Alex F. Chen, MD, PhD
Professor
MD, Hunan Medical University, China
PhD, Southern Illinois University
Email: afc15@pitt.edu
Research Interest:
Our long-term research interest is in vascular biology and disease, with an ultimate goal of translating mechanistic insights gained for new therapeutic modalities including cell therapies. We focus on disease vascular injury mechanisms of diabetes and hypertension, including redox regulation of endothelial dysfunction and diabetic wound repair.
Comprehensive approaches are utilized in our laboratory studies, including molecular, biochemical, morphological, and pharmacological techniques. Both ex vivo and in vivo methods are used to study human disease models of various unique transgenic and gene knockout animals.
Selected Publications
He L, Zeng H, Li F, Feng J, Liu S, Liu J, Yu J, Mao J, Hong T, Chen AF, Wang X, Wang G. Homocysteine impairs coronary artery endothelial function by inhibiting tetrahydrobiopterin in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. Am J Physiol (Endocrinol Metab) 299: E1061-E1065, 2010.
Zhao T, Li J, Chen AF. MicroRNA-34a induces endothelial progenitor cell senescence and impedes its angiogenesis via suppressing silent information regulator 1. Am J Physiol (Endocrinol Metab), 299: E110-E116, 2010.
Xie HH, Zhou S, Chen DD, Channon KM, Su DF, Chen AF. GTP cyclohydrolase I/BH4 pathway protects EPCs via suppressing oxidative stress and thrombospondin-1 in salt-sensitive hypertension. Hypertension 56:1137-1144, 2010.
Marrotte EJ, Chen, DD, Hakim JS, Chen AF. Restoration of endothelial progenitor cell function with manganese superoxide dismutase accelerates wound healing in type 2 diabetic mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation 120: 4207-4219, 2010.
Jessup JA, Zhang L, Presley TD, Kim-Shapiro DB, Wang H, Chen AF, Groban L. Tetrahydrobiopterin restores diastolic function and attenuates superoxide production in ovariectomized mRen2.Lewis rats. Endocrinology 152, 2428-2436, 2011.
Wang XR, Zhang MW, Chen DD, Zhang Y, Chen AF. AMPK rescues the angiogenic functions of endothelial progenitor cells via manganese superoxide dismutase induction in type 1 diabetes. Am J Physiol (Endocrinol Metab). 300, E1135-E1145, 2011.
Wang JM, Luo JD, Chen AF. Sonic hedgehog accelerates wound healing via enhancing cutaneous nitric oxide function in diabetes. Advances in Wound Care 2, 171-176, 2011.
Li S, Zhu J, Zhang K, Zhang W, Ma X, Popescu LM, Rong R, Zhang M, Xiao C, Chen AF, Yang X, Cai J. Signature microRNA expression profile of essential hypertension and its novel link to human cytomegalovirus infection. Circulation 124:175-184, 2011.
Liu J, Hao Y, Wang H, Feng H, Li F, Teng H, Mao J, Hong T, Chen AF, Wang X, Wang G. Coronary flow velocity reserve is improved by PPAR-? agonist fenofibrate in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2011, In Press.
