UTMThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · Pharmacology
KRAS and Proteostasis Research Unit
Xi Chen · Houston, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Xi Chen's lab focuses on understanding how mutant KRAS, a common gene mutation in several cancers, influences tumor growth and response to treatment. They are particularly interested in how cancer cells adapt to therapies and develop resistance, with a specific focus on a molecular process called proteostasis. By targeting these mechanisms, the lab aims to improve the effectiveness of existing treatments for lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers, potentially leading to better outcomes for patients.
KRASproteostasiscancer therapydrug resistancetumor biology
Research Aims
3AIM 01Determine the molecular mechanisms of IRE1a regulation in response to mutant KRAS inhibition
AIM 02Define the interactions between heat shock response and unfolded protein response in KRAS-mutant cancers
AIM 03Evaluate the efficacy of targeting proteostasis reprogramming to overcome resistance to KRAS inhibitors
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsWestern blotRNA sequencingbiochemical assays
Output against the department
Publications2,212top 1% of dept.2nd of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations59ktop 3% of dept.15th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.