Interleukin-1β/Iinterleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 inflammatory signaling contributes to persistent Gankyrin activation during hepatocarcinogenesis

IL-1 receptor-associated kinase family proteins: An overview of their role in liver disease

The interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) family is a group of serine-threonine kinases that regulates various cellular processes via toll-like receptor (TLR)/interleukin-1 receptor (IL1R)-mediated signaling. The IRAK family comprises four members, including IRAK1, IRAK2, IRAK3, and IRAK4, which play an important role in the expression of various inflammatory genes, thereby contributing to the inflammatory response. IRAKs are key proteins in chronic and acute liver diseases, and recent evidence has implicated IRAK family proteins (IRAK1, IRAK3, and IRAK4) in the progression of liver-related disorders, including alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, hepatitis virus infection, acute liver failure, liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the role of IRAK family proteins and their associated inflammatory signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. The purpose of this study is to explore whether IRAK family proteins can serve as the main target for the treatment of liver related diseases.

Anticancer effect of propranolol on diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma rat model

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most widespread type of primary liver cancer. Diethylnitrosamine (DEN), a hepatotoxic hepatocarcinogenic compound, is used to induce HCC in animal models. The non-selective β-blocker propranolol demonstrated antiproliferative activity in many cancer types.

OBJECTIVE

This investigation aimed to evaluate the anticancer effect of propranolol against DEN-induced HCC in rats.

METHODS

Thirty adult male rats were divided into the following groups: Group I (C, control), Group II (HCC); received DEN, 70 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) once a week for 10 weeks, to induce HCC, and Group III (HCC/Prop); received DEN for 10 weeks for HCC induction, then received 20 mg/kg b.wt. propranolol, intraperitoneally for four successive weeks.

RESULTS

HCC was developed in rats' livers and confirmed via significant liver architecture changes, significantly elevated activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), α-fetoprotein (AFP), total- and direct-bilirubin (Bil), and a decline in albumin (ALB) level in serum. HCC group demonstrated elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), HIF-1α, IL-8, NF-κB, PGE2, TGF-β1, VEGF, and CD8, but significant decline of GSH, and IL-10 level, with suppression of the antioxidant enzymes' activities. In addition, the gene expression of the hepatic inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and LAG-3 were up-regulated. Moreover, the protein expression of p-PKC was up-regulated, while that of PD-1 and PD-L1 were down-regulated in the liver tissues of the HCC group. However, propranolol ameliorated the investigated parameters in the HCC/Prop group.

CONCLUSION

Propranolol exhibited an anticancer effect and thus can be considered as a promising treatment for HCC. Blocking of PD-1/PD-L1 and LAG-3 signals participated in the anti-tumor effect of propranolol on HCC.

Interleukin-1 receptor 1 deficiency worsens hepatocellular carcinoma, while gemcitabine treatment alleviates the hepatocellular carcinoma-induced increase in intra-hepatic immune cells

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Primary liver cancer, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), represents a substantial global health challenge. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors are effective in HCC treatment, several patients still experience disease progression. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) regulates immunity and inflammation. We investigate the role of IL-1 in HCC development and progression and determine the potential therapeutic impact of gemcitabine in treating HCC.

METHODS

Hydrodynamics-based transfection, employing the sleeping beauty transposase system, delivered surrogate tumor antigens, NRAS (NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase), ShP53, and SB100 to C57BL/6 mice. A basic HCC mouse model was established. Pathogen-free animals were tested for serum and hepatotoxicity. The HCC prognosis was monitored using alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels. Liver histology immunohistochemistry and mouse splenocyte/intra-hepatic immune cell flow cytometry were conducted. IL-1β levels in human and mouse serum were assessed.

RESULTS

Interleukin-1β levels were elevated in patients with HCC compared with those in non-HCC controls. Hepatic IL-1β levels were higher in HCC mouse models than those in non-HCC mice, suggesting localized hepatic inflammation. IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1) knockout (IL-1R1-/-) mice exhibited less severe HCC progression than that in wild-type mice, despite the high intra-hepatic IL-1β concentration. IL-1R1-/- mice exhibited increased hepatic levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells, which may exacerbate HCC. Gemcitabine significantly reduced the HCC tumor burden, improved liver conditions, and increased survival rates in HCC mouse models. Gemcitabine reduced the hepatic levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells, potentially alleviating immune suppression in the liver.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeting IL-1 or combining gemcitabine with immunotherapy is a promising approach for treating advanced-stage HCC.

SPG21, a potential oncogene targeted by miR-128-3p, amplifies HBx-induced carcinogenesis and chemoresistance via activation of TRPM7-mediated JNK pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma

PURPOSE

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the primary risk factor for the malignant progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been reported that HBV X protein (HBx) possesses oncogenic properties, promoting hepatocarcinogenesis and chemoresistance. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we aim to investigate the effects of miR-128-3p/SPG21 axis on HBx-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and chemoresistance.

METHODS

The expression of SPG21 in HCC was determined using bioinformatics analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The roles of SPG21 in HCC were elucidated through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, including real-time cellular analysis (RTCA), matrigel invasion assay, and xenograft mouse model. Pharmacologic treatment and flow cytometry were performed to demonstrate the potential mechanism of SPG21 in HCC.

RESULTS

SPG21 expression was elevated in HCC tissues compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues (NTs). Moreover, higher SPG21 expression correlated with poor overall survival. Functional assays revealed that SPG21 fostered HCC tumorigenesis and invasion. MiR-128-3p, which targeted SPG21, was downregulated in HCC tissues. Subsequent analyses showed that HBx amplified TRPM7-mediated calcium influx via miR-128-3p/SPG21, thereby activating the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. Furthermore, HBx inhibited doxorubicin-induced apoptosis by engaging the JNK pathway through miR-128-3p/SPG21.

CONCLUSION

The study suggested that SPG21, targeted by miR-128-3p, might be involved in enhancing HBx-induced carcinogenesis and doxorubicin resistance in HCC via the TRPM7/Ca2+/JNK signaling pathway. This insight suggested that SPG21 could be recognized as a potential oncogene, offering a novel perspective on its role as a prognostic factor and a therapeutic target in the context of HCC.

Interleukin-1β: Friend or foe for gastrointestinal cancers

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is a malignancy arising in the digestive system and accounts for approximately a third of increasing global cancer-related mortality, especially in the colorectum, esophagus, stomach, and liver. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a leukocytic pyrogen recognized as a tumor progression-related cytokine. IL-1β secretion and maturation in inflammatory responses could be regulated by nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent expression of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3, inflammasome formation, and activation of IL-1 converting enzyme. Several studies have documented the pro-tumorigenic effects of IL-1β in tumor microenvironments, promoting proliferation and metastatic potential of cancer cells in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. The application of IL-1β inhibitors is also promising for targeted therapy development in some cancer types. However, as a leukocytic pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-1β may also possess anti-tumorigenic effects and be type-specific in different cancers. This editorial discusses the up-to-date roles of IL-1β in GI cancers, including underlying mechanisms and downstream signaling pathways. Understanding and clarifying the roles of IL-1β would significantly benefit future therapeutic targeting and help improve therapeutic outcomes in patients suffering from GI cancer.

Uncovering the key pharmacodynamic material basis and possible molecular mechanism of extract of Epimedium against liver cancer through a comprehensive investigation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Liver cancer is a worldwide malignant tumor, and currently lacks effective treatments. Clinical studies have shown that epimedium (YYH) has therapeutic effects on liver cancer, and some of its prenylflavonoids have demonstrated anti-liver cancer activity through multiple mechanisms. However, there is still a need for systematic research to uncover the key pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of YYH.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to screen the anti-cancer material basis of YYH via integrating spectrum-effect analysis with serum pharmacochemistry, and explore the multi-target mechanisms of YYH against liver cancer by combining network pharmacology with metabolomics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The anti-cancer effect of the extract of YYH (E-YYH) was first evaluated in mice with xenotransplantation H22 tumor cells burden and cultured hepatic cells. Then, the interaction between E-YYH compounds and the cytotoxic effects was revealed through spectrum-effect relationship analysis. And the cytotoxic effects of screened compounds were verified in hepatic cells. Next, UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS was employed to identify the absorbed components of E-YYH in rat plasma to distinguish anti-cancer components. Subsequently, network pharmacology based on anti-cancer materials and metabolomics were used to discover the potential anti-tumor mechanisms of YYH. Key targets and biomarkers were identified and pathway enrichment analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The anti-cancer effect of E-YYH was verified through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Six anti-cancer compounds in plasma (icariin, baohuoside Ⅰ, epimedin C, 2″-O-rhamnosyl icariside Ⅱ, epimedin B and sagittatoside B) were screened out by spectrum-effect analysis. Forty-five liver-cancer-related targets were connected with these compounds. Among these targets, PTGS2, TNF, NOS3 and PPARG were considered to be the potential key targets preliminarily verified by molecular docking. Meanwhile, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and arachidonic acid metabolism were found to be associated with E-YYH's efficacy in network pharmacology and metabolomics analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research revealed the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway mechanism of E-YYH. This study also provided an experimental basis and scientific evidence for the clinical application and rational development of YYH.

Inflammasome-Mediated Cytokines: A Key Connection between Obesity-Associated NASH and Liver Cancer Progression

Liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies and is commonly diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a tumor type that affects about 90% of patients. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and obesity are both risk factors for this disease. HCC initiation and progression are deeply linked with changes in the hepatic microenvironment, with cytokines playing key roles. The understanding of the pathogenic pathways that connect these disorders to liver cancer remains poor. However, the inflammasome-mediated cytokines associated with both diseases are central actors in liver cancer progression. The release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 during inflammasome activation leads to several detrimental effects on the liver microenvironment. Considering the critical crosstalk between obesity, NASH, and HCC, this review will present the connections of IL-1β and IL-18 from obesity-associated NASH with HCC and will discuss approaches to using these cytokines as therapeutic targets against HCC.

Decoding multilevel relationships with the human tissue-cell-molecule network

Understanding the biological functions of molecules in specific human tissues or cell types is crucial for gaining insights into human physiology and disease. To address this issue, it is essential to systematically uncover associations among multilevel elements consisting of disease phenotypes, tissues, cell types and molecules, which could pose a challenge because of their heterogeneity and incompleteness. To address this challenge, we describe a new methodological framework, called Graph Local InfoMax (GLIM), based on a human multilevel network (HMLN) that we established by introducing multiple tissues and cell types on top of molecular networks. GLIM can systematically mine the potential relationships between multilevel elements by embedding the features of the HMLN through contrastive learning. Our simulation results demonstrated that GLIM consistently outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms in disease gene prediction. Moreover, GLIM was also successfully used to infer cell markers and rewire intercellular and molecular interactions in the context of specific tissues or diseases. As a typical case, the tissue-cell-molecule network underlying gastritis and gastric cancer was first uncovered by GLIM, providing systematic insights into the mechanism underlying the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. Overall, our constructed methodological framework has the potential to systematically uncover complex disease mechanisms and mine high-quality relationships among phenotypical, tissue, cellular and molecular elements.

Role of Interleukin-1 in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer: A brief look at anakinra therapy

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is known as one of the deadliest and most common cancers globally and causes nearly one million cancer deaths yearly. Like many malignancies, the immune system and its components play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CRC. As multifunction mediators of the immune system, cytokines are involved in several inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) belongs to a family of 11 members and is involved in inflammatory responses. Beyond its biological role as a mediator of innate immune responses, it is also seen in chronic stress and inflammation and numerous pathological states. The role of IL-1 in malignancies can also be very significant because it has recently been shown that this cytokine can also be secreted from tumor cells and induce the recruitment of myeloid-derived immunosuppressive cells. As a result, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is affected and, despite being inflammatory, causes the onset and progression of tumor cells. Since surgery and chemotherapy are the first choices to treat patients with cancer, especially CRC, it is usually not well-prognosed, particularly in patients with metastatic lesions CRC. Therefore, targeted therapy may prolong the overall survival of CRC patients. Furthermore, evidence shows that anakinra has had satisfactory results in treating CRC. Therefore, this review summarized the role of IL-1 in the pathogenesis of CRC as well as immunotherapy based on inhibition of this cytokine in this type of cancer.

Combination of ShuangDan Capsule and Sorafenib Inhibits Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Via PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 Pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a high mortality liver cancer. The existing treatments (transplantation, chemotherapy, and individualized treatment) with limitations. However, drug combination provides a viable option for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. A Chinese patent medicine, ShuangDan Capsules (SDC), has been clinically prescribed to hepatocellular carcinoma patients as adjuvant therapy and has shown good antitumor activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether SDC could improve the anti-cancer effect and mitigate adverse reactions of sorafenib on HCC in vivo. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), immunohistochemistry, and western blot were executed to reveal the potential mechanisms of the combination of SDC and sorafenib on HCC. Tumors appeared hyperintense on T2 sequence images relative to the adjacent normal liver in MRI. Combination of SDC and sorafenib inhibited the progression of DEN (Diethylnitrosamine)-induced HCC. In the HepG2 xenografts model, sorafenib plus SDC exhibited greater suppression on tumor growth than individual treatment accompanied with decreased expression of VEGF, VEGFA, Ki67, CD31 and increased expression of caspase-3. Furthermore, PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway was inhibited by co-administration. Sorafenib monotherapy elicited hepatotoxicity for specific expression in the up-regulated level of aspartate transaminase (AST) and AST/glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT) ratio, but the co-administration could remedy this adverse effect. These dates indicated that the combination of SDC and sorafenib might offer a potential therapy for HCC.

Chemotherapy: a double-edged sword in cancer treatment

Chemotherapy is a well-known and effective treatment for different cancers; unfortunately, it has not been as efficient in the eradication of all cancer cells as been expected. The mechanism of this failure was not fully clarified, yet. Meanwhile, alterations in the physiologic conditions of the tumor microenvironment (TME) were suggested as one of the underlying possibilities. Chemotherapy drugs can activate multiple signaling pathways and augment the secretion of inflammatory mediators. Inflammation may show two opposite roles in the TME. On the one hand, inflammation, as an innate immune response, tries to suppress tumor growth but on the other hand, it might be not powerful enough to eradicate the cancer cells and even it can provide appropriate conditions for cancer promotion and relapse as well. Therefore, the administration of mild anti-inflammatory drugs during chemotherapy might result in more successful clinical results. Here, we will review and discuss this hypothesis. Most chemotherapy agents are triggers of inflammation in the tumor microenvironment through inducing the production of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) molecules. Some chemotherapy agents can induce systematic inflammation by provoking TLR4 signaling or triggering IL-1B secretion through the inflammasome pathway. NF-kB and MAPK are key signaling pathways of inflammation and could be activated by several chemotherapy drugs. Furthermore, inflammation can play a key role in cancer development, metastasis and exacerbation.

SMARCA4 oncogenic potential via IRAK1 enhancer to activate Gankyrin and AKR1B10 in liver cancer

SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) is a multiprotein complex essential for the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. SWI/SNF complex genes are genetically altered in over 20% of human malignancies, but the aberrant regulation of the SWI/SNF subunit genes and subsequent dysfunction caused by abnormal expression of subunit gene in cancer, remain poorly understood. Among the SWI/SNF subunit genes, SMARCA4, SMARCC1, and SMARCA2 were identified to be overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Modulation of SMARCA4, SMARCC1, and SMARCA2 inhibited in vitro tumorigenesis of HCC cells. However, SMARCA4-targeting elicited remarkable inhibition in an in vivo Ras-transgenic mouse HCC model (Ras-Tg), and high expression levels of SMARCA4 significantly associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. Furthermore, most HCC patients (72-86%) showed SMARCA4 overexpression compared to healthy controls. To identify SMARCA4-specific active enhancers, mapping, and analysis of chromatin state in liver cancer cells were performed. Integrative analysis of SMARCA4-regulated genes and active chromatin enhancers suggested 37 genes that are strongly activated by SMARCA4 in HCC. Through chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR and luciferase assays, we demonstrated that SMARCA4 activates Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) expression through IRAK1 active enhancer in HCC. We then showed that transcriptional activation of IRAK1 induces oncoprotein Gankyrin and aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) in HCC. The regulatory mechanism of the SMARCA4-IRAK1-Gankyrin, AKR1B10 axis was further demonstrated in HCC cells and in vivo Ras-Tg mice. Our results suggest that aberrant overexpression of SMARCA4 causes SWI/SNF to promote IRAK1 enhancer to activate oncoprotein Gankyrin and AKR1B10, thereby contributing to hepatocarcinogenesis.

Lipopolysaccharide-regulated secretion of soluble and vesicle-based proteins from a panel of colorectal cancer cell lines

PURPOSE

To mimic the perioperative microenvironment where bacterial products get in contact with colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and study its impact on protein release, we exposed six CRC cell lines to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and investigated the effect on the secretome using in-depth mass spectrometry-based proteomics.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Cancer cell secretome was harvested in bio-duplicate after LPS treatment, and separated in EV and soluble secretome (SS) fractions. Gel-fractionated proteins were analysed by label-free nano-liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. NF-κB activation, triggered upon LPS treatment, was evaluated.

RESULTS

We report a CRC secretome dataset of 5601 proteins. Comparison of all LPS-treated cells with controls revealed 37 proteins with altered abundance in the SS, including RPS25; and 13 in EVs, including HMGB1. Comparing controls and LPS-treated samples per cell line, revealed 564 significant differential proteins with fold-change >3. The LPS-induced release of RPS25 was validated by western blot.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Bacterial endotoxin has minor impact on the global CRC cell line secretome, yet it may alter protein release in a cell line-specific manner. This modulation might play a role in orchestrating the development of a permissive environment for CRC liver metastasis, especially through EV-communication.

A MyD88/IL1R Axis Regulates PD-1 Expression on Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Sustains Their Immunosuppressive Function in Melanoma

Macrophages are critical mediators of tissue homeostasis, cell proliferation, and tumor metastasis. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are generally associated with tumor-promoting immunosuppressive functions in solid tumors. Here, we examined the transcriptional landscape of adaptor molecules downstream of Toll-like receptors in human cancers and found that higher expression of MYD88 correlated with tumor progression. In murine melanoma, MyD88, but not Trif, was essential for tumor progression, angiogenesis, and maintaining the immunosuppressive phenotype of TAMs. In addition, MyD88 expression in myeloid cells drove melanoma progression. The MyD88/IL1 receptor (IL1R) axis regulated programmed cell death (PD)-1 expression on TAMs by promoting recruitment of NF-κBp65 to the Pdcd1 promoter. Furthermore, a combinatorial immunotherapy approach combining the MyD88 inhibitor with anti-PD-1 blockade elicited strong antitumor effects. Thus, the MyD88/IL1R axis maintains the immunosuppressive function of TAMs and promotes tumor growth by regulating PD-1 expression. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings indicate that MyD88 regulates TAM-immunosuppressive activity, suggesting that macrophage-mediated immunotherapy combining MYD88 inhibitors with PD-1 blockade could result in better treatment outcomes in a wide variety of cancers. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/81/9/2358/F1.large.jpg.

Functional and transcriptomic analyses of the NF-Y family provide insights into the defense mechanisms of honeybees under adverse circumstances

As predominant pollinators, honeybees are important for crop production and terrestrial ecosystems. Recently, various environmental stresses have led to large declines in honeybee populations in many regions. The ability of honeybees to respond to these stresses is critical for their survival. However, the details of the stress defense mechanisms of honeybees have remained elusive. Here, we found that the Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) family (containing NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC) is a novel stress mediator family that regulates honeybee environmental stress resistance. NF-YA localized in the nucleus, NF-YB accumulated in the cytoplasm, and NF-YC presented in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. NF-YC interacted with NF-YA and NF-YB in vitro and in vivo, and the nuclear import of NF-YB relied on its interaction with NF-YC. We further found that the expression of NF-Y was induced under multiple stress conditions. In addition, NF-Y regulated many stress responses and antioxidant genes at the transcriptome-wide level, and knockdown of NF-Y repressed the expression of stress-inducible genes, particularly LOC108003540 and LOC107994062, under adverse circumstances. Silencing NF-Y lowered honeybee stress resistance by reducing total antioxidant capacity and enhancing oxidative impairment. Collectively, these results indicate that NF-Y plays important roles in stress responses. Our study sheds light on the underlying defense mechanisms of honeybees under environmental stress.

Altered Inflammatory Pathway but Unaffected Liver Fibrosis in Mouse Models of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Involving Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinase 1 Knockout

BACKGROUND Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinases (IRAKs) are crucial mediators in the signaling pathways of Toll-like receptors (TLRs)/IL1Rs. Targeting the IRAK4/IRAK1/TRAF6 axis and its associated pathway has therapeutic benefits in liver fibrosis. However, the function of IRAK1 itself in the development of liver fibrosis remains unknown. MATERIAL AND METHODS Irak1 global knockout (KO) mice were generated to study the functional role of Irak1 in liver fibrosis. Male Irak1 knockout and control mice were challenged with chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or fed a methionine- and choline-deficient diet (MCDD) to generate models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Liver inflammation and collagen deposition were assessed by histological examination, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and western blotting of hepatic tissues. RESULTS The mRNA expression of the downstream inflammatory gene Il1b was significantly lower in Irak1-KO than in control mice. Irak1 ablation had little effect on inflammatory cell infiltration into livers of mice with NASH. Collagen deposition and the expression of genes related to fibrogenesis were similar in the livers of Irak1-KO and control mice exposed to CCl4 and MCDD. The loss of Irak1 did not affect lipid or glucose metabolism in these experimental models of steatohepatitis. CONCLUSIONS Irak1 knockout reduced the expression of inflammatory genes but had no effect on hepatic fibrogenesis. The Irak1-related pathway may regulate liver fibrosis via other pathways or be compensated for by other factors.

Prognostic and predictive value of a five-molecule panel in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A multicentre study

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a devastating prognosis. The performance of clinicopathologic parameters and molecules as prognostic factors remains limited and inconsistent. The present study aimed to construct a multi-molecule biomarker panel to more accurately predict post-resectional prognosis of PDAC patients.

Methods

Firstly, a novel computational strategy integrating prognostic evidence from omics and literature on the basis of bioinformatics prediction (CIPHER) to generate the network, was designed to systematically identify potential high-confidence PDAC-related prognostic candidates. After specimens from 605 resected PDAC patients were retrospectively collected, 23 candidates were detected immunohistochemically in tissue-microarrays for the development cohort to construct a multi-molecule panel. Lastly, the panel was validated in two independent cohorts.

Findings

According to the constructed five-molecule panel, disease-specific survival (DSS) was significantly poorer in high-risk patients than in low-risk ones in development cohort (HR 2.15, 95%CI 1.51–3.05, P<0.0001; AUC 0.67). In two validation cohorts, similar significant differences between the two groups were also observed (HR 3.18 and 3.31, 95%CI 1.89–5.37 and 1.78–6.16, All P<0.0001; AUC 0.72 and 0.73). In multivariate analyses, this panel was the sole prognosticator that was significant in each cohort. Furthermore, its predictive power for long-term survival, higher than its individual constituents, could be largely enhanced by combination with traditional clinicopathological variables. Finally, adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) correlated with better DSS only in high-risk patients, uni- and multi-variately, in all the cohorts.

Interpretation

The novel prognostic panel developed by a systematically network-based strategy presents strong ability in prediction of post-resectional survival of PDAC patients. Furthermore, panel-defined high-risk patients might benefit more from ACT.

Systematic review of the roles of interleukins in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer with high morbidity and mortality that is often accompanied by immune system disorders and local lymphocyte infiltration. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, cancer cells, stromal cells, and the numerous cytokines they produce, such as chemokines, interferons, tumor necrosis factors, and interleukins, collectively constitute the tumor microenvironment. As a main type of immune effector, interleukin plays opposing roles in regulating tumor cell progression, adhesion, and migration according to its different subtypes. Many reports have concentrated on the roles that interleukins play in HCC, but understanding them systematically remains challenging. This study reviewed the current data to comprehensively summarize the relationships between HCC progression and human interleukin gene families.

Interleukin 1β-mediated HOXC10 Overexpression Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis by Upregulating PDPK1 and VASP

Rationale: Metastasis and recurrence are the primary reasons for the high mortality rate of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the exact mechanism underlying HCC metastasis remains unclear. The Homeobox (HOX) family proteins, which are a highly conserved transcription factor superfamily, play important roles in cancer metastasis. Here, we report a novel role of HOXC10, one of the most upregulated HOX genes in human HCC tissues, in promoting HCC metastasis.

Methods: The expression of HOXC10 and its functional targets was detected by immunohistochemistry in two independent human HCC cohorts. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to measure the transcriptional regulation of target genes by HOXC10. The effect of HOXC10-mediated invasion and metastasis were analyzed by Transwell assays and by an orthotopic metastasis model.

Results: Elevated expression of HOXC10 was positively correlated with the loss of tumor encapsulation and with higher tumor-nodule-metastasis (TNM) stage and poor prognosis in human HCC. Overexpression of HOXC10 promoted HCC metastasis by upregulating metastasis-related genes, including 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDPK1) and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP). Knockdown of PDPK1 and VASP inhibited HOXC10-enhanced HCC metastasis, whereas upregulation of PDPK1 and VASP rescued the decreased metastasis induced by HOXC10 knockdown. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which is the ligand of IL-1R1, upregulated HOXC10 expression through the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)/c-Jun pathway. HOXC10 knockdown significantly reduced IL-1β-mediated HCC metastasis. Furthermore, Anakinra, a specific antagonist of IL-1R1, inhibited IL-1β-induced HOXC10 upregulation and HCC metastasis. In human HCC tissues, HOXC10 expression was positively correlated with PDPK1, VASP and IL-1R1 expression, and patients with positive coexpression of HOXC10/PDPK1, HOXC10/VASP or IL-1R1/HOXC10 exhibited the poorest prognosis.

Conclusions: Upregulated HOXC10 induced by IL-1β promotes HCC metastasis by transactivating PDPK1 and VASP expression. Thus, our study implicates HOXC10 as a prognostic biomarker, and targeting this pathway may be a promising therapeutic option for the clinical prevention of HCC metastasis.

GATA3 suppresses human fibroblasts-induced metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma via an anti-IL6/STAT3 mechanism

Tumorigenesis and metastasis depend on intricate interactions between genetically altered tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment. It is, however, unclear regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying the progress and metastasis of human clear-cell renal cell carcinoma in the microenvironment with fibroblasts. In this work, we investigated the effect of normal fibroblasts on the metastasis of renal cancer and the relevant signaling pathways. We isolated normal fibroblasts from normal renal tissues and used normal fibroblast-conditioned medium culture renal cancer cells. The CCK-8 and transwell assays showed that normal fibroblasts conditioned medium significantly enhanced ccRCC cell migration. IL6 mediated the cross talk between normal fibroblasts and the cancer cells, and promoted tumor cell migration through the STAT3 pathway. In contrast, GATA3 was downregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in the normal fibroblast-conditioned medium treated with renal cancer cells, but upregulated in adjacent normal tissues. GATA3 overexpression significantly reduced STAT3 phosphorylation and attenuated the migration in both renal cancer cell and IL6-stimulated renal cancer cell. Taken together, our findings suggest that the IL6/STAT3 pathway plays a crucial role in the normal fibroblast-enhanced clear-cell renal cell carcinoma metastasis, while GATA3 may mitigate this effect by inhibiting IL6/STAT3 signaling.

Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors of Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma with Fever: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

BACKGROUND

Patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) rarely present fever as the initial symptom. We aimed to identify clinical characteristics and prognostic factors for these feverish patients.

SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS

This study retrospectively reviewed 31 patients with ICC with fever (≥38.0°C) treated at our hospital between January 2002 and December 2014. A propensity score was used to match patients with and without fever at a ratio of 1:2.

RESULTS

Patients with ICC with fever had higher serum γ-glutamyl transferase and carcinoembryonic antigen levels, larger tumors, poorer tumor differentiation, and worse prognosis (all p < .05) than those without fever. This was supported by propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that microvascular invasion, hilar lymph node metastasis, and temperature ≥ 38.6°C were related to prognosis. Patients with ICC with fever had higher levels of leucocytes, neutrophils, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in peripheral blood before and after PSM analysis. Body temperature positively correlated with leucocytes (r = 0.599, p < .001), neutrophils (r = 0.644, p < .001), NLR (r = 0.681, p < .001), and PLR (r = 0.457, p = .010).

CONCLUSION

Patients with ICC with fever ≥38.0°C and ≥38.6°C had poor and extremely poor prognosis, respectively. Radical surgical treatment may improve the prognosis of patients with ICC with fever <38.6°C. However, systemic therapy (e.g., anti-inflammatory and immune therapy) may be preferable to surgery for these patients with fever ≥38.6°C.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) with fever (≥38.0°C) as the initial symptom are extremely rare. Because their symptoms are similar to those of liver abscess, diagnosis is challenging, and most of these patients are already at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Patients with ICC with fever had different clinical characteristics and worse prognosis than those without fever. The prognosis of those with temperature <38.6°C would be improved by timely surgical intervention. Those with fever ≥38.6°C had an extremely dismal outcome, although they all received radical surgical treatment. New therapeutic strategies are needed to improve survival for patients with ICC with temperature ≥38.6°C.

Stimulated hepatic stellate cell promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma due to protein kinase R activation

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were reported to promote the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however its mechanism is uncertain. We previously reported that protein kinase R (PKR) in hepatocytes regulated HCC proliferation. In this study, we focused on the role of PKR in HSCs, and clarified the mechanism of its association with HCC progression. We confirmed the activation of PKR in a human HSC cell line (LX-2 cell). IL-1β is produced from HSCs stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or palmitic acid which are likely activators of PKR in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Production was assessed by real-time PCR and ELISA. C16 and small interfering RNA (siRNA) were used to inhibit PKR in HSCs. The HCC cell line (HepG2 cell) was cultured with HSC conditioning medium to assess HCC progression, which was evaluated by proliferation and scratch assays. Expression of PKR was increased and activated in stimulated HSCs, and IL-1β production was also increased molecular. Key molecules of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway were also upregulated and activated by LPS. Otherwise, PKR inhibition by C16 and PKR siRNA decreased IL-1β production. HCC progression was promoted by HSC-stimulated conditioning medium although it was reduced by the conditioning medium from PKR-inhibited HSCs. Moreover, palmitic acid also upregulated IL-1β expression in HSCs, and conditioning medium from palmitic acid-stimulated HSCs promoted HCC proliferation. Stimulated HSCs by activators of PKR in NASH could play a role in promoting HCC progression through the production of IL-1β, via a mechanism that seems to be dependent on PKR activation.

Gankyrin is a novel biomarker for disease progression and prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

In the clinic, how to stratify renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with different risks and to accurately predict their prognostic outcome remains a crucial issue. In this study, we assessed the expression and prognostic value of gankyrin in RCC patients.

METHODS

The expression of gankyrin was examined in public databases and validated in specimens from two independent centers. The clinical practice and disease correlation of gankyrin in RCC were evaluated in RCC patients, various cell lines and an orthotopic RCC model.

FINDINGS

Upregulation of gankyrin expression in RCC was corroborated in two independent cohorts. High gankyrin expression positively associated with disease progression and metastasis of RCC patients. A positive correlation between gankyrin and sunitinib-resistance was also observed in RCC cell lines and in an orthotopic RCC model. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with higher gankyrin expression presented worse prognosis of RCC patients in the two cohorts. Gankyrin served as an independent prognostic factor for RCC patients even after multivariable adjustment by clinical variables. Time-dependent AUC and Harrell's c-index analysis presented that the incorporation of the gankyrin classifier into the current clinical prognostic parameters such as TNM stage, Fuhrman nuclear grade or SSIGN score achieved a greater accuracy than without it in predicting prognosis of RCC patients. All results were confirmed in randomized training and validation sets from the two patient cohorts.

INTERPRETATION

Gankyrin can serve as a reliable biomarker for disease progression and for prognosis of RCC patients. Combining gankyrin with the current clinical parameters may help patient management. FUND: National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81773154, 81772747 and 81301861), Medical Discipline Construction Project of Pudong New Area Commission of Health and Family Planning (PWYgf2018-03), the Shanghai Medical Guidance (Chinese and Western Medicine) Science and Technology Support Project (No. 17411960200), Outstanding Leaders Training Program of Pudong Health Bureau of Shanghai (No. PWR12016-05).

The Role of Interleukin-1 in the Pathogenesis of Cancer and its Potential as a Therapeutic Target in Clinical Practice

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has long been known to be a key mediator of immunity and inflammation. Its dysregulation has been implicated in recent years in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, and its upregulation is thought to be associated with many tumors. Overexpression of the IL-1 agonists IL-1α and IL-1β has been shown to promote tumor invasiveness and metastasis by inducing the expression of angiogenic genes and growth factors. IL-1 blockers such as anakinra and canakinumab are already approved and widely used for the treatment of some autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases and are currently being tested in preclinical and human clinical trials for cancer therapy. In this paper we review the most recent discoveries regarding the association between IL-1 dysregulation and cancer and present the novel IL-1 blockers currently being tested in cancer therapy and their corresponding clinical trials.

Hepatitis B Virus-Upregulated LNC-HUR1 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Tumorigenesis by Blocking p53 Activity

Recent studies have indicated that a number of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are dysregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma, while their aberrant expressions are associated with tumorigenesis and poor prognosis. To identify hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related lncRNAs, we used RNA deep sequencing to quantify the abundances of lncRNAs in HepG2 cells and HBV transgenic HepG2-4D14 cells. Here, we demonstrate that lnc-HUR1 is significantly upregulated in HepG2-4D14 cells. We found that HBV-encoded hepatitis B x protein can enhance the transcription of lnc-HUR1. Overexpression of lnc-HUR1 promotes cell proliferation, whereas knockdown of lnc-HUR1 inhibits cell growth. We identified that lnc-HUR1 can interact with p53 and inhibit its transcriptional regulation on downstream genes, such as p21 and B cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein. We generated lnc-HUR1 transgenic mice and performed the partial hepatectomy (PHx) to examine liver regeneration. The data showed that the ratio of liver weight to body weight in lnc-HUR1 transgenic mice is higher than that in wild-type (WT) littermates at day 2 and day 3 following hepatectomy. Consistently, the results of bromodeoxyuridine staining on liver sections following hepatectomy indicate that the ratio of bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells in lnc-HUR1 transgenic mice is significantly higher than that in WT mice, suggesting that lnc-HUR1 promotes cell proliferation during liver regeneration. Next, we performed the experiment of diethylnitrosamine-induced tumorigenesis. The data demonstrate that tumor number in lnc-HUR1 transgenic mice is higher compared with control mice, indicating that lnc-HUR1 enhances diethylnitrosamine-induced tumorigenesis. Conclusion: We reveal that HBV-upregulated lnc-HUR1 promotes cell proliferation and tumorigenesis by interacting with p53 to block downstream gene transcription. Our findings suggest that lnc-HUR1 plays an important role in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma development and may serve as a therapeutic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. (Hepatology 2018; 00:000-000).

Gankyrin drives metabolic reprogramming to promote tumorigenesis, metastasis and drug resistance through activating β-catenin/c-Myc signaling in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Gankyrin plays important roles in tumorigenicity and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We have for the first time investigated the effects of Gankyrin on glycolysis and glutaminolysis both in vitro and in vivo, including in patient-derived xenografts. We reported Gankyrin increases glucose consumption, lactate production, glutamine consumption and glutamate production in HCC through upregulating the expression of the transporters and enzymes involved in glycolysis and glutaminolysis, including HK2, GLUT1, LDHA, PKM2, ASCT2 and GLS1. We further demonstrated that Gankyrin drives glycolysis and glutaminolysis through upregulating c-Myc via activating β-catenin signaling. Importantly, we found c-Myc mediated metabolic reprogramming might contribute to the tumorigenicity, metastasis and drug resistance induced by Gankyrin. c-Myc inhibitor synergizes with Sorafenib or Regorafenib to suppress HCC PDX tumors with high Gankyrin levels. We detected a significant correlation between Gankyrin and β-catenin expression levels in a cohort of HCC biopsies, and combination of these two parameters is a more powerful predictor of poor prognosis. Collectively, our results uncovered that Gankyrin functions as an essential regulator in glycolysis and glutaminolysis via activation of β-catenin/c-Myc to promotes tumorigenesis, metastasis and drug resistance in human HCC.

The oncoprotein gankyrin promotes the development of colitis-associated cancer through activation of STAT3

Although long-standing colonic inflammation due to refractory inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) promotes the development of colitis-associated cancer (CAC), the molecular mechanisms accounting for the development of CAC remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of gankyrin in the development of CAC since gankyrin is overexpressed in sporadic colorectal cancers. We analyzed gene expression of colon tissues obtained from 344 patients with IBD and CAC and found that expression of gankyrin was much higher in colonic mucosa of patients with refractory IBD than in those with IBD in remission. Expression of gankyrin was upregulated in inflammatory cells as well as tumor cells in colonic mucosa of patients with CAC. Over-expressing studies utilizing tagged ganlyrin-cDNA identified physical interaction between ganlyrin and Src homology 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-1 (SHP-1). Importantly, the interaction between ganlyrin and SHP-1 leads to inhibition of STAT3 activation and to enhancement of TNF-α and IL-17 in inflammatory cells. To further address the role of gankyrin in the development of CAC, we created mice with intestinal epithelial cell-specific gankyrin ablation (Vil-Cre;Gankyrin^f/f) and deletion of gankyrin in myeloid and epithelial cells (Mx1-Cre;Gankyrin^f/f). Gankyrin deficiency in myeloid cells, but not in epithelial cells, reduced the activity of mitogen activated protein kinase and the expression of stem cell markers, leading to attenuated tumorigenic potential. These findings provide important insights into the pathogenesis of CAC and suggest that gankyrin is a promising target for developing therapeutic and preventive strategies against CAC.

Proteasome dysregulation in human cancer: implications for clinical therapies

Cancer cells show heightened dependency on the proteasome for their survival, growth, and spread. Proteasome dysregulation is therefore commonly selected in favor of the development of many types of cancer. The vast abnormalities in a cancer cell, on top of the complexity of the proteasome itself, have enabled a plethora of mechanisms gearing the proteasome to the oncogenic process. Here, we use selected examples to highlight some general mechanisms underlying proteasome dysregulation in cancer, including copy number variations, transcriptional control, epigenetic regulation, and post-translational modifications. Research in this field has greatly advanced our understanding of proteasome regulation and will shed new light on proteasome-based combination therapies for cancer treatment.

Spatiotemporal expression of MYD88 gene in pigs from birth to adulthood

MYD88 plays an important role in the immune response against infections. To analyze MYD88 gene expression during different stages of pig development, we used real-time PCR. MYD88 was seen expressed in all tissues examined. MYD88 expression in spleen, lungs, and thymus reached its highest value from 7 to 14 days of age and decreased thereafter. Expression in lymph nodes was high until 28 days of age and then it declined after weaning, with stable low levels in adult pigs. MYD88 expression was high before 35 days of age in the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum), where it reached its highest value from 7 to 14 days of age. MYD88 expression in the small intestine declined post-weaning and remained relatively low during adulthood. The results of this study suggest that weaning stress and development of the immune system might be positively correlated with MYD88 expression regulation. Moreover, this study provided evidence that the high expression of MYD88 may diminish weaning stress and increase disease resistance in Meishan pigs.

Chronic inflammation contributes to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by decreasing miR-122 levels

Persistent inflammation in chronic hepatitis plays a major role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, the major inflammatory cytokines expressed in chronic hepatitis, IL-6 and TNF-α, induced a marked decrease in microRNA-122 (miR-122) levels, and miR-122 expression was downregulated in the livers of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. The decrease of miR-122 caused upregulation of the proinflammatory chemokine CCL2. IL-6 and TNF-α suppressed miR-122 both by directly downregulating the transcription factor C/EBPα and indirectly upregulating c-myc, which blocks C/EBPα-mediated miR-122 transcription. In addition, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were elevated and miR-122 levels were decreased in mouse and rat models of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC. Restoration of miR-122 levels through delivery of agomir-122 suppressed DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. Our results show that inflammation-induced miR-122 downregulation in hepatitis contributes to carcinogenesis and suggest that increasing miR-122 may be an effective strategy for preventing HCC development in CHB patients.

Gankyrin: a novel promising therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known as fifth common malignancies and third common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The identification of various mechanisms which are involved in hepatocarcinogenesis contributes in finding a variety of cellular and molecular targets for HCC diagnosis, prevention and therapy. Among various identified targets in HCC pathogenesis, Gankyrin is a crucial oncoprotein that is up-regulated in HCC and plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of the HCC. Oncogenic role of Gankyrin has been found to stem from inhibition of two ubiquitous tumour suppressor proteins, retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and P53, and also modulation of several vital cellular signalling pathways including Wnt/β-Catenin, NF-κB, STAT3/Akt, IL-1β/IRAK-1 and RhoA/ROCK. As a result, Gankyrin can be considered as a potential candidate for diagnosis and treatment of HCC. In this review, we summarized the physiological function and the significant role of Gankyrin as an important therapeutic target in HCC.

The contribution of toll-like receptor signaling to the development of liver fibrosis and cancer in hepatocyte-specific TAK1-deleted mice

Hepatocyte death is associated with liver inflammation, fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Damaged cells trigger inflammation through activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Although the role of TLR4 in HCC development has been reported, the role of TLR9 in the development of HCC remains elusive. To investigate the role of TLR4 and TLR9 signaling in liver inflammation-fibrosis-cancer axis, we took advantage of mice with hepatic deletion of transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (Tak1ΔHep) that develop spontaneous liver injury, inflammation, fibrosis, and HCC, recapitulating the pathology of human HCC. We generated double knockout mice lacking genes of our interest with hepatic Tak1. Tak1ΔHep mice and Tlr4-deficient Tak1ΔHep mice had similar serum ALT levels, but Tlr4-deficient Tak1ΔHep mice exhibited significantly reduced macrophage infiltration, myofibroblast activation and tumor formation. Ablation of TLR9 reduced spontaneous liver injury, inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer development in Tak1ΔHep mice. In addition, the common adaptor, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-deficient Tak1ΔHep mice also attenuated liver injury, macrophage recruitment, collagen deposition, and tumor growth compared with control Tak1ΔHep mice. Genetic ablation of TNF receptor type I (TNFR) in Tak1ΔHep mice remarkably reduced liver inflammation-fibrosis-cancer axis. Surprisingly, disruption of interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) had no effect on liver injury and tumor formation, although Il1r-deficient Tak1ΔHep showed attenuated macrophage infiltration and collagen deposition. In conclusion, TLR4- and TLR9-MyD88 are driving forces of progression to HCC accompanied by liver inflammation and fibrosis in Tak1ΔHep mice. Importantly, TLR4 and TLR9 downstream TNFR, but not IL-1R signaling is crucial for the development of HCC in Tak1ΔHep mice.

Chronic Alcohol Consumption Promotes Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis via Immune Disturbances

Chronic alcohol consumption increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about the potential immunological mechanisms by which ethanol affects tumor progression. Here, adult male mice were administered multiple doses of diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Four and a half months later, the DEN-treated mice were placed on a liquid Lieber-DeCarli control diet or diet containing 5% ethanol for 2.5 months. At the end of the study, liver tissue samples were obtained to analyze pathology, gene expression, and hepatic mononuclear cells (MNCs). Results showed that ethanol feeding exacerbates the progression of hepatic tumors (characterized by the ratio of liver weight to body weight, and the tumor volume and diameter) in DEN-treated mice. Mechanistically, chronic alcohol consumption decreased the number of antitumor CD8⁺ T cells but increased the number of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the liver in DEN-initiated tumorigenesis. Besides, TAMs were prone to be M2 phenotype after alcohol consumption. Moreover, chronic alcohol consumption aggravated inflammation, fibrosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the pathological process of HCC. These data demonstrate that chronic alcohol consumption exacerbates DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis by enhancing protumor immunity, impairing antitumor immunity and aggravating hepatic pathological injury. Targeting the immune system is a potential therapeutic regimen for alcohol-promoted HCC.

Metformin alters DNA methylation genome-wide via the H19/SAHH axis

The molecular mechanisms underlying the antineoplastic properties of metformin, a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes, remain elusive. Here we report that metformin induces genome-wide alterations in DNA methylation by modulating the activity of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH). Exposing cancer cells to metformin leads to hypermethylation of tumor-promoting pathway genes and concomitant inhibition of cell proliferation. Metformin acts by upregulating microRNA let-7 through AMPK activation, leading to degradation of H19 long noncoding RNA, which normally binds to and inactivates SAHH. H19 knockdown activates SAHH, enabling DNA methyltransferase 3B to methylate a subset of genes. This metformin-induced H19 repression and alteration of gene methylation are recapitulated in endometrial cancer tissue samples obtained from patients treated with antidiabetic doses of metformin. Our findings unveil a novel mechanism of action for the drug metformin with implications for the molecular basis of epigenetic dysregulation in cancer. This novel mechanism of action also may be occurring in normal cells.

Proteasome expression and activity in cancer and cancer stem cells

Proteasome is a multi-protein organelle that participates in cellular proteostasis by destroying damaged or short-lived proteins in an organized manner guided by the ubiquitination signal. By being in a central place in the cellular protein complement homeostasis, proteasome is involved in virtually all cell processes including decisions on cell survival or death, cell cycle, and differentiation. These processes are important also in cancer, and thus, the proteasome is an important regulator of carcinogenesis. Cancers include a variety of cells which, according to the cancer stem cell theory, descend from a small percentage of cancer stem cells, alternatively termed tumor-initiating cells. These cells constitute the subsets that have the ability to propagate the whole variety of cancer and repopulate tumors after cytostatic therapies. Proteasome plays a role in cellular processes in cancer stem cells, but it has been found to have a decreased function in them compared to the rest of cancer cells. This article will discuss the transcriptional regulation of proteasome sub-unit proteins in cancer and in particular cancer stem cells and the relationship of the proteasome with the pluripotency that is the defining characteristic of stem cells. Therapeutic opportunities that present from the understanding of the proteasome role will also be discussed.

NF-Y in cancer: Impact on cell transformation of a gene essential for proliferation

NF-Y is a ubiquitous heterotrimeric transcription factor with a binding affinity for the CCAAT consensus motif, one of the most common cis-acting element in the promoter and enhancer regions of eukaryote genes in direct (CCAAT) or reverse (ATTGG) orientation. NF-Y consists of three subunits, NF-YA, the regulatory subunit of the trimer, NF-YB, and NF-YC, all required for CCAAT binding. Growing evidence in cells and animal models support the notion that NF-Y, driving transcription of a plethora of cell cycle regulatory genes, is a key player in the regulation of proliferation. Proper control of cellular growth is critical for cancer prevention and uncontrolled proliferation is a hallmark of cancer cells. Indeed, during cell transformation aberrant molecular pathways disrupt mechanisms controlling proliferation and many growth regulatory genes are altered in tumors. Here, we review bioinformatics, molecular and functional evidence indicating the involvement of the cell cycle regulator NF-Y in cancer-associated pathways. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nuclear Factor Y in Development and Disease, edited by Prof. Roberto Mantovani.

Prognostic value of fever grade combined with neutrophil percentage in hepatocellular carcinoma patients presenting fever as the initial manifestation

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with fever as the initial presentation are extremely rare. Our aim was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with this disease.

Patients and methods

The clinical features were analyzed in a retrospective study of 63 HCC patients with fever as the first manifestation and 300 HCC patients without fever as the control group.

Results

HCC patients with fever had a higher neutrophil percentage, larger tumor size, worse tumor differentiation, advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage, and more hilar lymph node metastasis than HCC patients without fever (all P<0.05). Compared with HCC patients without fever, patients presenting with fever had shorter overall survival (OS, median: 13 months, P<0.001) and time to recurrence (TTR, median: 7.5 months, P<0.001). In addition, HCC patients with fever also had shorter OS and TTR than those without fever in all clinical subgroups with aggressive features (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that neutrophil percentage >70%, fever grade ≥38.5°C, tumor size >5 cm, and hilar lymph node metastasis were independent factors for OS and TTR. A positive correlation was observed between body temperature and serum neutrophil percentage (r=0.527, P<0.001). Patients with a fever grade ≥38.5°C had more incomplete encapsulation and larger tumor size, while those with a neutrophil percentage >70% presented with more incomplete encapsulation, vascular invasion, and worse tumor differentiation. Patients with a fever grade ≥38.5°C combined with a neutrophil percentage >70% had worse OS and TTR than other groups.

Conclusion

HCC patients presenting with fever have poorer prognosis than those without fever; however, their prognosis could be improved by timely surgical intervention. Patients with a neutrophil percentage >70% and a fever grade ≥38.5°C represent a rare HCC subgroup with an extremely dismal outcome and more aggressive clinical course.

Targeting interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 for human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1), as a down-stream of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, plays important roles in series of malignancies. However, the role of IRAK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains little known.

METHODS

In our study, reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), Western Blot, and immunohistochemical staining were used to assess the mRNA and protein levels of IRAK1 in clinical samples and cell lines. Cell counting assay and flow cytometry were employed to analyze the effect of IRAK1 on cell cycle and apoptosis. Transwell assay was used to study the role of IRAK1 in cell migration. Moreover, subcutaneous xenograft tumor models predict the efficacy of targeting IRAK1 against HCC in vivo.

RESULTS

IRAK1 was over-expressed in HCC tissues and cell lines. Suppression of IRAK1 by small interference RNA (siRNA) or a pharmaceutical IRAK1/4 inhibitor impeded cell growth, induced apoptosis and lessened HCC xenograft tumor growth. Particularly, IRAK1/4 inhibitor treatment caused G1/S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, confirming IRAK1 as a new therapeutic target for HCC.

CONCLUSION

IRAK1 promotes cell proliferation and protects against apoptosis in HCC, and can be a novel target for HCC treatment.

Identification of the anti-tumor activity and mechanisms of nuciferine through a network pharmacology approach

AIM

Nuciferine is an aporphine alkaloid extracted from lotus leaves, which is a raw material in Chinese medicinal herb for weight loss. In this study we used a network pharmacology approach to identify the anti-tumor activity of nuciferine and the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

The pharmacological activities and mechanisms of nuciferine were identified through target profile prediction, clustering analysis and functional enrichment analysis using our traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) network pharmacology platform. The anti-tumor activity of nuciferine was validated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The anti-tumor mechanisms of nuciferine were predicted through network target analysis and verified by in vitro experiments.

RESULTS

The nuciferine target profile was enriched with signaling pathways and biological functions, including "regulation of lipase activity", "response to nicotine" and "regulation of cell proliferation". Target profile clustering results suggested that nuciferine to exert anti-tumor effect. In experimental validation, nuciferine (0.8 mg/mL) markedly inhibited the viability of human neuroblastoma SY5Y cells and mouse colorectal cancer CT26 cells in vitro, and nuciferine (0.05 mg/mL) significantly suppressed the invasion of 6 cancer cell lines in vitro. Intraperitoneal injection of nuciferine (9.5 mg/mL, ip, 3 times a week for 3 weeks) significantly decreased the weight of SY5Y and CT26 tumor xenografts in nude mice. Network target analysis and experimental validation in SY5Y and CT26 cells showed that the anti-tumor effect of nuciferine was mediated through inhibiting the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and IL-1 levels in SY5Y and CT26 cells.

CONCLUSION

By using a TCM network pharmacology method, nuciferine is identified as an anti-tumor agent against human neuroblastoma and mouse colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo, through inhibiting the PI3K-AKT signaling pathways and IL-1 levels.

Gankyrin activates mTORC1 signaling by accelerating TSC2 degradation in colorectal cancer

Gankyrin is overexpressed in some malignancies. However its roles in colorectal carcinogenesis and underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here we report that gankyrin promotes the initiation and development of colorectal carcinogenesis by activating mTORC1 signaling through TSC/Rheb dependent mechanism. We further show that Gankyrin overexpression accelerated TSC2 degradation, while knockdown in a panel of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines, cell line derived xenografts and CRC patient derived xenograft (PDX) tumors delayed TSC2 degradation, restored the TSC2 protein level, and inhibited mTORC1 signaling and CRC growth. Our findings reveal a unique mechanism by which gankyrin promotes colorectal carcinogenesis and show that gankyrin is a potential therapeutic target to improve the clinical management of CRC.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system and its potential application in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a complicated tightly controlled system in charge of degrading 80-90% of proteins, and is central to regulating cellular function and keeping protein homeostasis. Therefore, the components of UPS attract considerable attention as potential targets for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. The clinical success of bortezomib in multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma patients has set the precedent for therapeutically targeting this pathway. This review will provide an overview of the UPS in HCC and the current status of therapeutic strategies.