Wenhao Chen

Wenhao Chen, PhD

Associate Professor of Transplant Immunology in Surgery, Academic Institute
Associate Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Biography

Dr. Wenhao Chen earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the University of Toronto in 2006. He held faculty appointments at the University of Toledo College of Medicine in Toledo, Ohio and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas before becoming a member of Houston Methodist Research Institute in 2013. As a member of the Transplantation Immunology Program, Dr. Chen studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying immune tolerance. He has published more than 40 original papers and review articles in high-impact scientific journals.

Description of Research

Dr. Chen’s research interests are to define the molecular mechanisms by which immune cells reject the transplanted organs or cause autoimmune type 1 diabetes and develop novel strategies to selectively abrogate undesired immune responses against self-islets or transplanted organs.

Areas Of Expertise

Transplantation Type 1 diabetes T cell Immune tolerance
Education & Training

Postdoctoral Associate, Baylor College of Medicine
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Toronto
PhD, University of Toronto
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Publications

Aerobic glycolysis enables the effector differentiation potential of stem-like CD4+ T cells to combat cancer
Zou, D, Zhang, X, Li, S, Xiao, X, Gonzalez, NM, Minze, LJ, Li, XC & Chen, W 2024, , Cellular and Molecular Immunology, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 527-529. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41423-024-01154-w

Targeted depletion of PD-1–expressing cells induces immune tolerance through peripheral clonal deletion
Cui, J, Xu, H, Yu, J, Ran, S, Zhang, X, Li, Y, Chen, Z, Niu, Y, Wang, S, Ye, W, Chen, W, Wu, J & Xia, J 2024, , Science Immunology, vol. 9, no. 94. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.adh0085

Stem the tide of graft rejection
Chen, W & Li, XC 2024, , American Journal of Transplantation, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 316-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2024.01.005

CD4+ T cell immunity is dependent on an intrinsic stem-like program
Zou, D, Yin, Z, Yi, SG, Wang, G, Guo, Y, Xiao, X, Li, S, Zhang, X, Gonzalez, NM, Minze, LJ, Wang, L, Wong, STC, Osama Gaber, A, Ghobrial, RM, Li, XC & Chen, W 2024, , Nature immunology, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 66-76. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-023-01682-z

The transcription factor IRF4 determines the anti-tumor immunity of CD8+ T cells
Yan, H, Dai, Y, Zhang, X, Zhang, H, Xiao, X, Fu, J, Zou, D, Yu, A, Jiang, T, Li, XC, Zhao, Z & Chen, W 2023, , iScience, vol. 26, no. 11, 108087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.108087

Continuous Expression of Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 Sustains CD8+ T Cell Immunity against Tumor
Yu, A, Fu, J, Yin, Z, Yan, H, Xiao, X, Zou, D, Zhang, X, Zu, X, Li, XC & Chen, W 2023, , Research, vol. 6, 0271. https://doi.org/10.34133/research.0271

T cells: Surviving a decade of cell proliferation in vivo
Chen, W & Li, XC 2023, , American Journal of Transplantation, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 593-594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2023.03.024

The Functional Adaptability of Hyporesponsive T Cells and Its Impact on Transplant Outcomes
Zou, D, Zhang, X & Chen, W 2023, , Current Transplantation Reports, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 147-152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40472-023-00398-1

Delineating COVID-19 immunological features using single-cell RNA sequencing
Liu, W, Jia, J, Dai, Y, Chen, W, Pei, G, Yan, Q & Zhao, Z 2022, , The Innovation, vol. 3, no. 5, 100289, pp. 100289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100289

Suppression of FOXP3 expression by the AP-1 family transcription factor BATF3 requires partnering with IRF4
Arnold, PR, Wen, M, Zhang, L, Ying, Y, Xiao, X, Chu, X, Wang, G, Zhang, X, Mao, Z, Zhang, A, Hamilton, DJ, Chen, W & Li, XC 2022, , Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 966364, pp. 966364. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.966364, https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.966364

Suppression of FOXP3 expression by the AP-1 family transcription factor BATF3 requires partnering with IRF4
Arnold, PR, Wen, M, Zhang, L, Ying, Y, Xiao, X, Chu, X, Wang, G, Zhang, X, Mao, Z, Zhang, A, Hamilton, DJ, Chen, W & Li, XC 2022, , Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 966364. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.966364

B-cell response in solid organ transplantation
Yi, SG, Gaber, AO & Chen, W 2022, , Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 895157, pp. 895157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.895157

Induction of fetomaternal tolerance? Suppressing B cells!
Chen, W & Li, XC 2022, , American Journal of Transplantation, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 1939. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.16668

Ablation of BATF Alleviates Transplant Rejection via Abrogating the Effector Differentiation and Memory Responses of CD8+ T Cells
Li, S, Zou, D, Chen, W, Cheng, Y, Britz, GW, Weng, YL & Liu, Z 2022, , Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 882721, pp. 882721. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.882721

T cells with stem cell-like properties mediate type 1 diabetes
Chen, W & Li, XC 2022, , American Journal of Transplantation, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 1005. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.16652

METTL3 inhibition reduces N6-methyladenosine levels and prevents allogeneic CD4+ T-cell responses
Li, S, Zou, D, Chen, W, Britz, GW, Liu, Z & Weng, YL 2022, , Immunology and Cell Biology, vol. 100, no. 9, pp. 718-730. https://doi.org/10.1111/imcb.12581

Ablation of Basic Leucine Zipper Transcription Factor ATF-Like Potentiates Estradiol to Induce Atopic Dermatitis
Zhang, P, Liu, L, Lai, X, Chen, R, Guo, Y, Junjiema, , Chen, W & Chen, Z 2022, , Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2022, 7024669. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7024669

IRF4 ablation in B cells abrogates allogeneic B cell responses and prevents chronic transplant rejection
Wang, G, Zou, D, Wang, Y, Gonzalez, NM, Yi, SG, Li, XC, Chen, W & Gaber, AO 2021, , Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, vol. 40, no. 10, pp. 1122-1132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2021.06.008

Association of CXCR6 with COVID-19 severity: delineating the host genetic factors in transcriptomic regulation
Dai, Y, Wang, J, Jeong, HH, Chen, W, Jia, P & Zhao, Z 2021, , Human genetics, vol. 140, no. 9, pp. 1313-1328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-021-02305-z

Schrödinger’s T Cells: Molecular Insights Into Stemness and Exhaustion
Gonzalez, NM, Zou, D, Gu, A & Chen, W 2021, , Frontiers in immunology, vol. 12, 725618. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.725618

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