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Jia X, Chen Y, Zhao X, Lv C, Yan J. Oncolytic vaccinia virus inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97-H cell proliferation via endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy and Wnt pathways. J Gene Med 2018; 18:211-9. [PMID: 27441866 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.2893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal malignancy. Vaccinia virus (VV) possessed many inherent advantages with respect to being engineered as a vector for cancer gene therapy, although the mechanism of action remains to be explored further. METHODS We constructed a thymidine kinase gene insertional inactivated VV, named VV-Onco, and then tested its effects on cell viability, apoptosis and colony formation ability in a highly metastatic human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC97-H, and also investigated the potential cell signal pathways involved in this action. RESULTS VV-Onco induced strong cytotoxicity and apoptosis and also inhibited the colony formation of MHCC97-H cells. The tumor cell apoptosis induced by VV-Onco is likely mediated via endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy and Wnt signaling pathways. The downregulation of survivin and c-Myc may also play a role in VV-Onco induced cell death. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study provide new insights into the mechanisms of VV-induced tumor cell death. The engineered recombinant VV containing optimized therapeutic transgenes may represent a new avenue for cancer gene therapy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyuan Jia
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongyi Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Tianjin International Travel Health Care Center, Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunwei Lv
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jie Yan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
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RLIM suppresses hepatocellular carcinogenesis by up-regulating p15 and p21. Oncotarget 2017; 8:83075-83087. [PMID: 29137325 PMCID: PMC5669951 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinogenesis results from dysregulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressors that influence cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. p15 and p21 are cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, which arrest cell proliferation and serve as critical tumor suppressors. Here we report that the E3 ubiquitin ligase RLIM expression is downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and correlated with p15 and p21 expression in clinical progression. In addition, we showed that RLIM overexpression suppresses the cell growth and arrests cell cycle progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Mechanistically, we found that RLIM directly binds to MIZ1, disrupting the interaction between c-MYC and MIZ1, and enhancing p15 and p21 transcription. Our results demonstrate that RLIM is an important suppressor in hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
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Shafaghati L, Razaghi-Moghadam Z, Mohammadnejad J. A Systems Biology Approach to Understanding Alcoholic Liver Disease Molecular Mechanism: The Development of Static and Dynamic Models. Bull Math Biol 2017; 79:2450-2473. [PMID: 28849551 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-017-0336-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a complex disease characterized by damages to the liver and is the consequence of excessive alcohol consumption over years. Since this disease is associated with several pathway failures, pathway reconstruction and network analysis are likely to explicit the molecular basis of the disease. To this aim, in this paper, a network medicine approach was employed to integrate interactome (protein-protein interaction and signaling pathways) and transcriptome data to reconstruct both a static network of ALD and a dynamic model for it. Several data sources were exploited to assemble a set of ALD-associated genes which further was used for network reconstruction. Moreover, a comprehensive literature mining reveals that there are four signaling pathways with crosstalk (TLR4, NF- [Formula: see text]B, MAPK and Apoptosis) which play a major role in ALD. These four pathways were exploited to reconstruct a dynamic model of ALD. The results assure that these two models are consistent with a number of experimental observations. The static network of ALD and its dynamic model are the first models provided for ALD which offer potentially valuable information for researchers in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Shafaghati
- Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Javad Mohammadnejad
- Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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Attallah AM, El-Far M, Abdelrazek MA, Omran MM, Attallah AA, Elkhouly AA, Elkenawy HM, Farid K. Combined use of nuclear phosphoprotein c-Myc and cellular phosphoprotein p53 for hepatocellular carcinoma detection in high-risk chronic hepatitis C patients. Br J Biomed Sci 2017; 74:170-175. [PMID: 28705056 DOI: 10.1080/09674845.2017.1334739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multistage process resulting from various genetic changes. We aimed to determine nuclear phosphoprotein c-Myc and cellular phosphoprotein p53 expression and to evaluate their importance in HCC diagnosis. METHODS One hundred and twenty chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients (60 non-HCC CHC patients and 60 HCC patients who had a single small (<5 cm) tumour) were recruited. The gene products of c-Myc and p53 were identified in liver tissues and serum samples using immunostaining, western blot and ELISA. RESULTS Immunohistochemical detection of c-Myc and p53 with monospecific antibodies revealed intense and diffuse cytoplasmic staining patterns. Accumulated mutant proteins, released from tumour cells into the extracellular serum, were detected at 62 KDa, for c-Myc, and 53 KDa, for p53, using western blotting. In contrast to alpha feto-protein, there was a significant increase (p < 0.0001) in the positivity rate of c-Myc (86.7% vs. 6.7%) and p53 (78.3% vs. 8.3%) in the malignant vs. non-malignant patients. The parallel combination of c-Myc and p53 reach the absolute sensitivity (100%), for more accurate and reliable HCC detection (specificity was 87%). CONCLUSION c-Myc and p53 are potential HCC diagnostic biomarkers, and convenient combinations of them could improve diagnostic accuracy of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Attallah
- a Biotechnology Research Center , Industrial Zone, New Damietta , Egypt
| | - M El-Far
- b Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science , Mansoura University , Mansoura , Egypt
| | - M A Abdelrazek
- a Biotechnology Research Center , Industrial Zone, New Damietta , Egypt
| | - M M Omran
- c Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science , Helwan University , Cairo , Egypt
| | - A A Attallah
- a Biotechnology Research Center , Industrial Zone, New Damietta , Egypt
| | - A A Elkhouly
- a Biotechnology Research Center , Industrial Zone, New Damietta , Egypt
| | - H M Elkenawy
- a Biotechnology Research Center , Industrial Zone, New Damietta , Egypt
| | - K Farid
- d Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine , Mansoura University , Mansoura , Egypt
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55
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González L, Miquet JG, Irene PE, Díaz ME, Rossi SP, Sotelo AI, Frungieri MB, Hill CM, Bartke A, Turyn D. Attenuation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling by growth hormone (GH). J Endocrinol 2017; 233:175-186. [PMID: 28223314 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic mice overexpressing growth hormone (GH) show increased hepatic protein content of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is broadly associated with cell proliferation and oncogenesis. However, chronically elevated levels of GH result in desensitization of STAT-mediated EGF signal and similar response of ERK1/2 and AKT signaling to EGF compared to normal mice. To ascertain the mechanisms involved in GH attenuation of EGF signaling and the consequences on cell cycle promotion, phosphorylation of signaling mediators was studied at different time points after EGF stimulation, and induction of proteins involved in cell cycle progression was assessed in normal and GH-overexpressing transgenic mice. Results from kinetic studies confirmed the absence of STAT3 and 5 activation and comparable levels of ERK1/2 phosphorylation upon EGF stimulation, which was associated with diminished or similar induction of c-MYC, c-FOS, c-JUN, CYCLIN D1 and CYCLIN E in transgenic compared to normal mice. Accordingly, kinetics of EGF-induced c-SRC and EGFR phosphorylation at activating residues demonstrated that activation of these proteins was lower in the transgenic mice with respect to normal animals. In turn, EGFR phosphorylation at serine 1046/1047, which is implicated in the negative regulation of the receptor, was increased in the liver of GH-overexpressing transgenic mice both in basal conditions and upon EGF stimulus. Increased basal phosphorylation and activation of the p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase might account for increased Ser 1046/1047 EGFR. Hyperphosphorylation of EGFR at serine residues would represent a compensatory mechanism triggered by chronically elevated levels of GH to mitigate the proliferative response induced by EGF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena González
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET)Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Johanna G Miquet
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET)Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo E Irene
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET)Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Eugenia Díaz
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET)Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Soledad P Rossi
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina ExperimentalCONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana I Sotelo
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET)Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mónica B Frungieri
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina ExperimentalCONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cristal M Hill
- Departments of Internal Medicine and PhysiologyGeriatrics Research, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrzej Bartke
- Departments of Internal Medicine and PhysiologyGeriatrics Research, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, Illinois, USA
| | - Daniel Turyn
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET)Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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c-MYC-Making Liver Sick: Role of c-MYC in Hepatic Cell Function, Homeostasis and Disease. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8040123. [PMID: 28422055 PMCID: PMC5406870 DOI: 10.3390/genes8040123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 35 years ago, c-MYC, a highly pleiotropic transcription factor that regulates hepatic cell function, was identified. In recent years, a considerable increment in the number of publications has significantly shifted the way that the c-MYC function is perceived. Overexpression of c-MYC alters a wide range of roles including cell proliferation, growth, metabolism, DNA replication, cell cycle progression, cell adhesion and differentiation. The purpose of this review is to broaden the understanding of the general functions of c-MYC, to focus on c-MYC-driven pathogenesis in the liver, explain its mode of action under basal conditions and during disease, and discuss efforts to target c-MYC as a plausible therapy for liver disease.
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57
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Yan C, Yang Q, Huo X, Li H, Zhou L, Gong Z. Chemical inhibition reveals differential requirements of signaling pathways in kras V12- and Myc-induced liver tumors in transgenic zebrafish. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45796. [PMID: 28378824 PMCID: PMC5381109 DOI: 10.1038/srep45796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously we have generated inducible liver tumor models by transgenic expression of an oncogene and robust tumorigenesis can be rapidly induced by activation of the oncogene in both juvenile and adult fish. In the present study, we aimed at chemical intervention of tumorigenesis for understanding molecular pathways of tumorigenesis and for potential development of a chemical screening tool for anti-cancer drug discovery. Thus, we evaluated the roles of several major signaling pathways in krasV12- or Myc-induced liver tumors by using several small molecule inhibitors: SU5402 and SU6668 for VEGF/FGF signaling; IWR1 and cardionogen 1 for Wnt signaling; and cyclopamine and Gant61 for Hedgehog signaling. Inhibition of VEGF/FGF signaling was found to deter both Myc- and krasV12-induced liver tumorigenesis while suppression of Wnt signaling relaxed only Myc- but not krasV12-induced liver tumorigenesis. Inhibiting Hedgehog signaling did not suppress either krasV12 or Myc-induced tumors. The suppression of liver tumorigenesis was accompanied with a decrease of cell proliferation, increase of apoptosis, distorted liver histology. Collectively, our observations suggested the requirement of VEGF/FGF signaling but not the hedgehog signaling in liver tumorigenesis in both transgenic fry. However, Wnt signaling appeared to be required for liver tumorigenesis only in Myc but not krasV12 transgenic zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- National University of Singapore graduate school for integrative sciences and engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qiqi Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiaojing Huo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hankun Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Li Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- National University of Singapore graduate school for integrative sciences and engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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58
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Anderton B, Camarda R, Balakrishnan S, Balakrishnan A, Kohnz RA, Lim L, Evason KJ, Momcilovic O, Kruttwig K, Huang Q, Xu G, Nomura DK, Goga A. MYC-driven inhibition of the glutamate-cysteine ligase promotes glutathione depletion in liver cancer. EMBO Rep 2017; 18:569-585. [PMID: 28219903 PMCID: PMC5376764 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201643068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
How MYC reprograms metabolism in primary tumors remains poorly understood. Using integrated gene expression and metabolite profiling, we identify six pathways that are coordinately deregulated in primary MYC-driven liver tumors: glutathione metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; cysteine and methionine metabolism; ABC transporters; and mineral absorption. We then focus our attention on glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG), as they are markedly decreased in MYC-driven tumors. We find that fewer glutamine-derived carbons are incorporated into GSH in tumor tissue relative to non-tumor tissue. Expression of GCLC, the rate-limiting enzyme of GSH synthesis, is attenuated by the MYC-induced microRNA miR-18a. Inhibition of miR-18a in vivo leads to increased GCLC protein expression and GSH abundance in tumor tissue. Finally, MYC-driven liver tumors exhibit increased sensitivity to acute oxidative stress. In summary, MYC-dependent attenuation of GCLC by miR-18a contributes to GSH depletion in vivo, and low GSH corresponds with increased sensitivity to oxidative stress in tumors. Our results identify new metabolic pathways deregulated in primary MYC tumors and implicate a role for MYC in regulating a major antioxidant pathway downstream of glutamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Anderton
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Roman Camarda
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sanjeev Balakrishnan
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Asha Balakrishnan
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, TWINCORE, Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rebecca A Kohnz
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lionel Lim
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake, UT, USA
| | - Olga Momcilovic
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Klaus Kruttwig
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Qiang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Guowang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Daniel K Nomura
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Andrei Goga
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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59
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Fan W, Yang H, Liu T, Wang J, Li TWH, Mavila N, Tang Y, Yang J, Peng H, Tu J, Annamalai A, Noureddin M, Krishnan A, Gores GJ, Martínez-Chantar ML, Mato JM, Lu SC. Prohibitin 1 suppresses liver cancer tumorigenesis in mice and human hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma cells. Hepatology 2017; 65:1249-1266. [PMID: 27981602 PMCID: PMC5360526 DOI: 10.1002/hep.28964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Prohibitin 1 (PHB1) is best known as a mitochondrial chaperone, and its role in cancer is conflicting. Mice lacking methionine adenosyltransferase α1 (MATα1) have lower PHB1 expression, and we reported that c-MYC interacts directly with both proteins. Furthermore, c-MYC and MATα1 exert opposing effects on liver cancer growth, prompting us to examine the interplay between PHB1, MATα1, and c-MYC and PHB1's role in liver tumorigenesis. We found that PHB1 is highly expressed in normal hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells and down-regulated in most human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). In HCC and CCA cells, PHB1 expression correlates inversely with growth. PHB1 and MAT1A positively regulate each other's expression, whereas PHB1 negatively regulates the expression of c-MYC, MAFG, and c-MAF. Both PHB1 and MATα1 heterodimerize with MAX, bind to the E-box element, and repress E-box promoter activity. PHB1 promoter contains a repressive E-box element and is occupied mainly by MAX, MNT, and MATα1 in nonmalignant cholangiocytes and noncancerous tissues that switched to c-MYC, c-MAF, and MAFG in cancer cells and human HCC/CCA. All 8-month-old liver-specific Phb1 knockout mice developed HCC, and one developed CCA. Five-month-old Phb1 heterozygotes, but not Phb1 flox mice, developed aberrant bile duct proliferation; and one developed CCA 3.5 months after left and median bile duct ligation. Phb1 heterozygotes had a more profound fall in the expression of glutathione synthetic enzymes and higher hepatic oxidative stress following left and median bile duct ligation. CONCLUSION We have identified that PHB1, down-regulated in most human HCC and CCA, heterodimerizes with MAX to repress the E-box and positively regulates MAT1A while suppressing c-MYC, MAFG, and c-MAF expression; in mice, reduced PHB1 expression predisposes to the development of cholestasis-induced CCA. (Hepatology 2017;65:1249-1266).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Fan
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Geriatrics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Heping Yang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ting Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jiaohong Wang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Tony W H Li
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Nirmala Mavila
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Yuanyuan Tang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Oncology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - JinWon Yang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Hui Peng
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jian Tu
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Institute of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Alagappan Annamalai
- Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mazen Noureddin
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Anuradha Krishnan
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Gregory J Gores
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Maria L Martínez-Chantar
- CIC bioGUNE, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (Ciberehd), Technology, Park of Bizkaia, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - José M Mato
- CIC bioGUNE, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (Ciberehd), Technology, Park of Bizkaia, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Shelly C Lu
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
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Chou ST, Hsiang CY, Lo HY, Huang HF, Lai MT, Hsieh CL, Chiang SY, Ho TY. Exploration of anti-cancer effects and mechanisms of Zuo-Jin-Wan and its alkaloid components in vitro and in orthotopic HepG2 xenograft immunocompetent mice. Altern Ther Health Med 2017; 17:121. [PMID: 28219365 PMCID: PMC5319192 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1586-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zuo-Jin-Wan (ZJW), a two-herb formula consisting of Coptis chinensis (CC) and Evodia rutaecarpa (ER), is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cancers. However, the efficacies and mechanisms of ZJW and its alkaloid components on cancers are still unclear. METHODS Here we investigated the anti-cancer effects and mechanisms of ZJW, CC, ER, berberine, and evodiamine in cells and in intrahepatic xenograft mice. RESULTS Treatment of HepG2 cells with ZJW, CC, ER, berberine, and evodiamine significantly displayed cytotoxic effects in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Hierarchical cluster analysis of gene expression profiles showed that CC and ZJW shared a similar mechanism for the cytotoxic effects, suggesting that CC was the active ingredient of ZJW for anti-cancer activity. Network analysis further showed that c-myc was the likely key molecule involved in the regulation of ZJW-affected gene expression. A human hepatoma xenograft model was established by intrahepatic injection of HepG2 cells containing nuclear factor-κB-driven luciferase genes in immunocompetent mice. In vivo bioluminescence imaging showed that cells had been successfully transplanted in mouse liver. Oral administration of ZJW for 28 consecutive days led to a significant decrease in the accumulation of ascites, the ratio of tumor-to-liver, and the number of transplanted cells in livers. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our findings suggested for the first time that ZJW significantly suppressed human cancer cell growth in orthotopic HepG2 xenograft-bearing immunocompetent mice. Moreover, c-myc might play a potent role in the cytotoxic mechanisms of ZJW, CC, ER, berberine, and evodiamine.
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Xie F, Yuan Y, Xie L, Ran P, Xiang X, Huang Q, Qi G, Guo X, Xiao C, Zheng S. miRNA-320a inhibits tumor proliferation and invasion by targeting c-Myc in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Onco Targets Ther 2017; 10:885-894. [PMID: 28243124 PMCID: PMC5317304 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s122992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Downregulated expression levels of microRNA-320a (miR-320a) were found in primary breast cancers and colorectal cancer. Previous findings indicated that miRNA-320a may involve in the cancer development. In this study, we explored the roles of miR-320a by targeting c-Myc in the tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression of miR-320a in 50 HCC tissues and four HCC cells. Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm the direct downstream target of miR-320a in HEK-293 cells. The effect of miR-320a on endogenous c-Myc expression was investigated by transfecting miR-320a mimics into HepG2 and QGY-7703 cell lines. The c-Myc and miR-320a expressions were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR in the same HCC tissues. Furthermore, the biological functional correlation of miR-320a with c-Myc was determined by studying the effect of miR-320a mimics or c-Myc small interfering RNA (siRNA) on HCC cell proliferation and invasion. RESULTS The expression of miR-320a was downregulated in 50 HCC tissues and 4 HCC cells. Luciferase assay revealed that c-Myc is a direct target of miR-320a. IHC and Western blot analysis showed that the c-Myc expression was inhibited by miR-320a in HCC tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of miR-320a suppressed the HCC cell proliferation and invasion capacity induced by inhibiting c-Myc, and the results were consistent with the effects of c-Myc siRNA on tumor suppression. These results revealed that miRNA-320a inhibits tumor proliferation and invasion by targeting c-Myc in HCC cells. CONCLUSION Our results showed that miR-320a functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC. By targeting c-Myc directly, miR-320a inhibits the HCC cell growth. Our studies provide evidence of miR-320a as a potentially target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xie
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan
| | - Yuncang Yuan
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan
| | - Luyang Xie
- Department of Stomatology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai
| | - Pengzhan Ran
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan
| | - Xudong Xiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Guoxiang Qi
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan
| | - Xiaopeng Guo
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan
| | - Chunjie Xiao
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan
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62
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Zakaria MK, Sarkar DP, Chattopadhyay P. Induction of Transcriptional Gene Silencing by Expression of shRNA Directed to c-Myc P2 Promoter in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Tissue-Specific Virosomal Delivery. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1543:245-257. [PMID: 28349432 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6716-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Double-stranded RNA-mediated transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) has shown promising results over posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) due to its long term and heritable nature. Various research groups have shed light on different mechanisms by which TGS operate. Some of these include histone modification, DNA methylation, or restriction of RNA polymerase binding onto the target gene's promoter. This serves as an added advantage since permanent c-Myc inactivation is critical for suppressing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Inability to target cancer cells specifically, without affecting the normal cells, has been one of the biggest drawbacks of an effective cancer therapy. Therefore, we aimed to overcome this barrier by first generating tumor-specific transcriptional units expressing TGS inducing shRNAs against c-Myc's P2 promoter only in neoplastic liver cells. Secondly, we coupled this TGS inducing system with Sendai fusion virosomes for liver-specific delivery to minimize nonspecific side effects in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Khalid Zakaria
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India.
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, Trieste, 34149, Italy.
| | - Debi P Sarkar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi, South Campus, New Delhi, 110021, India
| | - Parthaprasad Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India
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63
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Suppression of BRD4 inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma by repressing MYC and enhancing BIM expression. Oncotarget 2016; 7:2462-74. [PMID: 26575167 PMCID: PMC4823048 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bromodomain 4 (BRD4) is an epigenetic regulator that, when inhibited, has anti-cancer effects. In this study, we investigated whether BRD4 could be a target for treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We show that BRD4 is over-expressed in HCC tissues. Suppression of BRD4, either by siRNA or using JQ1, a pharmaceutical BRD4 inhibitor, reduced cell growth and induced apoptosis in HCC cell lines while also slowing HCC xenograft tumor growth in mice. JQ1 treatment induced G1 cell cycle arrest by repressing MYC expression, which led to the up-regulation of CDKN1B (P27). JQ1 also de-repressed expression of the pro-apoptotic BCL2L11 (BIM). Moreover, siRNA knockdown of BIM attenuated JQ1-triggered apoptosis in HCC cells, suggesting an essential role for BIM in mediating JQ1 anti-HCC activity.
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64
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Zou K, Lu X, Ye K, Wang C, You T, Chen J. Krüppel-like factor 2 promotes cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma through up-regulation of c-myc. Cancer Biol Ther 2016; 17:20-6. [PMID: 26853883 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2015.1108484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of krüppel-like factor family have been shown to play critical roles in the development, metabolism and tumorigenesis. Our previous study demonstrated that up-regulationupregulation of KLF2 in livers from obese mice could promote hepatosteatosis. However, little is known about its effects in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. In the present study, we found that mRNA and protein expression of KLF2 was increased in primary HCC, when compared with that in adjacent normal liver. In vitro studies further showed that enforced overexpression of KLF2 expression enhanced, while its knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. At the molecular level, c-myc was a direct transcriptional target of KLF2 and a KLF2-binding site in the c-myc promoter bound specifically to KLF2 protein. Indeed, ablation of c-myc largely attenuated the proliferative roles of KLF2 in HCC cells. Therefore, our data highlight an important role for KLF2/c-myc pathway in HCC development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailin Zou
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Xiaojie Lu
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Kun Ye
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Chunmei Wang
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Tiangeng You
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Jinlian Chen
- b Department of Gastroenterology , Fengxian Hospital, Southern Medical University , Shanghai , 200000 , P.R. China.,c Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital (South), Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China.,d Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
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65
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Souza TM, Rieswijk L, Beucken TVD, Kleinjans J, Jennen D. Persistent transcriptional responses show the involvement of feed-forward control in a repeated dose toxicity study. Toxicology 2016; 375:58-63. [PMID: 27765683 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Chemical carcinogenesis, albeit complex, often relies on modulation of transcription through activation or repression of key transcription factors. While analyzing extensive networks may hinder the biological interpretation, one may focus on dynamic network motifs, among which persistent feed-forward loops (FFLs) are known to chronically influence transcriptional programming. Here, to investigate the relevance a FFL-oriented approach in depth, we have focused on aflatoxin B1-induced transcriptomic alterations during distinct states of exposure (daily administration during 5days followed by a non-exposed period) of human hepatocytes, by exploring known interactions in human transcription. Several TF-coding genes were persistently deregulated after washout of AFB1. Oncogene MYC was identified as the prominent regulator and driver of many FFLs, among which a FFL comprising MYC/HIF1A was the most recurrent. The MYC/HIF1A FFL was also identified and validated in an independent set as the master regulator of metabolic alterations linked to initiation and progression of carcinogenesis, i.e. the Warburg effect, possibly as result of persistent intracellular alterations arising from AFB1 exposure (nuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage, oxidative stress, transcriptional activation by secondary messengers). In summary, our analysis shows the involvement of FFLs as modulators of gene expression suggestive of a carcinogenic potential even after termination of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terezinha M Souza
- Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.
| | - Linda Rieswijk
- Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.
| | - Twan van den Beucken
- Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.
| | - Jos Kleinjans
- Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.
| | - Danyel Jennen
- Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, 6229 ER, The Netherlands.
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66
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Singh AR, Joshi S, Burgoyne AM, Sicklick JK, Ikeda S, Kono Y, Garlich JR, Morales GA, Durden DL. Single Agent and Synergistic Activity of the "First-in-Class" Dual PI3K/BRD4 Inhibitor SF1126 with Sorafenib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 15:2553-2562. [PMID: 27496136 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-15-0976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Deregulated PI3K/AKT/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MAPK, and c-Myc signaling pathways are of prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sorafenib, the only drug clinically approved for patients with advanced HCC, blocks the Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway but it does not inhibit the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway or c-Myc activation. Hence, there is an unmet medical need to identify potent PI3K/BRD4 inhibitors, which can be used either alone or in combination with sorafenib to treat patients with advanced HCC. Herein, we show that SF1126 (pan PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor) as single agent or in combination with sorafenib inhibited proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and multiple key enzymes in PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway in Hep3B, HepG2, SK-Hep1, and Huh7 HCC cell lines. We demonstrate that the active moiety of the SF1126 prodrug LY294002 binds to and blocks BRD4 interaction with the acetylated histone-H4 chromatin mark protein and displaced BRD4 coactivator protein from the transcriptional start site of MYC in Huh7 and SK-Hep1 HCC cell lines. Moreover, SF1126 blocked expression levels of c-Myc in HCC cells. Treatment of SF1126 either alone or in combination with sorafenib showed significant antitumor activity in vivo Our results establish that SF1126 is a dual PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor. This agent has completed a phase I clinical trial in humans with good safety profile. Our data support the potential future consideration of a phase II clinical trial of SF1126, a clinically relevant dual "first-in-class" PI3K/BRD4 inhibitor in advanced HCC, and a potential combination with sorafenib. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(11); 2553-62. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok R Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Shweta Joshi
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Adam M Burgoyne
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Jason K Sicklick
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Sadakatsu Ikeda
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Yuko Kono
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | | | | | - Donald L Durden
- Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
- SignalRx Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, UCSD Rady Children's Hospital, University of California San Diego Health System, La Jolla, California
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67
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Chouhan S, Singh S, Athavale D, Ramteke P, Pandey V, Joseph J, Mohan R, Shetty PK, Bhat MK. Glucose induced activation of canonical Wnt signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma is regulated by DKK4. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27558. [PMID: 27272409 PMCID: PMC4897783 DOI: 10.1038/srep27558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Elevated glycemic index, an important feature of diabetes is implicated in an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this association are relatively less explored. Present study investigates the effect of hyperglycemia over HCC proliferation. We observed that high glucose culture condition (HG) specifically activates canonical Wnt signaling in HCC cells, which is mediated by suppression of DKK4 (a Wnt antagonist) expression and enhanced β-catenin level. Functional assays demonstrated that a normoglycemic culture condition (NG) maintains constitutive expression of DKK4, which controls HCC proliferation rate by suppressing canonical Wnt signaling pathway. HG diminishes DKK4 expression leading to loss of check at G0/G1/S phases of the cell cycle thereby enhancing HCC proliferation, in a β-catenin dependent manner. Interestingly, in NOD/SCID mice supplemented with high glucose, HepG2 xenografted tumors grew rapidly in which elevated levels of β-catenin, c-Myc and decreased levels of DKK4 were detected. Knockdown of DKK4 by shRNA promotes proliferation of HCC cells in NG, which is suppressed by treating cells exogenously with recombinant DKK4 protein. Our in vitro and in vivo results indicate an important functional role of DKK4 in glucose facilitated HCC proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Chouhan
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India
| | - Snahlata Singh
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India
| | - Dipti Athavale
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India
| | - Pranay Ramteke
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India
| | - Vimal Pandey
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India.,Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Hyderabad Central University, Hyderabad-500 046, India
| | - Jomon Joseph
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India
| | - Rajashekar Mohan
- Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad-580009, Karnataka, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Shetty
- Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad-580009, Karnataka, India
| | - Manoj Kumar Bhat
- National Centre for Cell Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, India
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68
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Huang JY, Zhang K, Chen DQ, Chen J, Feng B, Song H, Chen Y, Zhu Z, Lu L, De W, Wang R, Chen LB. MicroRNA-451: epithelial-mesenchymal transition inhibitor and prognostic biomarker of hepatocelluar carcinoma. Oncotarget 2016; 6:18613-30. [PMID: 26164082 PMCID: PMC4621914 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) plays critical roles in malignant transformation and tumor progression. Previously, we have shown that microRNA-451 (miR-451) inhibits growth, increases chemo- or radiosensitivity and reverses epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer. However, the roles of miR-451 in hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) progression and metastasis are still largely unknown. Reduced miR-451 in HCC tissues was observed to be significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage, metastasis and worse disease-free or overall survival. Through gain- and loss-of function experiments, we demonstrated that miR-451 inhibited cell growth, induced G0/G1 arrest and promoted apoptosis in HCC cells. Importantly, miR-451 could inhibit the migration and invasion in vitro, as well as in vivo metastasis of HCC cells through regulating EMT process. Moreover, the oncogene c-Myc was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-451 in HCC cells. Knockdown of c-Myc phenocopied the effects of miR-451 on EMT and metastasis of HCC cells, whereas overexpression of c-Myc partially attenuated the functions of miR-451 restoration. Furthermore, miR-451 downregulation-induced c-Myc overexpression leads to the activation of Erk1/2 signaling, which induces acquisition of EMT phenotype through regulation of GSK-3β/snail/E-cadherin and the increased expression of MMPs family members in HCC cells. Collectively, these data demonstrated that miR-451 is a novel prognostic biomarker for HCC patients and that function as a potential metastasis inhibitor in HCC cells through activation of the Erk1/2 signaling, at least partially by targeting c-Myc. Thus, targeting miR-451/c-Myc/Erk1/2 axis may be a potential strategy for the treatment of metastatic HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yuan Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dong-Qin Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bing Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haizhu Song
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yitian Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziman Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Hospital Affiliated to The Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Lu
- Liver Disease Center of PLA, The 81th Hospital of PLA, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei De
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Long-Bang Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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69
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Li Y, Zhu Y, Prochownik EV. MicroRNA-based screens for synthetic lethal interactions with c-Myc. RNA & DISEASE 2016; 3:e1330. [PMID: 27975083 PMCID: PMC5152767 DOI: 10.14800/rd.1330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
microRNAs (miRs) are small, non-coding RNAs, which play crucial roles in the development and progression of human cancer. Given that miRs are stable, easy to synthetize and readily introduced into cells, they have been viewed as having potential therapeutic benefit in cancer. c-Myc (Myc) is one of the most commonly deregulated oncogenic transcription factors and has important roles in the pathogenesis of cancer, thus making it an important, albeit elusive therapeutic target. Here we review the miRs that have been identified as being both positive and negative targets for Myc and how these participate in the complex phenotypes that arise as a result of Myc-driven transformation. We also discussseveral recent reports of Myc-synthetic lethal interactions with miRs.These highlight the importance and complexity of miRs in Myc-mediated biological functions and the opportunities for Myc-driven human cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjun Li
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yahui Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Edward V. Prochownik
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15224, USA
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70
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Niclosamide blocks glucagon phosphorylation of Ser552 on β-catenin in primary rat hepatocytes via PKA signalling. Biochem J 2016; 473:1247-55. [PMID: 26964897 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Recently, it has been found that glucagon is able to activate the β-catenin signalling pathway leading to increased cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in liver. Therefore the main aim of the present study is to determine whether the effect of glucagon activating β-catenin signalling leading to increased target gene expression is mediated through cAMP activation of PKA (protein kinase A). Primary rat hepatocytes were incubated with insulin, glucagon or adrenaline (epinephrine) and a range of inhibitors of PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), Wnt, mitochondrial uncoupler (niclosamide) or PKA inhibitors to dissect out the pathway leading to increased Ser(552) phosphorylation on β-catenin following glucagon exposure. In primary rat hepatocytes, we found that short exposure to glucagon or adrenaline caused a rapid increase in Ser(552) phosphorylation on β-catenin that leads to increased cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression. A range of PI3K and Wnt inhibitors were unable to block the effect of glucagon phosphorylating β-catenin. Interestingly, both niclosamide and the PKA inhibitor H89 blocked the glucagon effect on β-catenin signalling, leading to a reduction in target gene expression. Likewise, niclosamide inhibited cAMP levels and the direct addition of db-cAMP (dibutyryl-cAMP sodium salt) also resulted in Ser(552) phosphorylation of β-catenin. We have identified a new pathway via glucagon signalling that leads to increased β-catenin activity that can be reversed with the antihelminthic drug niclosamide, which has recently shown promise as a potential treatment of T2D (Type 2 diabetes). This novel finding could be useful in liver cancer treatment, particularly in the context of T2D with increased β-catenin activity.
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71
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Zhao Z, Ma J, Wu K, Chen L, Yu J, Hu W, Zhang K. SATB1 is a potential therapeutic target in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Clin Transl Oncol 2015; 18:878-83. [PMID: 26563145 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-015-1449-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary malignant tumor of the liver with a poor prognosis. Upregulation of special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) promotes tumor progression. However, little is known about the role of SATB1 in ICC tumorigenesis. METHODS We firstly investigated the expression of SATB1 in 88 cases of ICC by immunohistochemistry (IHC), QRT-PCR, and western blot. Meanwhile, we constructed stably knockdown (shRNA) of SATB1 in ICC cell lines to evaluate the effects of SATB1 on the ability of cell proliferation and invasion by MTT and transwell invasion assay. RESULTS Our result showed that SATB1 was overexpressed in ICC tissues samples. Knockdown of SATB1 could inhibit ICC cell proliferation, and suppress ICC cell invasion of ICC cell lines. In addition, the depletion of SATB1 expression suppressed the MYC levels in vitro. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the significance of SATB1 in ICC and suggest that SATB1 could be a promising therapy target and a potential biomarker for prognosis in ICC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Zhao
- Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - J Ma
- Thoracic Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - K Wu
- Colorectal Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - L Chen
- Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - J Yu
- Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - W Hu
- Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - K Zhang
- Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
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72
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Wright AP, Adusumalli S, Corey KE. Statin therapy in patients with cirrhosis. Frontline Gastroenterol 2015; 6:255-261. [PMID: 28839820 PMCID: PMC5369584 DOI: 10.1136/flgastro-2014-100500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death among patients with cirrhosis and following liver transplantation. Although 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors ('statins') reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, fears about hepatotoxicity have historically led to underuse in patients with liver disease. In addition, the pharmacokinetics of statins can be significantly altered in cirrhosis, creating challenges with their use in liver disease. However, emerging data from randomised controlled trials and observational studies suggest that statin therapy appears to be safe and effective in patients with chronic liver disease and compensated cirrhosis. The cardiovascular risk benefits as well as the potential pleiotropic benefits of statins warrants strong consideration of use of statin therapy in patients with cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Wright
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Srinath Adusumalli
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathleen E Corey
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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73
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Mechanism studies on anti-HepG2 cell proliferation of phenanthroline derivatives as G-quadruplex DNA stabilizers. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2015; 25:3798-803. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.07.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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74
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Tong Z, Li M, Wang W, Mo P, Yu L, Liu K, Ren W, Li W, Zhang H, Xu J, Yu C. Steroid Receptor Coactivator 1 Promotes Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Enhancing Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:18596-608. [PMID: 26082485 PMCID: PMC4513118 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.640490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1) is a transcriptional coactivator not only for steroid receptors, such as androgen receptor and estrogen receptor, but also for other transcription factors. SRC-1 has been shown to play an important role in the progression of breast cancer and prostate cancer. However, its role in liver cancer progression remains unknown. In this study, we report that SRC-1 was overexpressed in 25 (62.5%) of 40 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) specimens. Down-regulation of SRC-1 decreased HCC cell proliferation and impaired tumor maintenance in HCC xenografts. Knockdown of SRC-1 reduced protein levels of the proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the oncogene c-Myc. Knockout of SRC-1 in mice reduced diethylnitrosamine/CCl4-induced tumor formation in the liver and the expression of c-Myc and PCNA in liver tumors. SRC-1 promoted c-Myc expression, at least in part, by directly interacting with β-catenin to enhance Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Consistent with these results, the expression of SRC-1 was positively correlated with PCNA expression in human HCC specimens, and the expression levels of c-Myc in SRC-1-positive HCC specimens were higher than in SRC-1-negative HCC specimens. In addition, SRC-1 and SRC-3 were co-overexpressed in 47.5% of HCC specimens, and they cooperated to promote HCC cell proliferation. Simultaneous down-regulation of SRC-1 and SRC-3 dramatically inhibited HCC cell proliferation. Our results demonstrate that SRC-1 promotes HCC progression by enhancing Wnt/β-catenin signaling and suggest that SRC-1 is a potential therapeutic molecular target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangwei Tong
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China, the Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Ming Li
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China, the Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreas and Vessel Surgery, Chenggong Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003, China
| | - Wei Wang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Pingli Mo
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Li Yu
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Kun Liu
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China, the Department of Pathology, Chenggong Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Wenjing Ren
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Wengang Li
- the Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreas and Vessel Surgery, Chenggong Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- the Cancer Research Center at Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China, and
| | - Jianming Xu
- the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Chundong Yu
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China, the Engineering Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China,
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Yuan Y, Cai H, Yang XJ, Li W, He J, Guo TK, Chen YR. Liposome-mediated induction of apoptosis of human hepatoma cells by c-myc antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide and 5-fluorouracil. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2015; 15:5529-33. [PMID: 25081659 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.14.5529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotide and 5-fluorouracil on the expression of c-myc, invasion and proliferation of HEPG-2 liver cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS HEPG-2 cells were treated with lipiosome-mediated c-myc ADSON and 5-fluorouracil. The proliferation inhibition rate and invasion were measured by MTT and invasion assay, respectively. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and expression of c-myc by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The proliferation inhibition rate was significantly higher in the antisense oligodeoxynucleotide added-5-fluorouracil group than single antisense oligodeoxynucleotide or 5-fluorouracil group (p<0.05). G0/G1 cells in the antisense oligodeoxynucleotide group and S cells in the 5-fluorouracil groups were significantly increased than that in the control group, respectively (P<0.01). The amplification strips of PCR products in 5-FU, ASODN and combination groups were significantly weaker than that in the control group (P<0.01). The percentage of c-myc-protein- positive cells were significantly lower in antisense oligodeoxynucleotide, 5-fluorouracil and combination groups than that in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS A liposome-mediated c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotide and 5-fluorouracil can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of liver cancer cells by reducing the expression of c-myc. A c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotide can increase the sensitivity of liver cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil and decrease the dosage of the agent necessary for efficacy, providing an experimental basis for the clinical therapy of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China E-mail :
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Liu F, Dong X, Lv H, Xiu P, Li T, Wang F, Xu Z, Li J. Targeting hypoxia-inducible factor-2α enhances sorafenib antitumor activity via β-catenin/C-Myc-dependent pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2015; 10:778-784. [PMID: 26622569 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib is a type of multikinase inhibitor that exhibits antiangiogenic and antiproliferative effects; in addition, sorafenib is a unique first-line drug recommended for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the effectiveness of HCC treatment remains poor due to acquired drug resistance. It has been suggested that hypoxia, induced as a results of the antiangiogenic effects of sustained sorafenib treatment, may be an important factor in sorafenib resistance. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2α has been reported to be associated with cell proliferation under hypoxic conditions; therefore, it was hypothesized that hypoxia may enhance tumor cell proliferation via this mechanism. The present study aimed to evaluate whether the knock-down of HIF-2α was able to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib in order to effectively treat HCC. The results demonstrated that hypoxia protected HCC cells against sorafenib; however, short hairpin RNA-HIF-2α transfection in combination with sorafenib treatment exhibited a significantly synergistic effect against HCC cell proliferation. In addition, HCC cells acquired increased β-catenin/C-Myc expression, which enhanced proliferation under hypoxic conditions; however, targeted knock-down of HIF-2α or C-Myc markedly decreased cell proliferation in HCC cells. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the targeted knock-down of HIF-2α in combination with sorafenib may be a promising strategy for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Dong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Hong Lv
- Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250033, P.R. China
| | - Peng Xiu
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Fuhai Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Zongzhen Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
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77
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Chen Z, Li Z, Li W, Zong Y, Zhu Y, Miao Y, Xu Z. SATB1 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Invasion Depending on MYC Activation. Dig Dis Sci 2015; 60:3304-17. [PMID: 26108419 PMCID: PMC4621700 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-015-3759-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND SATB1 plays an important role in human malignant progression, inducing cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating downstream gene expressions. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms in which SATB1 promotes pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis. AIMS To investigate SATB1 expression levels and its biological functions in promoting pancreatic cancer growth and invasion. METHODS SATB1 expression levels were detected in seven human pancreatic cancer cell lines and 16 pairs of normal pancreatic/pancreatic cancer tissues using RT-PCR and western blot. SW1990 or Capan-1 cells stably knockdown (shRNA) or transiently knockdown (siRNA) SATB1 cells, and PANC-1 stably overexpressing SATB1 cells were investigated with MTT, EdU assay, flow cytometry, and transwell invasion assay for cell proliferation and invasion activity. The binding of SATB1 to MYC promoter region was examined using reporter assay. Expression of SATB1 in 68 pancreatic cancer samples was studied by immunohistochemical staining and scoring. RESULTS SATB1 was overexpressed in pancreatic cancer tissues samples, showing strong correlation with pancreatic cancer invasion depth and tumor staging. SATB1 induced MYC mRNA and protein expression; promoted pancreatic cancer cell growth; increased cell population in S phase; and enhanced pancreatic cancer cell invasion in vitro. On the other hand, SATB1 knockdown showed opposite effects. Furthermore, MYC blocking in SATB1-overexpressing cells attenuated the promotion of pancreatic cancer cell growth and invasion. Our data also indicated that SATB1 bound to specific promoter region of MYC. CONCLUSIONS SATB1 is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, promoting cancer cell proliferation and invasion through the activation of MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 People’s Republic of China ,Institute of Tumor Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zengliang Li
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 People’s Republic of China ,Institute of Tumor Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China ,Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 6 Beijing Road West, Huai’an, 223300 People’s Republic of China ,Department of General Surgery, Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 People’s Republic of China ,Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, No. 1, Shizi Street, Suzhou City, 215006 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Zong
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 People’s Republic of China ,Institute of Tumor Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China ,Department of General Surgery, Changshu No. 1 People’s Hospital, 1 Shuyuan Street, Changshu, 215500 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 People’s Republic of China ,Institute of Tumor Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Miao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 People’s Republic of China ,Institute of Tumor Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zekuan Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 People’s Republic of China ,Institute of Tumor Biology, Jiangsu Province Academy of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
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Lu L, Han H, Tian Y, Li W, Zhang J, Feng M, Li Y. Aurora kinase A mediates c-Myc's oncogenic effects in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Carcinog 2014; 54:1467-79. [PMID: 25284017 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of c-Myc (Myc) has been shown to contribute to progression of hepatocellular carcinoma, however, the detailed molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we report that Myc binds to the Aurora kinase A (Aurka) promoter and induces expression of Aurka in HCC cells. Increased expression of Aurka correlates with that of Myc in HCC. Nuclear accumulation of Aurka was confirmed by subcellular protein fractionation and immunoblot experiments in HCC cells. Myc inhibition decreases the nuclear accumulation of Aurka in HCC cells. Also Aurka accumulating in the nucleus up-regulates Myc transcription by binding the Myc promoter containing the highly conserved CCCTCCCCA in the NHE region of the CpG islands. Inhibition of Myc or Aurka diminishes the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells by down-regulating some common target genes. Also Aurka and Myc mediates the effects of each other, at least partially, on proliferation, anchorage-independent soft agar growth, and ATP production. Blocking Aurka in an orthotopic model significantly impairs tumor growth in mice. These results identify a Myc-Aurka feedback loop in which Myc and Aurka regulate expression of each other at the transcriptional level and both play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Han
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinxiang Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Wuhan Union Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Maohui Feng
- Department of Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Youjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Chen BJ, Wu YL, Tanaka Y, Zhang W. Small molecules targeting c-Myc oncogene: promising anti-cancer therapeutics. Int J Biol Sci 2014; 10:1084-96. [PMID: 25332683 PMCID: PMC4202025 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.10190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The nuclear transcription factor c-Myc is a member of the Myc gene family with multiple functions and located on band q24.1 of chromosome 8. The c-Myc gene is activated by chromosomal translocation, rearrangement, and amplification. Its encoded protein transduces intracellular signals to the nucleus, resulting in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and has the ability to transform cells and bind chromosomal DNA. c-Myc also plays a critical role in malignant transformation. The abnormal over-expression of c-Myc is frequently observed in some tumors, including carcinomas of the breast, colon, and cervix, as well as small-cell lung cancer, osteosarcomas, glioblastomas, and myeloid leukemias, therefore making it a possible target for anticancer therapy. In this minireview, we summarize unique characteristics of c-Myc and therapeutic strategies against cancer using small molecules targeting the oncogene, and discuss the prospects in the development of agents targeting c-Myc, in particular G-quadruplexes formed in c-Myc promoter and c-Myc/Max dimerization. Such information will be of importance for the research and development of c-Myc-targeted drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Jia Chen
- 1. Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Yan-Ling Wu
- 2. Lab of Molecular Immunology, Virus Inspection Department, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 630 Xincheng Road, Hangzhou, 310051, China. ; 1. Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Yoshimasa Tanaka
- 3. Center for Innovation in Immunoregulative Technology and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Wen Zhang
- 1. Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
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Parpart S, Roessler S, Dong F, Rao V, Takai A, Ji J, Qin L, Ye Q, Jia H, Tang Z, Wang XW. Modulation of miR-29 expression by α-fetoprotein is linked to the hepatocellular carcinoma epigenome. Hepatology 2014; 60:872-83. [PMID: 24798303 PMCID: PMC4146718 DOI: 10.1002/hep.27200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Globally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 70%-85% of primary liver cancers and ranks as the second leading cause of male cancer death. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), normally highly expressed in the liver only during fetal development, is reactivated in 60% of HCC tumors and associated with poor patient outcome. We hypothesize that AFP+ and AFP- tumors differ biologically. Multivariable analysis in 237 HCC cases demonstrates that AFP level predicts poor survival independent of tumor stage (P<0.043). Using microarray-based global microRNA (miRNA) profiling, we found that miRNA-29 (miR-29) family members were the most significantly (P<0.001) down-regulated miRNAs in AFP+ tumors. Consistent with miR-29's role in targeting DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A), a key enzyme regulating DNA methylation, we found a significant inverse correlation (P<0.001) between miR-29 and DNMT3A gene expression, suggesting that they might be functionally antagonistic. Moreover, global DNA methylation profiling reveals that AFP+ and AFP- HCC tumors have distinct global DNA methylation patterns and that increased DNA methylation is associated with AFP+ HCC. Experimentally, we found that AFP expression in AFP- HCC cells induces cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Overexpression of AFP, or conditioned media from AFP+ cells, inhibits miR-29a expression and induces DNMT3A expression in AFP- HCC cells. AFP also inhibited transcription of the miR-29a/b-1 locus, and this effect is mediated through c-MYC binding to the transcript of miR-29a/b-1. Furthermore, AFP expression promotes tumor growth of AFP- HCC cells in nude mice. CONCLUSION Tumor biology differs considerably between AFP+ HCC and AFP- HCC; AFP is a functional antagonist of miR-29, which may contribute to global epigenetic alterations and poor prognosis in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Parpart
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, NCI, Bethesda, MD,Tumor Biology Department, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | | | - Fei Dong
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, NCI, Bethesda, MD
| | - Vinay Rao
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, NCI, Bethesda, MD
| | - Atsushi Takai
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, NCI, Bethesda, MD
| | - Junfang Ji
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, NCI, Bethesda, MD
| | - Lun–Xiu Qin
- Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing–Hai Ye
- Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hu–Liang Jia
- Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao–You Tang
- Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, NCI, Bethesda, MD,Correspondence: Xin Wei Wang, National Cancer Institute, 37 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892; ; Phone: 301-496-2099; Fax: 301-496-0497
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Combination of hepatocyte specific delivery and transformation dependent expression of shRNA inducing transcriptional gene silencing of c-Myc promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:582. [PMID: 25108398 PMCID: PMC4153911 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A specific targeting modality for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) could ideally encompass a liver cell specific delivery system of a transcriptional unit that is active only in neoplastic cells. Sendai virosomes, derived from Sendai viral envelopes, home to hepatocytes based on the liver specific expression of asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPRs) which are recognized by the Sendai virosomal fusion (F) proteins. As reported earlier by us and other groups, transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) does not require continuous presence of the effector siRNA/shRNA molecule and is heritable, involving epigenetic modifications, leading to long term transcriptional repression. This could be advantageous over conventional gene therapy approaches, since continuous c-Myc inactivation is required to suppress hepatocarcinoma cells. Methods Exploiting such virosomal delivery, the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter, in combination with various tumour specific enhancers, was used to drive the expression of shRNA directed against ME1a1 binding site of the proto-oncogene c-Myc P2 promoter, in order to induce TGS in neoplastic liver cells. Results The dual specificity achieved by the Sendai virosomal delivery system and the promoter/enhancer guided expression ensured that the shRNA inducing TGS was active only in liver cells that had undergone malignant transformation. Our results indicate that such a bimodal therapeutic system induced specific activation of apoptosis in hepatocarcinoma cells due to heterochromatization and increased DNA methylation of the CpG islands around the target loci. Conclusions The Sendai virosomal delivery system, combined with AFP promoter/enhancer expression machinery, could serve as a generalized mechanism for the expression of genes deleterious to transformed hepatocarcinoma cells. In this system, the epigenetic suppression of c-Myc could have an added advantage for inducing cell death in the targeted cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-582) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Inhibition of Hec1 as a novel approach for treatment of primary liver cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2014; 74:511-20. [PMID: 25038613 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-014-2540-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Highly expressed in cancer protein 1 (Hec1) is an oncogene and a promising molecular target for novel anticancer drugs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of a Hec1 inhibitor, TAI-95, as a treatment for primary liver cancer. METHODS In vitro and in vivo methods were used to test the activity of TAI-95. Gene expression analysis was used to evaluate clinical correlation of the target. RESULTS In vitro growth inhibition results showed that TAI-95 has excellent potency on a wide range of primary liver cancer cell lines (hepatoblastoma or hepatocellular carcinoma) (GI(50) 30-70 nM), which was superior to sorafenib and other cytotoxic agents. TAI-95 was relatively inactive in non-cancerous cell lines (GI(50) > 10 μM). TAI-95 disrupts the interaction between Hec1 and Nek2 and leads to degradation of Nek2, chromosomal misalignment, and apoptotic cell death. TAI-95 showed synergistic activity in selected cancer cell lines with doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and topotecan, but not with sorafenib. TAI-95 shows excellent potency in a Huh-7 xenograft mouse model when administered orally. Gene expression analysis of clinical samples demonstrated increased expression of Hec1/NDC80 and associated genes (Nek2, SMC1A, and SMC2) in 27 % of patients, highlighting the potential for using this therapeutic approach to target patients with high Hec1 expression. CONCLUSION Inhibition of Hec1 using small molecule approach may represent a promising novel approach for the treatment of primary liver cancers.
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Di Matteo M, Samara-Kuko E, Ward NJ, Waddington SN, Waddingon SN, McVey JH, Chuah MKL, VandenDriessche T. Hyperactive piggyBac transposons for sustained and robust liver-targeted gene therapy. Mol Ther 2014; 22:1614-24. [PMID: 25034357 PMCID: PMC4435487 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2014.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of robust nonviral vectors could facilitate clinical gene therapy applications and may overcome some of the immune complications of viral vectors. Nevertheless, most nonviral gene deliver approaches typically yield only transient and/or low gene expression. To address these caveats, we have explored piggyBac transposons to correct hemophilia B by liver-directed factor IX (FIX) gene therapy in hemophilic mice. To achieve this, we combined the use of: (i) a hyperactive codon-optimized piggyBac transposase, (ii) a computationally enhanced liver-specific promoter, (iii) a hyperfunctional codon-optimized FIX transgene (FIX R338L Padua), and (iv) a modification of the transposon terminal repeats. This combination strategy resulted in a robust 400-fold improvement in vector performance in hepatocytes, yielding stable supraphysiologic human FIX activity (>1 year). Liver-specific expression resulted in the induction of FIX-specific immune tolerance. Remarkably, only very low transposon/transposase doses were required to cure the bleeding diathesis. Similarly, PB transposons could be used to express supraphysiologic factor VIII levels using low transposon/transposase doses. PB transposition did not induce tumors in a sensitive hepatocellular carcinoma-prone mouse model. These results underscore the potency and relative safety of the latest generation PB transposons, which constitutes a versatile platform for stable and robust secretion of therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Di Matteo
- 1] Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium [2] Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emira Samara-Kuko
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Natalie J Ward
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Simon N Waddington
- 1] Institute for Women's Health Gene Transfer Technology Group, University College London, London, UK [2] School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
| | | | - John H McVey
- University of Surrey, Molecular Medicine Group, Surrey, UK
| | - Marinee K L Chuah
- 1] Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium [2] Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- 1] Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium [2] Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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He XX, Guo AY, Xu CR, Chang Y, Xiang GY, Gong J, Dan ZL, Tian DA, Liao JZ, Lin JS. Bioinformatics analysis identifies miR-221 as a core regulator in hepatocellular carcinoma and its silencing suppresses tumor properties. Oncol Rep 2014; 32:1200-10. [PMID: 24993451 DOI: 10.3892/or.2014.3306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a worldwide malignancy; however, there is a lack of effective targeted therapies. We and others have found that miR-221 is one of the most consistently overexpressed miRNAs in liver cancer. However, the roles of miR-221 in hepatocellular carcinogenesis are still not fully elucidated. In the present study, we used bioinformatics tools, gain- and loss-of-function methods to determine the roles of miR-221 in HCC. Bioinformatics analysis showed that miR-221 is a core miRNA which targets a large number of HCC-related genes and has formed many feed-forward regulatory loops combining transcription factors (TFs) to regulate HCC-related genes. Inhibition of miR-221 in liver cancer cells decreased cell proliferation, clonogenicity, migration/invasion and also induced G1 arrest and apoptosis. In addition, we demonstrated that miR-221 bound directly to the 3'-untranslated region of BMF, BBC3 and ANGPTL2, and inhibited the expression of BMF, BBC3 and ANGPTL2. In a mouse model, lentivirus‑mediated miR-221 silencing could significantly suppress the growth of hepatoma xenografts in nude mice. In conclusion, we showed that miR-221 is a critical modulator in the HCC signaling pathway, and miR-221 silencing inhibits liver cancer malignant properties in vitro and in vivo, which may benefit the treatment for patients with unresectable HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Xing He
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - An-Yuan Guo
- Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P.R. China
| | - Chuan-Rui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Ying Chang
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Ya Xiang
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Jing Gong
- Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P.R. China
| | - Zi-Li Dan
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - De-An Tian
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Zhi Liao
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
| | - Ju-Sheng Lin
- Institute of Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China
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Decrease expression of microRNA-744 promotes cell proliferation by targeting c-Myc in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2014; 14:58. [PMID: 24991193 PMCID: PMC4079640 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2867-14-58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large group of post-transcriptional gene regulators that potentially play a critical role in tumorigenesis. Increasing evidences indicate that miR-744 deregulated in numerous human cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its role in HCC carcinogenesis remains poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the roles of miR-744 in tumor growth of HCC. Methods Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to detect the expression of miR-744 and Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect expression of c-Myc in HCC specimens and adjacent normal tissues. The biological functions of miR-744 were determined by cell proliferation and cell cycle assay. Furthermore, cell lines transfected with miR-744 mimics were analyzed in vitro. Luciferase reporter assays was performed to confirm whether miR-744 regulated the expression of c-Myc. Results Our results showed that the expression of miR-744 was frequently down-regulated in both HCC tissues and cells. Furthermore, restoration of miR-744 in HCC cells was statistically correlated with decrease of cell growth and restored G1 accumulation. Luciferase assay and Western blot analysis revealed that c-Myc is a direct target of miR-744. Down-regulation of miR-744 and up-regulation of c-Myc were detected in HCC specimens compared with adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, restoration of miR-744 rescues c-Myc induced HCC proliferation. Conclusions Our data suggest that miR-744 exerts its tumor suppressor function by targeting c-Myc, leading to the inhibition of HCC cell growth. miR-744 may serve as a potentially useful target for the miRNA-based therapies of HCC in the future.
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Díaz ME, Miquet JG, Rossi SP, Irene PE, Sotelo AI, Frungieri MB, Turyn D, González L. GH administration patterns differently regulate epidermal growth factor signaling. J Endocrinol 2014; 221:309-23. [PMID: 24623798 DOI: 10.1530/joe-13-0447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Current GH administration protocols imply frequent s.c. injections, resulting in suboptimal compliance. Therefore, there is interest in developing delivery systems for sustained release of the hormone. However, GH has different actions depending on its continuous or pulsatile plasma concentration pattern. GH levels and circulating concentration patterns could be involved in the regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in liver. Aberrant expression of this receptor and/or its hyperactivation has been associated with the pathogenesis of different types of carcinoma. Considering that one of the adverse effects associated with GH overexpression and chronic use of GH is the increased incidence of malignancies, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of GH plasma concentration patterns on EGFR expression and signaling in livers of mice. For this purpose, GH was administered by s.c. daily injections to produce an intermittent plasma pattern or by osmotic pumps to provoke a continuously elevated GH concentration. Intermittent injections of GH induced upregulation of liver EGFR content, augmented the response to EGF, and the induction of proteins involved in promotion of cell proliferation in female mice. In contrast, continuous GH delivery in male mice was associated with diminished EGFR in liver and decreased EGF-induced signaling and expression of early genes. The results indicate that sustained delivery systems that allow continuous GH plasma patterns would be beneficial in terms of treatment safety with regard to the actions of GH on EGFR signaling and its promitogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- María E Díaz
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (UBA-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, 1113 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Rastogi V, Yadav P, Bhattacharya SS, Mishra AK, Verma N, Verma A, Pandit JK. Carbon nanotubes: an emerging drug carrier for targeting cancer cells. JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY 2014; 2014:670815. [PMID: 24872894 PMCID: PMC4020363 DOI: 10.1155/2014/670815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Revised: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During recent years carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been attracted by many researchers as a drug delivery carrier. CNTs are the third allotropic form of carbon-fullerenes which were rolled into cylindrical tubes. To be integrated into the biological systems, CNTs can be chemically modified or functionalised with therapeutically active molecules by forming stable covalent bonds or supramolecular assemblies based on noncovalent interactions. Owing to their high carrying capacity, biocompatibility, and specificity to cells, various cancer cells have been explored with CNTs for evaluation of pharmacokinetic parameters, cell viability, cytotoxicty, and drug delivery in tumor cells. This review attempts to highlight all aspects of CNTs which render them as an effective anticancer drug carrier and imaging agent. Also the potential application of CNT in targeting metastatic cancer cells by entrapping biomolecules and anticancer drugs has been covered in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav Rastogi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IFTM University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 244001, India
| | - Pragya Yadav
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IFTM University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 244001, India
| | | | - Arun Kumar Mishra
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IFTM University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 244001, India
| | - Navneet Verma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IFTM University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 244001, India
| | - Anurag Verma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IFTM University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 244001, India
| | - Jayanta Kumar Pandit
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India
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The Complex Relationship between Liver Cancer and the Cell Cycle: A Story of Multiple Regulations. Cancers (Basel) 2014; 6:79-111. [PMID: 24419005 PMCID: PMC3980619 DOI: 10.3390/cancers6010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver acts as a hub for metabolic reactions to keep a homeostatic balance during development and growth. The process of liver cancer development, although poorly understood, is related to different etiologic factors like toxins, alcohol, or viral infection. At the molecular level, liver cancer is characterized by a disruption of cell cycle regulation through many molecular mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms underlying the lack of regulation of the cell cycle during liver cancer, focusing mainly on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We also provide a brief summary of novel therapies connected to cell cycle regulation.
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89
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Urbanek-Olejnik K, Liszewska M, Winczura A, Kostka G. Changes of c-Myc and DNMT1 mRNA and protein levels in the rat livers induced by dibutyl phthalate treatment. Toxicol Ind Health 2013; 32:801-8. [DOI: 10.1177/0748233713512363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between dibutyl phthalate (DBP)-induced hypomethylation of the c-Myc promoter region (as evident in our early study) and the expression of c-Myc and DNMT1 genes (at messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein level) in the rat liver. Male Wistar rats received DBP in 1, 3, or 14 daily doses of 1800 mg kg−1 body weight. Levels of DNMT1, c-Myc mRNA, and proteins were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, respectively. Our findings indicate that DBP caused an increase in mRNA levels of c-Myc at all time points. The results showed that protein levels of c-Myc in rat liver also increased significantly by DBP treatment, which were more pronounced at last time point (after 14 doses). Furthermore, overexpression of DNMT1gene have been found after one dose of DBP, which was confirmed at the protein level by Western blot analysis. Reduced levels of DNMT1mRNA and proteins (3 and 14 doses) were coordinated with depletion DNA synthesis (reported previously). Based on our previous results and those presented here, the following conclusion could be drawn: (1) DBP exerted biological activity through epigenetic modulation of c-Myc gene expression; (2) it seems possible that DBP-induced active demethylation of c-Myc gene through mechanism(s) linked to generation of reactive oxygen species by activated c-Myc; and (3) control of DNA replication was not directly dependent on c-Myc transcriptional activity and we attribute this finding to DNMT1gene expression which was tightly coordinated with DNA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Urbanek-Olejnik
- Department of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Liszewska
- Department of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alicja Winczura
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grażyna Kostka
- Department of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland
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TIAN YUAN, HUANG CHANGJUN, ZHANG HAI, NI QINGFENG, HAN SHENG, WANG DONG, HAN ZEGUANG, LI XIANGCHENG. CDCA7L promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the cell cycle. Int J Oncol 2013; 43:2082-90. [DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2013.2142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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Han H, Sun D, Li W, Shen H, Zhu Y, Li C, Chen Y, Lu L, Li W, Zhang J, Tian Y, Li Y. A c-Myc-MicroRNA functional feedback loop affects hepatocarcinogenesis. Hepatology 2013; 57:2378-89. [PMID: 23389829 DOI: 10.1002/hep.26302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 01/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED c-Myc (Myc) plays an important role in normal liver development and tumorigenesis. We show here that Myc is pathologically activated in and essential for promoting human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Myc induces HCC through a novel, microRNA (miRNA)-mediated feedback loop comprised of miR-148a-5p, miR-363-3p, and ubiquitin-specific protease 28 (USP28). Myc directly binds to conserved regions in the promoters of the two miRNAs and represses their expression. miR-148a-5p directly targets and inhibits Myc, whereas miR-363-3p destabilizes Myc by directly targeting and inhibiting USP28. Inhibition of miR-148a-5p or miR-363-3p induces hepatocellular tumorigenesis by promoting G1 to S phase progression, whereas activation of them has the opposite effects. The Myc-miRNA feedback loop is dysregulated in human HCC. CONCLUSION These results define miR-148a-5p and miR-363-3p as negative regulators of Myc, thus revealing their heretofore unappreciated roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. (HEPATOLOGY 2013;57:2378-2389).
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Han
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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RNAi silencing of c-Myc inhibits cell migration, invasion, and proliferation in HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line: c-Myc silencing in hepatocellular carcinoma cell. Cancer Cell Int 2013; 13:23. [PMID: 23497309 PMCID: PMC3599630 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2867-13-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2012] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. Although much is known about both the cellular changes that lead to HCC and the etiological agents responsible for the majority of HCC cases, the molecule pathogenesis of HCC is still not well understood. We aimed to determine the effect of c-Myc gene expression on the proliferative, invasive, and migrative capabilities of hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. METHODS A plasmid- based polymerase III promoter system was used to deliver and express short interfering RNA targeting c-Myc to reduce its expression in HepG2 cells. Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein level of c-Myc in HepG2 cells. The effects of c-Myc silencing on the invasion, motility, and proliferation of HepG2 cells were assessed using a Transwell chamber cell migration assay system and a growth curve assay, respectively. RESULTS The data showed that plasmids expressing siRNA against c-Myc significantly decreased its expression in HepG2 cells by up to 85%. Importantly, pSilencer-c-Myc transfected cells showed a significantly reduced potential in migration, invasion, and proliferation. CONCLUSION C-Myc plays an important role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The data show that down-regulating the c-Myc protein level in HepG2 cells by RNAi could significantly inhibit migration, invasion and proliferation of HepG2 cells. Thus, c-Myc might be a potential therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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94
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Miquet JG, Freund T, Martinez CS, González L, Díaz ME, Micucci GP, Zotta E, Boparai RK, Bartke A, Turyn D, Sotelo AI. Hepatocellular alterations and dysregulation of oncogenic pathways in the liver of transgenic mice overexpressing growth hormone. Cell Cycle 2013; 12:1042-57. [PMID: 23428905 DOI: 10.4161/cc.24026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) overexpression throughout life in transgenic mice is associated with the development of liver tumors at old ages. The preneoplastic pathology observed in the liver of young adult GH-overexpressing mice is similar to that present in humans at high risk of hepatic cancer. To elucidate the molecular pathogenesis underlying the pro-oncogenic liver pathology induced by prolonged exposure to elevated GH levels, the activation and expression of several components of signal transduction pathways that have been implicated in hepatocellular carcinogenesis were evaluated in the liver of young adult GH-transgenic mice. In addition, males and females were analyzed in parallel in order to evaluate sexual dimorphism. Transgenic mice from both sexes exhibited hepatocyte hypertrophy with enlarged nuclear size and exacerbated hepatocellular proliferation, which were higher in males. Dysregulation of several oncogenic pathways was observed in the liver of GH-overexpressing transgenic mice. Many signaling mediators and effectors were upregulated in transgenic mice compared with normal controls, including Akt2, NFκB, GSK3β, β-catenin, cyclin D1, cyclin E, c-myc, c-jun and c-fos. The molecular alterations described did not exhibit sexual dimorphism in transgenic mice except for higher gene expression and nuclear localization of cyclin D1 in males. We conclude that prolonged exposure to GH induces in the liver alterations in signaling pathways involved in cell growth, proliferation and survival that resemble those found in many human tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna G Miquet
- Department of Biological Chemistry-IQUIFIB (CONICET), School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Ehlers A, Lenze D, Broll H, Zagon J, Hummel M, Lampen A. Dose dependent molecular effects of acrylamide and glycidamide in human cancer cell lines and human primary hepatocytes. Toxicol Lett 2013; 217:111-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2012.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2012] [Revised: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
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Yang WLR, Lee YE, Chen MH, Chao KM, Huang CYF. In-silico drug screening and potential target identification for hepatocellular carcinoma using Support Vector Machines based on drug screening result. Gene 2012; 518:201-8. [PMID: 23220021 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2012.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a severe liver malignancy with few drug treatment options. In finding an effective treatment for HCC, screening drugs that are already FDA-approved will fast track the clinical trial and drug approval process. Connectivity Map (CMap), a large repository of chemical-induced gene expression profiles, provides the opportunity to analyze drug properties on the basis of gene expression. Support Vector Machines (SVM) were utilized to classify the effectiveness of drugs against HCC using gene expression profiles in CMap. The results of this classification will help us (1) identify genes that are chemically sensitive, and (2) predict the effectiveness of remaining chemicals in CMap in the treatment of HCC and provide a prioritized list of possible HCC drugs for biological verification. Four HCC cell lines were treated with 146 distinct chemicals, and cell viability was examined. SVM successfully classified the effectiveness of the chemicals with an average Area Under ROC Curve (AUROC) of 0.9. Using reported HCC patient samples, we identified chemically sensitive genes that may be possible HCC therapeutic targets, including MT1E, MYC, and GADD45B. Using SVM, several known HCC inhibitors, such as geldanamycin, alvespimycin (HSP90 inhibitors), and doxorubicin (chemotherapy drug), were predicted. Seven out of the 23 predicted drugs were cardiac glycosides, suggesting a link between this drug category and HCC inhibition. The study demonstrates a strategy of in silico drug screening with SVM using a large repository of microarrays based on initial in vitro drug screening. Verifying these results biologically would help develop a more accurate chemical sensitivity model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu-Lung R Yang
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Hunecke D, Spanel R, Länger F, Nam SW, Borlak J. MYC-regulated genes involved in liver cell dysplasia identified in a transgenic model of liver cancer. J Pathol 2012; 228:520-33. [DOI: 10.1002/path.4059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2011] [Revised: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Transcriptional regulators in hepatocarcinogenesis--key integrators of malignant transformation. J Hepatol 2012; 57:186-95. [PMID: 22446689 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2011.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Revised: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 11/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent human malignancies with poor prognosis and increasing incidence in the Western world. Only for a minority of HCC patients, surgical treatment options offer potential cure and therapeutic success of pharmacological approaches is limited. Highly specific approaches (e.g., kinase inhibitors) did not significantly improve the situation so far, possibly due to functional compensation, genetic heterogeneity of HCC, and development of resistance under selective pressure. In contrast, transcriptional regulators (especially transcription factors and co-factors) may integrate and process input signals of different (oncogenic) pathways and therefore represent cellular bottlenecks that regulate tumor cell biology. In this review, we want to summarize the current knowledge about central transcriptional regulators in human hepatocarcinogenesis and their potential as therapeutic target structures. Genomic and transcriptomic data of primary human HCC revealed that many of these factors showed up in subgroups of HCCs with a more aggressive phenotype, suggesting that aberrant activity of transcriptional regulators collect input information to promote tumor initiation and progression. Therefore, expression and dysfunction of transcription factors and co-factors may gain relevance for diagnostics and therapy of HCC.
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Zimonjic DB, Popescu NC. Role of DLC1 tumor suppressor gene and MYC oncogene in pathogenesis of human hepatocellular carcinoma: potential prospects for combined targeted therapeutics (review). Int J Oncol 2012; 41:393-406. [PMID: 22580498 PMCID: PMC3583004 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2012.1474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 02/17/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death, and its incidence is increasing worldwide in an alarming manner. The development of curative therapy for advanced and metastatic HCC is a high clinical priority. The HCC genome is complex and heterogeneous; therefore, the identification of recurrent genomic and related gene alterations is critical for developing clinical applications for diagnosis, prognosis and targeted therapy of the disease. This article focuses on recent research progress and our contribution in identifying and deciphering the role of defined genetic alterations in the pathogenesis of HCC. A significant number of genes that promote or suppress HCC cell growth have been identified at the sites of genomic reorganization. Notwithstanding the accumulation of multiple genetic alterations, highly recurrent changes on a single chromosome can alter the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) whose deregulation may be sufficient to drive the progression of normal hepatocytes to malignancy. A distinct and highly recurrent pattern of genomic imbalances in HCC includes the loss of DNA copy number (associated with loss of heterozygosity) of TSG-containing chromosome 8p and gain of DNA copy number or regional amplification of protooncogenes on chromosome 8q. Even though 8p is relatively small, it carries an unusually large number of TSGs, while, on the other side, several oncogenes are dispersed along 8q. Compelling evidence demonstrates that DLC1, a potent TSG on 8p, and MYC oncogene on 8q play a critical role in the pathogenesis of human HCC. Direct evidence for their role in the genesis of HCC has been obtained in a mosaic mouse model. Knockdown of DLC1 helps MYC in the induction of hepatoblast transformation in vitro, and in the development of HCC in vivo. Therapeutic interventions, which would simultaneously target signaling pathways governing both DLC1 and MYC functions in hepatocarcinogenesis, could result in progress in the treatment of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drazen B Zimonjic
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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