Bing Chen, PhD
| Department | Molecular Medicine |
 |
| Hospital Title | Associate Scientific Staff | |
| Academic Title | Assistant Professor of Pediatrics | |
| Phone | 617-355-4625 | |
| Fax | 617-730-1967 | |
| Bing Chen | ||
| Location |
320 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 |
About Dr. Chen
Dr. Chen received his PhD from Ohio State University and received his postgraduate training at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School.
Research Overview
Dr. Chen's research concerns the molecular mechanisms of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) entry -- how HIV enters host cells and how the viral envelope protein interacts with host cellular receptors. The goal is to obtain a structurally accurate “molecular movie” of viral entry and to establish an in vitro system to recapitulate the viral membrane fusion process for mechanistic investigations at the molecular level. Insights gained from these studies will lead to a much deeper understanding of the mechanisms of viral entry and antibody neutralization and will also guide development of vaccines and therapeutics against HIV infection.
Key Publications
- Chen, B., Vogan, E., Gong, H. Y., Skehel, J. J., Wiley, D. C., and Harrison, S. C. Structure of an unliganded simian immunodeficiency virus gp120 core. (2005) Nature 433, 834-841.
- Rits-Volloch, S., Frey, G., Harrison, S. C., Chen, B. Restraining the conformation of HIV-1 gp120 by removing a flexible loop. EMBO J 25, 5026-5035 (2006).
- Frey, G., Peng, H., Rits-Volloch, S., Morelli, M., Cheng, Y., Chen, B. A fusion- intermediate state of HIV-1 gp41 targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 3739-3744 (2008).
Research Goals
- To generate a molecular "movie", by obtaining structural information for each of the distinct conformational states of HIV envelope protein, to show the complete fusion process.
- 2) To elucidate the molecular details of the interaction between the viral protein and the host coreceptor CCR5, and will recapitulate the membrane fusion in vitro, using purified viral and host components.
- 3) To design trial immunogens for inducing broadly neutralizing antibodies, based on knowledge from our biochemical and structural studies.
Translational Implications of Research
This research seeks to provide a foundation for rational development of vaccines and novel therapeutics against HIV infection.
Grants, Honors and Awards
2008 ICAAC (Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy) Young Investigator Award, American Society for Microbiology.
