Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal profile
Shu-Hsia Chen, PhD, is the Emily Herrmann endowed Professor in cancer immunotherapy, director of Cancer Immunotherapy Research Center and Immune Assessment Core at the Methodist Research Institute. Prior to joining Houston Methodist, she was a tenured Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences and Surgery in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She obtained her PhD from National Yang-Ming Medical University in Taiwan in 1993 and finished her fellowship training at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 1996, she assumed the role of Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She has made significant contributions to the fields of gene therapy and cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Chen invented adenoviral gene delivery of suicide and immune modulatory genes for use in cancer immune therapies. Subsequently, she identified myeloid derived suppressor cell (MDSC) populations and has played an integral role in demonstrating MDSC-mediated suppression of antitumor T cell immune responses, identifying the tumor factors involved in MDSC expansion/accumulation, and discovering MDSC-mediated regulatory T cell activation in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, Dr. Chen identified the novel immune checkpoint receptors on MDSC population and was able to reprogram the myeloid cell differentiation, thereby modulating the tumor microenvironment. Her current research focuses on overcoming immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment, controlling MDSC/tumor associated macrophage differentiation, and developing effective immune therapeutic strategies for clinical use in cancer and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Chen is a world-class researcher and has done pioneering work in the field of gene therapy and immunotherapy, as demonstrated by her several inventions. She has also served on national and international grant review committees and as a reviewer/consultant for multiple international journals, institutes, and cancer centers. Her laboratory has published high-impact research articles in the field and her research has been continuously supported by multiple NIH grants, DOD grants, and pharmaceutical companies.
Research interests
Over the past years, my laboratory has focused on gene therapies and cancer immunotherapies. My laboratory has also, to a large extent, focused on elucidating the mechanisms underlying the establishment of immune suppressive tumor microenvironments, a major impediment to the success of immune-based cancer therapies and overcoming cancer cells’ resistance to chemo-radiation therapies. Specifically, we have been examining the mechanisms of immune suppression that are mediated by myeloid derived suppressor cells, macrophages, B cells, and T regulatory cells. In addition, we have been studying the biology of cancer initiating cells, the control of differentiation of myeloid cells and tumor associated macrophages, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment, all of which will influence our ability to control malignant disease.
Our laboratory is working to further define the activation of cancer initiating cells, as well as the immunological changes inside the distinct tumor microenvironment, after administration of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapeutics, T cell therapy, and antibody-based novel immune checkpoint therapies. This will help researchers and clinicians integrate conventional therapies with the ideal immunotherapies, thereby achieving the maximal therapeutic efficacy in patients. We are also investigating whether and how targeting therapeutics can overcome the stress-/inflammation-induced immune suppression that subsequently interferes with the success of immunotherapy and chemo/radiation therapy.
One of the primary aims of my lab is to examine how novel immune checkpoint pathways influence tumor growth, receptor/ligand interaction, and the tumor microenvironment. We also aim to develop novel therapeutic agents that effectively target tumors or tumor stromal cells, causing an increase local antigen priming and T cell activation/infiltration for subsequent immunotherapy. This is a key component of achieving long-term tumor remission and lasting immune memory. Using our newly developed immune checkpoints, nanotechnology, and T cell therapy, we can improve tumor targeting and reduce toxicity in patients. Collaborating with colleagues, we have been continually successful in obtaining support from NIH, DOD, and pharmaceutical companies, with the aim of developing novel therapeutic strategies through preclinical and clinical trials.
Program 1. Modulate tumor microenvironment to facilitate cancer immune therapy.
Program 2. Identify novel immune checkpoints, reprogram of myeloid cell/macrophage function and stress signaling to develop novel immune therapy strategies.
Program 3. Tumor inflammation on the regulation of tumor progression and metastases.
Program 4. The MDSC and macrophage mediated immune regulation in human health
Program 5. Synergist effect of innate and adaptive immune response for immune therapy
Research Area Keywords
- Immunobiology & Inflammation
- Cancer
- Transplantation
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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A Phase II Clinical tRial of neoADjuVant sAsanlimab and stereotaCtiC body radIatioN thErapy as an in situ vaccine for cisplatin-ineligible Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (RAD VACCINE MIBC)
Satkunasivam, R., Butler, E. B., Chen, S., Esnaola, N. F., Farach, A. M., Teh, B. S. & Zhang, J.
1/20/22 → …
Project: Clinical Trial
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Nanotechnology-based targeting of breast cancer liver metastases
Godin, B., Chen, S., Niravath, P. A., Rosato, R. R. & Xu, S.
3/1/21 → 2/29/24
Project: Federal Funding Agencies
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Transforming triple negative breast cancer treatment through intratumoral immunotherapy via nanofluidic drug eluting seed
8/1/20 → 7/31/24
Project: Federal Funding Agencies
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Mechanism of Intratumoral Transport of Particulate Drugs
6/15/18 → 8/31/24
Project: Federal Funding Agencies
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Modulation of tumor inflammatory factor for immune therapy
9/22/17 → 8/31/24
Project: Federal Funding Agencies
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A Phase 2 Study of In Situ Oncolytic Virus Therapy and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Followed by Pembrolizumab in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Guan, J., Sun, K., Guerrero, C. A., Zheng, J., Xu, Y., Mathur, S., Teh, B. S., Farach, A., Zhang, J., Butler, E., Pan, P. Y., Zsigmond, E., Mei, Z., Mejia, J., Chen, S. H., Chang, J. C. & Bernicker, E. H., Aug 24 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Multi-omics-based analysis of high grade serous ovarian cancer subtypes reveals distinct molecular processes linked to patient prognosis
Wang, Y. A., Neff, R., Song, W. M., Zhou, X., Vatansever, S., Walsh, M. J., Chen, S. H. & Zhang, B., Apr 2023, In: FEBS Open Bio. 13, 4, p. 617-637 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Osteoprogenitor-GMP crosstalk underpins solid tumor-induced systemic immunosuppression and persists after tumor removal
Hao, X., Shen, Y., Chen, N., Zhang, W., Valverde, E., Wu, L., Chan, H. L., Xu, Z., Yu, L., Gao, Y., Bado, I., Michie, L. N., Rivas, C. H., Dominguez, L. B., Aguirre, S., Pingel, B. C., Wu, Y. H., Liu, F., Ding, Y., Edwards, D. G., & 10 others , May 4 2023, In: Cell Stem Cell. 30, 5, p. 648-664.e8Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Scopus citations -
Sustained Intratumoral Administration of Agonist CD40 Antibody Overcomes Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer
Liu, H. C., Davila Gonzalez, D., Viswanath, D. I., Vander Pol, R. S., Saunders, S. Z., Di Trani, N., Xu, Y., Zheng, J., Chen, S. H., Chua, C. Y. X. & Grattoni, A., Mar 24 2023, In: Advanced Science. 10, 9, p. e2206873 2206873.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access6 Scopus citations -
Antibody-Mediated LILRB2-Receptor Antagonism Induces Human Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells to Kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Singh, V. K., Khan, A., Xu, Y., Mai, S., Zhang, L., Mishra, A., Restrepo, B. I., Pan, P. Y., Chen, S. H. & Jagannath, C., Jun 10 2022, In: Frontiers in immunology. 13, p. 865503 865503.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Scopus citations