301
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Gao B, Wang H, Lafdil F, Feng D. STAT proteins - key regulators of anti-viral responses, inflammation, and tumorigenesis in the liver. J Hepatol 2012; 57:430-41. [PMID: 22504331 PMCID: PMC3399024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2012.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2011] [Revised: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 01/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since its discovery in the early 1990s, the Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway has been found to play key roles in regulating many key cellular processes such as survival, proliferation, and differentiation. There are seven known mammalian STAT family members: STAT1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, and 6. In the liver, activation of these STAT proteins is critical for anti-viral defense against hepatitis viral infection and for controlling injury, repair, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. The identification of functions for these STAT proteins has increased our understanding of liver disease pathophysiology and treatments, while also suggesting new therapeutic modalities for managing liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Gao
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Hua Wang
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, 20892
| | - Fouad Lafdil
- Laboratory of Liver Pathophysiology, INSERM, U955, Créteil, F-94000 France,Université Paris-Est, Faculté de Médecine, UMR-S955, Créteil, F-94000 France
| | - Dechun Feng
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, 20892
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302
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Abstract
The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factor family has been considered the central mediator of the inflammatory process and a key participant in innate and adaptive immune responses. Coincident with the molecular cloning of NF-κB/RelA and identification of its kinship to the v-Rel oncogene, it was anticipated that NF-κB itself would be involved in cancer development. Oncogenic activating mutations in NF-κB genes are rare and have been identified only in some lymphoid malignancies, while most NF-κB activating mutations in lymphoid malignancies occur in upstream signaling components that feed into NF-κB. NF-κB activation is also prevalent in carcinomas, in which NF-κB activation is mainly driven by inflammatory cytokines within the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, however, in all malignancies, NF-κB acts in a cell type-specific manner: activating survival genes within cancer cells and inflammation-promoting genes in components of the tumor microenvironment. Yet, the complex biological functions of NF-κB have made its therapeutic targeting a challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A DiDonato
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Cell Biology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, USA
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303
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STAT3 activation by IL-6 from mesenchymal stem cells promotes the proliferation and metastasis of osteosarcoma. Cancer Lett 2012; 325:80-8. [PMID: 22743617 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2012.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Revised: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote the growth of osteosarcoma in the bone microenvironment. The aim of the present study was to further determine the effect of IL-6/STAT3 signaling on the progression of osteosarcoma. First, conditioned medium from MSCs was used to stimulate the growth of osteosarcoma cells (Saos-2) in vitro. We found that STAT3 was activated and that the activation could be blocked by an IL-6-neutralizing antibody. The inhibition of STAT3 in Saos-2 cells by siRNA or AG490 decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion, down-regulated the mRNA expression of Cyclin D, Bcl-xL and Survivin and enhanced the apoptotic response. Furthermore, a nude mouse osteosarcoma model was established by injecting luciferase-labeled Saos-2 cells into the tibia, and the effect of STAT3 on tumor growth was determined by treating the mice with AG490. In vivo bioluminescence images showed that tumor growth was dramatically reduced in the AG490 group. In addition, STAT3 inhibition decreased the lung metastasis rate and prolonged the survival of these mice. After treatment with AG490, the protein levels of IL-6, p-STAT3 and PCNA were decreased, and the level of apoptosis in the tumor was increased. Altogether, these data indicate that MSCs in the bone microenvironment might promote the progression of osteosarcoma and protect tumor cells from drug-induced apoptosis through IL-6/STAT3 signaling.
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304
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Nikolaou K, Tsagaratou A, Eftychi C, Kollias G, Mosialos G, Talianidis I. Inactivation of the deubiquitinase CYLD in hepatocytes causes apoptosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer. Cancer Cell 2012; 21:738-50. [PMID: 22698400 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2011] [Revised: 01/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The tumor suppressor cylindromatosis (CYLD) inhibits the NFκB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation pathways by deubiquitinating upstream regulatory factors. Here we show that liver-specific disruption of CYLD triggers hepatocyte cell death in the periportal area via spontaneous and chronic activation of TGF-β activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). This is followed by hepatic stellate cell and Kupffer cell activation, which promotes progressive fibrosis, inflammation, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production, and expansion of hepatocyte apoptosis toward the central veins. At later stages, compensatory proliferation results in the development of cancer foci featuring re-expression of oncofetal hepatic and stem cell-specific genes. The results demonstrate that, in the liver, CYLD acts as an important regulator of hepatocyte homeostasis, protecting cells from spontaneous apoptosis by preventing uncontrolled TAK1 and JNK activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Nikolaou
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, 16672 Vari, Greece
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305
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Han ZG. Functional genomic studies: insights into the pathogenesis of liver cancer. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2012; 13:171-205. [PMID: 22703171 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-090711-163752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Liver cancer is the sixth-most-common cancer overall but the third-most-frequent cause of cancer death. Among primary liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major histological subtype, is associated with multiple risk factors, including hepatitis B and C virus infection, alcohol consumption, obesity, and diet contamination. Although previous studies have revealed that certain genetic and epigenetic changes, such as TP53 and β-catenin mutations, occur in HCC cells, the pathogenesis of this cancer remains obscure. Functional genomic approaches-including genome-wide association studies, whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing, array-based comparative genomic hybridization, global DNA methylome mapping, and gene or noncoding RNA expression profiling-have recently been applied to HCC patients with different clinical features to uncover the genetic risk factors and underlying molecular mechanisms involved in this cancer's initiation and progression. The genome-wide analysis of germline and somatic genetic and epigenetic events facilitates understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular classification of liver cancer as well as the identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Guang Han
- National Human Genome Center of Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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306
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Wattanawaraporn R, Woo LL, Belanger C, Chang SC, Adams JE, Trudel LJ, Bouhenguel JT, Egner PA, Groopman JD, Croy RG, Essigmann JM, Wogan GN. A single neonatal exposure to aflatoxin b1 induces prolonged genetic damage in two loci of mouse liver. Toxicol Sci 2012; 128:326-33. [PMID: 22539618 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfs151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aflatoxin B (1) (AFB(1)) is a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma in humans. Infant, but not adult, mice are sensitive to AFB(1)-induced liver carcinogenesis; a single dose during the neonatal period leads to hepatocellular carcinoma in adulthood. Earlier work defined the mutational spectrum in the gpt gene of gpt delta B6C3F1 mice 3 weeks after exposure to aflatoxin. In the present study, we examined the gpt spectrum 10 weeks postdosing and expanded the study to examine, at 3 and 10 weeks, the spectrum at a second locus, the red/gam genes of the mouse λEG10 transgene. Whereas the gpt locus is typically used to define local base changes, the red/gam genes, via the Spi(-) assay, often are used to detect more global mutations such as large deletions and rearrangements. Three weeks after dosing with AFB(1), there was a 10-fold increase over the control in the Spi(-) mutant fraction (MF) in liver DNA; after 10 weeks, a further increase was observed. The MF in the gpt gene was also increased at 10 weeks compared with the MF at 3 weeks. No gender-specific differences were found in the Spi(-) or gpt MFs. Whereas Spi(-) mutations often signal large genetic changes, they did not in this specific case. The Spi(-) spectrum was dominated by GC to TA transversions, with one exceptionally strong hotspot at position 314. Using two genetic loci, the data show a strong preference for the induction of GC to TA mutations in mice, which is the dominant mutation seen in people exposed to aflatoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roongtiwa Wattanawaraporn
- Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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307
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Thomas HE, Mercer CA, Carnevalli LS, Park J, Andersen JB, Conner EA, Tanaka K, Matsutani T, Iwanami A, Aronow BJ, Manway L, Maira SM, Thorgeirsson SS, Mischel PS, Thomas G, Kozma SC. mTOR inhibitors synergize on regression, reversal of gene expression, and autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Transl Med 2012; 4:139ra84. [PMID: 22539746 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) affects more than half a million people worldwide and is the third most common cause of cancer deaths. Because mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is up-regulated in 50% of HCCs, we compared the effects of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved mTOR-allosteric inhibitor, RAD001, with a new-generation phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mTOR adenosine triphosphate-site competitive inhibitor, BEZ235. Unexpectedly, the two drugs acted synergistically in inhibiting the proliferation of cultured HCC cells. The synergistic effect closely paralleled eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) dephosphorylation, which is implicated in the suppression of tumor cell proliferation. In a mouse model approximating human HCC, the drugs in combination, but not singly, induced a marked regression in tumor burden. However, in the tumor, BEZ235 alone was as effective as the combination in inhibiting 4E-BP1 phosphorylation, which suggests that additional target(s) may also be involved. Microarray analyses revealed a large number of genes that reverted to normal liver tissue expression in mice treated with both drugs, but not either drug alone. These analyses also revealed the down-regulation of autophagy genes in tumors compared to normal liver. Moreover, in HCC patients, altered expression of autophagy genes was associated with poor prognosis. Consistent with these findings, the drug combination had a profound effect on UNC51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) dephosphorylation and autophagy in culture, independent of 4E-BP1, and in parallel induced tumor mitophagy, a tumor suppressor process in liver. These observations have led to an investigator-initiated phase 1B-2 dose escalation trial with RAD001 combined with BEZ235 in patients with HCC and other advanced solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala Elnakat Thomas
- Department of Cancer and Cell Biology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45215, USA
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308
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Dapito DH, Mencin A, Gwak GY, Pradere JP, Jang MK, Mederacke I, Caviglia JM, Khiabanian H, Adeyemi A, Bataller R, Lefkowitch JH, Bower M, Friedman R, Sartor RB, Rabadan R, Schwabe RF. Promotion of hepatocellular carcinoma by the intestinal microbiota and TLR4. Cancer Cell 2012; 21:504-16. [PMID: 22516259 PMCID: PMC3332000 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 942] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2011] [Revised: 11/12/2011] [Accepted: 02/01/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Increased translocation of intestinal bacteria is a hallmark of chronic liver disease and contributes to hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Here we tested the hypothesis that the intestinal microbiota and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) promote hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a long-term consequence of chronic liver injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. Hepatocarcinogenesis in chronically injured livers depended on the intestinal microbiota and TLR4 activation in non-bone-marrow-derived resident liver cells. TLR4 and the intestinal microbiota were not required for HCC initiation but for HCC promotion, mediating increased proliferation, expression of the hepatomitogen epiregulin, and prevention of apoptosis. Gut sterilization restricted to late stages of hepatocarcinogenesis reduced HCC, suggesting that the intestinal microbiota and TLR4 represent therapeutic targets for HCC prevention in advanced liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianne H Dapito
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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309
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Bao B, Thakur A, Li Y, Ahmad A, Azmi AS, Banerjee S, Kong D, Ali S, Lum LG, Sarkar FH. The immunological contribution of NF-κB within the tumor microenvironment: a potential protective role of zinc as an anti-tumor agent. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2012; 1825:160-72. [PMID: 22155217 PMCID: PMC3811120 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2011.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Revised: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 11/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Over decades, cancer treatment has been mainly focused on targeting cancer cells and not much attention to host tumor microenvironment. Recent advances suggest that the tumor microenvironment requires in-depth investigation for understanding the interactions between tumor cell biology and immunobiology in order to optimize therapeutic approaches. Tumor microenvironment consists of cancer cells and tumor associated reactive fibroblasts, infiltrating non-cancer cells, secreted soluble factors or molecules, and non-cellular support materials. Tumor associated host immune cells such as Th(1), Th(2), Th17, regulatory cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells are major components of the tumor microenvironment. Accumulating evidence suggests that these tumor associated immune cells may play important roles in cancer development and progression. However, the exact functions of these cells in the tumor microenvironment are poorly understood. In the tumor microenvironment, NF-κB plays an important role in cancer development and progression because this is a major transcription factor which regulates immune functions within the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we will focus our discussion on the immunological contribution of NF-κB in tumor associated host immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. We will also discuss the potential protective role of zinc, a well-known immune response mediator, in the regulation of these immune cells and cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment especially because zinc could be useful for conditioning the tumor microenvironment toward innovative cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Bao
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Archana Thakur
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yiwei Li
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Aamir Ahmad
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Asfar S. Azmi
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sanjeev Banerjee
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Dejuan Kong
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Shadan Ali
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Lawrence G. Lum
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Fazlul H. Sarkar
- Department of Pathology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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310
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Menon S, Yecies JL, Zhang HH, Howell JJ, Nicholatos J, Harputlugil E, Bronson RT, Kwiatkowski DJ, Manning BD. Chronic activation of mTOR complex 1 is sufficient to cause hepatocellular carcinoma in mice. Sci Signal 2012; 5:ra24. [PMID: 22457330 PMCID: PMC3743103 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) is a nutrient-sensitive protein kinase that is aberrantly activated in many human cancers. Whether dysregulation of mTORC1 signaling in normal tissues increases the risk for cancer, however, is unknown. We focused on hepatocellular carcinoma, which has been linked to environmental factors that affect mTORC1 activity, including diet. Ablation of the gene encoding TSC1 (tuberous sclerosis complex 1), which as part of the TSC1-TSC2 complex is an upstream inhibitor of mTORC1, results in constitutively increased mTORC1 signaling, an effect on this pathway similar to that of obesity. We found that mice with liver-specific knockout of Tsc1 developed sporadic hepatocellular carcinoma with heterogeneous histological and biochemical features. The spontaneous development of hepatocellular carcinoma in this mouse model was preceded by a series of pathological changes that accompany the primary etiologies of this cancer in humans, including liver damage, inflammation, necrosis, and regeneration. Chronic mTORC1 signaling led to unresolved endoplasmic reticulum stress and defects in autophagy, factors that contributed to hepatocyte damage and hepatocellular carcinoma development. Therefore, we conclude that increased activation of mTORC1 can promote carcinogenesis and may thus represent a key molecular link between cancer risk and environmental factors, such as diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchithra Menon
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
| | - Jessica L. Yecies
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
| | - Hui H. Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
| | - Jessica J. Howell
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
| | - Justin Nicholatos
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
| | - Eylul Harputlugil
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
| | | | - David J. Kwiatkowski
- Translational Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
| | - Brendan D. Manning
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health
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311
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Sun B, Karin M. Obesity, inflammation, and liver cancer. J Hepatol 2012; 56:704-13. [PMID: 22120206 PMCID: PMC3889660 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2011.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 370] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2011] [Revised: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 09/17/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Obesity has become a universal and major public health problem with increasing prevalence in both adults and children in the 21st century, even in developing countries. Extensive epidemiological studies reveal a strong link between obesity and development and progression of various types of cancers. The connection between obesity and liver cancer is particularly strong and obesity often results in liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the more severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH is characterized by fatty liver inflammation and is believed to cause fibrosis and cirrhosis. The latter is a known liver cancer risk factor. In fact due to its much higher prevalence obesity may be a more substantial contributor to overall hepatocellular carcinoma burden than infection with hepatitis viruses. Here we review and discuss recent advances in elucidation of cellular and molecular alterations and signaling pathways associated with obesity and liver inflammation and their contribution to hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beicheng Sun
- Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital and Cancer Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
| | - Michael Karin
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Department of Pharmacology and Pathology, Cancer Center, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093-0723, USA
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312
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Friedbichler K, Themanns M, Mueller KM, Schlederer M, Kornfeld JW, Terracciano LM, Kozlov AV, Haindl S, Kenner L, Kolbe T, Mueller M, Snibson KJ, Heim MH, Moriggl R. Growth-hormone-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 signaling causes gigantism, inflammation, and premature death but protects mice from aggressive liver cancer. Hepatology 2012; 55:941-52. [PMID: 22031092 DOI: 10.1002/hep.24765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 10/04/2011] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Persistently high levels of growth hormone (GH) can cause liver cancer. GH activates multiple signal-transduction pathways, among them janus kinase (JAK) 2-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 5 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5). Both hyperactivation and deletion of STAT5 in hepatocytes have been implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); nevertheless, the role of STAT5 in the development of HCC as a result of high GH levels remains enigmatic. Thus, we crossed a mouse model of gigantism and inflammatory liver cancer caused by hyperactivated GH signaling (GH(tg) ) to mice with hepatic deletion of STAT5 (STAT5(Δhep) ). Unlike GH(tg) mice, GH(tg) STAT5(Δhep) animals did not display gigantism. Moreover, the premature mortality, which was associated with chronic inflammation, as well as the pathologic alterations of hepatocytes observed in GH(tg) mice, were not observed in GH(tg) animals lacking STAT5. Strikingly, loss of hepatic STAT5 proteins led to enhanced HCC development in GH(tg) mice. Despite reduced chronic inflammation, GH(tg) STAT5(Δhep) mice displayed earlier and more advanced HCC than GH(tg) animals. This may be attributed to the combination of increased peripheral lipolysis, hepatic lipid synthesis, loss of hepatoprotective mediators accompanied by aberrant activation of tumor-promoting c-JUN and STAT3 signaling cascades, and accumulation of DNA damage secondary to loss of cell-cycle control. Thus, HCC was never observed in STAT5(Δhep) mice. CONCLUSION As a result of their hepatoprotective functions, STAT5 proteins prevent progressive fatty liver disease and the formation of aggressive HCC in the setting of hyperactivated GH signaling. At the same time, they play a key role in controlling systemic inflammation and regulating organ and body size.
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313
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Abstract
Liver and pancreatic cancers are both highly lethal diseases with limited to no therapeutic options for patients. Recent studies suggest that deregulated autophagy plays a role in the pathogenesis of these diseases by perturbing cellular homeostasis and laying the foundation for disease development. While accumulation of p62 upon impaired autophagy has been implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma, its role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains less clear. This review will focus on recent studies illustrating the role of autophagy in liver and pancreatic cancers. The relationships between autophagy, nuclear factor-κB signaling and obesity in hepatocellular carcinoma will be discussed, as well as the dual role of autophagy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Aghajan
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, USA
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314
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Abstract
Increasing evidence from epidemiological, preclinical and clinical studies suggests that dysregulated inflammatory response plays a pivotal role in a multitude of chronic ailments including cancer. The molecular mechanism(s) by which chronic inflammation drives cancer initiation and promotion include increased production of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, chemokines, reactive oxygen intermediates, increased expression of oncogenes, COX-2 (cyclo-oxygenase-2), 5-LOX (5-lipoxygenase) and MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases), and pro-inflammatory transcription factors such as NF-κB (nuclear factor κB), STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), AP-1 (activator protein 1) and HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor 1α) that mediate tumour cell proliferation, transformation, metastasis, survival, invasion, angiogenesis, chemoresistance and radioresistance. These inflammation-associated molecules are activated by a number of environmental and lifestyle-related factors including infectious agents, tobacco, stress, diet, obesity and alcohol, which together are thought to drive as much as 90% of all cancers. The present review will focus primarily on the role of various inflammatory intermediates responsible for tumour initiation and progression, and discuss in detail the critical link between inflammation and cancer.
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315
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Feng GS. Conflicting roles of molecules in hepatocarcinogenesis: paradigm or paradox. Cancer Cell 2012; 21:150-4. [PMID: 22340589 PMCID: PMC3285429 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2011] [Revised: 12/21/2011] [Accepted: 01/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In delineating the molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), recent experiments in mouse tumor models have revealed unexpected tumor-suppressing effects in genes previously identified as pro-oncogenic. This contradiction underscores the complexity of hepatocarcinogenesis and predicts uncertainty in targeting these molecules for HCC therapy. Deciphering the underlying mechanisms for these paradoxical functions will elucidate the complex molecular and cellular communications driving HCC development, and will also suggest more thoughtful therapeutic strategies for this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen-Sheng Feng
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0864, USA.
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316
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Hatziapostolou M, Polytarchou C, Aggelidou E, Drakaki A, Poultsides GA, Jaeger SA, Ogata H, Karin M, Struhl K, Hadzopoulou-Cladaras M, Iliopoulos D. An HNF4α-miRNA inflammatory feedback circuit regulates hepatocellular oncogenesis. Cell 2012; 147:1233-47. [PMID: 22153071 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 379] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2011] [Revised: 07/22/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is essential for liver development and hepatocyte function. Here, we show that transient inhibition of HNF4α initiates hepatocellular transformation through a microRNA-inflammatory feedback loop circuit consisting of miR-124, IL6R, STAT3, miR-24, and miR-629. Moreover, we show that, once this circuit is activated, it maintains suppression of HNF4α and sustains oncogenesis. Systemic administration of miR-124, which modulates inflammatory signaling, prevents and suppresses hepatocellular carcinogenesis by inducing tumor-specific apoptosis without toxic side effects. As we also show that this HNF4α circuit is perturbed in human hepatocellular carcinomas, our data raise the possibility that manipulation of this microRNA feedback-inflammatory loop has therapeutic potential for treating liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Hatziapostolou
- Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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317
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Martin M, Herceg Z. From hepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma: a proposed model for cross-talk between inflammation and epigenetic mechanisms. Genome Med 2012; 4:8. [PMID: 22293089 PMCID: PMC3334556 DOI: 10.1186/gm307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation represents the body's natural response to tissue damage; however, chronic inflammation may activate cell proliferation and induce deregulation of cell death in affected tissues. Chronic inflammation is an important factor in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), although the precise underlying mechanism remains unknown. Epigenetic events, which are considered key mechanisms in the regulation of gene activity states, are also commonly deregulated in HCC. Here, we review the evidence that chronic inflammation might deregulate epigenetic processes, thus promoting oncogenic transformation, and we propose a working hypothesis that epigenetic deregulation is an underlying mechanism by which inflammation might promote HCC development. In this scenario, different components of the inflammatory response might directly and indirectly induce changes in epigenetic machineries ('epigenetic switch'), including those involved in setting and propagating normal patterns of DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs in hepatocytes. We discuss the possibility that self-reinforcing cross-talk between inflammation and epigenetic mechanisms might amplify inflammatory signals and maintain a chronic state of inflammation culminating in cancer development. The potential role of inflammation-epigenome interactions in the emergence and maintenance of cancer stem cells is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Martin
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Lyon CEDEX 08, France
| | - Zdenko Herceg
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Lyon CEDEX 08, France
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318
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Ling J, Kang Y, Zhao R, Xia Q, Lee DF, Chang Z, Li J, Peng B, Fleming JB, Wang H, Liu J, Lemischka IR, Hung MC, Chiao PJ. KrasG12D-induced IKK2/β/NF-κB activation by IL-1α and p62 feedforward loops is required for development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Cell 2012; 21:105-20. [PMID: 22264792 PMCID: PMC3360958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2011.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 403] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Revised: 11/02/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Constitutive Kras and NF-κB activation is identified as signature alterations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, how NF-κB is activated in PDAC is not yet understood. Here, we report that pancreas-targeted IKK2/β inactivation inhibited NF-κB activation and PDAC development in Kras(G12D) and Kras(G12D);Ink4a/Arf(F/F) mice, demonstrating a mechanistic link between IKK2/β and Kras(G12D) in PDAC inception. Our findings reveal that Kras(G12D)-activated AP-1 induces IL-1α, which, in turn, activates NF-κB and its target genes IL-1α and p62, to initiate IL-1α/p62 feedforward loops for inducing and sustaining NF-κB activity. Furthermore, IL-1α overexpression correlates with Kras mutation, NF-κB activity, and poor survival in PDAC patients. Therefore, our findings demonstrate the mechanism by which IKK2/β/NF-κB is activated by Kras(G12D) through dual feedforward loops of IL-1α/p62.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Ling
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ya’an Kang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ruiying Zhao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Qianghua Xia
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dung-Fang Lee
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, and the Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Zhe Chang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jin Li
- Center for Applied Genomics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bailu Peng
- Guangdong Entomological Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510260, China
| | - Jason B. Fleming
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Huamin Wang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jinsong Liu
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ihor R. Lemischka
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, and the Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung 447, Taiwan
| | - Paul J. Chiao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence:
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319
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Nishina T, Komazawa-Sakon S, Yanaka S, Piao X, Zheng DM, Piao JH, Kojima Y, Yamashina S, Sano E, Putoczki T, Doi T, Ueno T, Ezaki J, Ushio H, Ernst M, Tsumoto K, Okumura K, Nakano H. Interleukin-11 Links Oxidative Stress and Compensatory Proliferation. Sci Signal 2012; 5:ra5. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2002056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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320
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia A Nevzorova
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen, Germany
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321
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Tumor promotion via injury- and death-induced inflammation. Immunity 2011; 35:467-77. [PMID: 22035839 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Revised: 09/03/2011] [Accepted: 09/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of programmed cell death is considered to be a major aspect of tumorigenesis. Indeed, several key oncogenic transcription factors, such as NF-κB and STAT3, exert their tumor-promoting activity at least in part through upregulation of survival genes. However, many cancers develop in response to chronic tissue injury, in which the resulting cell death increases the tumorigenic potential of the neighboring cells. In this review, we discuss a resolution to this paradox based on cell death-mediated induction of tumor promoting inflammatory cytokines, which enhance cell survival and trigger compensatory proliferation in response to tissue injury.
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322
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Wu WY, Li J, Wu ZS, Zhang CL, Meng XL. STAT3 activation in monocytes accelerates liver cancer progression. BMC Cancer 2011; 11:506. [PMID: 22136659 PMCID: PMC3241618 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-11-506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an important transcription factor ubiquitously expressed in different cell types. STAT3 plays an essential role in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Aberrantly hyper-activated STAT3 signaling in cancer cells and in the tumor microenvironment has been detected in a wide variety of human cancers and is considered an important factor for cancer initiation, development, and progression. However, the role of STAT3 activation in monocytes in the development of HCC has not been well understood. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis of phosphorylated STAT3 was performed on tissue microarray from HCC patients. Using a co-culture system in vivo, HCC cell growth was determined by the MTT assay. In vivo experiments were conducted with mice given diethylinitrosamine (DEN), which induces HCC was used to investigate the role of STAT3 expression in monocytes on tumor growth. Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression of cell proliferation and cell arrest associated genes in the tumor and nontumor tissue from liver. Results Phosphorylated STAT3 was found in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue samples and was expressed in tumor cells and also in monocytes. Phosphorylated STAT3 expression in monocyte was significantly correlated to advanced clinical stage of HCC and a poor prognosis. Using a co-culture system in vivo, monocytes promoted HCC cell growth via the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. The STAT3 inhibitor, NSC 74859, significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo in mice with diethylinitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC. In this animal model, blockade of STAT3 with NSC 74859 induced tumor cell apoptosis, while inhibiting both tumor cells and monocytes proliferation. Furthermore, NSC 74859 treatment suppressed cancer associated inflammation in DEN-induce HCC. Conclusion Our data suggest constitutively activated STAT3 monocytes promote liver tumorigenesis in clinical patients and animal experiments. Thus, STAT3 in tumor infiltrating inflammatory cells may an attractive target for liver cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yong Wu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui MedicalUniversity, Anhui, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
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323
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invariably develops within a setting of chronic inflammation caused by either hepatotropic viruses, toxins, metabolic liver disease or autoimmunity. Mechanisms that link these two processes are not completely understood, but transcription factors of the NF-κB family and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1α and ligands of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family are clearly pivotal players. HCC may have its origins in either hepatocytes or hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), and HCCs, like other solid tumours appear to be sustained by a minority population of cancer stem cells.
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324
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Yoo KH, Baik M, Hennighausen L. Context-Specific Growth Hormone Signaling through the Transcription Factor STAT5: Implications for the Etiology of Hepatosteatosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Genes Cancer 2011; 2:3-9. [PMID: 21779476 DOI: 10.1177/1947601911405046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2011] [Accepted: 02/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) controls hepatic physiology to a large extent through the transcription factor signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 5. Here, we focus on lessons learned from the physiology and pathophysiology of mice with disrupted Ghr and Stat5 loci. We discuss that hepatosteatosis and hepatocellular carcinoma observed in the absence of STAT5 can be explained in part through an aberrant activation of STAT1 and STAT3, which in themselves promote cell proliferation and survival. We also argue that STAT5 can be a context-specific tumor suppressor as it negatively regulates cell cycle progression. Lastly, we discuss promiscuity between STAT members that permits a given cytokine receptor to activate different STATs and thereby elicit context-dependent biological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Hyun Yoo
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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325
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Rosmorduc O, Desbois-Mouthon C. Targeting STAT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma: sorafenib again…. J Hepatol 2011; 55:957-9. [PMID: 21718664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2011] [Revised: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 06/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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326
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Tai WT, Cheng AL, Shiau CW, Huang HP, Huang JW, Chen PJ, Chen KF. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 is a major kinase-independent target of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 2011; 55:1041-8. [PMID: 21354226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2011.01.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2010] [Revised: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 01/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Recently, we reported that sorafenib sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells to TRAIL through the inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Here, we report that sorafenib inhibits HCC via a kinase-independent mechanism: SHP-1 dependent STAT3 inactivation. METHODS SC-1 is a sorafenib derivative that closely resembles sorafenib structurally but with no kinase inhibition activity. HCC cell lines (PLC5, Huh-7, Hep3B, and Sk-Hep1) were treated with sorafenib or SC-1 and apoptosis and signal transduction were analyzed. In vivo efficacy was determined in nude mice with Huh-7 xenografts. RESULTS SC-1 showed similar effects to sorafenib on growth inhibition and apoptosis in all tested HCC cell lines. SC-1 down-regulated phosphorylation of phospho-STAT3 (p-STAT3) at tyrosine 705 in all tested HCC cells. Expression of STAT3-driven genes, including Cyclin D1 and Survivin, was also repressed by SC-1. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed the inhibition of transcriptional activity of STAT3 in both sorafenib-treated and SC-1-treated cells. Ectopic expression of STAT3 in PLC5 cells abolished apoptosis in SC-1-treated cells. Sorafenib and SC-1 up-regulated SHP-1 activity. Knockdown of SHP-1, but not SHP-2 or PTP-1B, by small interference RNA reduced apoptosis induced by SC-1. Finally, SC-1 reduced Huh-7 tumor growth significantly in vivo, which was associated with down-regulation of p-STAT3 and up-regulation of SHP-1 activity. CONCLUSIONS STAT3 is a major kinase-independent target of sorafenib in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Tien Tai
- National Center of Excellence for Clinical Trial and Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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327
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Han YF, Zhao J, Ma LY, Yin JH, Chang WJ, Zhang HW, Cao GW. Factors predicting occurrence and prognosis of hepatitis-B-virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2011; 17:4258-70. [PMID: 22090781 PMCID: PMC3214700 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i38.4258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2011] [Revised: 07/12/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is an important cause of cancer death, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 70%-85% of total liver cancer worldwide. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection contributes to > 75% of HCC cases. High serum viral load is the most reliable indicator of viral replication in predicting development of HCC. HBV genotype C is closely associated with HCC in cirrhotic patients aged > 50 years, whereas genotype B is associated with development of HCC in non-cirrhotic young patients and postoperative relapse of HCC. Different HBV subgenotypes have distinct patterns of mutations, which are clearly associated with increased risk of HCC. Mutations accumulate during chronic HBV infection and predict occurrence of HCC. Chronic inflammation leads to increased frequency of viral mutation via cellular cytidine deaminase induction. Mutations are negatively selected by host immunity, whereas some immuno-escaped HBV mutants are active in hepatocarcinogenesis. Inflammatory pathways contribute to the inflammation-necrosis-regeneration process, ultimately HCC. Their hallmark molecules can predict malignancy in HBV-infected subjects. Continuing inflammation is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis and closely related to recurrence and metastasis. HBV load, genotype C, viral mutations and expression of inflammatory molecules in HBV-related HCC tissues are significantly associated with poor prognosis. Imbalance between intratumoral CD8+ T cells and regulatory T cells or Th1 and Th2 cytokines in peritumoral tissues can predict prognosis of HBV-related HCC. These factors are important for developing active prevention and surveillance of HBV-infected subjects who are more likely to develop HCC, or for tailoring suitable treatment to improve survival or postpone postoperative recurrence of HCC.
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328
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Smith DG, Magwere T, Burchill SA. Oxidative stress and therapeutic opportunities: focus on the Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2011; 11:229-49. [PMID: 21342042 DOI: 10.1586/era.10.224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive by-products of energy production that can have detrimental as well as beneficial effects. Unchecked, high levels of ROS result in an imbalance of cellular redox state and oxidative stress. High levels of ROS have been detected in most cancers, where they promote tumor development and progression. Many anticancer agents work by further increasing cellular levels of ROS, to overcome the antioxidant detoxification capacity of the cancer cell and induce cell death. However, adaptation of the level of cellular antioxidants can lead to drug resistance. The challenge for the design of effective cancer therapeutics exploiting oxidative stress is to tip the cellular redox balance to induce ROS-dependent cell death but without increasing the antioxidant activity of the cancer cell or inducing toxicity in normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle G Smith
- Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, St James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
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329
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NF-κB controls energy homeostasis and metabolic adaptation by upregulating mitochondrial respiration. Nat Cell Biol 2011; 13:1272-9. [PMID: 21968997 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2011] [Accepted: 07/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cell proliferation is a metabolically demanding process. It requires active reprogramming of cellular bioenergetic pathways towards glucose metabolism to support anabolic growth. NF-κB/Rel transcription factors coordinate many of the signals that drive proliferation during immunity, inflammation and oncogenesis, but whether NF-κB regulates the metabolic reprogramming required for cell division during these processes is unknown. Here, we report that NF-κB organizes energy metabolism networks by controlling the balance between the utilization of glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. NF-κB inhibition causes cellular reprogramming to aerobic glycolysis under basal conditions and induces necrosis on glucose starvation. The metabolic reorganization that results from NF-κB inhibition overcomes the requirement for tumour suppressor mutation in oncogenic transformation and impairs metabolic adaptation in cancer in vivo. This NF-κB-dependent metabolic pathway involves stimulation of oxidative phosphorylation through upregulation of mitochondrial synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase 2 (SCO2; ref. ). Our findings identify NF-κB as a physiological regulator of mitochondrial respiration and establish a role for NF-κB in metabolic adaptation in normal cells and cancer.
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330
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Wu ST, Sun GH, Hsu CY, Huang CS, Wu YH, Wang HH, Sun KH. Tumor necrosis factor-α induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal cell carcinoma cells via a nuclear factor kappa B-independent mechanism. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2011; 236:1022-9. [PMID: 21856755 DOI: 10.1258/ebm.2011.011058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic low dose of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) stimulation promotes tumorigenesis by facilitating tumor proliferation and metastasis. The plasma levels of TNF-α are increased in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Furthermore, high-grade clear cell RCC cell lines secrete more TNF-α than low-grade ones, and allow low-grade cell lines' gain of invasive ability. However, the molecular mechanism of TNF-α in mediating progression of RCC cells remains unclear. In the present study, TNF-α induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of RCC cells by repressing E-cadherin, promoting invasiveness and activating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 activity. RCC cells underwent promoted growth in vivo following stimulation with TNF-α. In addition, TNF-α induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Akt in a time-dependent manner, and increased nuclear translocation and promoter activity of NF-κB. To investigate the role of NF-κB activation in TNF-α-induced EMT of RCC, we employed chemical inhibitors (NF-κB activation inhibitor and Bay 11-7082) and transfected dominant-negative (pCMV-IκBαM) and overexpressive (pFLAG-p65) vectors of NF-κB. While overexpression of NF-κB p65 alone could induce E-cadherin loss in RCC, EMT phenotypes and MMP9 expressions induced by TNF-α were not reversed by the inhibitors of NF-κB activation. These results suggest that the TNF-α signaling pathway is involved in the tumorigenesis of RCC. However, NF-κB activation is not crucial for invasion and EMT enhanced by TNF-α in RCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Tang Wu
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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331
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Abstract
Inflammation is a fundamental protective response that sometimes goes awry and becomes a major cofactor in the pathogenesis of many chronic human diseases, including cancer. Here we review the evolutionary relationship and opposing functions of the transcription factor NF-κB in inflammation and cancer. Although it seems to fulfill a distinctly tumor-promoting role in many types of cancer, NF-κB has a confounding role in certain tumors. Understanding the activity and function of NF-κB in the context of tumorigenesis is critical for its successful taming, an important challenge for modern cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinon Ben-Neriah
- Lautenberg Center for Immunology, Institute for Medical Research-Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
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332
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von Knethen A, Neb H, Morbitzer V, Schmidt MV, Kuhn AM, Kuchler L, Brüne B. PPARγ stabilizes HO-1 mRNA in monocytes/macrophages which affects IFN-β expression. Free Radic Biol Med 2011; 51:396-405. [PMID: 21571064 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2010] [Revised: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 04/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
NADPH oxidase activation in either RAW264.7 cells or peritoneal macrophages (PM) derived from PPARγ wild-type mice increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, caused PPARγ activation, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction, and concomitant IFN-β expression. In macrophages transduced with a dominant negative (d/n) mutant of PPARγ (RAW264.7 AF2) as well as PPARγ negative PM derived from Mac-PPARγ-KO mice, NADPH oxidase-dependent IFN-β expression was attenuated. As the underlying mechanism, we noted decreased HO-1 mRNA stability in RAW264.7 AF2 cells as well as PPARγ negative PM, compared to either parent RAW264.7 cells or wild-type PM. Assuming mRNA stabilization of HO-1 by PPARγ we transfected macrophages with a HO-1 3'-UTR reporter construct. The PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone significantly up-regulated luciferase expression in RAW264.7 cells, while it remained unaltered in RAW264.7 AF2 macrophages. Deletion of each of two AU-rich elements in the 3'-UTR HO-1 decreased luciferase activity in RAW264.7 cells. Using LPS as a NADPH oxidase activator, PM from Mac-PPARγ-KO mice showed a decreased HO-1 mRNA half-life in vitro and in vivo compared to PPARγ wild-type mice. These data identified a so far unappreciated role of PPARγ in stabilizing HO-1 mRNA, thus, contributing to the expression of the HO-1 target gene IFN-β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas von Knethen
- Institute of Biochemistry I-Pathobiochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Germany.
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333
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Calvisi DF. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: a paradoxical oncogenic and tumor suppressive role of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in liver cancer. Hepatology 2011; 54:9-12. [PMID: 21608001 DOI: 10.1002/hep.24435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
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334
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Schneller D, Machat G, Sousek A, Proell V, van Zijl F, Zulehner G, Huber H, Mair M, Muellner MK, Nijman SMB, Eferl R, Moriggl R, Mikulits W. p19(ARF) /p14(ARF) controls oncogenic functions of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2011; 54:164-72. [PMID: 21452288 DOI: 10.1002/hep.24329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) is activated in a variety of malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Activation of Ras occurs frequently at advanced stages of HCC by aberrant signaling through growth factor receptors or inactivation of effectors negatively regulating Ras signaling. Here, we addressed the role of Stat3 in Ras-dependent HCC progression in the presence and absence of p19(ARF) /p14(ARF) . We show that constitutive active (ca) Stat3 is tumor suppressive in Ras-transformed p19(ARF-/-) hepatocytes, whereas the expression of Stat3 lacking Tyr(705) phosphorylation (U-Stat3) enhances tumor formation. Accordingly, Ras-transformed Stat3(Δhc) /p19(ARF-/-) hepatocytes (lacking Stat3 and p19(ARF) ) showed increased tumor growth, compared to those expressing Stat3, demonstrating a tumor-suppressor activity of Stat3 in cells lacking p19(ARF) . Notably, endogenous expression of p19(ARF) in Ras-transformed hepatocytes conveyed oncogenic Stat3 functions, resulting in augmented or reduced HCC progression after the expression of caStat3 or U-Stat3, respectively. In accord with these data, the knockdown of p14(ARF) (the human homolog of p19(ARF) ) in Hep3B cells was associated with reduced pY-Stat3 levels during tumor growth to circumvent the tumor-suppressive effect of Stat3. Inhibition of Janus kinases (Jaks) revealed that Jak causes pY-Stat3 activation independently of p14(ARF) levels, indicating that p14(ARF) controls the oncogenic function of pY-Stat3 downstream of Jak. CONCLUSION These data show evidence that p19(ARF) /p14(ARF) determines the pro- or anti-oncogenic activity of U-Stat3 and pY-Stat3 in Ras-dependent HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Schneller
- Department of Medicine I, Division: Institute of Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Mu Y, Gudey SK, Landström M. Non-Smad signaling pathways. Cell Tissue Res 2011; 347:11-20. [PMID: 21701805 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-011-1201-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 412] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2011] [Accepted: 06/03/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) is a key regulator of cell fate during embryogenesis and has also emerged as a potent driver of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition during tumor progression. TGFβ signals are transduced by transmembrane type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors (TβRI and TβRII, respectively). The activated TβR complex phosphorylates Smad2 and Smad3, converting them into transcriptional regulators that complex with Smad4. TGFβ also uses non-Smad signaling pathways such as the p38 and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways to convey its signals. Ubiquitin ligase tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and TGFβ-associated kinase 1 (TAK1) have recently been shown to be crucial for the activation of the p38 and JNK MAPK pathways. Other TGFβ-induced non-Smad signaling pathways include the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt-mTOR pathway, the small GTPases Rho, Rac, and Cdc42, and the Ras-Erk-MAPK pathway. Signals induced by TGFβ are tightly regulated and specified by post-translational modifications of the signaling components, since they dictate the subcellular localization, activity, and duration of the signal. In this review, we discuss recent findings in the field of TGFβ-induced responses by non-Smad signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabing Mu
- Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden
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Shimizu M, Sakai H, Shirakami Y, Yasuda Y, Kubota M, Terakura D, Baba A, Ohno T, Hara Y, Tanaka T, Moriwaki H. Preventive effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate on diethylnitrosamine-induced liver tumorigenesis in obese and diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db/db Mice. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2011; 4:396-403. [PMID: 21372039 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-10-0331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Obesity and related metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance and a state of chronic inflammation, increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Abnormal activation of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)/ IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) axis is also involved in obesity-related liver tumorigenesis. In the present study, we examined the effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major biologically active component of green tea, on the development of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver tumorigenesis in C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) obese mice. Male db/db mice were given tap water containing 40 ppm DEN for 2 weeks and then they received drinking water containing 0.1% EGCG for 34 weeks. At sacrifice, drinking water with EGCG significantly inhibited the development of liver cell adenomas in comparison with the control EGCG-untreated group. EGCG inhibited the phosphorylation of the IGF-1R, ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), Akt, GSK-3β (glycogen synthase kinase-3β), Stat3, and JNK (c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase) proteins in the livers of experimental mice. The serum levels of insulin, IGF-1, IGF-2, free fatty acid, and TNF-α were all decreased by drinking EGCG, which also decreased the expression of TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and IL-18 mRNAs in the livers. In addition, EGCG improved liver steatosis and activated the AMP-activated kinase protein in the liver. These findings suggest that EGCG prevents obesity-related liver tumorigenesis by inhibiting the IGF/IGF-1R axis, improving hyperinsulinemia, and attenuating chronic inflammation. EGCG, therefore, may be useful in the chemoprevention of liver tumorigenesis in obese individuals. Cancer Prev Res; 4(3); 396-403. ©2011 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Shimizu
- Department of Medicine, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
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337
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Wang H, Lafdil F, Wang L, Park O, Yin S, Niu J, Miller AM, Sun Z, Gao B. Hepatoprotective versus oncogenic functions of STAT3 in liver tumorigenesis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 179:714-24. [PMID: 21684247 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2011] [Revised: 04/25/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Aberrantly hyperactivated STAT3 has been found in human liver cancers as an oncogene; however, STAT3 has also been shown to exert hepatoprotective effects during liver injury. The balancing act that STAT3 plays between hepatoprotection and liver tumorigenesis remains poorly defined. In this study, the diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver tumor model and the chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver fibrosis model were both used to investigate the role of STAT3 in liver tumorigenesis. Hepatocyte-specific STAT3 knockout mice were resistant to liver tumorigenesis induced by a single DEN injection, whose tumorigenesis was associated with minimal chronic liver inflammation, injury, and fibrosis. In contrast, long-term CCl(4) treatment resulted in severe hepatic oxidative damage, inflammation, and fibrosis but rarely induced liver tumor formation in wild-type mice. Despite the oncogenic function of STAT3 in DEN-induced liver tumor, hepatocyte-specific STAT3 knockout mice were more susceptible to liver tumorigenesis after 16 weeks of CCl(4) injection, which was associated with higher levels of liver injury, inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative DNA damage compared with wild-type mice. These findings suggest that the hepatoprotective feature of STAT3 prevents hepatic damage and fibrosis under the condition of persistent inflammatory stress, consequently suppressing injury-driven liver tumor initiation. Once liver tumor cells have developed, STAT3 likely acts as an oncogenic factor to promote tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wang
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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338
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Bard-Chapeau EA, Li S, Ding J, Zhang SS, Zhu HH, Princen F, Fang DD, Han T, Bailly-Maitre B, Poli V, Varki NM, Wang H, Feng GS. Ptpn11/Shp2 acts as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. Cancer Cell 2011; 19:629-39. [PMID: 21575863 PMCID: PMC3098128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2011.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2010] [Revised: 02/01/2011] [Accepted: 03/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The human gene Ptpn11, which encodes the tyrosine phosphatase Shp2, may act as a proto-oncogene because dominantly activating mutations have been detected in several types of leukemia. Herein we report a tumor-suppressor function of Shp2. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of Shp2 promotes inflammatory signaling through the Stat3 pathway and hepatic inflammation/necrosis, resulting in regenerative hyperplasia and development of tumors in aged mice. Furthermore, Shp2 ablation dramatically enhanced diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, which was abolished by concurrent deletion of Shp2 and Stat3 in hepatocytes. Decreased Shp2 expression was detected in a subfraction of human HCC specimens. Thus, in contrast to the leukemogenic effect of dominant-active mutants, Ptpn11/Shp2 has a tumor-suppressor function in liver.
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MESH Headings
- Adenoma, Liver Cell/enzymology
- Adenoma, Liver Cell/genetics
- Adenoma, Liver Cell/pathology
- Animals
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/chemically induced
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/enzymology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/prevention & control
- Cytokines/blood
- Cytokines/genetics
- Diethylnitrosamine
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Hepatitis/enzymology
- Hepatitis/genetics
- Hepatitis/pathology
- Humans
- Hyperplasia
- Inflammation Mediators/blood
- Interleukin-6/administration & dosage
- Lipopolysaccharides/administration & dosage
- Liver/drug effects
- Liver/enzymology
- Liver/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms/chemically induced
- Liver Neoplasms/enzymology
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms/prevention & control
- Liver Regeneration
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Necrosis
- Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11/analysis
- Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11/deficiency
- Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11/genetics
- Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 11/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Mas
- STAT3 Transcription Factor/deficiency
- STAT3 Transcription Factor/genetics
- Signal Transduction
- Time Factors
- Tumor Suppressor Proteins/deficiency
- Tumor Suppressor Proteins/genetics
- Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie A. Bard-Chapeau
- Department of Pathology, and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0864
- Sanford/Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Shuangwei Li
- Department of Pathology, and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0864
| | - Jin Ding
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China 200433
| | - Sharon S. Zhang
- Department of Pathology, and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0864
| | - Helen H. Zhu
- Department of Pathology, and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0864
| | - Frederic Princen
- Sanford/Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Diane D. Fang
- Department of Pathology, and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0864
| | - Tao Han
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China 200433
| | | | - Valeria Poli
- Department of Genetics, Biology, and Biochemistry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Nissi M. Varki
- Department of Pathology, and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0864
| | - Hongyang Wang
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China 200433
| | - Gen-Sheng Feng
- Department of Pathology, and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0864
- Sanford/Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China 200433
- To whom the correspondence should be addressed: Dr. Gen-Sheng Feng, Tel: (858) 822-5441; Fax: (858) 822-1966,
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339
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Wang H, Lafdil F, Kong X, Gao B. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in liver diseases: a novel therapeutic target. Int J Biol Sci 2011; 7:536-50. [PMID: 21552420 PMCID: PMC3088876 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.7.536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 04/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that is activated by many cytokines and growth factors and plays a key role in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. STAT3 activation is detected virtually in all rodent models of liver injury and in human liver diseases. In this review, we highlight recent advances of STAT3 signaling in liver injury, steatosis, inflammation, regeneration, fibrosis, and hepatocarcinogenesis. The cytokines and small molecules that activate STAT3 in hepatocytes may have therapeutic benefits to treat acute liver injury, fatty liver disease, and alcoholic hepatitis, while blockage of STAT3 may have a therapeutic potential to prevent and treat liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wang
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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340
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Lüth S, Schrader J, Zander S, Carambia A, Buchkremer J, Huber S, Reifenberg K, Yamamura KI, Schirmacher P, Lohse AW, Herkel J. Chronic inflammatory IFN-γ signaling suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis in mice by sensitizing hepatocytes for apoptosis. Cancer Res 2011; 71:3763-71. [PMID: 21512142 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-10-3232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chronic liver inflammation is a critical component of hepatocarcinogenesis. Indeed, inflammatory mediators are believed to promote liver cancer by upholding compensatory proliferation of hepatocytes in response to tissue damage. However, inflammation can also mediate the depletion of malignant cells, but the difference between tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting inflammation is not defined at the molecular level. Here, we analyzed the role of the major inflammatory mediator IFN-γ in chemical hepatocarcinogenesis of transgenic mice that overexpress IFN-γ in the liver; these mice manifest severe chronic inflammatory liver damage and lasting compensatory regeneration. We found that chronic exposure to IFN-γ suppressed chemical hepatocarcinogenesis, despite overt liver injury. Indeed, IFN-γ-transgenic mice had significantly fewer and significantly less advanced malignant lesions than nontransgenic mice. This tumor-suppressive effect of IFN-γ seemed to be mediated in part by its known immune activating function, indicated by infiltration of IFN-γ-transgenic livers with CD8 T cells, natural killer T cells, and natural killer cells. However, IFN-γ seemed to prevent carcinogenesis also by activating the cell-intrinsic p53 tumor suppressor pathway. Indeed, exposure to IFN-γ in vivo or in vitro was associated with accumulation of p53 in hepatocytes and the sensitization of hepatocytes to apoptosis induced by genotoxic stress. The IFN-γ-induced increase in apoptosis of hepatocytes seemed to be p53 dependent. Thus, chronic inflammation dominated by IFN-γ may prevent hepatocarcinogenesis, despite continued inflammatory liver injury and regeneration. Therefore, the carcinogenic potential of inflammation seems to be determined by type and composition of its mediators and manipulating the type of chronic inflammation may serve the prevention of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Lüth
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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341
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Lesina M, Kurkowski MU, Ludes K, Rose-John S, Treiber M, Klöppel G, Yoshimura A, Reindl W, Sipos B, Akira S, Schmid RM, Algül H. Stat3/Socs3 activation by IL-6 transsignaling promotes progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and development of pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell 2011; 19:456-69. [PMID: 21481788 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2011.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 668] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2010] [Revised: 12/01/2010] [Accepted: 03/07/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Physiological levels of Kras(G12D) are sufficient to induce pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs); the mechanisms that drive PanIN progression are unknown. Here, we establish that, in addition to oncogenic Kras(G12D), IL-6 transsignaling-dependent activation of Stat3/Socs3 is required to promote PanIN progression and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Myeloid compartment induces Stat3 activation by secreting IL-6; consequently, IL-6 transsignaling activates Stat3 in the pancreas. Using genetic tools, we show that inactivation of IL-6 transsignaling or Stat3 inhibits PanIN progression and reduces the development of PDAC. Aberrant activation of Stat3 through homozygous deletion of Socs3 in the pancreas accelerates PanIN progression and PDAC development. Our data describe the involvement of IL-6 transsignaling/Stat3/Socs3 in PanIN progression and PDAC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Lesina
- II. Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
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342
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver tumor, is notoriously resistant to systemic therapies, and often recurs even after aggressive local therapies. HCCs rely on the formation of new blood vessels for growth, and VEGF is critical in this process. A hallmark of new vessel formation in tumors is their structural and functional abnormality. This leads to an abnormal tumor microenvironment characterized by low oxygen tension. The liver is perfused by both arterial and venous blood and the resulting abnormal microenvironment selects for more-aggressive malignancies. Anti-VEGF therapy with sorafenib was the first systemic therapy to demonstrate improved survival in patients with advanced-stage HCC. This important development in the treatment of HCC raises hope as well as critical questions on the future development of targeted agents including other antiangiogenic agents, which hold promise to further increase survival in this aggressive disease.
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343
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Llorente Izquierdo C, Mayoral R, Flores JM, García-Palencia P, Cucarella C, Boscá L, Casado M, Martín-Sanz P. Transgenic mice expressing cyclooxygenase-2 in hepatocytes reveal a minor contribution of this enzyme to chemical hepatocarcinogenesis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 178:1361-73. [PMID: 21356386 PMCID: PMC3069875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2010.11.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2010] [Revised: 10/21/2010] [Accepted: 11/23/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been associated with cell growth regulation, tissue remodeling, and carcinogenesis. Ectopic expression of COX-2 in hepatocytes constitutes a nonphysiological condition ideal for evaluating the role of prostaglandins (PGs) in liver pathogenesis. The effect of COX-2-dependent PGs in chronic liver disease, hepatitis, fibrosis, and chemical hepatocarcinogenesis, has been investigated in transgenic (Tg) mice that express human COX-2 in hepatocytes and in Tg hepatic human cell lines. We have used three different complementary approaches: i) diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced chemical hepatocarcinogenesis in COX-2 Tg mice, ii) DEN/phenobarbital treatment of human COX-2 Tg hepatocyte-like cells, and iii) COX-2 Tg hepatocyte-like cells implants in nude mice. The data suggest that PGs produced by COX-2 in hepatocytes promoted mild hepatitis in 60-week-old mice, as assessed by histological examination, but failed to contribute to the development of liver fibrogenesis after methionine- and choline-deficient diet treatment. Moreover, liver injury, collagen content, and hepatic stellate cell activation were equally severe in wild-type and COX-2 Tg mice. The contribution of COX-2-dependent PGs to the development of DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis was evaluated in Tg mice, Tg hepatocyte-like cells, and nude mice and the analysis revealed that COX-2 expression favors the development of preneoplastic foci without affecting malignant transformation. Endogenous COX-2 expression in wild-type mice is a late event in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael Mayoral
- Institute of Biomedical Research Alberto Sols (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Centre Network of Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juana María Flores
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar García-Palencia
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carme Cucarella
- Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Lisardo Boscá
- Institute of Biomedical Research Alberto Sols (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Centre Network of Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Casado
- Biomedical Research Centre Network of Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Address reprint requests to Paloma Martín-Sanz, Ph.D., or Marta Casado, Ph.D., Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-UAM Madrid, Arturo Duperier, 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Martín-Sanz
- Institute of Biomedical Research Alberto Sols (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Centre Network of Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
- Address reprint requests to Paloma Martín-Sanz, Ph.D., or Marta Casado, Ph.D., Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-UAM Madrid, Arturo Duperier, 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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344
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Yokoo H, Yasuda J, Nakanishi K, Chuma M, Kamiyama T, Todo S, Hirohashi S, Sakamoto M. Clinicopathological significance of nuclear factor-κB activation in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Res 2011; 41:240-9. [PMID: 21272165 DOI: 10.1111/j.1872-034x.2010.00758.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
AIM Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a critical signaling mediator in inflammation, apoptosis resistance and oncogenesis. It has been reported that NF-κB is activated in several cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Studies of genetic disruptions in mice also suggest that NF-κB plays critical roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. The aim of the present study is to characterize NF-κB activation and correlate it with the degree of malignancy in HCC. METHODS To examine the correlation between the positivity of the nuclear p50 subunit and HCC recurrence, we analyzed immunostaining of the NF-κB p50 subunit in two groups of HCC samples with known prognosis and Akt phosphorylation status: 49 patients showing early recurrence within 6 months (group A) and 50 patients who were recurrence-free for at least for 3 years (group B). RESULTS In group A, positive nuclear staining of p50 was shown in 18 cases (36.7%), whereas only one case (2.0%) in group B had positive nuclear staining of p50 (P = 2.48839 × 10(-5) ). This suggests a positive relationship between nuclear p50 and early recurrence and advanced HCC in humans. The presence of phosphorylated Akt correlated with nuclear staining of p50 in HCCs in group A (R(2) = 0.213, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our results indicate that nuclear staining of p50 was clearly associated with early recurrent HCC, and the Akt pathway might play a role in NF-κB activation in a subset of early recurrent HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Yokoo
- Pathology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute Department of Cell Biology, JFCR Cancer Institute Department of Pathology, Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo Department of General Surgery, Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Medicine, and Department of Gastroenterology, Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
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345
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Luedde T, Schwabe RF. NF-κB in the liver--linking injury, fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2011; 8:108-18. [PMID: 21293511 PMCID: PMC3295539 DOI: 10.1038/nrgastro.2010.213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 982] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the most common causes of death in patients with chronic liver disease. Chronic liver injury of virtually any etiology triggers inflammatory and wound-healing responses that in the long run promote the development of hepatic fibrosis and HCC. Here, we review the role of the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a master regulator of inflammation and cell death, in the development of hepatocellular injury, liver fibrosis and HCC, with a particular focus on the role of NF-κB in different cellular compartments of the liver. We propose that NF-κB acts as a central link between hepatic injury, fibrosis and HCC, and that it may represent a target for the prevention or treatment of liver fibrosis and HCC. However, NF-κB acts as a two-edged sword and inhibition of NF-κB may not only exert beneficial effects but also negatively impact hepatocyte viability, especially when NF-κB inhibition is pronounced. Finding appropriate targets or identifying drugs that either exert only a moderate effect on NF-κB activity or that can be specifically delivered to nonparenchymal cells will be essential to avoid the increase in liver injury associated with complete NF-κB blockade in hepatocytes.
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346
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Mitogen-activated protein kinases in hepatocellular carcinoma development. Semin Cancer Biol 2011; 21:10-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2010.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2010] [Revised: 10/05/2010] [Accepted: 10/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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347
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major form of primary liver cancer, is one of the most deadly human cancers. The pathogenesis of HCC is frequently linked with continuous hepatocyte death, inflammatory cell infiltration and compensatory liver regeneration. Understanding the molecular signaling pathways driving or mediating these processes during liver tumorigenesis is important for the identification of novel therapeutic targets for this dreadful disease. The classical IKKβ-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway has been shown to promote hepatocyte survival in both developing and adult livers. In addition, it also plays a crucial role in liver inflammatory responses by controlling the expression of an array of growth factors and cytokines. One of these cytokines is IL-6, which is best known for its role in the liver acute phase response. IL-6 exerts many of its functions via activation of STAT3, a transcription factor found to be important for HCC development. This review will focus on recent studies on the roles of NF-κB and STAT3 in liver cancer. Interactions between the two pathways and their potential as therapeutic targets will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guobin He
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0723, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
- Current address: Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., 1896 Rutherford Road, Carlsbad, CA 92008–7326. E-mail:
| | - Michael Karin
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0723, La Jolla, CA 92093-0723, USA
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348
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IL-1β-driven neutrophilia preserves antibacterial defense in the absence of the kinase IKKβ. Nat Immunol 2010. [PMID: 21170027 DOI: 10.1038/ni.1976.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factor NF-κB and its activating kinase IKKβ are associated with inflammation and are believed to be critical for innate immunity. Despite the likelihood of immune suppression, pharmacological blockade of IKKβ-NF-κB has been considered as a therapeutic strategy. However, we found neutrophilia in mice with inducible deletion of IKKβ (Ikkβ(Δ) mice). These mice had hyperproliferative granulocyte-macrophage progenitors and pregranulocytes and a prolonged lifespan of mature neutrophils that correlated with the induction of genes encoding prosurvival molecules. Deletion of interleukin 1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1) in Ikkβ(Δ) mice normalized blood cellularity and prevented neutrophil-driven inflammation. However, Ikkβ(Δ)Il1r1(-/-) mice, unlike Ikkβ(Δ) mice, were highly susceptible to bacterial infection, which indicated that signaling via IKKβ-NF-κB or IL-1R1 can maintain antimicrobial defenses in each other's absence, whereas inactivation of both pathways severely compromises innate immunity.
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349
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IL-1β-driven neutrophilia preserves antibacterial defense in the absence of the kinase IKKβ. Nat Immunol 2010; 12:144-50. [PMID: 21170027 DOI: 10.1038/ni.1976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2010] [Accepted: 11/19/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factor NF-κB and its activating kinase IKKβ are associated with inflammation and are believed to be critical for innate immunity. Despite the likelihood of immune suppression, pharmacological blockade of IKKβ-NF-κB has been considered as a therapeutic strategy. However, we found neutrophilia in mice with inducible deletion of IKKβ (Ikkβ(Δ) mice). These mice had hyperproliferative granulocyte-macrophage progenitors and pregranulocytes and a prolonged lifespan of mature neutrophils that correlated with the induction of genes encoding prosurvival molecules. Deletion of interleukin 1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1) in Ikkβ(Δ) mice normalized blood cellularity and prevented neutrophil-driven inflammation. However, Ikkβ(Δ)Il1r1(-/-) mice, unlike Ikkβ(Δ) mice, were highly susceptible to bacterial infection, which indicated that signaling via IKKβ-NF-κB or IL-1R1 can maintain antimicrobial defenses in each other's absence, whereas inactivation of both pathways severely compromises innate immunity.
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350
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NF-κB, JNK, and TLR Signaling Pathways in Hepatocarcinogenesis. Gastroenterol Res Pract 2010; 2010:367694. [PMID: 21151655 PMCID: PMC2995932 DOI: 10.1155/2010/367694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2010] [Accepted: 10/22/2010] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third largest cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The role of molecular changes in HCC have been used to identify prognostic markers and chemopreventive or therapeutic targets. It seems that toll-like receptors (TLRs) as well as the nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and JNK pathways are critical regulators for the production of the cytokines associated with tumor promotion. The cross-talk between an inflammatory cell and a neoplastic cell, which is instigated by the activation of NF-κB and JNKs, is critical for tumor organization. JNKs also regulate cell proliferation and act as oncogenes, making them the main tumor-promoting protein kinases. TLRs play roles in cytokine and hepatomitogen expression mainly in myeloid cells and may promote liver tumorigenesis. A better understanding of these signaling pathways in the liver will help us understand the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis and provide a new therapeutic target for HCC.
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