2019;7:1-16.
• Shan M, Carillo J, Yeste A, Gutzeit C, Garzon DS, Pybus M, Grasset EK, Yeiser JR, Matthews DB, van de Veen W, Comerma L, He B, Boonpiyathad T, Lee H, Blanco J, Osborne LC, Siracusa MC, Akdis M, Artis D, Mehandru S, Sampson HA, Berin MC, Chen K, Cerutti A. Secreted IgD Amplifies Humoral T helper 2 responses by Activating Basophils through Galectin-9 and CD44. Immunity 2018;49:709-724.
• Luedtke DA, Niu X, Pan Y, Zhao J, Liu S, Edwards H, Chen K, Lin K, Taub JW, Ge Y. Inhibition of Mcl-1 enhances cell death induced by the Bcl-2-selective inhibitor ABT-199 in acute myeloid leukemia cells. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 2017; 2:17012.
• Huang B, Faucette AN, Pawlitz MD, Pei B, Goyert JW, Zhou JZ, El-Hage NG, Cols M, Lin J, Yao F, Jassal JS, Dewar RS III, Dai J, Shen C, Polin LA, Nichols RA, Jones TB, Deng J, Bluth MH, Puder KS, Gonik B, Nayak NR, Puscheck E, Wei W-Z, Cerutti A, Colonna M, Chen K. Interleukin-33-induced expression of PIBF1 by decidual B cells protects against preterm labor. Nature Medicine 2017;23:128-135.
• Dzinic SH, Bernardo MM, Li X, Fernandez-Valdivia R, Ho Y-S, Mi Q-S, Bandyopadhyay S, Lonardo F, Vranic S, Oliveira DSM, Bonfil RD, Dyson G, Chen K, Omerovic A, Sheng X, Han X, Wu D, Bi X, Cabaravdic D, Jakupovic U, Wahba M, Pang A, Harajli D, Sakr WA, Sheng S. An essential role of maspin in embryogenesis and tumor suppression. Cancer Research 2017;77:886-896.
• Shan M, Gentile M, Yeiser JR, Walland AC, Bornstein VU, Chen K, He B, Cassis L, Bigas A, Cols M, Comera L, Huang B, Blander JM, Xiong H, Meyer L, Berin C, Augenlicht LH, Velcich A, Cerutti A. Mucus enhances gut homeostasis and oral tolerance by delivering immunoregulatory signals. Science 2013;342:447-453.
• Hong P, Chen K, Huang B, Liu M, Li Z, Cui M, Chaqour B, Pan X, Barton ER, Jiang X-C, Siddiqui MAQ. HEXIM1 controls satellite cell expansion after injury to regulate skeletal muscle regeneration. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2012;122:3873-87.
• Huang B, Deora A, He K-L, Chen K, Sui G, Almeida D, Jacovina A, Greenberg C, Hajjar KA. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 drives annexin A2 system-mediated perivascular fibrin clearance in oxygen-induced retinopathy in mice. Blood 2011;118:2918-2929.
• Puga I, Cols M, Barra CM, He B, Cassis L, Gentile M, Comerma L, Chorny A, Shan M, Xu W, Magri G, Knowles DM, Tam W, Chiu A, Bussel JB, Serrano S, Lorente JA, Bellosillo B, Lloreta J, Juanpere N, Alameda F, Baró T, de Heredia CD, Torán N, Català A, Torrebadell M, Fortuny C, Cusí V, Carreras C, Diaz GA, Blander JM, Farber CM, Silvestri G, Cunningham-Rundles C, Calvillo M, Dufour C, Notarangelo LD, Lougaris V, Plebani A, Casanova JL, Ganal SC, Diefenbach A, Aróstegui JI, Juan M, Yagüe J, Mahlaoui N, Donadieu J, Chen K, Cerutti A. B cell-helper neutrophils stimulate immunoglobulin diversification and production in the marginal zone of the spleen. Nature Immunology 2012;13:170-80
• Ballon G, Chen K, Perez R, Tam W, Cesarman E. Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV) vFLIP oncoprotein induces B-cell transdifferentiation and tumorigenesis in mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation 2011;121:1141-1153.
• He B, Santamaria R, Xu W, Cols M, Chen K, Puga I, Shan M, Xiong H, Bussel J B, Chiu A, Puel A, Reichenbach J, Marodi L, Doffinger R, Vasconcelos J, Issekutz A, Krause J, Davies G, Li X, Grimbacher B, Plebani A, Meffre E, Picard C, Cunningham-Rundles C, Casanova J-L, Cerutti A. The transmembrane activator TACI triggers immunoglobulin class switching by activating B cells through the adaptor MyD88. Nature Immunology 2010;11: 836-845.
• Chen K, Xu W, Wilson M, He B, Miller NW, Bengten E, Edholm E-S, Santini PA, Rath P, Chiu A, Cattalini M, Litzman J, Bussel J, Huang B, Meini A, Riesbeck K, Cunningham-Rundles C, Plebani A, Cerutti A. Immunoglobulin D enhances immune surveillance by activating antimicrobial, pro-inflammatory and B-cell stimulating programs in basophils. Nature Immunology 2009;10:889-898.
• Xu W, Santini PA, Sullivan JS, He B, Shan M, Ball SC, Dyer WB, Ketas TJ, Chadburn A, Cohen-Gould L, Knowles DM, Chiu A, Sanders RW, Chen K, Cerutti A. HIV-1 evades virus-specific IgG2 and IgA responses by targeting systemic and intestinal B cells via long-range intercellular conduits. Nature Immunology 2009;10:1008-1017.

Some review/opinion papers:

• Chen K, Giuliana M, Grasset E, Cerutti A. Rethinking mucosal antibody responses: IgM, IgG and IgD join IgA. Nature Reviews Immunology 2020;20:427-441.
• Siriwardena SU, Chen K, Bhagwat AS. Functions and malfunctions of mammalian DNA-cytosine deaminases. Chemical Reviews 2016;116:12688-12710.
• Faucette AN, Unger BL, Gonik B, Chen K. Maternal vaccination: moving the science forward. Human Reproduction Update 2015;21:119-135.
• Cerutti A, Chen K, Chorny A. Immunoglobulin responses at mucosal interfaces. Annual Review of Immunology 2011;29:273-293.
• Chen K, Cerutti A. Vaccination strategies to promote mucosal antibody responses. Immunity 2011;33:479-491.

Some commentaries:

• Werynski A, Li CX, Hao Y, Cerutti A, Chen K. Not marginal but central: type I interferons unleash marginal zone B cells in Sjögren’s disease. Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;22:1642-1644.
• Chen K, Cerutti A. AIDing the pursuit of IgA diversity. Nature Immunology 2011;12:197-198.

 Some book chapters:

• Chen K and Xu W. “Basic Immunology for Bioanalytical Testing of Biological Therapeutics.” In Bioanalytical Aspects in Biological Therapeutics, edited by Xiaohui Xu and Weifeng Xu. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2022.
• Cerutti A and Chen K. “IgAのクラススイッチ機構” In 臨床粘膜免疫学, edited by 清野宏. Tokyo: 株式会社シナジー, 2010.

 

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