John Chen, MD, PhD
Instructor 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Querol Sans M, Chen JW, Weissleder R, Bogdanov AA
Myeloperoxidase Activity Imaging Using (67)Ga Labeled Substrate.
Mol Imaging Biol. 2005;:1-8
Chen J, Wasserman B
Vulnerable plaque imaging.
Neuroimaging Clin N Am.. 2005;15:609-21, xi
Bogdanov AA Jr, Chen JW, Kang HW, Weissleder R.
Magnetic resonance signal amplification probes
Ernst Schering Res Found Workshop. 2005;49:147-57
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
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
J.W. Chen, R.L. Belford, R.B. Clarkson
Second-Sphere and Outer-Sphere Proton Relaxation of Paramagnetic Contrast Agents
J Phys Chem. 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. 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. 1994;98:13452