Scientists

Yin Chen

Yin Chen

Education

B.S., biochemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China, 1996.
Ph.D., Genetics, University of California, Davis, California, 2001.
Postdoctoral training, University of California, Davis, California, 2001-2003.

Research

In contrast to the conventional view of airway epithelium as a merely passive barrier, modern lung biologists consider it as an active first line of defense against a wide range of "invaders" including environmental pollutants and biological agents such as bacteria and virus. Dysfunction of airway epithelium is responsible for the pathogenesis of a variety of acute and chronic airway diseases.

In my laboratory, we are focused on three major projects:

1. Airway epithelial differentiation and mucous cell metaplasia. In this project, two strategies are used to figure out the underlying molecular mechanism. First, we use single gene approach by cloning and characterization of novel gel-forming mucin gene using both bioinformatics and molecular biology. Second, we try to recapitulate the process of airway epithelial mucous cell differentiation in vitro using adult and embryonic stem cells. Potential genes and pathways are then examined by state-of-the-art genomic and proteomic methods.

2.Cytokine effects on airway epithelial remodeling and innate defense. This study is focused on a novel T-Helper (TH) cytokine-IL17. IL17 has been recently demonstrated to be secreted by a novel set of TH cells (TH-17) that are different from TH1 and TH2 cells. The critical role of this novel TH cells has completely changed the previous "TH1/TH2" paradigm in the research of chronic airway diseases. We are among the first to demonstrate the effect of IL-17 on the epithelial mucus cell metaplasia and innate defense. Current study is to understand the epithelial IL-17 effect in bridging innate and native immune responses in human airway.

3. Airway epithelial antiviral response in virus-induced disease exacerbation. Airway viral infection (such as rhinovirus (RV) infection) is the major cause of airway disease exacerbation. In human airway, the primary target of viral infection is epithelial cell layer. We have found that the alteration of dsRNA signaling in airway diseases (such as asthma, COPD) plays a critical role in the viral-induced disease exacerbation. Currently, both in vitro and in vivo approaches are carried out to elucidate the epithelial dsRNA signaling in different diseases.

Selected Publications

Chen, Y., Wachi, S., Chmiel, K., Zhao, Y. H., Lee, Y., Yoneda, K., Harper, R., and Wu, R. (2006). Profiling gene expression patterns associated with tobacco smoke exposure on airway epithelial cells. In Genetic and Proteomic Applications in Toxicity Testing (M. J. Cunningham, editor). Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ. In press.

Wu, R., Harper, R., Kao, C.-Y., Thai, P., Wu, D., Chen, Y., and Chang, M. M. J. (2006). New insights into airway mucous cell differentiation. J. Organ Dysfunction 2(1), 30-36.

Chen, Y., Hamati, E., Lee, W.-M., Wachi, S., Schnurr, D., Shigeo, Y., Dolganov, G., Boushey, H., Avila, P., and Wu, R. (2005). Rhinovirus induces airway epithelial gene expression through dsRNA and interferon-dependent pathways. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 34(2), 192-203.

Harper, R., Xu, C., Eiserich, J. P., Chen, Y., Kao, C. Y., Thai, P., Setiadi, H., and Wu, R. (2005). Differential regulation of dual NADPH oxidases/peroxidases, Duox1 and Duox2, by Th1 and Th2 cytokines in respiratory tract epithelium. FEBS Lett. 579(21), 4911-4917.

Kao, C. Y., Huang, F., Chen, Y., Thai, P., Wachi, S., Kim, C., Tam, L., and Wu, R. (2005). Up-regulation of CC chemokine ligand 20 expression in human airway epithelium by IL-17 through a JAK-independent by MEK/NF kappaB-dependent signaling pathway. J. Immunol. 175(10), 6676-6685.

Thai, P., Chen, Y., Dolganov, G., and Wu, R. (2005). Differential regulation of MUC5AC/Muc5ac and hCLCA-1/Gob-5 expression in airway epithelium. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 33(6), 523-530.

Chen, Y., Zhao, Y. H., Kalaslavadi, T. B., Hamati, E., Nehrke, K., Le, A. D., Ann, D. K., and Wu, R. (2004). Genome-wide search and identification of a novel gel-forming mucin MUC19/Muc19 in glandular tissues. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 30(2), 155-165.

Kao, C.-Y. R., Chen, Y., Thai, P., Wachi, S., Huang, F., Kim, C., Harper, R. W., and Wu, R. (2004). Interleukin-17 markedly up-regulates ß-defensin 2 expression in human airway epithelium via JAK and NF-?B pathways. J. Immunol. 173(5), 3482-3491.

Xu, C., Di, P., Chen, Y., Privalsky, M., Wu, R., and Harper, R. (2004). Identification of a novel MAGE D2 antisense RNA transcript in human tissues. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 324(1), 199-204.

Chen, Y., Thai, P., Zhao, Y. H., Ho, Y. S., DeSouza, M. M., and Wu, R. (2003). Stimulation of airway mucin gene expression by IL-17 through IL-6 paracrine/autocrine loop. J. Biol. Chem. 278(19), 17036-17043.

Kao, C. Y., Chen, Y., Zhao, Y. H., and Wu, R. (2003). ORFeome based search of airway epithelial cell-specific novel human {beta}-defensin genes. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 29(1), 71-80.

Yoneda, K., Chang, M. M., Chmiel, K., Chen, Y., and Wu, R. (2003). Application of high-density DNA microarray to study smoke- and hydrogen peroxide-induced injury and repair in human bronchial epithelial cells. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 14(8 Suppl 3), S284-S289.

Chang, M. J. M., Chen, Y., Zhao, Y. H., and Wu, R. (2001). High-density DNA microarray membranes to study gene expression patterns associated with human airway epithelial cell differentiation in culture. In Cilia and Mucus: From Development to Respiratory Diseases. (Salathe, M., editor), pp. 225-237. Marcel Dekker, New York.

Chen, Y., Zhao, Y., and Wu, R. (2001). Differential regulation of airway mucin gene expression and mucin secretion by extracellular nucleotide triphosphates. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 25(4), 409-417.

Chen, Y., Zhao, Y., and Wu, R. (2001). In silico cloning of mouse Muc5b gene and upregulation of its gene expression in mouse asthma model. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 164(6), 1059-1066.

Chen, Y., Zhao, Y., Di, Y. P., and Wu, R. (2001). Characterization of human MUC5B gene expression in airway epithelium and the genomic clone of the amino-terminal and 5'-flanking region. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 25(5), 542-553.

Yoneda, K., Peck, K., Chang, M. M. J., Chimel, K., Sher, Y.-P., Chen, J., Yang, P.-C., Chen, Y., and Wu, R. (2001). Development of high-density DNA microarray membrane for profiling smoke- and hydrogen peroxide-induced genes in a human bronchial epithelial cell line. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 164, 85S-89S.

Wu, R. and Chen, Y. (2001). Fishing for inflammatory cytokine-inducible genes with an old trick. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 280(5), L839-L840.

Deng, J., Chen, Y., and Wu, R. (2000). Induction of cell cornification and enhanced squamous-cell marker SPRR1 gene expression by phorbol ester are regulated by different signaling pathways in human conducting airway epithelial cells. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 22(5), 597-603.