Chuanxi Cai
CHUANXI CAI, PHD
Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences

Albany Medical College
Albany, New York, USA
Phone: 1-518-264-2541
E-mail: caic@mail.amc.edu

Education

2004-2009

Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Associate in Physiology & Biophysics, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, U.S.A.

1998-2003

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Institute of Biophysics, Beijing, P.R. China

1993-1997

B.S. in Environmental Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan city, P.R. China

 

Profile

   Dr. Chuanxi Cai is currently an Associate Professor in the Center of Cardiovascular Sciences at Albany Medical College since 2013. He has been a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Institute of Molecular Cardiology, in the University of Louisville since 2009. He received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Wuhan University in China. His interests in chemistry and biology led to his doctoral studies in the Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the Institute of Biophysics in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He started his postdoctoral studies at the laboratory of Dr. Jianjie Ma in 2004, where he has been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from American Heart association (AHA). He has published 15 peer-reviewed research articles as first author or correspondent author. He is the recipient of multiple national grants from NIH and AHA. He is currently serving as a reviewer of several reputed journals, and he is the member of the Extramural Review Committee of the American Heart Association (AHA), Basic Cell - Cell Structure and Survival Study Group.

      

Research Interest

  1. Enhancing the effectiveness of human cardiac stem cell therapy
  2. Improving the efficacy of cardiac reprogramming for heart disease modeling and drug screening;
  3. The role of MG53 (TRIM72) in muscle development and regeneration

 

Professional Activities:

Positions and Employment

2013-Present

Associate Professor, Center of Cardiovascular Sciences, Albany Medical College Joint-appointment at the Department of Medicine, Albany Medical College

2012-2013

Assistant Professor (Tenure-track), Institute of Molecular Cardiology, University of Louisville

2009-2012

Assistant Professor (Termed), Institute of Molecular Cardiology, University of Louisville

2004-2009

Postdoctoral Fellow, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS)

 

Teaching Experience and Departmental Committees

2006-2009

Lab Teaching Assistant, Lead graduate students in calcium measurement and confocal imaging laboratory sections, Medical Physiology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

2005-2009

Small Group Facilitator, Medical Physiology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

2002-2004

Teaching  and  Research  Assistant,  Molecular  Biology  &  Biochemistry,  Institute  of Biophysics

1998-1999

Member, Institute of Biophysics Graduate Student Committee

 

Memberships of Professional Associations

  • Member of the American Heart Association since 2006
  • Member of the Biophysical Society of America since

 

Honors and Awards

Awards and Scholarships

2011

AHA BCVS Abstract Travel Grant award for Scientific Sessions 2011 in Orlando

2008-2009

Postdoctoral Fellowship Award from American Heart Association

2004

Excellent Graduate Student — Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science

2003

Dean Scholarship Award — Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science

 

Honors and Professional Activities

2012-present

Reviewer panel for NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program — Cell Biology Panel

2012-

present Member, Editors & Editorial Board for the Journal of Clinical & Experimental Cardiology

2011                

Poster Presenter— American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2010, Orlando

2010

Invited Session Speaker — American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2010, Chicago

2009-present

Reviewer for Journal of Biological Chemistry

2009-present

Grant Reviewer Panel CSS2 for American Heart Association

2009

Invited Session Speaker — 5th Cachexia Conference, Barcelona, Spain.

2009

Poster Presenter — 53rd Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts

2008

Poster Presenter — 52nd Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California

2007

Invited Session Speaker — 51st Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, one Plat Form lecture and one Poster presentation

2006

Poster Presenter — Gordon Conference for Muscle E-C coupling, Colby-Sawyer College

Publications

  1. Cai, C.,    Zhu, H., Chen, J. Overexpression of caveolin-1 increases plasma membrane fluidity and reduces P-glycoprotein function in Hs578T/Dox. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Jul 30; 320(3):868-74.
  2. Cai, C., Chen, J. Overexpression of caveolin-1 induces alteration of multidrug resistance in Hs578T breast adenocarcinoma cells. Int J Cancer. 2004 Sep 10; 111(4):522-9.
  3. Zhu, H., Cai, C., Chen, J. Suppression of P-glycoprotein gene expression in Hs578T/Dox by the overexpression of caveolin-1. FEBS Lett. 2004 Oct 22; 576(3):369-74.
  4. Cai, C.,    Lin, P., Cheung, KH., Li, N., Levchook, C., Pan, Z., Ferrante, C., Boulianne, GL., Foskett, J.K., Danielpour, D., Ma, J. The presenilin-2 loop peptide perturbs intracellular  Ca2+ homeostasis and accelerates apoptosis. J Biol Chem. 2006 Jun 16; 281(24):16649-55.
  5. Zhu, H., Weisleder, N., Wu, P., Cai, C., Chen, J.W. Caveolae/caveolin-1 are important modulators of store-operated calcium entry in Hs578/T breast cancer cells. J Pharmacol Sci. 2008 Feb; 106(2):287-94.
  6. Cai, C., Masumiya, H., Weisleder, N., Pan, Z., Nishi, M., Komazaki, S., Takeshima, H., Ma, J.   MG53 regulates  membrane  budding  and  exocytosis  in  muscle  cells.  J  Biol  Chem.  2009  Jan  30; 284(5):3314-22.
  7. Cai, C., Masumiya, H., Weisleder, Matsuda, N., Nishi, M., Hwang, M., Ko, J., Lin, P., Thornton, A., Zhao, X., Pan, Z., Brotto, M., Komazaki, S., Takeshima, H. and Ma, J. MG53 nucleates assembly of membrane repair machinery. Nat Cell Biol. 2009 Jan; 11(1):56-64.
  8. Li, N., Lin, P., Cai, C., Pan, Z., Weisleder, N., Ma, J. The amino-terminal peptide of Bax perturbs intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis to enhance apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2009 Feb; 296(2):C267-72.
  9. Cai, C., Weisleder, N., Ko, J., Komazaki, S., Sunada, Y., Nishi, M., Takeshima, H. and Ma, J. Membrane repair defects in muscular dystrophy are linked to altered interaction between MG53, caveolin-3 and dysferlin. J Biol Chem. 2009 Jun 5; 284(23):15894-902.
  10. Lin, P., Zhu, H,, Cai, C., Wang, X., Cao, C., Xiao, R., Pan, Z., Weisleder, N., Takeshima, H., Ma. J. Nonmuscle myosin IIA facilitates vesicle trafficking for MG53-mediated cell membrane repair. FASEB J. 2012 Jan 17; 26(5):1875-83.
  11. He, B., Tang, RH., Weisleder, N., Xiao, B., Yuan, Z., Cai, C., Zhu, H., Lin, P., Qiao, C., Li, J., Mayer, C., Li,  J., Ma, J., Xiao, X. Enhancing Muscle Membrane Repair by Gene Delivery of MG53 Ameliorates Muscular Dystrophy and Heart Failure in δ-Sarcoglycan-deficient Hamsters. Mol Ther. 2012 Apr; 20(4):727-35.
  12. Weisleder N, Takizawa N, Lin P, Wang X, Cao C, Zhang Y, Tan T, Ferrante C, Zhu H, Chen PJ, Yan R, Sterling M, Zhao X, Hwang M, Takeshima M,  Cai, C., Cheng H, Takeshima H, Xiao RP, Ma J. Recombinant MG53 protein modulates therapeutic cell membrane repair in  treatment of muscular dystrophy. Sci Transl Med. 2012 Jun 20; 4(139):139ra85.
  13. Cai, C., Teng, L,, Vu, D., He, JQ., Guo, Y., Li, Q., Tang, XL., Rokosh, G., Bhatnagar, A., Bolli, R. The Heme Oxygenase 1 Inducer (CoPP) Protects Human Cardiac Stem Cells Against Apoptosis Through Activation of The ERK/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway and Cytokine Release. J Biol Chem. 2012 Sep 28; 287(40):33720-32.
  14. Cai, C., Lin, P., Zhu, H., Ko, JK., Hwang, M., Tan, T., Pan, Z., Korichneva, I., Ma, J. Zinc-binding to MG53 facilitates repair of injury to cell membrane. J Biol Chem. 2015 Apr 13. J Biol Chem. 2015 May 29;290(22):13830-9.
  15. Cai, C*., Guo, Y., Teng, L., Du, J., Tan, M., Wu, W., Book, M., Wang, XL., Zhu, X., Li, Q., Hong, K., Bolli R*.  (2015) Preconditioning Human Cardiac Stem Cells with HO-1 Inducer Enhances the in vivo Cell Survival and Improves Heart Function after Myocardial Infarction. Stem Cells. 2015 Aug 24. doi: 10.1002/stem.2198. [Epub ahead of print]. (*co-correspondent author)
  16. Teng, L., Cai, C. Nitric Oxide Preconditioned  Cardiac  Stem  Cells  Improve  Cardiac  Regeneration Through Activation Of STAT3/NFκB Signal Pathways. J Biol Chem. 2014   (In Revision)

Selected Abstracts for Research Conferences

  1. Cai, C., Masumiya, H., Nishi, M., Yazawa, M., Ko, J., Weisleder, N., Brotto, M., Pan, Z., Komazaki, S., Ma, J., Takeshima, H. (2006) Molecular characterization of MG53, a muscle-specific TRIM family protein, as a bi-functional regulator of Ca signaling in striated muscles. Biophys. J. 90: 5a.
  2. Cai, C., Lin, P., Cheung, KH., Li, N., Pan, Z., Ferrante, C., Boulianne, GL., Foskett, JK., Danielpour, D., Ma, J. (2006) The presenilin-loop peptide perturbs intracellular Ca homeostasis and accelerates apoptosis. Biophys. J. 90: 17a.
  3. Cai, C., Masumiya, H., Weisleder, N., Nishi, M., Ko, J., Komazaki, S., Pan, Z., Takeshima, H., Ma, J. (2007) Functional interaction between MG53 and caveolin-3 regulates membrane trafficking in skeletal muscle. Biophys. J. 91: 20a.
  4. Cai, C., Lin, P., Danielpour, D., Ma, J. (2007) Scaffolding function of caveolin-1 facilitates the apoptosis resistant nature of prostate cancer cells during Bax overexpression. Biophys. J. 91: 569a.
  5. Cai, C., Masumiya, H., Weisleder, Matsuda, N., Nishi, M., Hwang, M., Ko, J., Lin, P., Thornton, A., Zhao, X., Pan, Z., Brotto, M., Komazaki, S., Takeshima, H. and Ma, J. (2008)  MG53  is  an  essential component of the acute membrane repair machinery. Biophys. J. 92: 310a.
  6. Cai, C., Masumiya, H., Weisleder, Matsuda, N., Nishi, M., Hwang, M., Ko, J., Lin, P., Thornton, A., Zhao, X., Pan, Z., Brotto, M., Komazaki, S., Takeshima, H. and Ma, J. (2009) MG53 nucleates assembly of cell membrane repair machinery. Biophys. J. 93; 361a.
  7. Cai, C., Liu, X., He, J., Vu, D., Tang, X., Guo, Y., Li, Q., Rokosh, G., Bolli R. (2010) Preconditioning Cardiac Progenitor Cells With Biologically Active Gases (NO And CO) Enhances Cell Survival Through Activation Of Survival Signal Pathways. Circulation. 121: A13247.
  8. Cai, C., Teng, L., He, J., Vu, D., Tang, X., Guo, Y., Li, Q., Rokosh, G., Bolli R. (2011) HO-1/CO mediated preconditioning of human cardiac stem cells protects against apoptosis through activation of survival signaling pathways and cytokine release. Circulation. 124: A9875.
  9. Teng, L., ., He, J., Vu, D., Tang, X., Guo, Y., Li, Q., Rokosh, G., Bolli R., Cai, C. (2012) Preconditioning cardiac stem cells with a nitric oxide donor (DETA-NO) enhances cell survival through activation of survival signaling pathways. Circulation. 127: A11147.

 

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