Qin Chen, MD
Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Division of Discovery Science
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1993 | Xian Medical University, Xian, CN, M.S. in Biochemistry |
| 1988 | Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang, CN, MD |
Postgraduate Training
| 1998-2001 | Postdoc, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
| 1997-1998 | Postdoc, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2013 - 2017
Instructor, Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2009 - 2013
Assistant Professor, Vision Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 2004 - 2008
Instructor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 2001 - 2003
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China, Zhengzhou, 1993 - 1997
Editorial Activities
Member of Editorial Review Board, Musculoskeletal Regeneration, 2015 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2016 - 2017 | Institutional Research Grant, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2014 - 2016 | 2014 Children Sarcoma Initiative Seed Money Grant, The Children Sarcoma Initiative and The Triumph Over Kid Cancer Foundation |
| 2014 - 2015 | CCE-NGS-Allowance-2014, The Center for Cancer Epigenetics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2014 | Employee Service Award, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2013 | 2013 Bone Disease Research Award, The Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Disease Program of Texas |
| 2012 | 2012 Bone Disease Research Award, The Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Disease Program of Texas |
| 2012 | ASBMR 2012 Annual Meeting President's Poster Competition Award, The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research |
| 2004 - 2008 | R03, NIH/NEI |
| 2004 | Travel award, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) |
| 2001 - 2002 | Research Award, Knights Templar Eye Foundation |
| 2000 | Postdoctoral Research Award, Gordon Research Conferences |
| 1997 - 1998 | Visiting Scholarship, Israeli Foreign Affair |
| 1996 - 1997 | Research Award, Henan Administration of Science and Technology of China |
Professional Memberships
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2025 - 2030 |
| Title: | Epigenetic regulations of DNA and histone methylation and demethylation: structures and mechanisms |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NIGMS |
| Role: | Key |
| ID: | R35GM134744 |
| Date: | 2023 - 2025 |
| Title: | Preclinical studies of non-nucleoside DNMT3A/3B inhibitors |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Key |
| ID: | 1R21CA277152 |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Chen, Q, Hardikar, S, Kondo, K, Dai, N, Corrêa, IR, Yu, M, Estecio, MR, Zhang, X, Chen, T, Cheng, X. GSK-3484862, a DNMT1 degrader, promotes DNMT3B expression in lung cancer cells. NAR Cancer 7(2), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40433167.
- Qian, C, Lee, Y, Han, Y, Zhong, Y, Zhou, J, Hrit, J, Xie, L, Chen, Q, Kaniskan, HÜ, Chen, X, Rothbart, SB, Cheng, X, Xiong, Y, Jin, J. Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of DNA Methyltransferase 1 Monovalent Degraders. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 68(3):2903-2919, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39905966.
- Zhou, J, Chen, Q, Ren, R, Yang, J, Liu, B, Horton, JR, Chang, C, Li, C, Maksoud, L, Yang, Y, Rotili, D, Jain, A, Zhang, X, Blumenthal, RM, Chen, T, Gao, Y, Valente, S, Mai, A, Cheng, X. Quinoline-based compounds can inhibit diverse enzymes that act on DNA. Cell Chemical Biology 31(12):2112-2127.e6, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39437789.
- Zhou J, Horton JR, Kaur G, Chen Q, Li X, Mendoza F, Wu T, Blumenthal RM, Zhang X, Cheng X. Biochemical and structural characterization of the first-discovered metazoan DNA cytosine-N4 methyltransferase from the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga. J Biol Chem 299(8):105017, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37414145.
- Chen Q, Liu B, Zeng Y, Hwang JW, Dai N, Corrêa IR, Estecio MR, Zhang X, Santos MA, Chen T, Cheng X. GSK-3484862 targets DNMT1 for degradation in cells. NAR Cancer 5(2):zcad022, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37206360.
- Horton JR, Zhou J, Chen Q, Zhang X, Bedford MT, Cheng X. A complete methyl-lysine binding aromatic cage constructed by two domains of PHF2. J Biol Chem 299(2):102862, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36596360.
- Ren R, Horton JR, Chen Q, Yang J, Liu B, Huang Y, Blumenthal RM, Zhang X, Cheng X. Structural basis for transcription factor ZBTB7A recognition of DNA and effects of ZBTB7A somatic mutations that occur in human acute myeloid leukemia. J Biol Chem 299(2):102885, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36626981.
- Chen Q, Sinha KM, de Crombrugghe B, Krahe R. Osteoblast-Specific Overexpression of Nucleolar Protein NO66/RIOX1 in Mouse Embryos Leads to Osteoporosis in Adult Mice. J Osteoporos 10(2023):8998556, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36660551.
- Yu D, Zhou J, Chen Q, Wu T, Blumenthal RM, Zhang X, Cheng X. Enzymatic Characterization of In Vitro Activity of RNA Methyltransferase PCIF1 on DNA. Biochemistry 61(11):1005-13, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35605980.
- Zhang L, Chen Q, Chen Z, Wang Y, Gamboa JL, Ikizler TA, Garibotto G, Mitch WE. Mechanisms Regulating Muscle Protein Synthesis in CKD. J Am Soc Nephrol 31(11):2573-2587, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32764136.
- Horton JR, Woodcock CB, Chen Q, Liu X, Zhang X, Shanks J, Rai G, Mott BT, Jansen DJ, Kales SC, Henderson MJ, Cyr M, Pohida K, Hu X, Shah P, Xu X, Jadhav A, Maloney DJ, Hall MD, Simeonov A, Fu H, Vertino PM, Cheng X. Structure-Based Engineering of Irreversible Inhibitors against Histone Lysine Demethylase KDM5A. J Med Chem 61(23):10588-10601, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30392349.
Abstracts
- Chen Q. GSK-3484862 targets DNMT1 for degradation in cells. CCE Retreat, 2023.
- Chen Q, Zhang X, Cheng X. Elevation of p53-pathway in Lung cancer cells treated with novel small-molecule inhibitors of DNA cytosine methyltransferases. CCE Retreat, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Chen Q, Zhang X, Cheng X. Identification and characterization of 6,7,3',4'-Tetrahydroxyflavone as an inhibitor of histone demethylase PHF8 activity, 2019. e-Pub 2019.
- Chen Q, Horton JR, Zhang X, and Cheng X. Effects of Inhibition of Histone Lysine Demethylase KDM5 in Breast Cancer Cells, 2018. e-Pub 2018.
- Chen Q, Horton JR, Zhang X, Cheng XD. Mechanism for KDM5 Histone Lysine Demethylase Inhibition in Breast Cancer Cells, 2017. e-Pub 2017.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026