John Chen, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor in Radiology, Harvard Medical School

Phone: 617-726-7706, 617-643-3778
Email: jwchen@mgh.harvard.edu

My primary research interest is on discovering and developing novel multi-modality contrast agents to report molecular events in neurological diseases, in particular neurovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. We are currently focusing on developing and validating MR and nuclear contrast agents targeting myeloperoxidase, an enzyme secreted by activated macrophages and neutrophils in a variety of inflammatory conditions, including vulnerable plaques in atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, certain cancers, Alzheimers disease, and stroke.



Publications
Ronald JA*, Chen JW*, Chen Y, Hamilton AM, Rodriguez E, Reynolds F, Hegele RA, Rogers KA, Querol M, Bogdanov A, Weissleder R, Rutt BK
Enzyme-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Targeting Myeloperoxidase Identifies Active Inflammation in Experimental Rabbit Atherosclerotic Plaques.
Circulation. 2009;120(7):592-9 - PMID: 19652086 - PMCID: PMC2736635
Zhu H, Acquaviva J, Ramachandran P, Boskovitz A, Woolfenden S, Pfannl R, Bronson RT, Chen JW, Weissleder R, Housman DE, Charest A
Oncogenic EGFR signaling cooperates with loss of tumor suppressor gene functions in gliomagenesis.
P Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009;106(8):2712-6 - PMID: 19196966 - PMCID: PMC2650331
McCann CM, Waterman P, Figueiredo JL, Aikawa E, Weissleder R, Chen JW
Combined magnetic resonance and fluorescence imaging of the living mouse brain reveals glioma response to chemotherapy.
Neuroimage. 2009;45(2):360-9 - PMID: 19154791 - PMCID: PMC2707831
Rajendran R*, Ronald JA*, Ye T, Minqin R, Chen JW, Weissleder R, Rutt BK, Halliwell B, Watt F
Nuclear Microscopy: A Novel Technique for Quantitative Imaging of Gadolinium Distribution within Tissue Sections.
Microsc Micoranal. 2009;15:338-44 - PMID: 19575834
Brass SD, Durand ML, Stone JH, Chen JW, Stone JR
Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 36-2008. A 59-year-old man with chronic daily headache.
New Engl J Med. 2008;359(21):2267-78 - PMID: 19020329
Nahrendorf M*, Sosnovik D*, Chen JW, Panizzi P, Figueiredo JL, Aikawa E, Libby P, Swirski FK, Weissleder R
Activatable Magnetic Resonance Imaging Agent Reports Myeloperoxidase Activity in Healing Infarcts and Noninvasively Detects the Antiinflammatory Effects of Atorvastatin on Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.
Circulation. 2008;117(9):1153-60 - PMID: 18268141 - PMCID: PMC2673051
Breckwoldt M*, Chen JW*, Stangenberg L, Aikawa E, Rodriguez E, Qiu S, Moskowitz M, Weissleder R
Tracking the Inflammatory Response in Stroke in Vivo by Sensing the Enzyme Myeloperoxidase
P Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105 (47):18584-18589 - PMID: 19011099 - PMCID: PMC2587593
Zhu H, Acquaviva J, Ramachandran P, Boskovitz A, Woolfenden S, Bronson R, Chen J, Weissleder R, Housman D, Charest A.
Oncogenic EGFR signaling cooperates with loss of tumor suppressor gene function in gliomagenesis
PNAS. 2008;:ePub
Chen JW, Breckwoldt MO, Aikawa E, Chiang G, Weissleder R
Myeloperoxidase-targeted imaging of active inflammatory lesions in murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Brain. 2008;131(Pt 4):1123-33 - PMID: 18234693
Tannous B*, Grimm J*, Perry K, Chen J, Weissleder R, Breakefield X.
Metabolic Biotinylation of Cell Surface Receptors for in vivo Imaging
Nat Methods. 2006;3(5):391-396 - PMID: 16628210
Chen JW, Querol Sans M, Bogdanov Jr A, Weissleder R
Imaging of myeloperoxidase in mice by using novel amplifiable paramagnetic substrates
Radiology. 2006;240 (2):473-81 - PMID: 16864673
Chen J, Tung CH, Allport JR, Chen S, Weissleder R, Huang PL.
Near-Infrared Fluorescent Imaging of Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity After Myocardial Infarction
Circulation. 2005;111:1800-1805 - PMID: 15809374
Querol M, Chen JW, Weissleder R, Bogdanov A Jr.
DTPA-bisamide-Based MR Sensor Agents for Peroxidase Imaging
Org Lett. 2005;7(9):1719-22 - PMID: 15844889
Querol Sans M*, Chen JW*, Weissleder R, Bogdanov AA
Myeloperoxidase Activity Imaging Using (67)Ga Labeled Substrate.
Mol Imaging Biol. 2005;:1-8 - PMID: 16292477
Chen J, Wasserman B
Vulnerable plaque imaging.
Neuroimag Clin N Am.. 2005;15:609-21, xi - PMID: 16360592
Bogdanov AA Jr, Chen JW, Kang HW, Weissleder R.
Magnetic resonance signal amplification probes
Ernst Schering Res Found Workshop. 2005;49:147-57 - PMID: 15524215
Chen JW, Pham W, Weissleder R, Bogdanov A Jr
Human myeloperoxidase: A potential target for molecular MR imaging in atherosclerosis.
Magn Reson Med. 2004;52(5):1021-8 - PMID: 15508166
Chen J, Tung CH, Mahmood U, Ntziachristos V, Gyurko R, Fishman MC, Huang PL, Weissleder R
In vivo imaging of proteolytic activity in atherosclerosis
Circulation. 2002;105:2766-71 - PMID: 12057992
J.W. Chen, R.L. Belford, R.B. Clarkson
Second-Sphere and Outer-Sphere Proton Relaxation of Paramagnetic Contrast Agents
J Phys Chem B. 1998;102:2117-2130
E.C. Wiener, F.P. Auteri, J.W. Chen, M.W. Brechbiel, O.A. Gansow, D.J. Schneider, R.L. Belford, R.B. Clarkson, P.C. Lauterbur
Molecular Dynamics of Ion-Chelate Complexes Attached to Starburst(TM) Dendrimers
J Am Chem Soc. 1996;118:7774-7782
J.W. Chen, R.B. Clarkson, R.L. Belford
Rotational Dynamics of MRI Paramagnetic Contrast Agents in Viscous Media
J Phys Chem B. 1996;100:8093-8100
J.W. Chen, F.P. Auteri, D.E. Budil, R.L. Belford, R.B. Clarkson
Use of EPR to Investigate Rotational Dynamics of MRI Paramagnetic Contrast Agents
J Phys Chem B. 1994;98:13452
22