Prof Guokai CHEN

Education
PhD	Baylor College of Medicine
BSc	Sichuan University

Positions
2020 – Present	Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2020 – 2023	Associate Dean (Teaching), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2019 – 2020	Interim Associate Dean (Teaching), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2016 – 2020	Assistant Dean (Student Affairs), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2014 – 2020	Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2011 – 2014	Director, iPSC and Genome Engineering Core Facility, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA
2008 – 2011	Assistant Scientist, Wisconsin Genome Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Morgridge Institute of Discovery
2006 – 2008	Post-doctoral fellow, Wisconsin Genome Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison
2003 – 2006	Post-doctoral fellow, Baylor College of Medicine

Research Interests

Our group is interested in the molecular regulation of growth factors and nutritional factors that affects maintenance and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Based on our knowledge from basic research, we devote our effort to developing novel technologies that could facilitate stem cell applications in basic and translational research. Multiple of our previous inventions have been successfully launched in commercial production for stem cell research in the field. Our current research interests include: Derivation and differentiation of human iPSC for disease models Molecular mechanisms of lineage-specific differentiation Nutritional regulation of human ES and iPS cells Chemically defined differentiation conditions for clinically relevant cell types

Representative Publications

Ren, Z. L., Zhong, H., Song, C. C., Deng, C. H., Hsieh, H. T., Liu, W. W., and Chen, G. (2020) Insulin Promotes Mitochondrial Respiration and Survival through PI3K/AKT/GSK3 Pathway in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rep 15 (6), 1362-1376 Zhong, H., Ren, Z. L., Wang, X. Y., Miao, K., Ni, W. J., Meng, Y., Lu, L. G., Wang, C. M., Liu, W., Deng, C. X., Xu, R. H., and Chen, G. (2020) Stagewise Keratinocyte Differentiation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Defined Signal Transduction Modulators. Int J Biol Sci 16, 1450-1462 Yang, Y., Ren, Z. L., Xu, F. X., Meng, Y., Zhang, Y. M., Ai, N., Long, Y., Fok, H. I., Deng, C. H., Zhao, X. Y., Huang, L. C., Zhao, Q., Wang, J. X., Liu, W., Ge, W., and Chen, G. (2019) Endogenous IGF Signaling Directs Heterogeneous Mesoderm Differentiation in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Cell Rep 29, 3374-3384 e3375 Song, C. C., Xu, F. X., Ren, Z. L., Zhang, Y. M., Meng, Y., Yang, Y. Q., Lingadahalli, S., Cheung, E., Li, G., Liu, W., Wan, J. B., Zhao, Y., and Chen, G. (2019) Elevated Exogenous Pyruvate Potentiates Mesodermal Differentiation through Metabolic Modulation and Ampk/mTOR Pathway in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rep 13, 338-351 Godoy-Parejo, C., Deng, C. H., Zhang, Y. M., Liu, W., and Chen, G. (2019) Roles of Vitamins in Stem Cells. Cell Mol Life Sci Godoy-Parejo, C., Deng, C. H., Liu, W., and Chen, G. (2019) Insulin Stimulates PI3K/AKT and Cell Adhesion to Promote the Survival of Individualized Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cells 37, 1030-1041 Meng, Y., Ren, Z. L., Xu, F. X., Zhou, X. X., Song, C. C., Wang, V. Y. F., Liu, W., Lu, L. G., Thomson, J. A., and Chen, G. (2018) Nicotinamide Promotes Cell Survival and Differentiation as Kinase Inhibitor in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rep 11, 1347-1356 Liu, W., Ren, Z. L., Lu, K., Song, C. C., Cheung, E. C. W., Zhou, Z., and Chen, G. (2018) The Suppression of Medium Acidosis Improves the Maintenance and Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells at High Density in Defined Cell Culture Medium. Int J Biol Sci 14, 485-496 Lin, Y. S., Linask, K., Mallon, B., Johnson, K., Klein, M., Beers, J., Xie, W., Du, Y. B., Liu, C., Lai, Y., Zou, J. Z., Haigney, M., Yang, H. S., Rao, M., and Chen, G. (2017) Heparin Promotes Cardiac Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in Chemically Defined Albumin-Free Medium, Enabling Consistent Manufacture of Cardiomyocytes. Stem Cell Transl Med 6, 527-538 Beers, J., Linask, K., Chen, J., Siniscalchi, L., Lin, Y. S., Zheng, W., Rao, M., and Chen, G. (2015) A Cost-Effective and Efficient Reprogramming Platform for Large-Scale Production of Integration-Free Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Chemically Defined Culture. Sci Rep-Uk 5, 11319 Lin, Y., Li, X. Y., Willis, A. L., Liu, C., Chen, G., and Weiss, S. J. (2014) Snail1-Dependent Control of Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency and Lineage Commitment. Nat Commun 5, 3070 Chen, G., Gulbranson, D. R., Yu, P., Hou, Z., and Thomson, J. A. (2012) Thermal Stability of Fibroblast Growth Factor Protein Is a Determinant Factor in Regulating Self-Renewal, Differentiation, and Reprogramming in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cells 30, 623-630 Beers, J., Gulbranson, D. R., George, N., Siniscalchi, L. I., Jones, J., Thomson, J. A., and Chen, G. (2012) Passaging and Colony Expansion of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells by Enzyme-Free Dissociation in Chemically Defined Culture Conditions. Nat Protoc 7, 2029-2040 Chen, G., Gulbranson, D. R., Hou, Z., Bolin, J. M., Ruotti, V., Probasco, M. D., Smuga-Otto, K., Howden, S. E., Diol, N. R., Propson, N. E., Wagner, R., Lee, G. O., Antosiewicz-Bourget, J., Teng, J. M., and Thomson, J. A. (2011) Chemically Defined Conditions for Human iPSC Derivation and Culture. Nat Methods 8, 424-429 Chen, G., Hou, Z., Gulbranson, D. R., and Thomson, J. A. (2010) Actin-Myosin Contractility Is Responsible for the Reduced Viability of Dissociated Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell 7, 240-248 Chen, G., Zhuchenko, O., and Kuspa, A. (2007) Immune-Like Phagocyte Activity in the Social Amoeba. Science 317, 678-681 Chen, G., Shaulsky, G., and Kuspa, A. (2004) Tissue-Specific G1-Phase Cell-Cycle Arrest Prior to Terminal Differentiation in Dictyostelium. Development 131, 2619-2630 Sucgang, R., Chen, G., Liu, W., Lindsay, R., Lu, J., Muzny, D., Shaulsky, G., Loomis, W., Gibbs, R., and Kuspa, A. (2003) Sequence and Structure of the Extrachromosomal Palindrome Encoding the Ribosomal RNA Genes in Dictyostelium. Nucleic Acids Res 31, 2361-2368

Research Grants
2020 – 2023	FDCT/0123/2019/A3 脂類基質調節人類多能幹細胞代謝和多能性的分子機制 The molecular mechanism of lipid substrates in metabolism and pluripotency of human pluripotent stem cells
2020 – 2021	MYRG2019-00147-FHS The Molecular Mechanisms of ERK5 Regulation on Pluripotency and Differentiation in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
2019 – 2022	FDCT/0059/2019/A1 內源因子對人類多能幹細胞分化的分子調控機制 The molecular mechanism of endogenous factors on the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells
2019 – 2021	MYRG2018-00135-FHS 丙酮酸對人類多能幹細胞在分化中細胞命運決定的影響機制 Cell Fate Determination by Pyruvate in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
2015 – 2018	MYRG2015-00228-FHS High throughput production and analysis of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) under chemically defined conditions
2015 – 2018	MYRG2015-00229-FHS Cardiomyocyte generation from human pluripotent stem cells for translational and clinical applications
2015 – 2018	FDCT/056/2015/A2 在確定組分條件下從人類多能幹細胞向內胚層細胞定向分化的技術開發和應用 The technology development and application of endoderm differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells in defined culture conditions
2015 – 2018	FDCT/131/2014/A3 人類多能幹細胞在擴增與分化中細胞死亡的分子機理 The molecular mechanisms of cell death during expansion and differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells

Patents

Chen G, Thomson JA. Simplified basic media for human pluripotent cell culture. Chen G, Hou Z, Thomson JA. Improved vitronectin variants improve culture capacity supporting self-renewal or differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells. Chen G, Thomson JA. Stabilized FGF1 mutants improve culture capacity supporting self-renewal or differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells. Chen G, Hou Z, Thomson JA. Stabilized FGF2 mutant improves culture capacity supporting self-renewal or differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells. Chen G, Lin Y. Improvement of chemically defined culture for hPSCs. (Pending) Chen G, Lin Y. Cardiomyocyte differentiation from hPSCs in defined conditions. (Pending)

Awards
V.C. Joshi Memorial Award, Baylor College of Medicine 2002 FHS Best Teacher (Teaching), University of Macau 2019 FHS Best Teacher (Services), University of Macau 2020

Professional Activities
President of Executive Committee, Macau Society for Stem Cell Research Associate Member, International Society for Stem Cell Research Member (Life), Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America Member, Stem Cell COREdinates