Research

We make efforts to promote the understanding of the interactions of chemicals and drugs with living systems and to assist in developing new therapeutics and strategies to treat disease. At present, we specifically focus on the neurobiological mechanism of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), which is defined by the inability to control the use of a particular substance (or substances) despite harmful consequences. We utilize leading-edge technologies and modern facilities to understand the molecular and cellular circuit adaptations underlying SUD and to identify potential targets for SUD treatments.

Biography

1999-2004 Sun Yat-Sen University, Preventive Medicine, B.S.
2004-2007 Sun Yat-Sen University, Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology, M.S.
2007-2021 Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Attending physician, Assistant director physician.
2015-2019 Sichuan University, Neuropharmacology, Ph.D.
2021-present The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute of Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Associate Investigator

Selected publications

1. Xu W*, Li H*, Wang L, Zhang J, Liu C, Wan X, Liu X, Hu Y, Fang Q, Xiao Y, Bu Q, Wang H, Tian J, Zhao Y, Cen X#. Endocannabinoid signaling regulates the reinforcing and psychostimulant effects of ketamine in mice. Nature Communications. 2020 Nov 24;11(1):5962. (JCR Q1, IF=17.694)

2. Xu W*, He Y, Zhang J, Li H, Wan X, Li M, Wang Y, Xu R, Zhang H, Dai Y, Liu H, Jiang L, Zhao Y, Cen X#. Simvastatin blocks reinstatement of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in mice with brain lipidome remodeling. Neuroscience Bulletin. 2021 Dec;37(12):1683-1702. (JCR Q1, IF=5.271)

3. Xu YL, Zhu L, Chen ZJ, Deng XF, Liu PD, Li S, Lin BC, Yang CZ, Xu W#, Zhou KK#, Zhu YJ#. Release of Endogenous Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor into the Lateral Entorhinal Cortex from the Paraventricular Thalamus Ameliorates Social Memory Deficits in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Neuroscience Bulletin. 2022 Jun 28. (JCR Q1, IF=5.271)

4. Jiang C, Xu Y, Zhong J, Wu J, He J, Xu W#, Zhu Y#. Chloral Hydrate Alters Brain Activation Induced by Methamphetamine-Associated Cue and Prevents Relapse. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 2022 Jul 11;15:934167. (JCR Q1, IF=6.261)

5. Li H*, Xu W*, Wang D, Wang L, Fang Q, Wan X, Zhang J, Hu Y, Li H, Zhang J, Yang Z, Liu C, Liu X, Wang Y, Liu B, Hu Z, Zhao Y, Bu Q, Wang H, Tian J, Zhao Y, Cen X#. 4R Tau modulates cocaine-associated memory through adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Journal of Neuroscience. 2021 Aug 4;41(31):6753-6774. (JCR Q1, IF=6.709)

6. Li H*, Xu W, Jiang L, Gu H, Li M, Zhang J, Guo W, Deng P, Long H, Bu Q, Tian J, Zhao Y, Cen X#. Lipidomic signature of serum from the rats exposed to alcohol for one year. Toxicology Letters. 2018, 294: 166-176. (JCR Q2, IF=4.271)

7. Luo L*, Shang FF*, Long H, Jiang L, Zhu R, Zhao Q, Gu H, Kong J, Xu W, Zhao Y, Cen X#. Role of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase in Dorsal Striatum in Cocaine Place Preference. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017, 42(12): 2333-2343. (JCR Q1, IF=8.294)

8. Lin Y*, Gu H, Jiang L, Xu W, Liu C, Li Y, Qian X, Li D, Li Z, Hu J, Zhang H, Guo W, Zhao Y, Cen X#. Cocaine modifies brain lipidome in mice. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. 2017, 85: 29-44. (JCR Q2, IF=4.626)

9. Li HC*, Zhang JM*, Xu R, Wang YH, Xu W, Chen R, Wan XM, Zhang HL, Wang L, Wang XJ, Jiang LH, Liu B, Zhao Y, Chen YY, Dai YP, Li M, Zhang HQ, Yang Z, Bai L, Zhang J, Wang HB, Tian JW, Zhao YL, Cen XB. mTOR regulates cocaine-induced behavioural sensitization through the SynDIG1-GluA2 interaction in the nucleus accumbens. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2022 Feb;43(2):295-306. (JCR Q1, IF=7.169)