151
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Yamashita T, Wang XW. Cancer stem cells in the development of liver cancer. J Clin Invest 2013; 123:1911-8. [PMID: 23635789 DOI: 10.1172/jci66024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 401] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is an aggressive disease with a poor outcome. Several hepatic stem/progenitor markers are useful for isolating a subset of liver cells with stem cell features, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells are responsible for tumor relapse, metastasis, and chemoresistance. Liver CSCs dictate a hierarchical organization that is shared in both organogenesis and tumorigenesis. An increased understanding of the molecular signaling events that regulate cellular hierarchy and stemness, and success in defining key CSC-specific genes, have opened up new avenues to accelerate the development of novel diagnostic and treatment strategies. This Review highlights recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of liver CSCs and discusses unanswered questions about the concept of liver CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taro Yamashita
- Department of General Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
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152
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Wang L, Guo ZY, Zhang R, Xin B, Chen R, Zhao J, Wang T, Wen WH, Jia LT, Yao LB, Yang AG. Pseudogene OCT4-pg4 functions as a natural micro RNA sponge to regulate OCT4 expression by competing for miR-145 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Carcinogenesis 2013; 34:1773-81. [PMID: 23615404 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgt139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The POU transcription factor OCT4 is a pleiotropic regulator of gene expression in embryonic stem cells. Recent studies demonstrated that OCT4 is aberrantly expressed in multiple types of human cancer; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we report that OCT4-pg4, a pseudogene of OCT4, is abnormally activated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression level of OCT4-pg4 is positively correlated with that of OCT4, and both gene transcripts can be directly targeted by a tumor-suppressive micro RNA miR-145. We find that the non-coding RNA OCT4-pg4 is biologically active, as it can upregulate OCT4 protein level in HCC. Mechanistic analysis revealed that OCT4-pg4 functions as a natural micro RNA sponge to protect OCT4 transcript from being inhibited by miR-145. In addition, our study also showed that OCT4-pg4 can promote growth and tumorigenicity of HCC cells, thus exerting an oncogenic role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Furthermore, survival analysis suggests that high OCT4-pg4 level is significantly correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. Taken together, our finding adds a new layer of post-transcriptional regulation of OCT4 and sheds new light on the treatment of human HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China.
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153
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Witjes CDM, ten Kate FJW, Verhoef C, de Man RA, IJzermans JNM. Immunohistochemical characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma in non-cirrhotic livers. J Clin Pathol 2013; 66:687-91. [PMID: 23585667 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2012-201156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically develops in cirrhotic livers. In the absence of risk factors, for example, cirrhosis or hepatitis B or C virus infection, HCC diagnosis might be difficult. We aimed to explore the value of immunohistochemical characteristics to diagnostics and prognosis, and whether these immunohistochemical characteristics differ from those of HCC in a cirrhotic liver, possibly indicating an aberrant pathogenetic pathway. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissue slides from liver resection specimens of the patients with HCC in a non-cirrhotic liver were analysed. From January 2000 through April 2011, 799 patients with HCC were admitted to our hospital; in total, 47 patients with 50 HCCs in a non-cirrhotic liver were operated. These tumours were stained positive for α-fetoprotein (AFP) in 30%, CD34 in 88%, cytokeratine 7 (CK7) in 44%, CK19 in 12%, glypican-3 (GPC-3) in 40%, glutamine synthetase in 62% and β-catenin in 32%. There was similarity in immunohistochemical expression of several markers comparing HCC in a non-cirrhotic liver with HCC in a cirrhotic liver. Moderate or poorly differentiated HCC more often expressed β-catenin and GPC-3 and showed a higher percentage of MIB-1-positive hepatocytes. A positive AFP immunohistochemical staining was significantly related with a high preoperative AFP serum level (p=0.001). None of the immunohistochemical stainings were associated with a worse overall survival. Of the patients treated with a surgical resection, 17 had recurrence of HCC and these patients more often had a positive CK19 staining (p=0.048). In conclusion, immunohistochemical expression of several markers in HCC in a non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic liver was comparable. Immunohistochemical markers have limited additional value to characterise HCC in non-cirrhoitc livers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline D M Witjes
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplantation Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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154
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Lepiller Q, Abbas W, Kumar A, Tripathy MK, Herbein G. HCMV activates the IL-6-JAK-STAT3 axis in HepG2 cells and primary human hepatocytes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59591. [PMID: 23555719 PMCID: PMC3608661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives There has been increased interest in the possible role of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in carcinogenesis during the last decade. HCMV seroprevalence was enhanced in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but a possible relationship between HCC and HCMV infection remained to be assessed. The aim of this work was to investigate the pro-tumor influence of HCMV on primary human hepatocytes (PHH) and HepG2 cells. Methods Following infection of PHH and HepG2 cells by two different strains of HCMV, we measured the production of IL-6 in culture supernatants by ELISA and the protein levels of STAT3, pSTAT3, JAK, cyclin D1, survivin, p53, p21, and Mdm2 by western Blotting in infected and uninfected cells. Cell proliferation and transformation were investigated using Ki67Ag expression measurement and soft-agar colony formation assay respectively. Results Infection of HepG2 cells and PHH by HCMV resulted in the production of IL-6 and the subsequent activation of the IL-6R-JAK-STAT3 pathway. HCMV increased the expression of cyclin D1 and survivin. Cell proliferation was enhanced in HepG2 and PHH infected with HCMV, despite a paradoxical overexpression of p53 and p21. More importantly, we observed the formation of colonies in soft agar seeded with PHH infected with HCMV and when we challenged the HepG2 cultures to form tumorspheres, we found that the HCMV-infected cultures formed 2.5-fold more tumorspheres than uninfected cultures. Conclusion HCMV activated the IL-6-JAK-STAT3 pathway in PHH and HepG2 cells, favored cellular proliferation, induced PHH transformation and enhanced HepG2 tumorsphere formation. Our observations raise the possibility that HCMV infection might be involved in the genesis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Lepiller
- Department of Virology, University of Franche-Comté, EA 4266 “Pathogens & Inflammation”, SFR FED4234, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Wasim Abbas
- Department of Virology, University of Franche-Comté, EA 4266 “Pathogens & Inflammation”, SFR FED4234, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Virology, University of Franche-Comté, EA 4266 “Pathogens & Inflammation”, SFR FED4234, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Manoj K. Tripathy
- Department of Virology, University of Franche-Comté, EA 4266 “Pathogens & Inflammation”, SFR FED4234, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Georges Herbein
- Department of Virology, University of Franche-Comté, EA 4266 “Pathogens & Inflammation”, SFR FED4234, CHU Besançon, Besançon, France
- * E-mail:
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155
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Hernandez-Gea V, Toffanin S, Friedman SL, Llovet JM. Role of the microenvironment in the pathogenesis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology 2013; 144:512-27. [PMID: 23313965 PMCID: PMC3578068 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2013.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 562] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Revised: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor and the third greatest cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and its incidence is increasing. Despite the significant improvement in management of HCC over the past 30 years, there are no effective chemoprevention strategies, and only one systemic therapy has been approved for patients with advanced tumors. This drug, sorafenib, acts on tumor cells and the stroma. HCC develops from chronically damaged tissue that contains large amounts of inflammation and fibrosis, which also promote tumor progression and resistance to therapy. Increasing our understanding of how stromal components interact with cancer cells and the signaling pathways involved could help identify new therapeutic and chemopreventive targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Toffanin
- Division of Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Gastrointestinal Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, National Cancer Institute, IRCSS Foundation, Milan, Italy
| | - Scott L. Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (Divisions of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Josep M. Llovet
- Division of Liver Diseases, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (Divisions of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- HCC Translational Research Laboratory, Barcelona-Clínic Liver Cancer Group, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Liver Unit and Pathology Department. Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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156
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Uehara T, Ainslie GR, Kutanzi K, Pogribny IP, Muskhelishvili L, Izawa T, Yamate J, Kosyk O, Shymonyak S, Bradford BU, Boorman GA, Bataller R, Rusyn I. Molecular mechanisms of fibrosis-associated promotion of liver carcinogenesis. Toxicol Sci 2013; 132:53-63. [PMID: 23288052 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfs342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mostly develops in patients with advanced fibrosis; however, the mechanisms of interaction between a genotoxic insult and fibrogenesis are not well understood. This study tested a hypothesis that fibrosis promotes HCC via a mechanism that involves activation of liver stem cells. First, B6C3F1 mice were administered diethylnitrosamine (DEN; single ip injection of 1mg/kg at 14 days of age). Second, carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4); 0.2ml/kg, 2/week ip starting at 8 weeks of age) was administered for 9 or 14 weeks to develop advanced liver fibrosis. In animals treated with DEN as neonates, presence of liver fibrosis led to more than doubling (to 100%) of the liver tumor incidence as early as 5 months of age. This effect was associated with activation of cells with progenitor features in noncancerous liver tissue, including markers of replicative senescence (p16), oncofetal transformation (Afp, H19, and Bex1), and increased "stemness" (Prom1 and Epcam). In contrast, the dose of DEN used did not modify the extent of liver inflammation, fibrogenesis, oxidative stress, proliferation, or apoptosis induced by subchronic CCl(4) administration. This study demonstrates the potential role of liver stem-like cells in the mechanisms of chemical-induced, fibrosis-promoted HCC. We posit that the combination of genotoxic and fibrogenic insults is a sensible approach to model liver carcinogenesis in experimental animals. These results may contribute to identification of cirrhotic patients predisposed to HCC by analyzing the expression of hepatic progenitor cell markers in the noncancerous liver tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeki Uehara
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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157
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Elbaz T, Kassas ME, Esmat G. Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Updated Review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.4236/jct.2013.42067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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158
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Subramaniam A, Shanmugam MK, Perumal E, Li F, Nachiyappan A, Dai X, Swamy SN, Ahn KS, Kumar AP, Tan BKH, Hui KM, Sethi G. Potential role of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 signaling pathway in inflammation, survival, proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2012; 1835:46-60. [PMID: 23103770 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies, and is also the fourth most common cancer worldwide with around 700,000 new cases each year. Currently, first line chemotherapeutic drugs used for HCC include fluorouracil, cisplatin, doxorubicin, paclitaxel and mitomycin, but most of these are non-selective cytotoxic molecules with significant side effects. Sorafenib is the only approved targeted therapy by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for HCC treatment, but patients suffer from various kinds of adverse effects, including hypertension. The signal-transducer-and-activator-of-transcription 3 (STAT3) protein, one of the members of STATs transcription factor family, has been implicated in signal transduction by different cytokines, growth factors and oncogenes. In normal cells, STAT3 activation is tightly controlled to prevent dysregulated gene transcription, whereas constitutively activated STAT3 plays an important role in tumorigenesis through the upregulation of genes involved in anti-apoptosis, proliferation and angiogenesis. Thus, pharmacologically safe and effective agents that can block STAT3 activation have the potential both for the prevention and treatment of HCC. In the present review, we discuss the possible role of STAT3 signaling cascade and its interacting partners in the initiation of HCC and also analyze the role of various STAT3 regulated genes in HCC progression, inflammation, survival, invasion and angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aruljothi Subramaniam
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597
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