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Cardiology Research

Research Overview

Kaifu Chen leads a bioinformatics lab that develops methods to investigate genetic and epigenetic mechanisms for cell identity regulation. A key discovery in the lab is that cell identity genes are different from other genes such as housekeeping genes in the epigenetic mechanism to regulate their expression and mutations. The finding builds a knowledge foundation to develop technique for discovery of cell identity regulators, and further provides insights into cell identity regulation in development and diseases.

Research Background

Kaifu received Ph.D. training in the lab of Dr. Jun Yu at Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and received postdoctoral training in the lab of Dr. Wei Li at Baylor College of medicine.

Publications

  1. A conserved hormonal signalling-H2A.Z axis rapidly reorganizes 3D chromatin interactions in adipocyte thermogenesis. Nat Metab. 2026 May; 8(5):1086-1105. View Abstract
  2. A dual role of EZH2 in regulating A-to-I RNA editing and mRNA stability through ADAR. Nat Commun. 2026 Mar 26; 17(1). View Abstract
  3. 3D spatial organization of heterogeneous nkx2.5+ progenitors in the zebrafish heart field pre-patterns cardiovascular development. Nat Commun. 2025 Nov 25; 16(1):11624. View Abstract
  4. Protocol for mapping 2'-O-methylation using nanopore direct RNA-seq data with NanoNm. STAR Protoc. 2025 Sep 19; 6(3):104003. View Abstract
  5. Deficits in mitochondrial dynamics and iron balance result in templated insertions. Nat Commun. 2025 Jul 01; 16(1):5454. View Abstract
  6. Robust differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into mural progenitor cells via transient activation of NKX3.1. Nat Commun. 2024 09 30; 15(1):8392. View Abstract
  7. Yeast EndoG prevents genome instability by degrading extranuclear DNA species. Nat Commun. 2024 09 03; 15(1):7653. View Abstract
  8. 2'-O-methylation at internal sites on mRNA promotes mRNA stability. Mol Cell. 2024 Jun 20; 84(12):2320-2336.e6. View Abstract
  9. The therapeutic potential of targeting the CHD protein family in cancer. Pharmacol Ther. 2024 04; 256:108610. View Abstract
  10. Comprehensive analysis of intercellular communication in the thermogenic adipose niche. Commun Biol. 2023 07 21; 6(1):761. View Abstract
  11. Publisher Correction: Epigenetic landscape reveals MECOM as an endothelial lineage regulator. Nat Commun. 2023 May 18; 14(1):2842. View Abstract
  12. Epigenetic landscape reveals MECOM as an endothelial lineage regulator. Nat Commun. 2023 04 25; 14(1):2390. View Abstract
  13. Dynamic changes in P300 enhancers and enhancer-promoter contacts control mouse cardiomyocyte maturation. Dev Cell. 2023 05 22; 58(10):898-914.e7. View Abstract
  14. Methylation-dependent and -independent roles of EZH2 synergize in CDCA8 activation in prostate cancer. Oncogene. 2022 03; 41(11):1610-1621. View Abstract
  15. A PRC2-independent function for EZH2 in regulating rRNA 2'-O methylation and IRES-dependent translation. Nat Cell Biol. 2021 04; 23(4):341-354. View Abstract
  16. MACMIC Reveals A Dual Role of CTCF in Epigenetic Regulation of Cell Identity Genes. Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics. 2021 02; 19(1):140-153. View Abstract

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