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Dr Jiezhong (Jason) Chen

Position:

• Research Fellow

Research Interests:

• Exploring the link between obesity and colon cancer.
  Obesity is associated with a number of metabolic changes including elevated blood levels of insulin, leptin, interleukin-6 and TNFα and decreased blood level of adiponectin. I explore the role of these metabolic changes in the development and progression of colon cancer, and how the relationship between these obesity related metabolic changes and cancer could be manipulated to prevent or treat colon cancer.
• Understanding signalling pathways in carcinogenesis.
  A number of signalling pathways are dysregulated (i.e. switched on or off) in cancer. I study the role of signalling pathways, especially the Src/PI3K/Akt pathway, in the development and progression of cancer, and how this pathway could be altered to treat the disease
• Developing immunotherapy in cancer and infectious disease.
  Beta-glucans appear to stimulate the immune system. I study the mechanisms underlying beta-glucan stimulated immune responses and the implication of this effect in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.
• Understanding nuclear receptors PXR and FXR in liver function.
  Farnesol X-receptor (FXR) induction reduces hepatic concentrations of bile salts and the Pregnane X (PXR) receptor has similar but complementary actions. I study the activation of PXR and FXR   in the detoxification of bile acids in cholestasis.

Publications:

Searchable RIS publications from 2000 to date                               

Selected publications:

Huang, XF and Chen, J. (2009) Obesity, the PI3K/Akt signal pathway and colon cancer. Obesity Reviews (In Press)

Chen, J (2008) Is Src the key to understanding metastasis and to developing new treatments for colon cancer? Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology 5(6):306-7.

Chen, J (2008) Letter to the editor: chronic alcohol consumption may damage a series of immune responses to increase severity of influenza rather than only CD8+ T-cells. Journal of Immunology 181(9):5813.

Chen, J and Raymond, K (2006) Nuclear receptors, bile acids detoxification and cholestasis. Lancet 367(9509):454-6.

Chen, J, Robertson G, Field J, Liddle C and Farrell GC (1998) Effects of bile duct ligation on hepatic expression of female-specific CYP2C12 in male and female rats. Hepatology 28:624-630.

Chen, J, Murray M, Liddle C, Jiang X and Farrell GC (1995) Down-regulation of male-specific CYPs2C11 and 3A2 in BDL male rats: important to reduced hepatic content of cytochrome P450 in cholestasis. Hepatology 22:580-7.