51
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Gallage S, Barragan Avila JE, Heikenwalder M. Lethal lipotoxicity for liver cancer therapy. NATURE CANCER 2021; 2:138-140. [PMID: 35122080 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-021-00175-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Suchira Gallage
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jose Efren Barragan Avila
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mathias Heikenwalder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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52
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Hong TH, Jeena MT, Kim OH, Kim KH, Choi HJ, Lee KH, Hong HE, Ryu JH, Kim SJ. Application of self-assembly peptides targeting the mitochondria as a novel treatment for sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:874. [PMID: 33441650 PMCID: PMC7806888 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79536-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no appropriate treatment option for patients with sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Meanwhile, pronounced anticancer activities of newly-developed mitochondria-accumulating self-assembly peptides (Mito-FF) have been demonstrated. This study intended to determine the anticancer effects of Mito-FF against sorafenib-resistant Huh7 (Huh7-R) cells. Compared to sorafenib, Mito-FF led to the generation of relatively higher amounts of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as the greater reduction in the expression of antioxidant enzymes (P < 0.05). Mito-FF was found to significantly promote cell apoptosis while inhibiting cell proliferation of Huh7-R cells. Mito-FF also reduces the expression of antioxidant enzymes while significantly increasing mitochondrial ROS in Huh7-R cells. The pro-apoptotic effect of Mito-FFs for Huh7-R cells is possibly caused by their up-regulation of mitochondrial ROS, which is caused by the destruction of the mitochondria of HCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Ho Hong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - M T Jeena
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Ok-Hee Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kee-Hwan Kim
- Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Surgery, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Joong Choi
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Hee Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Eun Hong
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea.,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja-Hyoung Ryu
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Say-June Kim
- Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06591, Republic of Korea. .,Catholic Central Laboratory of Surgery, Institute of Biomedical Industry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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El-Fattah WA. Syntheses and Cytotoxicity Screening of Some Novel 1,2,4-Triazine Derivatives against Liver Carcinoma Cell Lines. LETT ORG CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.2174/1570178617666200224104740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In this work, 1,2,4-triazine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anticancer activities.
Series of 1,2,4-triazine derivatives (4a, b) were prepared via the reaction of N-benzoyl glycine (1)
with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of fused sodium acetate and acetic anhydride to give 1,3-
oxazolinone derivatives (2a, b), followed by condensation with 1-(ethoxycarbonyl) hydrazine (3) in
glacial acetic acid. Compounds (4a, b) then reacted with acetic anhydride, ethyl chloroacetate and 2,4-
dinitrophenyl hydrazine yielded the corresponding N-acetyl derivatives (5a, b), N-(ethoxycarbonyl)
methyl derivative (6) and 1,2-disubstituted hydrazine (7), respectively. The structures of the 1,2,4-
triazine derivatives were confirmed by IR, <sup>1</sup>H, <sup>13</sup>C NMR, MS, and elemental analyses. Anticancer activity
of some 1,2,4-triazine derivatives (4-7) has been investigated. The results revealed that compounds
4a (IC50= 2.7μM), 5a (IC50= 1.5μM), and 5b (IC50= 3.9μM) show promising inhibitory
growth efficacy compared to a standard antitumor drug (IC50= 4.6μM). These three compounds can be
considered as potential agents against human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG-2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesam Abd El-Fattah
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, IMSIU (Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University), Riyadh 11623,Saudi Arabia
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54
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Deciphering Antitumor Mechanism of Pien Tze Huang in Mice of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Proteomics. J Immunol Res 2020; 2020:4876251. [PMID: 33344655 PMCID: PMC7728492 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4876251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chinese formula Pien Tze Huang (PZH) has been used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and showed positive clinical effects. However, the antitumor mechanism of PZH in HCC remains unclear. In this study, HCC xenograft Balb/c mice were treated with PZH; then, proteomics detection and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) were used to analyze the differentiated phosphorylated proteins in tumor tissues. The results indicated that PZH could inhibit tumor weight by 50.76%. Eighty-four upregulated and 11 downregulated phosphorylated proteins were identified in PZH-treated mice. Twenty signaling pathways were associated with inflammation (including the IL-6 and TNFR1/2 pathways), cancer growth (including the p53 and FAK pathways), and the cell cycle (including the G2/M and G1/S checkpoint regulation pathways). Moreover, TNF-α, IL-6, and several typical differentially expressed phosphorylated proteins (such as p-CCNB1, p-FOXO3, and p-STAT3) in tumor tissues, tumor cell viability, and cell cycle arrest assay in vitro further verify the results of IPA. These results revealed that PZH achieved antitumor activity in HCC; the underlying mechanisms of which were mainly through regulating the inflammation-associated cytokine secretion, cancer growth pathways, and induction of G2/M arrest. These data provided the potential molecular basis for PZH to act as a therapeutic drug or a supplement to chemotherapy drugs for human HCC in the future.
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Yang X, Liu J, Liang Q, Sun G. Valproic acid reverses sorafenib resistance through inhibiting activated Notch/Akt signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2020; 35:690-699. [PMID: 33015852 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common lethal human malignancies worldwide. Sorafenib is the first-line drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for HCC. However, the acquired resistance to sorafenib reduces its beneficial effects and limits clinical use. In this study, we established a sorafenib-resistant HCC cell line HepG2-SR by low-concentration gradient induction. Compared with the parental cell HepG2, the proliferation and anti-apoptosis were increased in drug-resistant cell HepG2-SR. Thorough comparisons of the molecular changes between parental HepG2 and sorafenib-resistant HepG2-SR cells indicated that the Notch signaling pathway and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were associated with sorafenib resistance mechanisms. Notch1 and Akt were upregulated in sorafenib-resistant cells. However, we surprisingly found that valproic acid (VPA) combined with sorafenib could enhance the sensitivity of drug-resistant cells and reverse the increased levels of Notch1 and Akt in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Moreover, Akt inhibitor could suppress Notch1 expression, whereas the level of Akt phosphorylation decreased along with increasing dose of Notch inhibitor. Besides, we found that knockdown of Akt resulted in Notch1 reduction, whereas Notch1 reduction also led to a significant reduction in the phosphorylation of Akt. Collectively, our results indicated that Notch1 and Akt might play vital roles in sorafenib resistance in HCC cells and VPA might overcome the drug resistance to enhance the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib through suppressing Notch/Akt signaling pathway. VPA combined with sorafenib may provide a potential targeting therapeutic regimen for clinically to solve the problem of sorafenib resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Qing Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Guangchun Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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56
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He X, Li M, Yu H, Liu G, Wang N, Yin C, Tu Q, Narla G, Tao Y, Cheng S, Yin H. Loss of hepatic aldolase B activates Akt and promotes hepatocellular carcinogenesis by destabilizing the Aldob/Akt/PP2A protein complex. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000803. [PMID: 33275593 PMCID: PMC7744066 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of hepatic fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase B (Aldob) leads to a paradoxical up-regulation of glucose metabolism to favor hepatocellular carcinogenesis (HCC), but the upstream signaling events remain poorly defined. Akt is highly activated in HCC, and targeting Akt is being explored as a potential therapy for HCC. Herein, we demonstrate that Aldob suppresses Akt activity and tumor growth through a protein complex containing Aldob, Akt, and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), leading to inhibition of cell viability, cell cycle progression, glucose uptake, and metabolism. Interestingly, Aldob directly interacts with phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and promotes the recruitment of PP2A to dephosphorylate p-Akt, and this scaffolding effect of Aldob is independent of its enzymatic activity. Loss of Aldob or disruption of Aldob/Akt interaction in Aldob R304A mutant restores Akt activity and tumor-promoting effects. Consistently, Aldob and p-Akt expression are inversely correlated in human HCC tissues, and Aldob down-regulation coupled with p-Akt up-regulation predicts a poor prognosis for HCC. We have further discovered that Akt inhibition or a specific small-molecule activator of PP2A (SMAP) efficiently attenuates HCC tumorigenesis in xenograft mouse models. Our work reveals a novel nonenzymatic role of Aldob in negative regulation of Akt activation, suggesting that directly inhibiting Akt activity or through reactivating PP2A may be a potential therapeutic approach for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuxiao He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongming Yu
- The Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Guijun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ningning Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunzhao Yin
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaochu Tu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Goutham Narla
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of International Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Yongzhen Tao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Shuqun Cheng
- The Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiyong Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China
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Torin2 overcomes sorafenib resistance via suppressing mTORC2-AKT-BAD pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2020; 19:547-554. [PMID: 33051131 DOI: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sorafenib is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor that was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, resistance to sorafenib is an urgent problem to be resolved to improve the therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib. As the activation of AKT/mTOR played a pivotal role in sorafenib resistance, we evaluated the effect of a dual mTOR complex 1/2 inhibitor Torin2 on overcoming the sorafenib resistance in HCC cells. METHODS The sorafenib-resistant Huh7 and Hep3B cell lines were established from their parental cell lines. The synergistic effect of sorafenib and Torin2 on these cells was measured by cell viability assay and quantified using the Chou-Talalay method. Apoptosis induced by the combination of sorafenib and Torin2 and the alteration in the specific signaling pathways of interest were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS Sorafenib treatment inversely inhibited AKT in parental but activated AKT in sorafenib-resistant Huh7 and Hep3B HCC cells, which underscores the significance of AKT activation. Torin2 and sorafenib synergistically suppressed the viability of sorafenib-resistant cells via apoptosis induction. Torin2 successfully suppressed the sorafenib-activated mTORC2-AKT axis, leading to the dephosphorylation of Ser136 in BAD protein, and increased the expression of total BAD, which contributed to the apoptosis in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS In this study, Torin2 and sorafenib showed synergistic cytostatic capacity in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells, via the suppression of mTORC2-AKT-BAD pathway. Our results suggest a novel strategy of drug combination for overcoming sorafenib resistance in HCC.
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Ceballos MP, Angel A, Delprato CB, Livore VI, Ferretti AC, Lucci A, Comanzo CG, Alvarez MDL, Quiroga AD, Mottino AD, Carrillo MC. Sirtuin 1 and 2 inhibitors enhance the inhibitory effect of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 892:173736. [PMID: 33220273 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) counteracts the efficiency of sorafenib, an important first-line therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sirtuins (SIRTs) 1 and 2 are associated with tumor progression and MDR. We treated 2D and 3D cultures (which mimic the features of in vivo tumors) from HCC cells with sorafenib alone or in the presence of SIRTs 1 and 2 inhibitors (cambinol or EX-527; combined treatments). Cultures subjected to combined treatments showed a greater fall in cellular viability, proliferation (PCNA, cyclin D1 and Ki-67 expression and cell cycle analysis), migration and invasion when compared with cultures treated only with sorafenib. Similarly, combined treatments produced more apoptosis (annexin V/PI, caspase-3/7 activity) than sorafenib alone. Since cell cycle dysregulation and apoptotic blockage are reported mechanisms of MDR, the modulation found in PCNA, cyclin D1, Ki-67 and caspase-3/7 proteins by cambinol and EX-527 are probably playing a role in enhancing the sensitivity of HCC cell lines to sorafenib. EX-527 reduced MRP3 and BCRP expression in sorafenib-treated HCC cells. Since ABC transporters contribute to MDR, MRP3 and BCRP could be also influencing in the response of HCC cells to sorafenib. Overall, 2D and 3D cultures behave similarly except that 3D cultures were less sensitive to treatments, reinforcing the clinical relevance of the current study. Findings presented in this manuscript support a potential application for SIRTs 1 and 2 inhibitors since we demonstrated that these compounds enhance the inhibitory effect of sorafenib upon treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cells lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Paula Ceballos
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Antonella Angel
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Carla Beatriz Delprato
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Verónica Inés Livore
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Anabela Cecilia Ferretti
- Área Morfología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Alvaro Lucci
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina; Área Morfología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Carla Gabriela Comanzo
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - María de Luján Alvarez
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina; Área Morfología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Ariel Darío Quiroga
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina; Área Morfología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - Aldo Domingo Mottino
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
| | - María Cristina Carrillo
- Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina; Área Morfología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Suipacha 570, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
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Li X, Chen W, Liu K, Zhang S, Yang R, Liu K, Li D, Huang Y. Oridonin Sensitizes Hepatocellular Carcinoma to the Anticancer Effect of Sorafenib by Targeting the Akt Pathway. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:8081-8091. [PMID: 32982405 PMCID: PMC7494228 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s257482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Oridonin is the core bioactive component of Rabdosia rubescens, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used in the treatment of hepatoma. Sorafenib, a targeted therapeutic agent for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has recently been shown to exert limited clinical effects. However, few studies have focused on the synergistic effect of these two drugs on hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods We treated different HCC cell lines with different concentrations of oridonin and sorafenib and assessed the viability by using MTT assays and examined proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis after cotreatment of HepG2 cells with 20 μM oridonin and 5 μM sorafenib via colony formation assays, Transwell assays and flow cytometry. Regulatory effects were measured by Western blotting. The in vivo synergistic effect was confirmed through xenograft tumor models, and tumor tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results The inhibitory effects of oridonin and sorafenib cotreatment on HCC cells were stronger than those of either drug alone. In addition, combined treatment with the two drugs synergistically inhibited epithelial–mesenchymal transition and the Akt pathway but not NF-κB or MAPK signaling. Akt phosphorylation by SC79 reversed the inhibitory effects of the combined treatment. Synergistic inhibition was equally observed in vivo. Conclusion Oridonin combined with sorafenib synergistically inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition and induced apoptosis by targeting the Akt pathway but not NF-κB or MAPK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuguang Li
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.,Department of Abdominal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Weirun Chen
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaihang Liu
- Department of General Practice, The People's Hospital of Longhua, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ru Yang
- Department of General Practice, Women & Children Health Institute Futian Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Kairui Liu
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Dateng Li
- Department of Statistical Science, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
| | - Youxing Huang
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
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Gao S, Ni Q, Wu X, Cao T. GHR knockdown enhances the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:18127-18136. [PMID: 32970612 PMCID: PMC7585089 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Sorafenib is approved for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by the Drug Administration. However, the efficacy of sorafenib has become very limited because most tumors have developed resistance to this drug. In this study, we found that sorafenib stimulated GHR expression in HCC cell lines. Thus, GHR might be linked to sorafenib resistance. To verify this hypothesis, we researched the roles of GHR knockdown and sorafenib combination in cell viability, apoptosis, cycle, and migration. The results showed that GHR blockage enhanced sorafenib blocking of cell cycle progression, leading to inhibition of this drug on HCC cell viability, and the improved promoting ability of sorafenib on cell apoptosis. In addition, it was found that GHR knockdown enhanced sorafenib inhibition of cell migration. The synergistic antitumor effects of sorafenib and GHR knockdown combination may be attributed to inhibition of PI3K/AKT/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings suggest that GHR knockdown enhances the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. and the inactivation of PI3K/AKT/ERK1/2 signaling pathway may be the underlying mechanisms. This highlights the absence of GHR as a promising way to enhance sorafenib efficacy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Gao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Qianwen Ni
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Qingpu Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 201799, China
| | - Xiuli Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Luoyang First People's Hospital, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Tieliu Cao
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Minhang Branch, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
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61
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Xu GL, Ni CF, Liang HS, Xu YH, Wang WS, Shen J, Li MM, Zhu XL. Upregulation of PD-L1 expression promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf) 2020; 8:390-398. [PMID: 33163195 PMCID: PMC7603871 DOI: 10.1093/gastro/goaa049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) status is associated with programmed death-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in various cancers. However, the role and molecular mechanism of PD-L1 in the EMT of sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells remain elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulation of PD-L1 on the EMT in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Methods Initially, the sorafenib-resistant HCC cell lines HepG2 SR and Huh7 SR were established. Western-blot assays were used to detect the expression of PD-L1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. The intervention and overexpression of PD-L1 were used to explore the role of PD-L1 in the regulation of EMT in HepG2 SR and Huh7 SR cells. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by transwell assays. PD-L1 or Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) overexpression and knock-down were performed in order to study the mechanism of PD-L1 in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Results PD-L1 expression was upregulated, whereas E-cadherin levels were downregulated and N-cadherin expression was increased in HepG2 SR and Huh7 SR cells. The cell viabilities of HepG2 and Huh7 cells were lower than those of HepG2 SR and Huh7 SR cells. PD-L1 overexpression reduced E-cadherin expression and increased N-cadherin levels, whereas PD-L1 knock-down increased E-cadherin expression and decreased N-cadherin expression. PD-L1 expression promoted EMT and the migratory and invasive abilities of HepG2 SR and Huh7 SR cells. PD-L1 promoted the EMT of sorafenib-resistant HCC cells via the PI3K/Akt pathway by activating SREBP-1 expression in HepG2 SR and Huh7 SR cells. Conclusions The findings reveal that PD-L1 expression promotes EMT of sorafenib-resistant HCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Li Xu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Cai-Fang Ni
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Han-Si Liang
- Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Yun-Hua Xu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Wan-Sheng Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Jian Shen
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Ming-Ming Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Li Zhu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China
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Wu J, Chai H, Li F, Ren Q, Gu Y. SETD1A augments sorafenib primary resistance via activating YAP in hepatocellular carcinoma. Life Sci 2020; 260:118406. [PMID: 32918976 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Sorafenib, the approved first-line chemotherapy drug for HCC (Hepatocellular Carcinoma), remains the key treatment agent which effectively improves the survival rate of advanced HCC patients. However, the sorafenib primary resistance limits the application of sorafenib for HCC treatment. The aims of current study are to explore the role and mechanism of SETD1A (Histone Lysine Methyltransferase SET Domain Containing 1A) in sorafenib primary resistance. MAIN METHODS The SETD1A expression in HCC was analyzed by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis. The survival of HCC patients was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Western Blot and Real-time qPCR were performed to measure the protein and mRNA levels, respectively. Cell counting kit-8 assay and colony formation assay were performed to determine cell viability and proliferation. Propidium Iodide and Trypan Blue staining assays were performed to investigate cell death. KEY FINDINGS Here, we showed that the expression of SETD1A was markedly upregulated in both HCC cell lines and tumor tissues compared to normal hepatocytes and corresponding non-tumor liver tissues, respectively. Regardless of whether treated with sorafenib, the patients who had higher level of SETD1A underwent lower survival rate of overall. In addition, SETD1A expression was positively correlated with the IC50 of sorafenib treated HCC cell lines. Furthermore, we indicated that knockdown of SETD1 augmented proliferation inhibition and cell death induced by sorafenib. SETD1A deficiency impaired YAP (Yes-associated protein) phosphorylation and activation. YAP activation contributed to SETD1A mediated sorafenib primary resistance. SIGNIFICANCE The current study demonstrated that SETD1A enhanced YAP activation to induce sorafenib primary resistance in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jugang Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongjuan Chai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Ren
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hainan West Central Hospital (Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Hainan Branch), Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Hainan, China.
| | - Yan Gu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Yang C, Dong Z, Hong H, Dai B, Song F, Geng L, Lu J, Yang J, Sui C, Xu M. circFN1 Mediates Sorafenib Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Sponging miR-1205 and Regulating E2F1 Expression. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 22:421-433. [PMID: 33230446 PMCID: PMC7533358 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to have critical regulatory roles in the resistance to anti-cancer drugs. However, the contributions of circRNAs to sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown. The present study aims to explore the involvement of circFN1 in sorafenib resistance and how circFN1 is associated with the miR-1205/E2F1 pathway, which have been demonstrated to mediate this resistance in HCC cells. We investigated the expression of circRNAs in five paired sorafenib-sensitive HepG2 cells and sorafenib-resistant (SR)-HepG2 cells by microarray analysis. The quantitative real-time PCR analysis was used to investigate the expression pattern of circFN1 in HCC patient tissues and cell lines. Then, the effects of circFN1 on sorafenib resistance, cell proliferation, and apoptosis were assessed in HCC in vitro and in vivo. In this study, circFN1 was observed to be upregulated in HCC patient tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of circFN1 in HCC was significantly correlated with aggressive characteristics and served as an independent risk factor for overall survival in patients with HCC. Our in vivo and in vitro data indicated that inhibition of circFN1 enhances the sorafenib sensitivity of HCC cells. Mechanistically, we found that circFN1 could promote the expression of E2F1 by sponging miR-1205. In summary, our study demonstrated that circFN1 contributes to sorafenib resistance by regulating the miR-1205/E2F1 signaling pathway. These results indicate that circFN1 may represent a potentially valuable target for overcoming sorafenib resistance for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Yang
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhitao Dong
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Han Hong
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215001, China
| | - Binghua Dai
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Feihong Song
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Li Geng
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jiongjiong Lu
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jiamei Yang
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Chengjun Sui
- Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China
- Corresponding author: Chengjun Sui, Department of Special Treatment I and Liver Transplantation, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Minhui Xu
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215001, China
- Corresponding author: Minhui Xu, Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215001, China.
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Chow AKM, Yau SWL, Ng L. Novel molecular targets in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Clin Oncol 2020; 11:589-605. [PMID: 32879846 PMCID: PMC7443834 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v11.i8.589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths. The therapeutic efficacy of locoregional and systemic treatment in patients with advanced HCC remains low, which results in a poor prognosis. The development of sorafenib for the treatment of HCC has resulted in a new era of molecular targeted therapy for this disease. However, the median overall survival was reported to be barely higher in the sorafenib treatment group than in the control group. Hence, in this review we describe the importance of developing more effective targeted therapies for the management of advanced HCC. Recent investigations of molecular signaling pathways in several cancers have provided some insights into developing molecular therapies that target critical members of these signaling pathways. Proteins involved in the Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways, Polo-like kinase 1, arginine, histone deacetylases and Glypican-3 can be potential targets in the treatment of HCC. Monotherapy has limited therapeutic efficacy due to the development of inhibitory feedback mechanisms and induction of chemoresistance. Thus, emphasis is now on the development of personalized and combination molecular targeted therapies that can serve as ideal therapeutic strategies for improved management of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Ka-Man Chow
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Wing-Lung Yau
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lui Ng
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Sun DE, Ye SY. Emerging Roles of Long Noncoding RNA Regulator of Reprogramming in Cancer Treatment. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:6103-6112. [PMID: 32765105 PMCID: PMC7382586 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s253042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous advances in cancer treatment, the global prevalence and cancer-related mortality remain high. Understanding tumor initiation and progression mechanisms are critical as it will lead to the development of interventions for improving the prognosis of cancer patients. The roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer have attracted immense research interest. Growing evidence indicates that lncRNA regulator of reprogramming (linc-ROR), a well-studied RNA, regulates the progression of various cancers, such as lung cancer (LC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), breast cancer (BC), colorectal cancer (CRC), pancreatic cancer (PC), papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), or esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). linc-ROR promotes the proliferation, invasion, migration and chemoresistance of cancer cells. Herein, we reviewed current literature on the modulatory functions and mechanisms of linc-ROR in cancer development. We highlight new linc-ROR-related therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di-Er Sun
- Clinical Laboratory, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Laboratory, Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Yuan Ye
- Clinical Laboratory, HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.,Clinical Laboratory, Ningbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
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Lin Z, Xia S, Liang Y, Ji L, Pan Y, Jiang S, Wan Z, Tao L, Chen J, Lin C, Liang X, Xu J, Cai X. LXR activation potentiates sorafenib sensitivity in HCC by activating microRNA-378a transcription. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:8834-8850. [PMID: 32754282 PMCID: PMC7392029 DOI: 10.7150/thno.45158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib resistance is a major obstacle to the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are multifunctional regulators of gene expression with profound impact for human disease. Therefore, better understanding of the biological mechanisms of abnormally expressed miRNAs is critical to discovering novel, promising therapeutic targets for HCC treatment. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-378a-3p in the sorafenib resistance of HCC and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: A novel hub miR-378a-3p was identified based on miRNA microarray and bioinformatics analysis. The abnormal expression of miR-378-3p was validated in different HCC patient cohorts and sorafenib-resistant (SR) HCC cell lines. The functional role of miR-378a-3p and its downstream and upstream regulatory machinery were investigated by gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays in vitro and in vivo. Interactions among miR-378a-3p, LXRα, and IGF1R were examined by a series of molecular biology experiments. Then, the clinical relevance of miR-378a-3p and its targets were evaluated in HCC samples. HCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model was used to assess the therapeutic value of LXRα and its downstream miR-378a-3p. Results: miR-378a-3p expression was frequently reduced in established sorafenib-resistant HCC cell lines. The decreased miR-378a-3p levels correlated with poor overall survival of HCC patients following sorafenib treatment. miR-378a-3p overexpression induced apoptosis in SR HCC cells, whereas miR-378a-3p silencing exerted the opposite effects. IGF1R was identified as a novel target of miR-378a-3p. Furthermore, the primary miR-378 level was not consistent with its precursor miRNA level in SR HCC cells, which was attributed to the downregulation of exportin5 (XPO5) and subsequently reduced nuclear export of precursor miR-378 and restrained maturation of miR-378-3p. In this context, we combined an agonist GW3965 of liver X receptor alpha (LXRα), which functioned as a transcription activator of miRNA-378a, and its activation re-sensitized sorafenib-resistant cells to sorafenib treatment in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Our finding suggested decreased expression of XPO5 prevents maturation of miR-378a-3p, which leaded to the overexpression of IGF-1R and counteracted the effects of sorafenib-induced apoptosis. LXRα was able to activate miRNA-378a-3p transcription in HCC cells and could be a potential combinable treatment strategy with sorafenib to suppress HCC progression.
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Identification of the Novel Oncogenic Role of SAAL1 and Its Therapeutic Potential in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071843. [PMID: 32650537 PMCID: PMC7408781 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, affecting over 700,000 people per year. The treatment effect in advanced HCC is still disappointing and prognosis of advanced HCC remains poor. Hence, to find more effective therapeutic targets to improve the treatment outcome of HCC is of urgent need. In this study, we reported the novel oncogenic function of SAAL1 (serum amyloid A-like 1) in HCC, which previously is considered as an inflammation-related gene. We found that SAAL1 was significantly upregulated in HCC tumor tissues when compared to the adjacent normal tissues and high expression of SAAL1 correlated with shorter overall survival in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HCC database. Functionally, we showed that the depletion of SAAL1 significantly reduced cell proliferation, 3D colony formation, and migration/invasion abilities of HCC cancer cells. Furthermore, suppression of SAAL1 impaired the HGF/Met-driven Akt/mTOR phosphorylation cascade and increased the chemosensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib and foretinib treatment. Our data indicated that SAAL1 plays an important role in HCC via mediating oncogenic HGF/Met-driven Akt/mTOR signaling and could serve as an independent prognostic marker, as well as a promising therapeutic target for HCC patients.
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Bello-Perez M, Sola I, Novoa B, Klionsky DJ, Falco A. Canonical and Noncanonical Autophagy as Potential Targets for COVID-19. Cells 2020; 9:E1619. [PMID: 32635598 PMCID: PMC7408018 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic necessitates a review of the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular infection by coronaviruses, in order to identify potential therapeutic targets against the associated new disease (COVID-19). Previous studies on its counterparts prove a complex and concomitant interaction between coronaviruses and autophagy. The precise manipulation of this pathway allows these viruses to exploit the autophagy molecular machinery while avoiding its protective apoptotic drift and cellular innate immune responses. In turn, the maneuverability margins of such hijacking appear to be so narrow that the modulation of the autophagy, regardless of whether using inducers or inhibitors (many of which are FDA-approved for the treatment of other diseases), is usually detrimental to viral replication, including SARS-CoV-2. Recent discoveries indicate that these interactions stretch into the still poorly explored noncanonical autophagy pathway, which might play a substantial role in coronavirus replication. Still, some potential therapeutic targets within this pathway, such as RAB9 and its interacting proteins, look promising considering current knowledge. Thus, the combinatory treatment of COVID-19 with drugs affecting both canonical and noncanonical autophagy pathways may be a turning point in the fight against this and other viral infections, which may also imply beneficial prospects of long-term protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Bello-Perez
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Campus Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.B.-P.); (I.S.)
| | - Isabel Sola
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Campus Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.B.-P.); (I.S.)
| | - Beatriz Novoa
- Institute of Marine Research (IIM), National Research Council (CSIC), 36208 Vigo, Spain;
| | - Daniel J. Klionsky
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Alberto Falco
- Institute of Research, Development, and Innovation in Healthcare Biotechnology in Elche (IDiBE), Miguel Hernández University (UMH), 03202 Elche, Spain
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Marin JJ, Macias RI, Monte MJ, Romero MR, Asensio M, Sanchez-Martin A, Cives-Losada C, Temprano AG, Espinosa-Escudero R, Reviejo M, Bohorquez LH, Briz O. Molecular Bases of Drug Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061663. [PMID: 32585893 PMCID: PMC7352164 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor outcome of patients with non-surgically removable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent type of primary liver cancer, is mainly due to the high refractoriness of this aggressive tumor to classical chemotherapy. Novel pharmacological approaches based on the use of inhibitors of tyrosine kinases (TKIs), mainly sorafenib and regorafenib, have provided only a modest prolongation of the overall survival in these HCC patients. The present review is an update of the available information regarding our understanding of the molecular bases of mechanisms of chemoresistance (MOC) with a significant impact on the response of HCC to existing pharmacological tools, which include classical chemotherapeutic agents, TKIs and novel immune-sensitizing strategies. Many of the more than one hundred genes involved in seven MOC have been identified as potential biomarkers to predict the failure of treatment, as well as druggable targets to develop novel strategies aimed at increasing the sensitivity of HCC to pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose J.G. Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.J.G.M.); (O.B.); Tel.: +34-663182872 (J.J.G.M.); +34-923294674 (O.B.)
| | - Rocio I.R. Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria J. Monte
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta R. Romero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maitane Asensio
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Anabel Sanchez-Martin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Candela Cives-Losada
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Alvaro G. Temprano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Ricardo Espinosa-Escudero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Maria Reviejo
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Laura H. Bohorquez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.J.G.M.); (O.B.); Tel.: +34-663182872 (J.J.G.M.); +34-923294674 (O.B.)
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Liao YJ, Hsu SM, Chien CY, Wang YH, Hsu MH, Suk FM. Treatment with a New Barbituric Acid Derivative Exerts Antiproliferative and Antimigratory Effects against Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25122856. [PMID: 32575795 PMCID: PMC7355767 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cause of cancer death worldwide. Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, is the first-line drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with advanced HCC. However, most patients who continuously receive sorafenib may acquire resistance to this drug. Therefore, it is important to develop a new compound to treat liver cancer and sorafenib-resistant liver cancer. Barbituric acid derivatives have been used as antiasthmatic drugs in the clinic. We previously reported that a novel barbituric acid derivative inhibited carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice, but its effects on liver cancer remain unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the antitumor effect of barbituric acid derivatives on HCC cells and sorafenib-resistant HCC cells (HCC-SRs). Our findings reveal that one of the barbituric acid derivatives, BA-5, significantly inhibited HCC and HCC-SR cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Therefore, compound BA-5 was selected for further experiments. Western blot data revealed that BA-5 treatment decreased the phosphorylation of AKT/p70s6k without affecting the MAPK pathway and increased cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-7 in both HCC and HCC-SR cells. Since epithelial-mesenchymal transition plays a significant role in regulating cancer invasion and migration, we used the wound healing assay to evaluate the antimigratory effect of compound BA-5. The results showed that BA-5 treatment inhibited HCC and HCC-SR cell migration and reduced Vimentin protein expression. These results were confirmed by microarray analysis showing that BA-5 treatment influenced cancer cell motility and growth-related pathways. In the xenograft mouse model experiment, BA-5 administration significantly inhibited HCC cancer cell growth in mice. Furthermore, the combination of BA-5 with a low dose of regorafenib synergistically inhibited HCC-SR cell proliferation. In conclusion, our study showed that the barbituric acid derivative BA-5 is a new candidate for HCC and sorafenib-resistant HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jen Liao
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan; (Y.-J.L.); (C.-Y.C.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Shih-Ming Hsu
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan;
| | - Chia-Ying Chien
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan; (Y.-J.L.); (C.-Y.C.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Yuan-Hsi Wang
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan; (Y.-J.L.); (C.-Y.C.); (Y.-H.W.)
| | - Ming-Hua Hsu
- Department of Chemistry, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 50007, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (M.-H.H.); (F.-M.S.); Tel.: +886-4-7232105 (ext. 3511) (M.-H.H.); +886-2-27328232 (F.-M.S.)
| | - Fat-Moon Suk
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (M.-H.H.); (F.-M.S.); Tel.: +886-4-7232105 (ext. 3511) (M.-H.H.); +886-2-27328232 (F.-M.S.)
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71
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Li M, Li J, Guo X, Pan H, Zhou Q. Absence of HTATIP2 Expression in A549 Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells Promotes Tumor Plasticity in Response to Hypoxic Stress. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061538. [PMID: 32545251 PMCID: PMC7352940 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 Tat Interactive Protein 2 (HTATIP2) is a tumor suppressor, of which reduced or absent expression is associated with increased susceptibility to tumorigenesis and enhanced tumor invasion and metastasis. However, whether the absent expression of HTATIP2 is a tumor-promoting factor that acts through improving tumor adaptation to hypoxia is unclear. Here, we established a stable HTATIP2-knockdown A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549shHTATIP2) using lentiviral-delivered HTATIP2-targeting short hairpin RNA (shRNA), employed a double subcutaneous xenograft model and incorporated photoacoustic imaging and metabolomics approaches to elucidate the impact of the absent HTATIP2 expression on tumor response to hypoxic stress. Results from the in vivo study showed that A549shHTATIP2 tumors exhibited accelerated growth but decreased intratumoral oxygenation and angiogenesis and reduced sensitivity to sorafenib treatment as compared with their parental counterparts. Moreover, results of the immunoblot and real-time PCR analyses revealed that the HIF2α protein and mRNA levels in vehicle-treated A549shHTATIP2 tumors were significantly increased (p < 0.01 compared with the parental control tumors). Despite the strong HIF2α-c-Myc protein interaction indicated by our co-immunoprecipitation data, the increase in the c-Myc protein and mRNA levels was not significant in the A549shHTATIP2 tumors. Nonetheless, MCL-1 and β-catenin protein levels in A549shHTATIP2 tumors were significantly increased (p < 0.05 compared with the parental control tumors), suggesting an enhanced β-catenin/c-Myc/MCL-1 pathway in the absence of HTATIP2 expression. The finding of significantly decreased E-cadherin (p < 0.01 compared with vehicle-treated A549shHTATIP2 tumors) and increased vimentin (p < 0.05 compared with sorafenib-treated A549 tumors) protein levels in A549shHTATIP2 tumors implicates that the absence of HTATIP2 expression increases the susceptibility of A549 tumors to sorafenib-activated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Comparison of the metabolomic profiles between A549 and A549shHTATIP2 tumors demonstrated that the absence of HTATIP2 expression resulted in increased tumor metabolic plasticity that enabled tumor cells to exploit alternative metabolic pathways for survival and proliferation rather than relying on glutamine and fatty acids as a carbon source to replenish TCA cycle intermediates. Our data suggest a mechanism by which the absent HTATIP2 expression modulates tumor adaptation to hypoxia and promotes an aggressive tumor phenotype by enhancing the HIF2α-regulated β-catenin/c-Myc/MCL-1 signaling, increasing the susceptibility of tumors to sorafenib treatment-activated EMT process, and improving tumor metabolic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghua Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (M.L.); (X.G.)
| | - Jing Li
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
| | - Xiaofang Guo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (M.L.); (X.G.)
| | - Hua Pan
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Qingyu Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (M.L.); (X.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-813-974-7081
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72
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Malale K, Fu J, Qiu L, Zhan K, Gan X, Mei Z. Hypoxia-Induced Aquaporin-3 Changes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Sensitivity to Sorafenib by Activating the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:4321-4333. [PMID: 32606928 PMCID: PMC7294049 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s243918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Hypoxia-induced changes are primarily activated in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and long-term sorafenib exposure, thereby reducing the sensitivity to the drug. Aquaporin-3 (AQP3), a member of the aquaporin family, is a hypoxia-induced substance that affects the chemosensitivity of non-hepatocellular tumors. However, its expression and role in the sensitivity of hypoxic HCC cells to sorafenib-induced apoptosis remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to detect changes in AQP3 expression in hypoxic HCC cells and to determine whether these changes alter the sensitivity of these cells to sorafenib. Materials and Methods Huh7 and HepG2 hypoxic cell models were established and AQP3 expression was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting. Furthermore, the role of AQP3 in cell sensitivity to sorafenib was evaluated via flow cytometry, Western blotting, and a CCK-8 assay. Results The results of qPCR and Western blotting showed that AQP3 was overexpressed in the Huh7 and HepG2 hypoxic cell models. Furthermore, AQP3 protein levels were positively correlated with hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) levels. Compared with cells transfected with lentivirus-GFP (Lv-GFP), hypoxic cells transfected with lentivirus-AQP3 (Lv-AQP3) were less sensitive to sorafenib-induced apoptosis. However, the sensitivity to the drug increased in cells transfected with lentivirus-AQP3RNAi (Lv-AQP3RNAi). Akt and Erk phosphorylation was enhanced in Lv-AQP3-transfected cells. Compared with UO126 (a Mek1/2 inhibitor), LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) attenuated the AQP3-induced insensitivity to sorafenib observed in hypoxic cells transfected with Lv-AQP3. Combined with LY294002-treated cells, hypoxic cells transfected with Lv-AQP3RNAi were more sensitive to sorafenib. Conclusion The study results show that AQP3 is a potential therapeutic target for improving the sensitivity of hypoxic HCC cells to sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kija Malale
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jili Fu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Liewang Qiu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Zhan
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuni Gan
- Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhechuan Mei
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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Liu SY, Qu RY, Li RR, Yan YC, Sun Y, Yang WC, Yang GF. An Activity-Based Fluorogenic Probe Enables Cellular and in Vivo Profiling of Carboxylesterase Isozymes. Anal Chem 2020; 92:9205-9213. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Yu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, and Chemical Biology Center, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Ren-Yu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, and Chemical Biology Center, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Rong-Rong Li
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, and Chemical Biology Center, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Yao-Chao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, and Chemical Biology Center, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Yao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, and Chemical Biology Center, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Wen-Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, and Chemical Biology Center, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, and Chemical Biology Center, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P.R. China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 30071, P.R. China
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Zhang X, He B, Chen E, Lu J, Wang J, Cao H, Li L. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand ITE inhibits cell proliferation and migration and enhances sensitivity to drug-resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cell Physiol 2020; 236:178-192. [PMID: 32510618 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, is considered as a crucial gene during tumor formation and progress. Among various ligands, 2-(1'H-indole-3'-carbonyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE) has been evaluated to share a broad spectrum of biological activities. However, the specific effects and potential mechanisms of ITE against hepatocellular carcinoma remain unclear. Here we explored whether ITE exerted antitumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and its potential mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. We found that ITE could markedly inhibit proliferation of HCCLM3 and SMMC-7721 cells and induce G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis with alterations of expressions of the related proteins. Also, ITE could prohibit the process of migration and invasion evaluated by transwell assay. Moreover, ITE exhibited remarkable capability to repress the growth of HCCLM3-SR cells and induce apoptosis in contrast to sorafenib. Additionally, ITE also showed potent antitumor activity against the HCCLM3 xenograft by prohibiting tumor growth without any toxicity to mice. Mechanistically, AHR activation by ITE was attributed to inhibition of HCC cells as AHR knockdown would abolish ITE-induced suppression in HCC cells, and overexpression of AHR would potentiate antitumor activity regulated by ITE. Our data suggested that ITE manifested a marked antitumor effect against HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo via AHR activation mainly through inducing G1/G0 arrest and apoptosis and inhibiting the process of migration and invasion. Furthermore, we also found the PI3K/AKT pathway was involved in sorafenib-induced resistance and ITE could restore sensitivity by suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway. Collectively, our study revealed that ITE would be a promising therapeutic agent to deal with HCC and an alternative for drug-resistant HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin He
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ermei Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Juan Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongcui Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lanjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Fan G, Wei X, Xu X. Is the era of sorafenib over? A review of the literature. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2020; 12:1758835920927602. [PMID: 32518599 PMCID: PMC7252361 DOI: 10.1177/1758835920927602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most severe diseases worldwide. For the different stages of HCC, there are different clinical treatment strategies, such as surgical therapy for the early stage, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for intermediate-stage disease. Systemic treatment, which uses mainly targeted drugs, is the standard therapy against advanced HCC. Sorafenib is an important first-line therapy for advanced HCC. As a classically effective drug, sorafenib can increase overall survival markedly. However, it still has room for improvement because of the heterogeneity of HCC and acquired resistance. Scientists have reported the acquired sorafenib resistance is associated with the anomalous expression of certain genes, most of which are also related with HCC onset and development. Combining sorafenib with inhibitors targeting these genes may be an effective treatment. Combined treatment may not only overcome drug resistance, but also inhibit the expression of carcinoma-related genes. This review focuses on the current status of sorafenib in advanced HCC, summarizes the inhibitors that can combine with sorafenib in the treatment against HCC, and provides the rationale for clinical trials of sorafenib in combination with other inhibitors in HCC. The era of sorafenib in the treatment of HCC is far from over, as long as we find better methods of medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghan Fan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of the diagnosis and treatment of organ Transplantation, CAMS; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuyong Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of the diagnosis and treatment of organ Transplantation, CAMS; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation; Key Laboratory of the diagnosis and treatment of organ Transplantation, CAMS; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China
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76
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Li F, Bai L, Li S, Chen Y, Xue X, Yu Z. Construction and evaluation of a prognosis lncRNA model for hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cell Biochem 2020; 122:983-992. [PMID: 32348599 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.29608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Current studies indicate that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is often abnormally expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We intend to generate a multi-lncRNA signal to improve the prognosis of HCC. By analyzing 12 pairs of HCC and adjacent normal mucosal tissues, 3900 differentially expressed lncrnas were identified as candidate biomarkers for the prognosis of HCC. Then, the 12-lncrna signature was constructed using the LASSO Cox regression method and verified in the TCGA training dataset. Finally, we established a novel 12-lncrna signature that was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) in the training data set. With the use of 12-lncrna markers, patients in the training cohort were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups with significant OV differences (P < .0001). Similar results were consistent in the TCGA verification dataset (P = .046). Multivariate Cox model was used to analyze and construct the risk scores of selected key lncRNA and AJCC stages. The results showed that, compared with AJCC stages, lncRNA-based risk scores were another important factor affecting the OS of patients. We found that risk scores based on lncRNA have a stronger prediction ability than the AJCC stage alone on 4-year OS. For 4-year survival rates, prediction combined with the lncRNA risk score and AJCC stage, model effectiveness (sensitivity and specificity) has reached to 0.750. To further explore the biological processes involved in prognostic lncRNA, all HCC samples in TCGA are divided into two groups according to the median lncRNA risk score, and analyzed the gene enrichment of high expression genes and low expression genes in KEGG data using goana in limma. The results suggest that the genes associated with tumor pathways, such as PI3K-Akt and ECM-receptor interaction, are highly expressed in the high risk group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulei Li
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lu Bai
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shasha Li
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanling Chen
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaofei Xue
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zujiang Yu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Yang S, Wang M, Yang L, Li Y, Ma Y, Peng X, Li X, Li B, Jin H, Li H. MicroRNA-375 Targets ATG14 to Inhibit Autophagy and Sensitize Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells to Sorafenib. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:3557-3570. [PMID: 32431510 PMCID: PMC7197942 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s247655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Sorafenib has revolutionized treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its efficacy is limited by drug resistance. Autophagy is the process by which cellular components are transported to lysosomes for degradation, which promotes energy production and production of macromolecular precursors. Studies have suggested that the cytoprotective function of autophagy may contribute to chemoresistance or targeted drug resistance in cancer cells. We investigated the effects of miR-375 and autophagy-related protein 14, and their interrelationships, on sorafenib efficacy. Methods Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay, and apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry. Colony formation assay was performed to determine changes in cell number. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to quantify the expression of key genes and proteins. Immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect autophagy. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to verify a direct target. Results We characterized the relationship between sorafenib and autophagy. We showed that inhibition of autophagy enhanced sensitivity of HCC to sorafenib and showed that miR-375 was important in this process. Finally, we showed that miR-375 affected sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib through regulation of ATG14. Conclusion We showed that miR-375 sensitized HCC cells to sorafenib by blocking sorafenib-induced autophagy. We also showed that ATG14 was a direct autophagy-related target of miR-375. These findings indicated that miR-375-ATG14 was important in the development of sorafenib resistance in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Yang
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Minggang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province 250014, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Yang
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingbo Ma
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueqiang Peng
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Bowen Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyuan Jin
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
| | - Hangyu Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China
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Ji L, Lin Z, Wan Z, Xia S, Jiang S, Cen D, Cai L, Xu J, Cai X. miR-486-3p mediates hepatocellular carcinoma sorafenib resistance by targeting FGFR4 and EGFR. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:250. [PMID: 32313144 PMCID: PMC7170966 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-2413-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
HCC is a common malignancy worldwide and surgery or reginal treatments are deemed insufficient for advanced-stage disease. Sorafenib is an inhibitor of many kinases and was shown to benefit advanced HCC patients. However, resistance emerges soon after initial treatment, limiting the clinical benefit of sorafenib, and the mechanisms still remain elusive. Thus, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms of sorafenib resistance and to provide possible targets for combination therapies. Through miRNA sequencing, we found that miR-486-3p was downregulated in sorafenib resistant HCC cell lines. Cell viability experiments showed increased miR-486-3p expression could induce cell apoptosis while miR-486-3p knockdown by CRISPR-CAS9 technique could reduce cell apoptosis in sorafenib treatment. Clinical data also indicated that miR-486-3p level was downregulated in tumor tissue compared with adjacent normal tissue in HCC patients. Mechanism dissections showed that FGFR4 and EGFR were the targets of miR-486-3p, which was verified by luciferase reporter assay. Importantly, FGFR4 or EGFR selective inhibitor could enhance sorafenib efficacy in the resistant cells. Moreover, in vivo sorafenib resistant model identified that over-expressing miR-486-3p by lentivirus injection could overcome sorafenib resistance by significantly suppressing tumor growth in combination with the treatment of sorafenib. In conclusion, we found miR-486-3p was an important mediator regulating sorafenib resistance by targeting FGFR4 and EGFR, thus offering a potential target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ji
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongjie Lin
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhe Wan
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shunjie Xia
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shi Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dong Cen
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liuxin Cai
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junjie Xu
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310016, Hangzhou, China.
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79
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CCL22 signaling contributes to sorafenib resistance in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2020; 157:104800. [PMID: 32278046 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The HBV-initiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently develops from or accompanies long-term chronic hepatitis, inflammation, and cirrhosis, and has a poor prognosis. Sorafenib, an orally active multi-kinase inhibitor, currently the most common approved drug for first-line systemic treatment of advanced HCC, only improves overall survival of three months, suggesting the need for new therapeutic strategies. In this study, we identified that sorafenib selectively resisted in immune competent C57BL/6 mice but not nude mice. The chemokines CCL22 and CCL17 were upregulated by sorafenib, which elevated dramatically higher in HBV-associated HCC. Mechanically, sorafenib accelerates CCL22 expression via TNF-α-RIP1-NF-κB signaling pathway. Blocking CCL22 signaling with antagonist C-021 and sorafenib treated in combination can inhibit tumor growth and enhance the antitumor response, whereas no significant differences in tumor burden were observed in nude mice upon addition of C-021. These findings strongly suggest that CCL22 signaling pathway strongly contributes to sorafenib resistance in HBV-associated HCC, indicating a potential therapeutic strategy for immunological chemotherapy complementing first-line agents against HBV-associated HCC.
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80
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Wang C, Wang H, Lieftink C, du Chatinier A, Gao D, Jin G, Jin H, Beijersbergen RL, Qin W, Bernards R. CDK12 inhibition mediates DNA damage and is synergistic with sorafenib treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut 2020; 69:727-736. [PMID: 31519701 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies and a major leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Several therapeutic options like sorafenib and regorafenib provide only modest survival benefit to patients with HCC. This study aims to identify novel druggable candidate genes for patients with HCC. DESIGN A non-biased CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) loss-of-function genetic screen targeting all known human kinases was performed to identify vulnerabilities of HCC cells. Whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) and bioinformatics analyses were performed to explore the mechanisms of the action of a cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) inhibitor in HCC cells. Multiple in vitro and in vivo assays were used to study the synergistic effects of the combination of CDK12 inhibition and sorafenib. RESULTS We identify CDK12 as critically required for most HCC cell lines. Suppression of CDK12 using short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) or its inhibition by the covalent small molecule inhibitor THZ531 leads to robust proliferation inhibition. THZ531 preferentially suppresses the expression of DNA repair-related genes and induces strong DNA damage response in HCC cell lines. The combination of THZ531 and sorafenib shows striking synergy by inducing apoptosis or senescence in HCC cells. The synergy between THZ531 and sorafenib may derive from the notion that THZ531 impairs the adaptive responses of HCC cells induced by sorafenib treatment. CONCLUSION Our data highlight the potential of CDK12 as a drug target for patients with HCC. The striking synergy of THZ531 and sorafenib suggests a potential combination therapy for this difficult to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cun Wang
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cor Lieftink
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aimee du Chatinier
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dongmei Gao
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangzhi Jin
- Department of Pathology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haojie Jin
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Roderick L Beijersbergen
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wenxin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - René Bernards
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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81
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The Crosstalk between Tumor Cells and the Microenvironment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Role of Exosomal microRNAs and their Clinical Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12040823. [PMID: 32235370 PMCID: PMC7226466 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The communication between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and their microenvironment is an essential mechanism supporting or preventing tumor development and progression. Recent evidence has identified extracellular vesicles (EVs) as one of the mechanisms mediating paracrine signaling between cells. Exosomes, the most described class of EVs, deliver proteins, mRNAs, noncoding RNAs, DNA, and lipids to recipient cells, also at remote distances. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as part of the non-coding RNA exosomal cargo, have an important role in regulating cellular pathways in targeted cells, regulating several processes related to tumor progression invasion and metastasis, such as angiogenesis, immune-escape, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and multi-drug resistance. Accumulating evidence suggests exosomal miRNAs as relevant players in the dynamic crosstalk among cancerous, immune, and stromal cells in establishing the tumorigenic microenvironment. In addition, they sustain the metastasic niche formation at distant sites. In this review, we summarized the recent findings on the role of the exosome-derived miRNAs in the cross-communication between tumor cells and different hepatic resident cells, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the cell re-programming. In addition, we describe the clinical implication derived from the exosomal miRNA-driven immunomodulation to the current immunotherapy strategies and the molecular aspects influencing the resistance to therapeutic agents.
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82
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Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis identifies the potential therapeutic target EphA2 for overcoming sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Exp Mol Med 2020; 52:497-513. [PMID: 32203105 PMCID: PMC7156679 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-020-0404-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Limited therapeutic options are available for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma owing to its poor diagnosis. Drug resistance to sorafenib, the only available targeted agent, is commonly reported. The comprehensive elucidation of the mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance may thus aid in the development of more efficacious therapeutic agents. To clarify the signaling changes contributing to resistance, we applied quantitative phosphoproteomics to analyze the differential phosphorylation changes between parental and sorafenib-resistant HuH-7 cells. Consequently, an average of ~1500 differential phosphoproteins were identified and quantified, among which 533 were significantly upregulated in resistant cells. Further bioinformatic integration via functional categorization annotation, pathway enrichment and interaction linkage analysis led to the discovery of alterations in pathways associated with cell adhesion and motility, cell survival and cell growth and the identification of a novel target, EphA2, in resistant HuH-7R cells. In vitro functional analysis indicated that the suppression of EphA2 function impairs cell proliferation and motility and, most importantly, overcomes sorafenib resistance. The attenuation of sorafenib resistance may be achieved prior to its development through the modulation of EphA2 and the subsequent inhibition of Akt activity. Binding analyses and in silico modeling revealed a ligand mimic lead compound, prazosin, that could abate the ligand-independent oncogenic activity of EphA2. Finally, data obtained from in vivo animal models verified that the simultaneous inhibition of EphA2 with sorafenib treatment can effectively overcome sorafenib resistance and extend the projected survival of resistant tumor-bearing mice. Thus our findings regarding the targeting of EphA2 may provide an effective approach for overcoming sorafenib resistance and may contribute to the management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
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83
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Fu R, Jiang S, Li J, Chen H, Zhang X. Activation of the HGF/c-MET axis promotes lenvatinib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells with high c-MET expression. Med Oncol 2020; 37:24. [PMID: 32166604 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-020-01350-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Lenvatinib is a long-awaited alternative to sorafenib for the first-line targeted therapy of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, resistance to lenvatinib has also become a major obstacle to improving the prognosis of HCC patients. The underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to lenvatinib resistance in HCC are largely unknown. HGF/c-MET axis activation is related to tumor progression and several hallmarks of cancer and is considered as the key contributor to drug resistance. In the present study, we focused on the role of the HGF/c-MET axis in mediating lenvatinib resistance in HCC cells. We showed that HGF reduced the antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and anti-invasive effects of lenvatinib on HCC cells with high c-MET expression but did not significantly affect HCC cells with low c-MET expression. The c-MET inhibitor PHA-665752 rescued HCC cells from HGF-induced lenvatinib resistance. Furthermore, HGF/c-MET activated the downstream PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. Collectively, our results suggested that combining lenvatinib treatment with a c-MET inhibitor may improve its systemic therapeutic efficacy in HCC patients with high c-MET expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongdang Fu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No.600 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510630, China
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Affiliated Foshan Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Shaotao Jiang
- Department of HBP Surgery II, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, China
| | - Jieyuan Li
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Affiliated Foshan Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Huanwei Chen
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Affiliated Foshan Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Foshan, 528000, China.
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No.600 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
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84
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Feng YH, Tung CL, Su YC, Tsao CJ, Wu TF. Proteomic Profile of Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma; GRP78 Expression Is Associated With Inferior Response to Sorafenib. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2020; 16:569-576. [PMID: 31659110 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM The outcome of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poor and therapeutic options, including sorafenib, the first anti-cancer drug proved to prolong survival in patients with advanced HCC, are limited. However, no clinically useful predictive biomarker for sorafenib has been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS We exploited two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry to find de-regulated proteins by using conditioning of a sorafenib-resistant HCC cell line, Huh7. Tumor samples from 60 patients with HCC treated with sorafenib were analyzed and correlated with survival outcome. RESULTS Comparative proteomics indicated three proteins including, 78 kDa glucose related protein (GRP78), 14-3-3ε, and heat shock protein 90β (HSP90β). The three proteins were over-expressed in sorafenib-resistant Huh7 cells. In HCC tumor samples from patients treated with sorafenib, 73% of tumor samples had a high expression of GRP78, 18% had high 14-3-3ε expression and 85% had high HSP90β expression. Among these, GRP78 was associated with the shortest progression-free survival of HCC patients treated with sorafenib. CONCLUSION GRP78 can be a predictive biomarker in HCC patients treated with sorafenib. Strategies designed to inhibit the GRP78-related pathway may overcome sorafenib resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin-Hsun Feng
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C. .,Department of Nursing, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chao-Ling Tung
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Yu-Chu Su
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chao-Jung Tsao
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Liouying Campus, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Ting-Feng Wu
- Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
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85
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Chen D, Soh CK, Goh WH, Wang Z, Wang H. Synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-phenylpurine linked hydroxamates as novel histone deacetylase inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2020; 98:103724. [PMID: 32171983 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A series of 6-phenylpurine based hydroxamates have been designed, synthesized and evaluated. Compound 3b and its analogs are potent histone deacetylase (HDAC) but weak PI3K/mTOR inhibitors. These compounds demonstrated broad anti-cancer activities against 38 cancer cell lines with leukemia, lymphoma, and the majority of liver cancer cell lines exhibiting the most sensitivity towards these compounds. Compound 3b demonstrated modulation of HDAC targets in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. It has good in vitro ADME profile that translated into a greatly improved pharmacokinetic profile. 3b also demonstrated modulation of HDACs in tumors in a PC-3 xenograft model. It was further evaluated in combination therapies in vitro. It exhibited additive or synergistic growth inhibition effect in HepG2 cells when combined with a number of approved drugs such as sorafenib, sunitinib, and erlotinib. Hence, 3b has the potential to be combined with the above to treat advanced liver cancer. As such, current data warrant further evaluation, optimization, and subsequent in vivo validation of the potential combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dizhong Chen
- Drug Development Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Chang Kai Soh
- Drug Development Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Wei Huang Goh
- Drug Development Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Zilong Wang
- H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States
| | - Haishan Wang
- Drug Development Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore; Probit Pharmaceuticals Pte. Ltd., 10 Anson Road #27-15, Singapore 079903, Republic of Singapore.
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86
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Kiruthiga C, Devi KP, Nabavi SM, Bishayee A. Autophagy: A Potential Therapeutic Target of Polyphenols in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12030562. [PMID: 32121322 PMCID: PMC7139730 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved biological phenomenon that maintains cellular homeostasis through the clearing of damaged cellular components under cellular stress and offers the cell building blocks for cellular survival. Aberrations in autophagy subsidize to various human pathologies, such as dementia, cardiovascular diseases, leishmaniosis, influenza, hepatic diseases, and cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is the fifth common mortal type of liver cancer globally, with an inhomogeneous topographical distribution and highest incidence tripled in men than women. Existing treatment procedures with liver cancer patients result in variable success rates and poor prognosis due to their drug resistance and toxicity. One of the pathophysiological mechanisms that are targeted during the development of anti-liver cancer drugs is autophagy. Generally, overactivated autophagy may lead to a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death (PCD) or autophagic cell death or type II PCD. Emerging evidence suggests that manipulation of autophagy could induce type II PCD in cancer cells, acting as a potential tumor suppressor. Hence, altering autophagic signaling offers new hope for the development of novel drugs for the therapy of resistant cancer cells. Natural polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids and non-flavonoids, execute their anticarcinogenic mechanism through upregulating tumor suppressors and autophagy by modulating canonical (Beclin-1-dependent) and non-canonical (Beclin-1-independent) signaling pathways. Additionally, there is evidence signifying that plant polyphenols target angiogenesis and metastasis in HCC via interference with multiple intracellular signals and decrease the risk against HCC. The current review offers a comprehensive understanding of how natural polyphenolic compounds exhibit their anti-HCC effects through regulation of autophagy, the non-apoptotic mode of cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandramohan Kiruthiga
- Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa University (Science Campus), Karaikudi 630 003, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Kasi Pandima Devi
- Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa University (Science Campus), Karaikudi 630 003, Tamil Nadu, India;
- Correspondence: (K.P.D.); or (A.B.); Tel.: +91-4565223325 (K.P.D.); +1-941-782-5950 (A.B.)
| | - Seyed M. Nabavi
- Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1435916471, Iran;
| | - Anupam Bishayee
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA
- Correspondence: (K.P.D.); or (A.B.); Tel.: +91-4565223325 (K.P.D.); +1-941-782-5950 (A.B.)
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87
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Wang L, Zhan Y, Wu Z, Lin M, Jin X, Jiang L, Qiu Y. A novel multitarget kinase inhibitor BZG with potent anticancer activity in vitro and vivo enhances efficacy of sorafenib through PI3K pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 125:110033. [PMID: 32187962 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES BZG as a novel multitarget kinase inhibitor, has been proved to inhibit the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) previously. In this study, we aimed at investigating the underlying mechanisms of BZG with and without sorafenib and evaluating their anti-tumor effects as well as whether BZG could inhibit the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling which is associated with acquired resistance to sorafenib. METHODS We evaluated the proliferation of HCC cells by CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by Hoechst 33342 staining assay and flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the critical enzymes in the PI3K pathways and the expression of p-ERK after BZG alone and combined with sorafenib treatments. Huh-7 hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft model was used to evaluate the anti-carcinoma effects of BZG alone and in combination in vivo. HE staining and TUNEL assay tested the necrosis of tumor tissue and apoptosis of tumor cells. RESULTS BZG could inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of BZG and sorafenib produced synergistic effects. PI3K and p-ERK pathway were involved in the anti-tumor functions of BZG alone and when combined with sorafenib. In addition, the combination treatment was seen to be more effective in inhibiting the expression of p-AKT, p-ERK and p-mTOR. Furthermore, Tumor necrosis and cell apoptosis were also observed in Huh-7 hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft models. CONCLUSIONS BZG is an attractive agent for treating HCC. The effects of BZG and sorafenib's co-treatment on HCC are more effective than BZG or sorafenib alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Clinical Research and Evaluation, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, PR China
| | - Yaqiong Zhan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Clinical Research and Evaluation, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, PR China
| | - Zhe Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Clinical Research and Evaluation, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, PR China
| | - Mengjia Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Clinical Research and Evaluation, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, PR China
| | - Xuehang Jin
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Clinical Research and Evaluation, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, PR China
| | - Lushun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Clinical Research and Evaluation, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, PR China
| | - Yunqing Qiu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Clinical Research and Evaluation, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 QingChun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, PR China.
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88
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Gramantieri L, Pollutri D, Gagliardi M, Giovannini C, Quarta S, Ferracin M, Casadei-Gardini A, Callegari E, De Carolis S, Marinelli S, Benevento F, Vasuri F, Ravaioli M, Cescon M, Piscaglia F, Negrini M, Bolondi L, Fornari F. MiR-30e-3p Influences Tumor Phenotype through MDM2/ TP53 Axis and Predicts Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Res 2020; 80:1720-1734. [PMID: 32015093 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-0472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The molecular background of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly heterogeneous, and biomarkers predicting response to treatments are an unmet clinical need. We investigated miR-30e-3p contribution to HCC phenotype and response to sorafenib, as well as the mutual modulation of TP53/MDM2 pathway, in HCC tissues and preclinical models. MiR-30e-3p was downregulated in human and rat HCCs, and its downregulation associated with TP53 mutations. TP53 contributed to miR-30e-3p biogenesis, and MDM2 was identified among its target genes, establishing an miR-30e-3p/TP53/MDM2 feedforward loop and accounting for miR-30e-3p dual role based on TP53 status. EpCAM, PTEN, and p27 were demonstrated as miR-30e-3p additional targets mediating its contribution to stemness and malignant features. In a preliminary cohort of patients with HCC treated with sorafenib, increased miR-30e-3p circulating levels predicted the development of resistance. In conclusion, molecular background dictates miR-30e-3p dual behavior in HCC. Mdm2 targeting plays a predominant tumor suppressor function in wild-type TP53 contexts, whereas other targets such as PTEN, p27, and EpCAM gain relevance and mediate miR-30e-3p oncogenic role in nonfunctional TP53 backgrounds. Increased circulating levels of miR-30e-3p predict the development of sorafenib resistance in a preliminary series of patients with HCC and deserve future investigations. SIGNIFICANCE: The dual role of miR-30e-3p in HCC clarifies how the molecular context dictates the tumor suppressor or oncogenic function played by miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gramantieri
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Daniela Pollutri
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Martina Gagliardi
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Catia Giovannini
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Santina Quarta
- Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Manuela Ferracin
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Casadei-Gardini
- Division of Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisa Callegari
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Sabrina De Carolis
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sara Marinelli
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Benevento
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Vasuri
- Pathology Unit, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Ravaioli
- General Surgery and Transplant Unit, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Cescon
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- General Surgery and Transplant Unit, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Piscaglia
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimo Negrini
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luigi Bolondi
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Fornari
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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89
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Protein Kinase B Inactivation Is Associated with Magnolol-Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy of Sorafenib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Vitro and In Vivo. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 12:cancers12010087. [PMID: 31905887 PMCID: PMC7017147 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, was approved as a treatment drug of advance hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), treatment efficacy still requires improvement. Searching for the adjuvant reagent for enhancing sorafenib efficacy remains as a critical issue. Sorafenib has been proved to suppress extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in HCC; however, protein kinase B (AKT) was not affected by it. Targeting AKT in combination with sorafenib could be an important breakthrough point of HCC treatment. Many herbal compounds and composite formulas have been shown to enhance anti-HCC activity of sorafenib. Magnolol is a bioactive compound extracted from the bark of the Magnolia officinalis and has been shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit cell invasion in HCC in vitro. However, whether magnolol sensitizes HCC to sorafenib is ambiguous. In this study, we indicated that magnolol significantly enhanced sorafenib-diminished tumor cell growth, expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, and migration/invasion ability compared to sorafenib alone. Magnolol significantly boosted sorafenib-induced extrinsic/intrinsic dependent apoptosis pathways in HCC. Notably sorafenib could not reduce protein level of AKT (Ser473), but expression of AKT (Ser473) was significantly decreased by magnolol or magnolol combined with sorafenib. LY294002 as specific AKT inhibitor was used to confirm that AKT inactivation may promote anticancer effect of sorafenib. Taken together, AKT inhibition is associated with magnolol-enhanced the therapeutic effect of sorafenib in HCC. We suggested magnolol as the potential adjuvant which may enhance therapeutic benefits of sorafenib in patients with HCC.
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90
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Bai J, Liu Z, Liu J, Zhang S, Tian Y, Zhang Y, Ren L, Kong D. Mitochondrial metabolic study guided by proteomics analysis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells surviving long-term incubation with the highest dose of sorafenib. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:12452-12475. [PMID: 31881007 PMCID: PMC6949094 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Sorafenib is the standard first-line systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the low objective response rates in clinical studies suggest the existence of certain HCC cells that are inherently insensitive to sorafenib. To understand the molecular basis of insensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib, this study developed 3 kinds of insensitive HCC cells through exposure to various concentrations of sorafenib and performed a quantitative proteome analysis of the surviving HepG2 cells. 520 unique proteins were concentration-dependently upregulated by sorafenib. Bioinformatics-assisted analysis of 520 proteins revealed that the metabolic pathways involved in central carbon metabolism were significantly enriched, and 102 mitochondrial proteins, especially components of the electron transport chain (ETC), were incrementally upregulated in the 3 kinds of insensitive cells. Conversely, we identified a rapid holistic inhibitory effect of sorafenib on mitochondrial function by the direct targeting of the complex I-linked electron transport and the uncoupling of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXHPOS) in HCC cells. Core metabolic reprogramming involved in a compensatory upregulation of OXHPOS combined with elevated glycolysis supports the survival of HCC cells under the highest dose of sorafenib treatment. Altogether, our work thus elaborates an ETC inhibitor and unveils the proteomic landscape of metabolic reprogramming in drug insensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Bai
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
| | - Ziqi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
| | - Saihang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
| | - Yuan Tian
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
| | - Yueshan Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
| | - Leiming Ren
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
| | - Dezhi Kong
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China
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91
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Alzaydi KM, Saleh TS. 2-Aryl hydrazonopropanal pharmacophores as potent cytotoxic agents against human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Med Chem Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-019-02473-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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92
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Suk FM, Liu CL, Hsu MH, Chuang YT, Wang JP, Liao YJ. Treatment with a new benzimidazole derivative bearing a pyrrolidine side chain overcomes sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17259. [PMID: 31754201 PMCID: PMC6872581 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53863-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Currently, sorafenib is the standard first-line drug for patients with advanced HCC. However, long-term exposure to sorafenib often results in reduced sensitivity of tumour cells to the drug, leading to acquired resistance. Therefore, developing new compounds to treat sorafenib resistance is urgently needed. Although benzimidazole and its derivatives have been reported to exert antimicrobial and antitumour effects, the anti-drug resistance potential of these molecules is still unknown. In this study, we established sorafenib-resistant (SR) cell lines and an acquired sorafenib resistance xenograft model. We showed that treatment with a benzimidazole derivative bearing a pyrrolidine side chain (compound 9a) inhibited the proliferation of SR cells by blocking the phosphorylation of AKT, p70S6 and the downstream molecule RPS6. In addition, caspase 3/PARP-dependent apoptotic signals were induced in 9a-treated cells. Regarding epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activities, 9a treatment significantly suppressed the migration of SR cells. In particular, the levels of EMT-related transcription factors (snail, slug and twist) and mesenchymal markers (vimentin and N-cadherin) were downregulated. In the acquired sorafenib resistance xenograft model, compound 9a administration decreased the growth of tumours with acquired sorafenib resistance and the expression of the HCC markers α-fetoprotein, glypican 3 and survivin. In conclusion, treatment with this compound may be a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with sorafenib resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fat-Moon Suk
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Lien Liu
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hua Hsu
- Department of Chemistry, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Chuang
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jack P Wang
- Department of International Medicine, Taipei City Hospital Ranai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jen Liao
- School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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93
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Shao W, Zhu W, Lin J, Luo M, Lin Z, Lu L, Jia H, Qin L, Lu M, Chen J. Liver X Receptor Agonism Sensitizes a Subset of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Sorafenib by Dual-Inhibiting MET and EGFR. Neoplasia 2019; 22:1-9. [PMID: 31751859 PMCID: PMC6911865 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib is the first approved systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is the first-line choice in clinic. Sustained activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) is associated with low efficacy of sorafenib in HCC. Activation of liver X receptor (LXR) has been reported to inhibit some RTKs. In this study, we found that the LXR agonist enhanced the anti-tumor activity of sorafenib in a subset of HCC cells with high LXR-β/α gene expression ratio. Mechanically, the activation of LXR suppressed sorafenib dependent recruitment of MET and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in lipid rafts through cholesterol efflux. Our findings imply that LXR agonist can serve as a potential sensitizer to enhance the anti-tumor effect of sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqing Shao
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Wenwei Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Jing Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Mengjun Luo
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE & MOH), Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, 138 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhifei Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Huliang Jia
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Lunxiu Qin
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China; Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, 138 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Ming Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China.
| | - Jinhong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai 200040, China.
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94
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Saraswati S, Alhaider A, Abdelgadir AM, Tanwer P, Korashy HM. Phloretin attenuates STAT-3 activity and overcomes sorafenib resistance targeting SHP-1-mediated inhibition of STAT3 and Akt/VEGFR2 pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Commun Signal 2019; 17:127. [PMID: 31619257 PMCID: PMC6794763 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-019-0430-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy. Phloretin (PH) possesses anticancer, antitumor, and hepatoprotective effects, however, the effects and potential mechanisms of phloretin remain elusive. Methods Five HCC cells were tested in vitro for sensitivity to PH, Sorafenib (Sor) or both and the apoptosis, signal transduction and phosphatase activity were analyzed. To validate the role of SHP-1, we used PTP inhibitor III and SHP-1 siRNA. Further, we used purified SHP-1 proteins or HCC cells expressing deletion N-SH2 domain or D61A point mutants to study the PH efficacy on SHP-1. The `in vivo studies were conducted using HepG2 and SK-Hep1 and Sor resistant HepG2SR and Huh7SR xenografts. Molecular docking was done with Swiss dock and Auto Dock Vina. Results PH inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in all HCC cells by upregulating SHP-1 expression and downregulating STAT3 expression and further inhibited pAKT/pERK signaling. PH activated SHP-1 by disruption of autoinhibition of SHP-1, leading to reduced p-STAT3Tyr705 level. PH induced apoptosis in two Sor-resistant cell lines and overcome STAT3, AKT, MAPK and VEGFR2 dependent Sor resistance in HCCs. PH potently inhibited tumor growth in both Sor-sensitive and Sor-resistant xenografts in vivo by impairing angiogenesis, cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis via targeting the SHP-1/STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusion Our data suggest that PH inhibits STAT3 activity in Sor-sensitive and -resistant HCCs via SHP-1–mediated inhibition of STAT3 and AKT/mTOR/JAK2/VEGFR2 pathway. Our results clearly indicate that PH may be a potent reagent for hepatocellular carcinoma and a noveltargeted therapy for further clinical investigations. Graphical abstract ![]()
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12964-019-0430-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarita Saraswati
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine,
- King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Abdulqader Alhaider
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine,
- King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelgalil Mohamed Abdelgadir
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Pooja Tanwer
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas-New Delhi, India
| | - Hesham M Korashy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar.
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95
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Lin CH, Elkholy KH, Wani NA, Li D, Hu P, Barajas JM, Yu L, Zhang X, Jacob ST, Khan WN, Bai XF, Noonan AM, Ghoshal K. Ibrutinib Potentiates Antihepatocarcinogenic Efficacy of Sorafenib by Targeting EGFR in Tumor Cells and BTK in Immune Cells in the Stroma. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 19:384-396. [PMID: 31582534 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent primary liver cancer, is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide because of rising incidence and limited therapy. Although treatment with sorafenib or lenvatinib is the standard of care in patients with advanced-stage HCC, the survival benefit from sorafenib is limited due to low response rate and drug resistance. Ibrutinib, an irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of the TEC (e.g., BTK) and ErbB (e.g., EGFR) families, is an approved treatment for B-cell malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that ibrutinib inhibits proliferation, spheroid formation, and clonogenic survival of HCC cells, including sorafenib-resistant cells. Mechanistically, ibrutinib inactivated EGFR and its downstream Akt and ERK signaling in HCC cells, and downregulated a set of critical genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, survival, and stemness, and upregulated genes promoting differentiation. Moreover, ibrutinib showed synergy with sorafenib or regorafenib, a sorafenib congener, by inducing apoptosis of HCC cells. In vivo, this TKI combination significantly inhibited HCC growth and prolonged survival of immune-deficient mice bearing human HCCLM3 xenograft tumors and immune-competent mice bearing orthotopic mouse Hepa tumors at a dose that did not exhibit systemic toxicity. In immune-competent mice, the ibrutinib-sorafenib combination reduced the numbers of BTK+ immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, we found that the BTK+ immune cells were also enriched in the tumor microenvironment in a subset of primary human HCCs. Collectively, our findings implicate BTK signaling in hepatocarcinogenesis and support clinical trials of the sorafenib-ibrutinib combination for this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cho-Hao Lin
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Khadija H Elkholy
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Nissar A Wani
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Ding Li
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Peng Hu
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Juan M Barajas
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lianbo Yu
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Samson T Jacob
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Wasif N Khan
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Xue-Feng Bai
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Anne M Noonan
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Kalpana Ghoshal
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. .,Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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96
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Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists against Hepatoblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11091258. [PMID: 31466222 PMCID: PMC6770178 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common malignant liver tumor that occurs during childhood. The prognosis of children with HB is favorable when a complete surgical resection of the tumor is possible, but for high-risk patients, the prognosis is much worse. New anti-HB strategies must be urgently developed. The undecapeptide substance P (SP) after binding to the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), regulates cancer cell proliferation, exerts an antiapoptotic effect, induces cell migration for invasion/metastasis, and triggers endothelial cell proliferation for neoangiogenesis. HB samples and cell lines overexpress NK-1R (the truncated form) and SP elicits HB cell proliferation. One of these strategies could be the use of non-peptide NK-1R antagonists. These antagonists exert, in a concentration-dependent manner, an antiproliferative action against HB cells (inhibit cell proliferation and induce the death of HB cells by apoptosis). NK-1R antagonists exerted a dual effect in HB: Decreased both tumor volume and angiogenic activity. Thus, the SP/NK-1R system is an important target in the HB treatment and NK-1R antagonists could act as specific drugs against HB cells. In this review, we update and discuss the use of NK-1R antagonists in the treatment of HB.
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97
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Zhang R, Chen Z, Wu SS, Xu J, Kong LC, Wei P. Celastrol Enhances the Anti-Liver Cancer Activity of Sorafenib. Med Sci Monit 2019; 25:4068-4075. [PMID: 31152143 PMCID: PMC6559000 DOI: 10.12659/msm.914060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sorafenib, a multiple-target-point kinase inhibitor, has been used as a standard treatment for advanced liver cancer and has shown therapeutic benefits. However, resistance often occurs, prompting the need for identification of synergizing agents. Celastrol is a major active ingredient of Tripterygium wilfordii, which can increase the antitumor effect of traditional antitumor drugs. This work focused on the sensitization of liver cancers in use of celastrol combined with sorafenib. Material/Methods The IC50 values of sorafenib and celastrol on cancer cells were determined through MTT assays. The effects of sorafenib on AKT signaling and VEGF levels in sorafenib-treated cancer cells were analyzed by Western blotting and ELISA, respectively. After combined treatment with celastrol and sorafenib, the survival rate of tumor cells was determined by MTT and clonogenic assays, and the apoptosis rate was also determined by flow cytometry. In addition, the in vivo antitumor activity of celastrol combined with sorafenib was evaluated in Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing mice. Results Sorafenib treatment induced the compensatory activation of the AKT pathway and autocrine VEGF in hepatoma cells, which could be reversed by celastrol. Furthermore, celastrol enhanced the growth inhibition and apoptosis induction of cancer cells by sorafenib both in vitro and in vivo and reduced the dosage of sorafenib needed. Conclusions Celastrol enhances the antitumor activity of sorafenib in HCC tumor cells by suppressing the AKT pathway and VEGF autocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Dayi Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China (mainland)
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China (mainland)
| | - Shu-Sheng Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China (mainland)
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of General Surgery, hanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Dayi Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China (mainland)
| | - Ling-Chun Kong
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China (mainland)
| | - Pei Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong, China (mainland)
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98
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Zheng N, Liu W, Li B, Nie H, Liu J, Cheng Y, Wang J, Dong H, Jia L. Co-delivery of sorafenib and metapristone encapsulated by CXCR4-targeted PLGA-PEG nanoparticles overcomes hepatocellular carcinoma resistance to sorafenib. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:232. [PMID: 31151472 PMCID: PMC6544999 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1216-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Background Sorafenib is approved as a standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its clinical application is limited due to moderate therapeutic efficacy and high incidence of acquired resistance resulted from elevated levels of SDF-1/CXCR4 axis induced by prolonged sorafenib treatment. We previously demonstrated metapristone (RU486 metabolite) as a cancer metastatic chemopreventive agent targeting SDF-1/CXCR4 axis. Therefore, we hypothesized that combining sorafenib with metapristone could synergistically suppress cell proliferation, enhance anti-cancer activity and repress potential drug resistance. Methods Changes in cellular CXCR4 expression by metapristone were analyzed by RT-PCR and western blotting. Effect of combining sorafenib with metapristone on cell viability was examined by MTT assay; combination index value was calculated to evaluate the synergistic effect of combined therapy. To overcome poor pharmacokinetics and reduce off-target toxicity, CXCR4-targeted nanoparticles (NPs) were developed to co-deliver sorafenib and metapristone into CXCR4-expressing HCC in vitro and in vivo; cell proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis assays were conducted; nude mice bearing HCC xenograft were used to examine effects of this therapeutic approach on HCC progression. Results Here we showed metapristone significantly reduced CXCR4 expression in HCC. Combinatory chemotherapy of sorafenib with metapristone synergistically suppressed HCC proliferation and resistance. CXCR4-targeted PEGylated poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) NPs conjugated with LFC131 (a peptide inhibitor of CXCR4), could deliver more sorafenib and metapristone into HCC via specific recognition and binding with transmembrane CXCR4, and resulted in the enhanced cytotoxicity, colony inhibition and apoptosis by regulating more Akt/ERK/p38 MAPK/caspase signaling pathways. Co-delivery of sorafenib with metapristone by the LFC131-conjugated NPs showed prolonged circulation and target accumulation at tumor sites, and thus suppressed tumor growth in a tumor xenograft model. Conclusions In conclusion, co-delivery of sorafenib and metapristone via the CXCR4-targeted NPs displays a synergistic therapy against HCC. Our results suggest combinational treatment of chemotherapeutics offer an effective strategy for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy on carcinoma, and highlight the potential application of ligand-modified tumor-targeting nanocarriers in delivering drugs as a promising cancer therapeutic approach. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1216-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zheng
- Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, College of Chemistry, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China.,Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Weiqun Liu
- Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, College of Chemistry, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China.,Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Bifei Li
- Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, College of Chemistry, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China.,Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Huifang Nie
- Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, College of Chemistry, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, College of Chemistry, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Yunlong Cheng
- Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, College of Chemistry, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China
| | - Jichuang Wang
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute for Translational Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Haiyan Dong
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute for Translational Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Lee Jia
- Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, College of Chemistry, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China. .,Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, China.
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Xiang QF, Zhan MX, Li Y, Liang H, Hu C, Huang YM, Xiao J, He X, Xin YJ, Chen MS, Lu LG. Activation of MET promotes resistance to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the AKT/ERK1/2-EGR1 pathway. ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 47:83-89. [PMID: 30663411 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2018.1543195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that has become an established therapeutic approach in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the benefit of sorafenib in clinical therapy is often affected by drug resistance. Therefore, it is important to explore the mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance and to develop individualized therapeutic strategies for coping with this problem. In this study, we found that addition of HGF to sorafenib-treated HCC cells activated MET and re-stimulated the downstream AKT and ERK1/2 pathways. Thereby, restored sorafenib-treated HCC cells proliferation, migration and invasion ability, and rescued cells from apoptosis. In addition, we found that HGF treatment of HCC cells induced early growth response protein (EGR1) expression, which is involved in sorafenib resistance. Importantly, the HGF rescued effect in sorafenib-treated HCC cells could be abrogated by inhibiting MET activation with PHA-665752 or by downregulating EGR1 expression with small interfering RNA (siRNA). Therefore, inhibition of the HGF/MET pathway may improve response to sorafenib in HCC, and combination therapy should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Feng Xiang
- a Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery , Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center , Guangzhou , China.,b Department of General Surgery , Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Mei-Xiao Zhan
- c Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medicine Center , Zhuhai People's Hospital , Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Yong Li
- c Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medicine Center , Zhuhai People's Hospital , Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Hui Liang
- b Department of General Surgery , Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Cong Hu
- b Department of General Surgery , Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Yao-Ming Huang
- b Department of General Surgery , Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Jing Xiao
- c Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medicine Center , Zhuhai People's Hospital , Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Xu He
- c Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medicine Center , Zhuhai People's Hospital , Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Yong-Jie Xin
- c Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medicine Center , Zhuhai People's Hospital , Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
| | - Min-Shan Chen
- a Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery , Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center , Guangzhou , China
| | - Li-Gong Lu
- c Zhuhai Interventional Medical Center, Zhuhai Precision Medicine Center , Zhuhai People's Hospital , Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University , Zhuhai , China
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100
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Zhi Y, Abudoureyimu M, Zhou H, Wang T, Feng B, Wang R, Chu X. FOXM1-Mediated LINC-ROR Regulates the Proliferation and Sensitivity to Sorafenib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 16:576-588. [PMID: 31082791 PMCID: PMC6514537 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. Indeed, despite the benefit of sorafenib in the treatment of some patients with HCC, the majority of these patients have a poor response to or intolerance of sorafenib, resulting in further tumor progression. Exploring the mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance is essential to the treatment of HCC. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known as participants in tumorigenesis. In this study, we identified that long intergenic non-protein coding RNA, regulator of reprogramming (LINC-ROR), was upregulated in HCC cell lines, which was transcriptionally activated by FOXM1. Furthermore, the sponging of miR-876-5p by LINC-ROR released FOXM1, thereby forming a positive-feedback loop. Additionally, we demonstrated that upregulation of both FOXM1 and LINC-ROR impaired the sensitivity to sorafenib in HCC cells. The role of this feedback loop was demonstrated by rescue assays. These results revealed a novel molecular feedback loop between LINC-ROR and FOXM1 and elucidated their functions in sorafenib sensitivity of HCC cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingru Zhi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Mubalake Abudoureyimu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaoyuan Chu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
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