Research overview

Thirty million people in the United States are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD). In patients with CKD, arterial calcification (pathological deposition of calcium phosphate salts into the arterial walls) is common, with a prevalence approaching 80%, and may contribute to their high cardiovascular mortality. The long-term goal of our research program is to understand the pathophysiology of arterial calcification and to develop new treatment strategies for it.

Our research program includes: 1) the role of calciprotein particles (CPPs) in the development of arterial calcification. CPPs are nanoparticles that are composed of calcium phosphate crystals and calcification inhibitors. They are thought to mediate the transport and clearance of excess calcium and phosphate in circulation. Using a new, microplate -based, dynamic light scattering assay, we measured both the size of secondary CPPs and transformation time and investigate the role of CPPs in arterial calcification using human vascular smooth muscle cells and CKD patient cohorts. 2) the role of cellular interaction in arterial calcification. Studying the paracrine signaling between endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells will help identify novel therapeutic targets that attenuate vascular calcification without adverse effects on bone mineralization.

Medical education

2008: MD, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY

2014: MSc in Clinical Research Methods, Albert Eisntein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY

Post-graduate training

2011: Internal medicine residency, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY

2014: Nephrology fellowship (research track), Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY

Honors

2015: University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Award (NIH KL2)

2017: Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology

2017: American Society of Nephrology Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar

2018: NIH Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (NIH K23)

2019: Chinese American Society of Nephrology Young Investigator Award

2022: NIH-Small Grant Program for NIDDK K Recipients (NIH R03)

2024: NIH-R01HL172073

Vascular calcification and mineral metabolism

Zaslow SJ, Oliveira-Paula GH, Chen W*. “Magnesium and Vascular Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease: Current Insights”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024, 25, 1155. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021155

Xie Y, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Chen Y, Abramowitz MK, Chen W*. “Association of dietary potassium intake with abdominal aortic calcification and pulse pressure in US adults.” Journal of Renal Nutrition. 2023 Jun 9;S1051-2276(23)00093-6. doi: 10.1053/j.jrn.2023.06.003. Online ahead of print.

Chen W*, Chen Y. “Cardiometabolic syndrome and vascular calcification.” The CardioMetabolic Syndrome Journal. 2022. https://doi.org/10.51789/cmsj.2022.2.e2

Chen W*, Fitzpatrick J, Sozio SM, Jaar BG, Estrella MM, Riascos-Bernal DF, Wu TT, Qiu Y, Kurland IJ, Dubin RF, Parekh RS, Chen Y, Bushinsky DA, Sibinga NES. “Identification of Novel Biomarkers and Pathways for Coronary Arterial Calcification in Patients on Hemodialysis using Metabolomic Profiling.” Kidney360. 2021. https://kidney360.asnjournals.org/content/early/2020/12/04/KID.0004422020 [ePub before print]

Chen W*, Fitzpatrick J, Monroy-Trujillo JM, Sozio SM, Jaar BG, Estrella MM, Serrano J, Anokhina V, Miller BL, Melamed ML, Bushinsky DA, Parekh RS. “Associations of Serum Calciprotein Particle Size and Transformation Time with Arterial Calcification, Arterial Stiffness and Mortality in Incident Hemodialysis Patients.” American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2020 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.05.031 

Riascos-Bernal DF, Becher T, Kramer DJ, Almonte VM, Chi J, Tong T, Oliveira-Paula GH, Koleilat I, Chen W, Cohen P, Sibinga NES. “Three-dimensional Imaging Provides Detailed Atherosclerotic Plaque Morphology 1 and Reveals Angiogenesis after Carotid Artery Ligation.” Circulation Research. 2020 Jan 9. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315804 

Chen W*, Eisenberg R, Mowrey WB, Wylie-Rosett J, Abramowitz MK, Bushinsky DA, Melamed ML. “Association Between Dietary Zinc Intake and Abdominal Aortic Calcification in US Adults.” Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. 2019 Jul 11. pii: gfz134. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfz134. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 31298287

Chen W*, Fitzpatrick J, Monroy-Trujillo JM, Sozio SM, Jaar BJ, Estrella MM, Wu TT, Melamed ML, Parekh RS, Bushinsky DA. “Diabetes Mellitus Modifies the Associations of Serum Magnesium Concentration with Arterial Calcification and Stiffness in Incident Hemodialysis Patients”. Kidney International Reports, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2019.03.003

Chen W*, Anokhina V, Dieudonne G; Abramowitz MK, Kashyap R, Yan C, Wu TT, Bentley KL, Miller B,  Bushinsky DA. "Patients with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease and Vascular Calcification Have a Large Hydrodynamic Radius of Secondary Calciprotein Particles". Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation (2018). Doi:10.1093/ndt/gfy117. PMID: 29788425

Chen W*, Newman AB, Fried LF, Rifkin DE, Shlipak M, Sarnak MJ, Katz R, Madero M, Raphael KL, Bushinsky DA, Ix JH. “Relationship of Acid-Base Status with Arterial Stiffness in Community-Living Elders: the Health ABC Study”. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation (2017) 1-8. Doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfx292. PMID: 29177410.

Chen W, Bushinsky DA. "KDIGO CKD-MBD Guideline Update: Evolution in the Face of Uncertainty". Nature Reviews Nephrology. 2017 Aug 21. doi: 10.1038/nrneph.2017.118. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28824172.

Chen W, Bushinsky DA. "The Perils of a Falling PTH due to High Dialysate Calcium". Nature Reviews Nephrology, 2016 May; 12(5):264-6. doi:10.1038/nrneph.2016.36. PMID: 26996329.

Chen W, Melamed ML. "Vascular Calcification in Pre-Dialysis CKD: Common and Deadly". Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2015 Apr 7;10(4):551-3.

Chen W, Bushinsky DA. Handbook of Dialysis Therapy. 5th edition. Nissenson AR, Fine RN, editors. Chapter 59. "Overview of Chronic Kidney Disease and Bone Disorder". 

Chen W, Monk RD, Bushinsky DA. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 6^th edition. Johnson RJ, Feehally J, Floege J, editors. Chapter 57. "Nephrolithiasis and Nephrocalcinosis". 

Metabolic acidosis in CKD

Chen W*, Melamed ML, Hostetter TH, Bauer C, Raff AC, Almudevar AL, Lalonde A, Messing S, Abramowitz MK. “Effect of Oral Sodium Bicarbonate on Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Pilot Study”. BMC Nephrology (2016) 17:114. PMID: 27495287.

Chen W*, Melamed ML, Abramowitz MK. “Serum Bicarbonate Level and Bone Mineral Density in the United States Adults”. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 2015 Feb;65(2):240-8. PMID: 25168294.

Gone AR, Chen W*. “Veverimer for Treatment of Chronic Metabolic Acidosis in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.” Annals of Translational Medicine. 2020. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-3320. [In press]

Chen W*, Levy DS, Abramowitz MK. “Acid-base Balance in the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease”. Seminars in Nephrology, 2019 Jul;39(4):406-417.

Chen W*, Abramowitz MK. “Advances in management of chronic metabolic acidosis in CKD.” Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension. 2019 Jun 19. doi: 10.1097/MNH. 0000000000000524. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 31232712.

Chen W, Bushinsky DA. “Addressing Racial Disparity in the Progression of CKD: Prescribe More Fruits and Vegetables?” American Journal of Nephrology. 2018 Mar 13;47(3):171-173. doi: 10.1159/000487716. PMID: 29533958.

Chen W, Abramowitz MK. “Epidemiology of Acid-Base Derangements in CKD”. Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease. 2017;24(5):280-288. PMID: 29031354.

Chen W, Abramowitz MK. “Metabolic Acidosis and the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease”. BMC Nephrology, 15:55, 2014. PMID: 24708763.

Chen W, Abramowitz MK. “Treatment of Metabolic Acidosis in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, an Acid-Base and Electrolyte Teaching Case”. American Journal of Kidney Disease, 63(2):311-317, 2014. PMID: 23932089.

Nephrology and COVID-19 pandemic

Sourial M, Gone AR, Uribarri J, Srivatana V, Sharma S, Shimonov D, Chang M, Mowrey W, Dalsan R, Sedaliu K, Jain S, Ross MJ, Caplin NJ, Chen W. “Outcomes of PD for AKI Treatment During COVID-19 in New York City: A Multicenter Study.” Peritoneal Dialysis International November 2022 https://doi.org/10.1177/08968608221130559

Liu D, Mowrey W, Fisher M, Basalely AM, Kumar ND, Thakkar J, Azzi Y, Brogan M, Golestaneh L, Reidy KJ, Chen W. “Associations of Dysnatremia with COVID-19 status and Mortality.” Kidney360. June 2022, 10.34067/KID.0001062022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.34067/KID.0001062022

Chen W*, Caplin N, El Shamy O, Sharma S, Sourial MY, Ross M, Sourial MH, Prudhvi K, Golestaneh L, Srivatana V, Dalsan R, Shimonov D, Sanchez-Russo L, Atallah S, Uribarri J on behalf of NYC-PD Consortium. “Use of Peritoneal Dialysis for Acute Kidney Injury during the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City: A multicenter observational study”. Kidney International April 2021 https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(21)00456-7/fulltext 

Sourial MY, Sourial MH, Dalsan R, Grahma J, Ross M, Chen W, Golestaneh L. “Urgent Peritoneal Dialysis in Patients with COVID-19 and AKI: A Single-Center Experience in a Time of Crisis in the United States.” American Journal of Kidney Diseases 2020 Sep;76(3):401-406. PMID: 32534129.

*corresponding author