Theranostical nanosystem-mediated identification of an oncogene and highly effective therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Embryonic expression patterns of TBL1 family in zebrafish

Except the addition of TBL1Y in human, transducing beta like 1 (TBL1) family mainly consists of two members TBL1X and TBL1XR1, taking part in multiple intracellular signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin and NF-κB in cancer progression. However, the gene expression patterns of this family during embryonic development remain largely unknown. Here we took advantage of zebrafish model to characterize the spatial and temporal expression patterns of TBL1 family genes including tbl1x, tbl1xr1a and tbl1xr1b. The in situ hybridization studies of gene expression showed robust expressions of tbl1x and tbl1xr1b as maternal transcripts except tbl1xr1a. As the embryo develops, zygotic expressions of all TBL1 family members occur and have a redundant and broad pattern including in brain, neural retina, pharyngeal arches, otic vesicles, and pectoral fins. Ubiquitous expression of all family members were ranked from the strongest to the weakest: tbl1xr1a, tbl1x, and tbl1xr1b. In addition, one tbl1xr1a transcript tbl1xr1a202 showed unique and rich expression in the developing heart and lateral line neuromasts. Overall, all members of zebrafish TBL1 family shared numerous similarities and exhibited certain distinctions in the expression patterns, indicating that they might have redundant and exclusive functions to be further explored.

Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Bone Metastasis in Breast Cancer: Recent Advances and Challenges

Although the frequency of bone metastases from breast cancer has increased, effective treatment is lacking, prompting the development of nanomedicine, which involves the use of nanotechnology for disease diagnosis and treatment. Nanocarrier drug delivery systems offer several advantages over traditional drug delivery methods, such as higher reliability and biological activity, improved penetration and retention, and precise targeting and delivery. Various nanoparticles that can selectively target tumor cells without causing harm to healthy cells or organs have been synthesized. Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled the diagnosis and prevention of metastatic diseases as well as the ability to deliver complex molecular "cargo" particles to metastatic regions. Nanoparticles can modulate systemic biodistribution and enable the targeted accumulation of therapeutic agents. Several delivery strategies are used to treat bone metastases, including untargeted delivery, bone-targeted delivery, and cancer cell-targeted delivery. Combining targeted agents with nanoparticles enhances the selective delivery of payloads to breast cancer bone metastatic lesions, providing multiple delivery advantages for treatment. In this review, we describe recent advances in nanoparticle development for treating breast cancer bone metastases.

Molecular imaging nanoprobes for theranostic applications

As a non-invasive imaging monitoring method, molecular imaging can provide the location and expression level of disease signature biomolecules in vivo, leading to early diagnosis of relevant diseases, improved treatment strategies, and accurate assessment of treating efficacy. In recent years, a variety of nanosized imaging probes have been developed and intensively investigated in fundamental/translational research and clinical practice. Meanwhile, as an interdisciplinary discipline, this field combines many subjects of chemistry, medicine, biology, radiology, and material science, etc. The successful molecular imaging not only requires advanced imaging equipment, but also the synthesis of efficient imaging probes. However, limited summary has been reported for recent advances of nanoprobes. In this paper, we summarized the recent progress of three common and main types of nanosized molecular imaging probes, including ultrasound (US) imaging nanoprobes, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) nanoprobes, and computed tomography (CT) imaging nanoprobes. The applications of molecular imaging nanoprobes were discussed in details. Finally, we provided an outlook on the development of next generation molecular imaging nanoprobes.

RNA Therapeutic Options to Manage Aberrant Signaling Pathways in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Dream or Reality?

Despite the early promise of RNA therapeutics as a magic bullet to modulate aberrant signaling in cancer, this field remains a work-in-progress. Nevertheless, RNA therapeutics is now a reality for the treatment of viral diseases (COVID-19) and offers great promise for cancer. This review paper specifically investigates RNAi as a therapeutic option for HCC and discusses a range of RNAi technology including anti-sense oligonucleotides (ASOs), Aptamers, small interfering RNA (siRNA), ribozymes, riboswitches and CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The use of these RNAi based interventions is specifically outlined in three primary strategies, namely, repressing angiogenesis, the suppression of cell proliferation and the promotion of apoptosis. We also discuss some of the inherent chemical and delivery problems, as well as targeting issues and immunogenic reaction to RNAi interventions.

Targeted Molecular Imaging Probes Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Diagnosis and Treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most commonly malignant tumor and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, and the early diagnosis and treatment of patients with HCC is core in improving its prognosis. The early diagnosis of HCC depends largely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI has good soft-tissue resolution, which is the international standard method for the diagnosis of HCC. However, MRI is still insufficient in the diagnosis of some early small HCCs and malignant nodules, resulting in false negative results. With the deepening of research on HCC, researchers have found many specific molecular biomarkers on the surface of HCC cells, which may assist in diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, molecular imaging has progressed rapidly in recent years, especially in the field of cancer theranostics. Hence, the preparation of molecular imaging probes that can specifically target the biomarkers of HCC, combined with MRI testing in vivo, may achieve the theranostic purpose of HCC in the early stage. Therefore, in this review, taking MR imaging as the basic point, we summarized the recent progress regarding the molecular imaging targeting various types of biomarkers on the surface of HCC cells to improve the theranostic rate of HCC. Lastly, we discussed the existing obstacles and future prospects of developing molecular imaging probes as HCC theranostic nanoplatforms.

Drug delivery strategy in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, with high rates of recurrence and death. Surgical resection and ablation therapy have limited efficacy for patients with advanced HCC and poor liver function, so pharmacotherapy is the first-line option for those patients. Traditional antitumor drugs have the disadvantages of poor biological distribution and pharmacokinetics, poor target selectivity, high resistance, and high toxicity to nontargeted tissues. Recently, the development of nanotechnology has significantly improved drug delivery to tumor sites by changing the physical and biological characteristics of drugs and nanocarriers to improve their pharmacokinetics and biological distribution and to selectively accumulate cytotoxic agents at tumor sites. Here, we systematically review the tumor microenvironment of HCC and the recent application of nanotechnology in HCC.

Cancer treatment evolution from traditional methods to stem cells and gene therapy

BACKGROUND

Cancer, a malignant tumor, is caused by the failure of the mechanism that controls cell growth and proliferation. Late clinical symptoms often manifest as lumps, pain, ulcers, and bleeding. Systemic symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite. It is a major disease that threatens human life and health. How to treat cancer is a long-standing problem that needs to be overcome in the history of medicine.

METHOD

Traditional tumor treatment methods are poorly targeted, and the side effects of treatment seriously damage the physical and mental health of patients. In recent years, with the advancement of medical science and technology, the research on gene combined with mesenchymal stem cells to treat tumors has been intensified. Mesenchymal stem cells carry genes to target cancer cells, which can achieve better therapeutic effects.

DISCUSSION

In the text, we systematically review the cancer treatment evolution from traditional methods to novel approaches that include immunotherapy, nanotherapy, stem cell theapy, and gene therapy. We provide the latest review of the application status, clinical trials and development prospects of mesenchymal stem cells and gene therapy for cancer, as well as their integration in cancer treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells are effective carriers carrying genes and provide new clinical ideas for tumor treatment.

CONCLUSION

This review focuses on the current status, application prospects and challenges of mesenchymal stem cell combined gene therapy for cancer, and provides new ideas for clinical research.

Noninvasive Imaging for Assessment of the Efficacy of Therapeutic Agents for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Morphological imaging techniques are typically used in the anti-cancer drug efficacy evaluation process. However, these techniques can evaluate the therapeutic efficacy only when the tumor shows anatomic changes-usually at later stages, when the therapeutic effects are poor. In contrast, molecular imaging allows noninvasive monitoring of tumor growth, assessment of drug metabolism, and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy at the molecular and cellular levels. Multimodality molecular imaging, which combines the advantages of various imaging modalities, provides even more comprehensive therapeutic efficacy assessment in preclinical and clinical studies. This review provides an overview of molecular imaging evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of the anti-tumor drugs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) both in preclinical and clinical research, which holds great promise in guiding HCC treatment into the era of precision medicine.

Long Noncoding RNA EGOT Responds to Stress Signals to Regulate Cell Inflammation and Growth

The cell has several mechanisms to sense and neutralize stress. Stress-related stimuli activate pathways that counteract danger, support cell survival, and activate the inflammatory response. We use human cells to show that these processes are modulated by EGOT, a long noncoding RNA highly induced by viral infection, whose inhibition results in increased levels of antiviral IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) and decreased viral replication. We now show that EGOT is induced in response to cell stress, viral replication, or the presence of pathogen-associated molecular patterns via the PI3K/AKT, MAPKs, and NF-κB pathways, which lead to cell survival and inflammation. Transcriptome analysis and validation experiments show that EGOT modulates PI3K/AKT and NF-κB responses. On the one hand, EGOT inhibition decreases expression of PI3K/AKT-induced cellular receptors and cell proliferation. In fact, EGOT levels are increased in several tumors. On the other hand, EGOT inhibition results in decreased levels of key NF-κB target genes, including those required for inflammation and ISGs in those cells that build an antiviral response. Mechanistically, EGOT depletion decreases the levels of the key coactivator TBLR1, essential for transcription by NF-κB. In summary, EGOT is induced in response to stress and may function as a switch that represses ISG transcription until a proper antiviral or stress response is initiated. EGOT then helps PI3K/AKT, MAPKs, and NF-κB pathways to activate the antiviral response, cell inflammation, and growth. We believe that modulation of EGOT levels could be used as a therapy for the treatment of certain viral infections, immune diseases, and cancer.

Nanomedicine promotes ferroptosis to inhibit tumour proliferation in vivo

miR-101–3p may play a therapeutic role in various tumours. However, its anti-tumour mechanism remains unclear, and a definitive strategy to treat tumour cells in vivo is lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory mechanism of miR-101–3p on tumour cells and to develop relevant nanomedicines for in vivo therapy. The expression levels of miR-101–3p and its target protein TBLR1 in tumour tissues and cells were detected, and their relationship with ferroptosis was clarified. Furthermore, the efficacy of nanocarriers in achieving in vivo therapeutic gene delivery was evaluated. Nanomedicine was further developed, with the anti-proliferative in vivo therapeutic effect validated using a subcutaneous xenograft cancer model. The expression level of miR-101–3p negatively correlated with clinical tumour size and TNM stage. miR-101–3p restores ferroptosis in tumour cells by directly targeting TBLR1, which in turn promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation. We developed nanomedicine that can deliver miR-101–3p to tumour cells in vivo to achieve ferroptosis recovery, as well as to inhibit in vivo tumour proliferation. The miR-101–3p/TBLR1 axis plays an important role in tumour ferroptosis. Nanopharmaceuticals that increase miR-101–3p levels may be effective therapies to inhibit tumour proliferation.

Targetting an LncRNA P5848-ENO1 axis inhibits tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high recurrence rate and poor clinical outcome after currently used therapies, including radiofrequency ablation. To explore the possible mechanisms for the relapse of HCC, in the present study we focussed on long non-coding RNA (LncRNA), which has been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis. We identified an LncRNA P5848, whose expression level was up-regulated in tumor samples from HCC patients after radiofrequency ablation. As such, we speculated that LncRNA P5848 may play a role in tumor growth. Here we showed that LncRNA P5848, whose up-regulation can lead to HCC cancer cell proliferation and migration. In vitro and in vivo overexpression of LncRNA P5848 promoted cell growth, cell survival, and cell invasion, whereas LncRNA P5848 depletion exerts opposite effects. Mechanistically, we have found that ENO1 was the target of LncRNA P5848. LncRNA P5848 up-regulated the gene and protein expression level of ENO1, promoting tumor growth and cell survival. However, siRNA-mediated knockdown of ENO1 counteracted the effects of LncRNA P5848 on cancer cell growth, cell survival, and migration. Taken together, LncRNA P5848 promotes HCC development by up-regulating ENO1, indicating that LncRNA P5848-ENO1 axis is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

High SPINK1 Expression Predicts Poor Prognosis and Promotes Cell Proliferation and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Serine protease inhibitor Kazal type I (SPINK1) is highly expressed and promotes tumor progress in different cancers. This study aimed to evaluate SPINK1's prognostic value and its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progress.

METHODS

We use tissue micro-arrays containing 273 tumor and paired para-tumor tissues to evaluate SPINK1's prognostic value in HCC. CCK8 cell proliferation assay, wound healing assays, transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to explore the effect of SPINIK1 on HCC cells. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to verify the prognosis value of SPINK1 in HCC and explore the underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

SPINK1 expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than paired para-tumor tissues (P < 0.001). Higher SPINK1 expression in tumor was significantly associated with portal vein tumor thrombus formation (P = 0.019) and shorter overall survival (P = 0.029). SPINK1 expression in tumor tissue was an independent predictor for overall survival. SPINK1 increased proliferation (P < 0.001), enhanced migration and invasion ability of HCC cell lines (P < 0.001). GSEA revealed that glycine, serine, threonine and bile acid metabolism may be the underlying mechanism of SPINK1 in HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, high SPINK1 expression is associated with poor prognosis of HCC. SPINK1 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion ability of HCC cells.

Liver-targeted delivery of TSG-6 by calcium phosphate nanoparticles for the management of liver fibrosis

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation is a promising antifibrotic strategy but facing clinical controversies. Inspired by advances in nanomedicine, we aimed to bypass these clinical barriers of MSCs by identifying the key antifibrotic molecule of MSCs and developing a specific liver-targeting nanocarrier.

Methods: Cytokines secreted by MSCs were examined with serum stimulation of cirrhotic patients. Immunohistochemistry, microarray, immunoblotting, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were applied to identify the critical antifibrotic cytokine and to discover its role in modulating antifibrotic effects. Biomineralization method was used to prepare calcium phosphate nanoparticles (NPs). The targeting and therapeutic efficiency of NPs were evaluated by in vivo imaging and biochemical studies on fibrotic mice induced by CCl₄.

Results: The stimulated MSCs exhibited high-level expression of Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6). On animal study, exogenous administration of TSG-6 alone can ameliorate liver fibrosis while TSG-6 knocked MSCs (Lv-TSG-6 MSCs) lost antifibrotic effects. Further studies verified the importance of TSG-6 and identified its antifibrotic mechanism by modulating M2 macrophages and increasing matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12) expression. Additionally, we found a feedback loop between TSG-6, MMP12 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β), which may improve our understanding of the aggravating process of cirrhosis and antifibrotic mechanisms of TSG-6 and MSCs. Based on these findings, we developed calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CaP@BSA NPs) by biomineralization method using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the biotemplate. Imaging tracking and drug loading studies showed specific liver targeting and high TSG-6 loading efficacy of as-prepared CaP@BSA NPs. In vivo therapeutic study further demonstrated the improved therapeutic effects of TSG-6 loaded CaP@BSA.

Conclusions: TSG-6 was a major antifibrotic cytokine of MSCs, TSG-6 loaded CaP@BSA NPs showed specific liver accumulation and improved therapeutic effects, which indicated translational potentials of CaP@BSA as a promising drug carrier for the liver disease management.

Intergrated analysis of ELMO1, serves as a link between tumour mutation burden and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for cancer cell metastasis. Recently, EMT was reported to be associated with the inflammatory tumour microenvironment and, therefore, might be a predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade agents. However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear.

METHODS

Patient survival data for our HCC cohort, TCGA and GEO datasets were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The functional roles of ELMO1 in HCC were demonstrated by a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Gene microarray analysis was used to demonstrate potential mechanisms of ELMO1. Data retrieved from the TCGA datasets were used to determine the relationships of ELMO1, EMT and TMB.

FINDINGS

Here, we report an indispensable role for ELMO1 in linking EMT with tumour mutation burden (TMB), which is a promising biomarker for the immune checkpoint blockade agent response. Upregulated ELMO1 expression is associated with a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as increased cell growth, invasion, migration, angiogenesis and EMT in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that ELMO1 regulates SOX10 expression and induces EMT through PI3K/Akt signalling. Moreover, ELMO1 is negatively associated with TMB, indicating a negative relationship between EMT and TMB.

INTERPRETATION

ELMO1 serves as a link between EMT and TMB, providing a mechanistic basis for the further development of ELMO1 as a therapeutic target against HCC and potentially a promising biomarker of the immune checkpoint blockade agent response. FUND: National Natural Science Foundation of China; Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province; Young Teacher Training Program of Sun Yat-sen University; Science and Technology Plan of Guangdong Province; Special Support Program of Guangdong Province, Science and Technology Innovation Youth Talent Support Program; the Pearl River Science and Technology New Talent of Guangzhou City; Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province.

miR-1-3p suppresses the epithelial-mesenchymal transition property in renal cell cancer by downregulating Fibronectin 1

Purpose

Renal cell cancer (RCC) is one of the primary causes of malignancy deaths all over the world. The most important cause of RCC-related mortality is metastasis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in metastasis of malignant tumors including RCC. miR-1-3p is confirmed to be decreased in many types of cancer. Nevertheless, the function of miR-1-3p in RCC metastasis and EMT process was still unclear.

Materials and methods

In this study, information from clinical investigation, in vitro study, and in vivo study discovered miR-1-3p expression character and its status in RCC. The character of miR-1-3p in invasive and metastatic properties in vitro and in vivo was also inspected in RCC cells and xenograft tumor model, and expression levels of EMT markers were evaluated in RCC cells and tissues.

Results

miR-1-3p was proved to be decreased in RCC cell lines and tissues compared with normal renal cells and tissues. miR-1-3p expression level in RCC tissues was closely related with capsulation, lymph node metastasis, and vascular invasion. miR-1-3p was found to be able to block the EMT process in A498 and CAKI-1 RCC cells and tumors. Luciferase reporter assay and expression level rescue assays were employed to reveal that miR-1-3p inhibited the invasion and migration property of RCC cells by directly targeting Fibronectin 1. Upregulation of Fibronectin 1 partially reversed the suppressive effect of miR-1-3p on EMT process.

Conclusion

In brief, this study has verified that miR-1-3p blocked the EMT process of RCC cells by reducing Fibronectin 1 expression. miR-1-3p/Fibronectin 1 axis may be considered as a new target for drug development of RCC.

Theranostic Nanoparticles for RNA-Based Cancer Treatment

Certain genetic mutations lead to the development of cancer through unchecked cell growth and division. Cancer is typically treated through surgical resection, radiotherapy, and small-molecule chemotherapy. A relatively recent approach to cancer therapy involves the use of a natural process wherein small RNA molecules regulate gene expression in a pathway known as RNA interference (RNAi). RNA oligomers pair with a network of proteins to form an RNA-induced silencing complex, which inhibits the translation of mRNA into proteins, thereby controlling the expression of gene products. Synthetically produced RNA oligomers may be designed to target and silence specific oncogenes to provide cancer therapy. The primary challenges facing the use of the RNAi pathway for cancer therapy are the safe and efficacious delivery of RNA payloads and their release at pertinent sites within disease-causing cells. Nucleases are abundant in the bloodstream and intracellular environment, and therapeutic RNA sequences often require a suitable carrier to provide protection from degradation prior to reaching their site of action in the body. The use of metal core nanoparticles (NPs) serving as targeted delivery vehicles able to shield and direct RNA payloads to their intended destinations have recently gained favor. Biological barriers present in the body establish a size prerequisite for drug delivery vehicles; to overcome recognition by the body's immune system and to gain access to intracellular environments, drug carriers must be small (< 100 nm). Iron oxide and gold core NPs can be synthesized with a high degree of control to create uniform ultrasmall drug delivery vehicles capable of bypassing key biological barriers. While progress is being made in size control of liposomal and polymer NPs, such advances still lag in comparison to the exquisite tunability and time stability of size engineering achievable with metal core NPs at bulk scales. Further, unlike lipid- and viral-based transfection agents, the biodistribution of metal core NPs can be traced using noninvasive imaging techniques that capitalize on the interaction of electromagnetic radiation and the inorganic atoms at the core of the NPs. Finally, metal core NPs have been shown to match the transfection efficiency of conventional RNA-delivery vehicles while also providing less immunogenicity and minimal side effects through the addition of tumor-targeting ligands on their surface. This Account reviews recent advances in the use of iron oxide and gold NPs for RNAi therapy. An overview of the different types of RNA-based therapies is provided along with a discussion of the advantages and current limitations of the technique. We highlight design considerations for the use of iron oxide and gold NP carriers in RNAi, including a discussion of the importance of size and its role in traversing biological barriers, NP surface modifications required for targeted delivery and RNA payload release, and auxiliary properties supporting imaging functionality for treatment monitoring. Applications of NPs for combination therapies including the pairing of RNAi with chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy are explored through examples. Finally, future perspectives are provided with a focus on the current limitations and the potential for clinical translation of iron oxide and gold NPs in RNAi therapy.

Development of a Non-Coding-RNA-based EMT/CSC Inhibitory Nanomedicine for In Vivo Treatment and Monitoring of HCC

The objective of this study is to improve the overall prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); therefore, new therapeutic methods that can be used in vivo are urgently needed. In this study, the relationship between the quantities of microRNA (miR)-125b-5p in clinical specimens and clinicopathological parameters is analyzed. A folate-conjugated nanocarrier is used to transfect miR-125b-5p in vivo and to observe the therapeutic effect on HCC. The inhibitory effect and mechanism of miR-125b-5p on hepatoma cells are also studied. Data from clinical specimens and in vitro experiments confirm that the miR-125b-5p quantity is negatively correlated with progression, and the target protein that regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)/cancer stem cells (CSC) potential in HCC is STAT3. The miR-125b-5p/STAT3 axis inhibits the invasion, migration, and growth of HCC via inactivation of the wnt/β-Catenin pathway. miR-125b-5p-loaded nanomedicine effectively inhibits the EMT/CSC potential of hepatoma cells in vivo together with their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visualization characteristics. An HCC-therapeutic and MRI-visible nanomedicine platform that achieves noninvasive treatment effect monitoring and timely individualized treatment course adjustment is developed.

By downregulating PBX3, miR-526b suppresses the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in cervical cancer cells

Aim: Research on novel mutant genes may develop the treatment of cervical cancer (CC). The role of miRNA-526b in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CC was investigated. Methods: The role and the molecular mechanism of miRNA-526b in CC and its effect on EMT were analyzed in clinical specimens and oncology experiments. Results: miRNA-526b was proved to be decreased in CC and associated with malignant clinicopathological characters. The character of miRNA-526b in EMT was also inspected in CC cells and tumor models. miRNA-526b was found to be able to inhibit the EMT property of CC cells by directly targeting PBX3. Conclusion: miRNA-526b restoration may be deliberated as a new treatment strategy of CC.

Synergistic MicroRNA Therapy in Liver Fibrotic Rat Using MRI-Visible Nanocarrier Targeting Hepatic Stellate Cells

Liver fibrosis, as one of the leading causes of liver-related morbidity and mortality, has no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antifibrotic therapy yet. Although microRNA-29b (miRNA-29b) and microRNA-122 (miRNA-122) have great potential in treating liver fibrosis via regulating profibrotic genes in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), it is still a challenge to achieve a HSC-targeted and meanwhile noninvasively trackable delivery of miRNAs in vivo. Herein, a pH-sensitive and vitamin A (VA)-conjugated copolymer VA-polyethylene glycol-polyethyleneimine-poly(N-(N',N'-diisopropylaminoethyl)-co-benzylamino) aspartamide (T-PBP) is synthesized and assembled into superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-decorated cationic micelle for miRNA delivery. The T-PBP micelle efficiently transports the miRNA-29b and miRNA-122 to HSC in a magnetic resonance imaging-visible manner, resulting in a synergistic antifibrosis effect via downregulating the expression of fibrosis-related genes, including collagen type I alpha 1, α-smooth muscle actin, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1. Consequently, the HSC-targeted combination therapy with miRNA-29b and miRNA-122 demonstrates a prominent antifibrotic efficacy in terms of improving liver function and relieving hepatic fibrosis.

miR-431-5p alters the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers by targeting UROC28 in hepatoma cells

OBJECTIVE

MicroRNA (miR)-431 plays an essential role in various human cancer types, particularly in the process of invasion. However, the function and mechanism of miR-431-5p in the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain undefined.

METHODS

The expression levels of miR-431-5p and its potential target protein UROC28 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and tissues were detected, and the levels of EMT markers in vivo and in vitro were also detected.

RESULTS

MiR-431-5p was downregulated in HCC cell lines and tissues and associated with vascular invasion and tumor encapsulation. Furthermore, miR-431-5p was able to influence the epithelialto-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in HCCLM3 and HUH7 cells. Mechanistically, it was discovered that miR-431-5p repressed invasion by targeting UROC28. Furthermore, miR-431-5p influenced the EMT markers in HCCLM3 and HUH7 cells by downregulating UROC28 expression. Similarly, in vivo assays confirmed that miR-431-5p upregulation in HCC cells remarkably inhibited tumor proliferation and influenced the EMT markers.

CONCLUSION

The current study has demonstrated that the miR-431-5p/UROC28 axis acts possible influence on the EMT in HCC. Upregulation of miR-431-5p could be an original approach for inhibiting tumor invasion.

Nanomedicines reveal how PBOV1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma for effective gene therapy

There exists an urgent medical demand at present to develop therapeutic strategies which can improve the treatment outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we explore the biological functions and clinical significance of PBOV1 in HCC in order to push forward the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Using theranostical nanomedicines, PBOV1 is verified to be a key oncogene which greatly promotes HCC proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and stemness by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, single-chain antibody for epidermal growth factor receptor (scAb-EGFR)-targeted nanomedicine effectively silencing the PBOV1 gene exhibits potent anticancer effects. In vivo HCC-targeting siRNA delivery mediated by the theranostical nanomedicine remarkably inhibits the tumor growth and metastasis. In addition, the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals (SPION)-encapsulated nanomedicines possess high MRI detection sensitivity, which endows them with the potential for MRI diagnosis of HCC. This study shows that PBOV1 represents a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

Serum long noncoding RNA LRB1 as a potential biomarker for predicting the diagnosis and prognosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve important roles in cellular processes and gene regulation. Identifying novel prognostic biomarkers is important for the monitoring and treatment of HCC. However, only a limited number of biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity have been determined and are used in clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of serum lncRNA uc007biz.1 (LRB1) expression levels as a novel non-invasive biomarker for the monitoring and diagnosis of HCC. The expression levels of LRB1 were detected in 326 patients with HCC and 73 healthy volunteers by using lncRNA expression microarrays and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, and the associations between LRB1 expression and clinical parameters were analyzed. The results indicated that the serum LRB1 levels in patients with HCC were significantly increased compared with healthy volunteers. The serum LRB1 levels were positively associated with α-fetoprotein (AFP) expression, large tumor sizes, tumor stage (tumor-node metastasis or Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage) and venous invasion, and were negatively associated with overall survival. Additionally, the use of a combination of LRB1, AFP and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) markers for the diagnosis of HCC, the diagnostic accuracy was increased compared with using LRB1 alone. LRB1 may act as an important regulator in the progression of HCC, and LRB1 may be considered as a novel biomarker for diagnosis and prediction of prognosis of HCC, additionally complementing the accuracy of AFP and DCP.

Size-Modulable Nanoprobe for High-Performance Ultrasound Imaging and Drug Delivery against Cancer

Among medical imaging modalities available in the clinic, ultrasonography is the most convenient, inexpensive, ionizing-radiation-free, and most common. Micrometer-size perfluorocarbon bubbles have been used as efficient contrast for intravascular ultrasonography, but they are too big for tumor penetration. Nanodroplets (250-1000 nm) encapsulating both perfluorocarbon and drug have been used as an ultrasound-triggered release drug delivery platform against cancer, but they are generally not useful as a tumor imaging agent. The present study aims to develop a type of pH-sensitive, polymersome-based, perfluorocarbon encapsulated ultrasonographic nanoprobe, capable of maintaining at 178 nm during circulation and increasing to 437 nm at the acidic tumor microenvironment. Its small size allowed efficient tumor uptake. At the tumor site, the nanoparticle swells, resulting in lowering of the vaporization threshold for the perfluorocarbon, efficient conversion of nanoprobes to echogenic nano/microbubbles for ultrasonic imaging, and eventual release of doxorubicin from the theranostic nanoprobe for deep tissue chemotherapy, triggered by irradiation with low-frequency ultrasound.

Polymer-Mediated Delivery of siRNAs to Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Variables Affecting Specificity and Effectiveness

Despite the advances in anticancer therapies, their effectiveness for many human tumors is still far from being optimal. Significant improvements in treatment efficacy can come from the enhancement of drug specificity. This goal may be achieved by combining the use of therapeutic molecules with tumor specific effects and delivery carriers with tumor targeting ability. In this regard, nucleic acid-based drug (NABD) and particularly small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), are attractive molecules due to the possibility to be engineered to target specific tumor genes. On the other hand, polymeric-based delivery systems are emerging as versatile carriers to generate tumor-targeted delivery systems. Here we will focus on the most recent findings in the selection of siRNA/polymeric targeted delivery systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a human tumor for which currently available therapeutic approaches are poorly effective. In addition, we will discuss the most attracting and, in our opinion, promising siRNA-polymer combinations for HCC in relation to the biological features of HCC tissue. Attention will be also put on the mathematical description of the mechanisms ruling siRNA-carrier delivery, this being an important aspect to improve effectiveness reducing the experimental work.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles modified with polyethylenimine and galactose for siRNA targeted delivery in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

Introduction

A safe and effective in vivo siRNA delivery system is a prerequisite for liver tumor treatment based on siRNA cancer therapeutics. Nanoparticles based on superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) provide a promising delivery system. In this study, we aimed to explore a novel nanoparticle, which is composed of SPIO.

Materials and methods

The particles have a core of iron oxide that is modified by galactose (Gal) and polyethylenimine (PEI), which act as shells, providing targeted delivery of therapeutic siRNA to the liver cancer. Gal-PEI-SPIO nanoparticles were synthesized, and the characteristics of the Gal-PEI-SPIO encapsulated with siRNA were analyzed.

Results

The particles remained nanoparticles and displayed negligible cytotoxicity when loaded with siRNA. In a serum stability assay, the Gal-PEI-SPIO nanoparticles could shield the siRNA from serum degradation and prolong the half-life of the siRNA in the system. Simultaneously, we found that the mixture could be efficiently taken up by Hepa1–6 cells in a flow cytometry assay. To study the anticancer effect, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to validate the silencing efficacy of the complexes in vitro. Subsequently, the nanoparticle mixtures were administered intravenously to tumor-bearing mice to explore the tissue distribution and the effect of the siRNA against cancer. We found that the nanoparticles could provide targeted siRNA delivery, accumulate easily in orthotopic tumors, enhance siRNA accumulation in the tumor tissues for 24 h and protect the siRNA from serum nuclease degradation in comparison with the control group. After these study procedures, the mice were sacrificed, and the tumors were removed to compare the tumor size and analyze the therapeutic effect on tumor growth. The tumor volume and the liver/body weight ratio were significantly reduced in the si-c-Met therapy groups. Additionally, the mRNA levels were also lower than those observed in the controls.

Conclusion

Based on these results, we concluded that Gal-PEI-SPIO represents a promising and efficient platform for siRNA delivery in tumor therapy.

NEK2 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma migration and invasion through modulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Never in mitosis gene-A (NIMA)-related expressed kinase 2 (NEK2) has been recently reported to play a role in tumor progression, drug resistance and tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the effects of NEK2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis and the underlying mechanism. NEK2 expression levels were examined by immunochemistry, qRT-PCR and western blot analyses in HCC cell lines and HCC tissues. A Transwell assay was used to determine the migration and invasion capacity of NEK2-silenced or NEK2-overexpressing HCC cells. Cell proliferation was investigated by MTT [(3-(4,5)-dimethylthiazol(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazolium bromide] assay. The expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in NEK2-silenced or NEK2-overexpressing HCC cells were examined by western blot analyses and qRT-PCR. The correlations between NEK2 expression and clinicopathological characteristics were further analyzed. Gene microarray was further used to analyze the effect of NEK2 expression on downstream cell signals. Our study showed that NEK2 was overexpressed in human HCC (37.84%; 98/259). NEK2 overexpression was significantly associated with liver non-capsulation and predicted poor survival outcomes in HCC patients after hepatectomy. In addition, NEK2 significantly enhanced HCC cell invasive ability. Mechanistically, we found that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in the NEK2-mediated promotion of HCC cell invasion. Furthermore, we provided evidence that signaling through the Wnt, NF-κB, focal adhesion, VEGF, Hippo and p53 pathways may be downstream of NEK2. Our findings highlight the importance of NEK2 in HCC metastasis and suggest that NEK2 is a reliable prognostic marker for HCC patients after hepatectomy.

Antitumor effect of a new nano-vector with miRNA-135a on malignant glioma

Introduction

MiR-135a is found to selectively induce apoptosis in glioma cell but not in normal neurons and glial cells. However, low transfection efficacy limits its application in vivo as other miRNAs. We prepared a new kind of nano-vector based on polyethylene glycol methyl ether (mPEG) and hyper-branched polyethylenimine (hy-PEI) in order to improve the miRNA delivery system into the glioma cells.

Methods

The mPEG-g-PEI/miR-135a was constructed and detected by 1H NMR and FTIR analyses. Transmission electron microscope was utilized for its characteristics. Stability and release efficiency was assessed by electrophoresis. Biocompatibility was observed and analyzed through co-culture with astrocytes and malignant glioma cells (C6). Transfection rate was monitored by laser confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. The antitumor effect of mPEG-g-PEI/miR-135a to C6 was confirmed in vivo by MR scanning, pathology and survival curve. RT-PCR was used to assay transfection efficiency of mPEG-g-PEI/miR-135a in vitro and in vivo. And Western blotting was used to assess the expressions of the targeted proteins of miR-135a.

Results

In this experiment, we found the optimal N/P ratio of mPEG-g-PEI/miR-135a was about 6 judged by Zeta potential, particle size and encapsulation ability. The stability of mPEG-g-PEI/miR-135a in serum and the release efficiency in acid(pH=5.0) of mPEG-g-PEI/miR-135a were simulated the environment in vivo and in tumor. The mPEG-g-PEI nano-vector was co-cultured with malignant glioma cell C6 and normal astrocytes in vitro and showed good biocompatibility evaluated by CCK8 assay. The cell experiments in vitro indicated that mPEG-g-PEI could significantly improve miR-135a transfection by enhancing uptake effect of both normal glial and glioma cells. Given the C6 implanted in situ model, we discovered that the mPEG-g-PEI/miR-135a could obviously increase the survival period and inhibit the growth of glioma confirmed by MRI and histochemistry. In addition, the transfection efficiency of mPEG-g-PEI was better than that of other transfection agents either in vitro or in vivo confirmed by RT-PCR. Moreover, the expressions of the targeted proteins of miR-135a were consistent with the in vitro results.

Conclusion

These results suggest that mPEG-g-PEI is expected to provide a new effective intracellular miRNA delivery system with low toxicity for glioma therapy.

PBX3 is associated with proliferation and poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer

Pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox 3 (PBX3) is upregulated in various malignancies; however, the role of PBX3 in cervical cancer (CC) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression characteristics, clinicopathological significance, and molecular biological function of PBX3 in CC. The expression levels of PBX3 were analyzed in CC cell lines and tumor specimens by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. The clinicopathological characteristics associated with PBX3 expression were evaluated. An RNA interference approach was employed to suppress PBX3 expression in CC in vitro and in vivo, determine its role in cell proliferation and analyze its molecular function. We found that PBX3 expression was significantly upregulated in CC cell lines and clinical specimens compared with normal cells and adjacent nontumorous cervical tissues. PBX3 was an independent predictive factor of poor prognosis, and its expression was correlated with tumor diameter, pathological grading, lymph node metastasis, invasion depth, vascular invasion, and clinical stage of CC. Multivariate analysis suggested that PBX3 expression may represent an independent prognostic indicator of the survival of CC patients. CC patients with high PBX3 expression exhibited reduced overall survival compared with those with low PBX3 expression. Additionally, stable downregulation of PBX3 expression in CC cell lines suppressed cell proliferation and decreased p-AKT protein expression levels in vitro. Similarly, in vivo assays demonstrated that PBX3 downregulation in CC cells markedly inhibited tumor size and weight. Overall, we demonstrated that PBX3 can promote CC cell proliferation via the AKT signaling pathway and that it may serve as a prognostic marker. Our data indicate that inactivation of PBX3 may be an effective clinical treatment for CC.

Missing-in-metastasis B (MIM-B) combined with caveolin-1 promotes metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Increasing amounts of evidence indicate that Missing in metastasis B (MIM-B) promotes cancer metastasis. Here, we sought to better understand the mechanism through which MIM-B promotes tumor metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

We performed confocal microscopy analysis to determine the distributions of MIM-B and caveolin-1 and conducted co-immunoprecipitation assays to detect the interactions between MIM-B and caveolin-1 in vitro. We performed transwell assays to analyze the invasive ability of HCC cells. Changes in the expression levels of key genes and some molecular makers were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blotting in HCC tissue samples.

RESULTS

We found that MIM-B co-localizes with caveolin-1 and demonstrated that MIM-B and caveolin-1 interact in vitro. Repressing MIM-B and caveolin-1 expression inhibited the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway. We overexpressed MIM-B and caveolin-1 in Hep3B cells, which enhanced Hep3B cell invasiveness. Furthermore, MHCC97H cell invasiveness was significantly decreased in cells in which MIM-B and caveolin-1 expression was inhibited. Additionally, we found that MIM-B and caveolin-1 were expressed at higher levels in HCC tissues than in paired normal tissues. Moreover, HCC patients with MIM-B and caveolin-1 up-regulation experienced significantly worse outcomes than controls (P < 0.001), and HCC patients with high MIM-B and caveolin-1 expression levels often developed pulmonary metastasis (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

MIM-B combined with caveolin-1 promotes metastasis of HCC, and elevated MIM-B and caveolin-1 expression levels are associated with a poor prognosis in HCC patients; therefore, MIM-B and caveolin-1 may represent novel targets for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Transducin (β)-like 1 X-linked receptor 1 correlates with clinical prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics in human solid carcinomas

Transducin (β)-like 1 X-linked receptor 1(TBL1XR1) has been reported to be overexpressed in various human cancers, as well as contributing to carcinogenesis and progression. This synthetic analysis was performed to assess whether TBL1XR1 protein could act as a potential prognostic molecular marker for human cancers. Several online databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase together with Wanfang and China National Knowledge Internet database) were retrieved to identify TBL1XR1-related publications. A total of ten studies with 1837 cancer patients were included in this meta-analysis. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied to assess the association between TBL1XR1 expression and cancer prognosis. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to determine the relationship between TBL1XR1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics. The overall results revealed that the overexpression of TBL1XR1 was correlated with poorer overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.49–2.06, p < 0.001) and worse disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.19–1.84, p < 0.001) in human solid cancers. Statistical significance for OS was also found in subgroup analysis stratified by the cancer type, analysis method and follow-up time. Furthermore, elevated TBL1XR1 was associated with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics including tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Our meta-analysis suggested that TBL1XR1 might be served as a novel and promising biomarker to predict prognosis and clinicopathologic characteristic for cancer patients.

Janus Silver/Silica Nanoplatforms for Light-Activated Liver Cancer Chemo/Photothermal Therapy

Stimuli-triggered nanoplatforms have become attractive candidates for combined strategies for advanced liver cancer treatment. In this study, we designed a light-responsive nanoplatform with folic acid-targeting properties to surmount the poor aqueous stability and photostability of indocyanine green (ICG). In this Janus nanostructure, ICG was released on-demand from mesoporous silica compartments in response to near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, exhibiting predominant properties to convert light to heat in the cytoplasm to kill liver cancer cells. Importantly, the silver ions released from the silver compartment that were triggered by light could induce efficient chemotherapy to supplement photothermal therapy. Under NIR irradiation, ICG-loaded Janus nanoplatforms exhibited synergistic therapeutic capabilities both in vitro and in vivo compared with free ICG and ICG-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles themselves. Hence, our Janus nanoplatform could integrate ICG-based photothermal therapy and silver ion-based chemotherapy in a cascade manner, which might provide an efficient and safe strategy for combined liver cancer therapy.

Role of cytochrome P450 2J2 on cell proliferation and resistance to an anticancer agent in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells

The present study examined the role of human cytochrome P450 2J2 (CYP2J2) on cell proliferation and resistance to an anticancer agent using stable hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells overexpressing CYP2J2. Overexpression of CYP2J2 significantly increased HepG2 cell proliferation and the expression levels of cell cycle regulatory proteins, including cyclin D1, cyclin E, cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)2 and Cdk4. CYP2J2-overexpressing HepG2 cells exhibited high levels of Akt phosphorylation compared with those observed in wild-type HepG2 cells. Although Akt phosphorylation in both cell lines was significantly attenuated by LY294002, a specific phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling inhibitor, the levels of Akt phosphorylation following treatment with LY294002 were higher in CYP2J2-overexpressing HepG2 cells than in wild-type HepG2 cells. Cell counting revealed that proliferation was reduced by LY294002 in both cell lines; however, CYP2J2-overexpressing HepG2 cell numbers were higher than those of wild-type HepG2 cells following treatment with LY294002. These results indicated that increased cell proliferation by CYP2J2 overexpression is mediated by increased Akt activity. It was also demonstrated that doxorubicin, an anticancer agent, reduced cell viability, induced a significant increase in the B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 associated X protein (Bax)/Bcl-2 ratio and decreased pro-caspase-3 levels in wild-type HepG2 cells. However, the doxorubicin-induced reduction in cell viability was significantly attenuated by enhanced upregulation of CYP2J2 expression. The increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and the decrease in pro-caspase-3 levels were also recovered by CYP2J2 overexpression. In conclusion, CYP2J2 serves important roles in cancer cell proliferation and resistance to the anticancer agent doxorubicin in HepG2 cells.

Ligand-based targeted therapy: a novel strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Chemotherapy is recommended to patients with intermediate or advanced stage cancer. However, the conventional chemotherapy yields low desired response rates due to multidrug resistance, fast clearance rate, nonspecific delivery, severe side effects, low drug concentration in cancer cells, and so on. Nanoparticle-mediated targeted drug delivery system can surmount the aforementioned obstacles through enhanced permeability and retention effect and active targeting as a novel approach of therapeutics for HCC in recent years. The active targeting is triggered by ligands on the delivery system, which recognize with and internalize into hepatoma cells with high specificity and efficiency. This review focuses on the latest targeted delivery systems for HCC and summarizes the ligands that can enhance the capacity of active targeting, to provide some insight into future research in nanomedicine for HCC.