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Younis MA, Harashima H. Understanding Gene Involvement in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Implications for Gene Therapy and Personalized Medicine. Pharmgenomics Pers Med 2024; 17:193-213. [PMID: 38737776 PMCID: PMC11088404 DOI: 10.2147/pgpm.s431346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the dominant type of liver cancers and is one of the deadliest health threats globally. The conventional therapeutic options for HCC are hampered by low efficiency and intolerable side effects. Gene therapy, however, now offers hope for the treatment of many disorders previously considered incurable, and gene therapy is beginning to address many of the shortcomings of conventional therapies. Herein, we summarize the involvement of genes in the pathogenesis and prognosis of HCC, with a special focus on dysregulated signaling pathways, genes involved in immune evasion, and non-coding RNAs as novel two-edged players, which collectively offer potential targets for the gene therapy of HCC. Herein, the opportunities and challenges of HCC gene therapy are discussed. These include innovative therapies such as genome editing and cell therapies. Moreover, advanced gene delivery technologies that recruit nanomedicines for use in gene therapy for HCC are highlighted. Finally, suggestions are offered for improved clinical translation and future directions in this area of endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud A Younis
- Laboratory of Innovative Nanomedicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
- Department of Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt
| | - Hideyoshi Harashima
- Laboratory of Innovative Nanomedicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
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Li Q, Niu JQ, Jia JH, Xu W, Bai M, Yao GD, Song SJ. A highly oxidized germacranolide from elephantopus tomentosus inhibits the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting EGFR in vitro and in vivo. Bioorg Chem 2024; 143:107007. [PMID: 38039928 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.107007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, with high mortality and poor prognosis. WBDC-1 is a novel highly oxidized germacranolide from the Elephantopus tomentosus in our previous work, which has excellent anti-HCC activity, but the detailed mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we found that WBDC-1 was able to inhibit the proliferation and colony formation of Hep3B and HepG2 cells, as well as the cell migration ability and EMT. In addition, WBDC-1 showed no obvious toxicity to normal liver epithelial cells L-02. The potential targets of WBDC-1 were predicted by network pharmacology, and the following verified experiments showed that WBDC-1 exerted anti-HCC effect by targeting EGFR. Mechanismly, subsequent biological analysis showed that WBDC-1 can inhibit EGFR and its downstream RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Overexpression of EGFR reversed the anticancer properties of WBDC-1. Consistent with in vitro experiments, WBDC-1 was able to inhibit tumor growth and was non-toxic in xenograft tumor models. In summary, this study revealed a potential tumor suppressive mechanism of WBDC-1 and provided a novel strategy for HCC treatment. It also laid a foundation for further research on the anti-tumor effect of highly oxidized germacranolides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Active Molecule Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Bioactive Compounds Discovery & Modification, Shenyang, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Jia-Qi Niu
- Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Active Molecule Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Bioactive Compounds Discovery & Modification, Shenyang, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Jian-Huan Jia
- Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Active Molecule Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Bioactive Compounds Discovery & Modification, Shenyang, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Active Molecule Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Bioactive Compounds Discovery & Modification, Shenyang, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Ming Bai
- Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Active Molecule Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Bioactive Compounds Discovery & Modification, Shenyang, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Guo-Dong Yao
- Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Active Molecule Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Bioactive Compounds Discovery & Modification, Shenyang, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China.
| | - Shao-Jiang Song
- Key Laboratory of Computational Chemistry-Based Natural Antitumor Drug Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Active Molecule Research & Development, Liaoning Province, China; Key Laboratory of Natural Bioactive Compounds Discovery & Modification, Shenyang, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
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3
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Liu J, Park K, Shen Z, Lee H, Geetha P, Pakyari M, Chai L. Immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and their cross talks in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1285370. [PMID: 38173713 PMCID: PMC10762788 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1285370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a challenging malignancy with limited treatment options beyond surgery and chemotherapy. Recent advancements in targeted therapies and immunotherapy, including PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies, have shown promise, but their efficacy has not met expectations. Biomarker testing and personalized medicine based on genetic mutations and other biomarkers represent the future direction for HCC treatment. To address these challenges and opportunities, this comprehensive review discusses the progress made in targeted therapies and immunotherapies for HCC, focusing on dissecting the rationales, opportunities, and challenges for combining these modalities. The liver's unique physiology and the presence of fibrosis in many HCC patients pose additional challenges to drug delivery and efficacy. Ongoing efforts in biomarker development and combination therapy design, especially in the context of immunotherapies, hold promise for improving outcomes in advanced HCC. Through exploring the advancements in biomarkers and targeted therapies, this review provides insights into the challenges and opportunities in the field and proposes strategies for rational combination therapy design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kevin Park
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Ziyang Shen
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hannah Lee
- University of California, San Diego, CA, United States
| | | | - Mohammadreza Pakyari
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Li Chai
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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Shi H, Panjikar S, Li C, Ou X, Zhou Y, Zhang K, Song L, Yu R, Sun L, Zhu J. Characterization of a novel recombinant calcium-binding protein from Arca subcrenata and its anti-hepatoma activities in vitro and in vivo. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 245:125513. [PMID: 37353116 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies demonstrated that ASP-3 was a novel calcium-binding protein from Arca subcrenata that effectively inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells. To further study the antitumor activity and mechanism of ASP-3, the cytotoxic effects of recombinant ASP-3 were evaluated in HepG2 cells. The results demonstrated that ASP-3 inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells by competitively binding to the EGF binding pocket of EGFR and inhibiting the JAK-STAT, RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK, and PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathways mediated by EGFR. ASP-3 significantly inhibited tumor growth in a HepG2 cell subcutaneous xenograft nude mouse model, and its (25 mg/kg and 75 mg/kg) tumor inhibition rates were 46.92 % and 60.28 %, respectively. Furthermore, the crystal structure of ASP-3 was resolved at 1.4 Å. ASP-3 formed as a stable dimer and folded as an EF-Hand structure. ASP-3 stably bound to domain I and domain III of the EGFR extracellular region by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation analysis. Compared with the endogenous ligand EGF, ASP-3 displayed a stronger interaction with EGFR. These experimental results indicated that recombinant ASP-3 possessed an effective anti-hepatoma effect. So, it might be a potential molecule for liver cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shi
- Biotechnological Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinan 250101, China
| | | | - Chunlei Li
- Biotechnological Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaozheng Ou
- Biotechnological Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Kunhao Zhang
- Department of Life Science, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, China
| | - Liyan Song
- Biotechnological Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Rongmin Yu
- Biotechnological Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinan 250101, China.
| | - Lianli Sun
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Jianhua Zhu
- Biotechnological Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinan 250101, China.
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Omar MA, Omran MM, Farid K, Tabll AA, Shahein YE, Emran TM, Petrovic A, Lucic NR, Smolic R, Kovac T, Smolic M. Biomarkers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Origin to Clinical Diagnosis. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1852. [PMID: 37509493 PMCID: PMC10377276 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and HCC-related deaths has increased over the last few decades. There are several risk factors of HCC such as viral hepatitis (B, C), cirrhosis, tobacco and alcohol use, aflatoxin-contaminated food, pesticides, diabetes, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and metabolic and genetic diseases. Diagnosis of HCC is based on different methods such as imaging ultrasonography (US), multiphasic enhanced computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and several diagnostic biomarkers. In this review, we examine the epidemiology of HCC worldwide and in Egypt as well as risk factors associated with the development of HCC and, finally, provide the updated diagnostic biomarkers for the diagnosis of HCC, particularly in the early stages of HCC. Several biomarkers are considered to diagnose HCC, including downregulated or upregulated protein markers secreted during HCC development, circulating nucleic acids or cells, metabolites, and the promising, recently identified biomarkers based on quantitative proteomics through the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). In addition, a diagnostic model used to improve the sensitivity of combined biomarkers for the diagnosis of early HCC is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona A. Omar
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta 34517, Egypt;
| | - Mohamed M. Omran
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt;
| | - Khaled Farid
- Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35524, Egypt;
| | - Ashraf A. Tabll
- Microbial Biotechnology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo 12622, Egypt
- Immunology Department, Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM), Cairo 11517, Egypt
| | - Yasser E. Shahein
- Molecular Biology Department, National Research Centre, Cairo 12622, Egypt
| | - Tarek M. Emran
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, New Damietta 34517, Egypt;
| | - Ana Petrovic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (A.P.); (N.R.L.); (R.S.); (T.K.)
| | - Nikola R. Lucic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (A.P.); (N.R.L.); (R.S.); (T.K.)
| | - Robert Smolic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (A.P.); (N.R.L.); (R.S.); (T.K.)
| | - Tanja Kovac
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (A.P.); (N.R.L.); (R.S.); (T.K.)
| | - Martina Smolic
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (A.P.); (N.R.L.); (R.S.); (T.K.)
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Liu JJ, Xin B, Du L, Chen L, Long Y, Feng GS. Pharmaceutical SH2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 inhibition suppresses primary and metastasized liver tumors by provoking hepatic innate immunity. Hepatology 2023; 77:1512-1526. [PMID: 35503714 PMCID: PMC9948275 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS SH2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (Shp2) is the first identified pro-oncogenic tyrosine phosphatase that acts downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to promote Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling. However, this phosphatase was also shown to be antitumorigenic in HCC. This study is aimed at deciphering paradoxical Shp2 functions and mechanisms in hepatocarcinogenesis and at exploring its value as a pharmaceutical target in HCC therapy. APPROACHES AND RESULTS We took both genetic and pharmaceutical approaches to examine the effects of Shp2 inhibition on primary liver cancers driven by various oncogenes and on metastasized liver tumors. We show here that the catalytic activity of Shp2 was essential for relay of oncogenic signals from RTKs in HCC and that chemical inhibition of Shp2 robustly suppressed HCC driven by RTKs. However, in contrast to a tumor-promoting hepatic niche generated by genetically deleting Shp2 in hepatocytes, treatment with a specific Shp2 inhibitor had a tumor-suppressing effect on metastasized liver tumor progression. Mechanistically, the Shp2 inhibitor enhanced antitumor innate immunity by down-regulating inflammatory cytokines, suppressing the chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 signaling axis, but up-regulating interferon-β secretion. CONCLUSIONS These results unveil complex mechanisms for the tumor-suppressing effect of pharmaceutical Shp2 inhibition in the liver immune environment. We provide a proof of principle for clinical trials with specific Shp2 inhibitors in patients with primary and metastasized liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacey J. Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Bing Xin
- Department of Pathology and Moores Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Li Du
- Department of Pathology and Moores Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lydia Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Yanyan Long
- Department of Pathology and Moores Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gen-Sheng Feng
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Pathology and Moores Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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7
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Calaf GM, Crispin LA, Muñoz JP, Aguayo F, Bleak TC. Muscarinic Receptors Associated with Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092322. [PMID: 35565451 PMCID: PMC9100020 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recently, cancer research has described the presence of the cholinergic machinery, specifically muscarinic receptors, in a wide variety of cancers due to their activation and signaling pathways associated with tumor progression and metastasis, providing a wide overview of their contribution to different cancer formation and development for new antitumor targets. This review focused on determining the molecular signatures associated with muscarinic receptors in breast and other cancers and the need for pharmacological, molecular, biochemical, technological, and clinical approaches to improve new therapeutic targets. Abstract Cancer has been considered the pathology of the century and factors such as the environment may play an important etiological role. The ability of muscarinic agonists to stimulate growth and muscarinic receptor antagonists to inhibit tumor growth has been demonstrated for breast, melanoma, lung, gastric, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, prostate, and brain cancer. This work aimed to study the correlation between epidermal growth factor receptors and cholinergic muscarinic receptors, the survival differences adjusted by the stage clinical factor, and the association between gene expression and immune infiltration level in breast, lung, stomach, colon, liver, prostate, and glioblastoma human cancers. Thus, targeting cholinergic muscarinic receptors appears to be an attractive therapeutic alternative due to the complex signaling pathways involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria M. Calaf
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile; (L.A.C.); (J.P.M.); (T.C.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Leodan A. Crispin
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile; (L.A.C.); (J.P.M.); (T.C.B.)
| | - Juan P. Muñoz
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile; (L.A.C.); (J.P.M.); (T.C.B.)
| | - Francisco Aguayo
- Laboratorio de Oncovirología, Programa de Virología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380000, Chile;
| | - Tammy C. Bleak
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica 1000000, Chile; (L.A.C.); (J.P.M.); (T.C.B.)
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Why may citrate sodium significantly increase the effectiveness of transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma? Drug Resist Updat 2021; 59:100790. [PMID: 34924279 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2021.100790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the third cause of cancer death in men worldwide, and its increasing incidence can be explained by the increasing occurrence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). HCC prognosis is poor, as its 5-year overall survival is approximately 18 % and most cases are diagnosed at an inoperable advanced stage. Moreover, tumor sensitivity to conventional chemotherapeutics (particularly to cisplatin-based regimen), trans-arterial chemoembolization (cTACE), tyrosine kinase inhibitors, anti-angiogenic molecules and immune checkpoint inhibitors is limited. Oncogenic signaling pathways, such as HIF-1α and RAS/PI3K/AKT, may provoke drug resistance by enhancing the aerobic glycolysis ("Warburg effect") in cancer cells. Indeed, this metabolism, which promotes cancer cell development and aggressiveness, also induces extracellular acidity. In turn, this acidity promotes the protonation of drugs, hence abrogating their internalization, since they are most often weakly basic molecules. Consequently, targeting the Warburg effect in these cancer cells (which in turn would reduce the extracellular acidification) could be an effective strategy to increase the delivery of drugs into the tumor. Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1) and its activator PFK2 are the main regulators of glycolysis, and they also couple the enhancement of glycolysis to the activation of key signaling cascades and cell cycle progression. Therefore, targeting this "Gordian Knot" in HCC cells would be of crucial importance. Here, we suggest that this could be achieved by citrate administration at high concentration, because citrate is a physiologic inhibitor of PFK1 and PFK2. As shown in various in vitro studies, including HCC cell lines, administration of high concentrations of citrate inhibits PFK1 and PFK2 (and consequently glycolysis), decreases ATP production, counteracts HIF-1α and PI3K/AKT signaling, induces apoptosis, and sensitizes cells to cisplatin treatment. Administration of high concentrations of citrate in animal models (including Ras-driven tumours) has been shown to effectively inhibit cancer growth, reverse cell dedifferentiation, and neutralize intratumor acidity, without apparent toxicity in animal studies. Citrate may also induce a rapid secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by macrophages, and it could favour the destruction of cancer stem cells (CSCs) sustaining tumor recurrence. Consequently, this "citrate strategy" could improve the tumor sensitivity to current treatments of HCC by reducing the extracellular acidity, thus enhancing the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs into the tumor. Therefore, we propose that this strategy should be explored in clinical trials, in particular to enhance cTACE effectiveness.
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Wang Y, Zhang M, Gong Y, Wu Q, Zhang L, Jiao S. Bioinformatic Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines to the Efficacy of Nimotuzumab. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:2611-2621. [PMID: 34168487 PMCID: PMC8217909 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s312770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to be a cancer with rising incidence, high mortality, and recurrence rate. The therapeutic effects on HCC are not satisfactory currently. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important factor, while anti-EGFR agencies have not shown ideal results in HCC. Materials and Methods We tested efficacy of nimotuzumab and EGFR expression on cell surface in six HCC cell lines (Hep 3B2.1–7, Li-7, PLC/PRF/5, SK-HEP-1, SNU-182, and SNU-387). Then, we analyzed RNA sequences of every cell line and performed a bioinformatic analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed. The data, TCGA-LIHC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GSE102079 from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), were used to analyse DEGs of Hoshida subclass. Results Hep 3B2.1–7 and PLC/PRF/5 were sensitive to nimotuzumab whereas Li-7, SK-HEP-1, SNU-182, and SNU-387 cell lines were resistant. Then, we compared the DEGs between sensitive and resistant group cell lines. We enriched DEGs in GO and KEGG and performed GSEA in each group. Genes in two groups did not show obvious different expressions in EGFR pathways, while Hoshida subclass of HCC seemed to associate with the efficacy of nimotuzumab in that S2 and S3 showed better therapeutic effect than S1. Therefore, we analyzed genes in human tumor samples which were from TCGA-LIHC and GSE102079. We found that COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, and MMP9 were the focus DEGs of S1 and S2 & S3 related to EGFR. Conclusion The efficacy of nimotuzumab in HCC did not show direct relevance with EGFR protein expression and EGFR-related pathway. However, efficacy could associate with Hoshida subclass of HCC. Three ECM genes (COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1) and MMP9 were paid attention, as they might play important roles in the curative effect of nimotuzumab in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Department of Oncology, Oncology Faculty, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Research and Development, Beijing DCTY® Biotech Co.,Ltd, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixin Gong
- Department of Research and Development, Beijing DCTY® Biotech Co.,Ltd, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiyan Wu
- Department of Oncology, Oncology Faculty, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Oncology Faculty, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shunchang Jiao
- Department of Oncology, Oncology Faculty, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Qin JM. Conversion therapy for primary liver cancer: Indications and selective strategies. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2021; 29:501-510. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v29.i10.501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer has an insidious onset and no specific symptoms at early stage. Most patients are in the middle or advanced stage when diagnosed, and only 20%-40% of patients meet the criteria for radical resection. At present, surgical resection is still the main radical treatment for primary liver cancer, but factors such as liver function decompensation, too large tumor volume, too small future liver remnant, intrahepatic multiple metastasis, tumor thrombus invading the large vessels or bile duct, and distant metastasis limit the application of surgical resection or liver transplantation. In recent years, with the advances of basic research of primary liver cancer, the development of surgical techniques and equipment, as well as the development of new molecular targeted drugs and immunotherapy drugs, a part of unresectable patients with primary liver cancer can receive conversion therapy to improve liver function, minimize tumor volume, minimize or inactivate tumor thrombus, and increase the residual liver volume. Following conversion therapy, patients with primary liver cancer can undergo surgical resection or liver transplantation, which greatly improve the therapeutic efficacy and patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Min Qin
- Department of General Surgery, the Third Hospital Affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 201805, China
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11
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Liu Z, Ning F, Cai Y, Sheng H, Zheng R, Yin X, Lu Z, Su L, Chen X, Zeng C, Wang H, Liu L. The EGFR-P38 MAPK axis up-regulates PD-L1 through miR-675-5p and down-regulates HLA-ABC via hexokinase-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2021; 41:62-78. [PMID: 34236149 PMCID: PMC7819566 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy has been shown to be a promising strategy against human cancers. A better understanding of the immune regulation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) could help the development of immunotherapy against HCC. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is frequently activated in HCC and plays important roles in tumorigenesis. However, its role in HCC immunity is still largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impact of EGFR signaling on programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and human leukocyte antigen class-I (HLA-I) expression in HCC cells and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS The expression of phosphorylated EGFR (p-EGFR), PD-L1, and HLA-I (HLA-ABC) in HCC specimens was detected by immunohistochemistry, and their correlations were analyzed. PD-L1 and HLA-ABC expression in EGFR-activated HCC cells were detected by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, and flow cytometry, and T cell-mediated lysis was performed to test the immunosuppressive effects of PD-L1 and HLA-ABC alterations in HCC cells. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of EGFR activation-induced PD-L1 up-regulation and HLA-ABC down-regulation were explored by animal experiments, luciferase reporter assay, and gene gain- and loss-of-function studies. RESULTS p-EGFR was positively correlated with PD-L1 and negatively correlated with HLA-ABC expression in HCCs. EGFR activation by its ligand EGF up-regulated PD-L1 and down-regulated HLA-ABC in HCC cells, which was functionally important and could be abolished by the EGFR inhibitor, gefitinib, both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, enhanced P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation down-regulated microRNA-675-5p (miR-675-5p) and up-regulated glycolysis-related enzyme hexokinase 2 (HK2); miR-675-5p down-regulation enhanced the stability of PD-L1 mRNA probably via the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of PD-L1 and thereby caused PD-L1 accumulation, and HK2 up-regulation enhanced aerobic glycolysis and mediated a decrease in HLA-ABC. CONCLUSIONS The EGFR-P38 MAPK axis could up-regulate PD-L1 through miR-675-5p and down-regulate HLA-ABC via HK2 in HCC cells. Our study reveals a novel signaling network that may cause immune suppression in HCC and suggests that EGFR signaling can be targeted for HCC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongcai Liu
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Fen Ning
- Laboratory of Uterine Vascular BiologyGuangzhou Institute of PediatricsGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Yanna Cai
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Huiying Sheng
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Ruidan Zheng
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Xi Yin
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Zhikun Lu
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Ling Su
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Xiaodan Chen
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Chunhua Zeng
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
| | - Haifang Wang
- Laboratory Medicine CenterNanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510515P. R. China
| | - Li Liu
- Laboratory of Endocrinology and MetabolismGuangzhou Women and Children's Medical CenterGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong510623P. R. China
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12
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Abstract
The Bateson–Dobzhansky–Muller (BDM) model describes negative epistatic interactions that occur between genes with a different evolutionary history to account for hybrid incompatibility and is a central theory explaining genetic mechanisms underlying speciation. Since the early 1900 s when the BDM model was forwarded examples of BDM incompatibility have been described in only a few nonvertebrate cases. This study reports the only vertebrate system, with clearly defined interacting loci, that supports the BDM model. In addition, this study also poses that tumorigenesis serves as a novel mechanism that accounts for postzygotic isolation. Mixing genomes of different species by hybridization can disrupt species-specific genetic interactions that were adapted and fixed within each species population. Such disruption can predispose the hybrids to abnormalities and disease that decrease the overall fitness of the hybrids and is therefore named as hybrid incompatibility. Interspecies hybridization between southern platyfish and green swordtails leads to lethal melanocyte tumorigenesis. This occurs in hybrids with tumor incidence following progeny ratio that is consistent with two-locus interaction, suggesting melanoma development is a result of negative epistasis. Such observations make Xiphophorus one of the only two vertebrate hybrid incompatibility examples in which interacting genes have been identified. One of the two interacting loci has been characterized as a mutant epidermal growth factor receptor. However, the other locus has not been identified despite over five decades of active research. Here we report the localization of the melanoma regulatory locus to a single gene, rab3d, which shows all expected features of the long-sought oncogene interacting locus. Our findings provide insights into the role of egfr regulation in regard to cancer etiology. Finally, they provide a molecular explainable example of hybrid incompatibility.
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13
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Huang G, Yang Y, Lv M, Huang T, Zhan X, Kang W, Hou J. Novel lncRNA SFTA1P Promotes Tumor Growth by Down-Regulating miR-4766-5p via PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:9759-9770. [PMID: 33061455 PMCID: PMC7533222 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s248660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy worldwide with a high mortality rate. lncRNA SFTA1P is highly expressed in HCC. We aimed to study the role of SFTA1P in HCC and its relationship with miR-4766-5p. Materials and Methods The levels of SFTA1P in HCC tissues and cell lines were determined. Relationship between SFTA1P and clinical features and prognosis was studied. The influence of SFTA1P on HCC cell viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis was studied in vitro. Rescue experiments were conducted after the binding site between SFTA1P and miR-4766-5p confirmed by dual-luciferase assay. The protein expression of AKT, p-AKT, mTOR and p-mTOR in HCC cells with knockdown of SFTA1P was determined by Western blotting. A tumor study in nude mice was conducted in order to assess the effects of SFTA1P on tumor growth characteristics. Results SFTA1P was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. SFTA1P expression was closely related to tumor size, vascular invasion and TNM stage. Knockdown of SFTA1P inhibited HCC cell viability, migration and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis. MiR-4766-5p was a target of SFTA1P and knockdown of SFTA1P could decrease the protein expression of p-AKT and p-mTOR. Rescue experiments showed that miR-4766-5p mimics could attenuate the promoting role of SFTA1P on HCC cell viability, invasion and migration, and inhibiting role on cell apoptosis. Moreover, we used nude mice models and also found that the knockdown of SFTA1P reduced tumor volume and weight. Conclusion lncRNA SFTA1P could promote tumor development in HCC by down-regulating miR-4766-5p expression via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. It may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohong Huang
- Clinical Research Center of Kunming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Kunming 650031, People's Republic of China
| | - Yimei Yang
- Clinical Research Center of Kunming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Kunming 650031, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengxin Lv
- Clinical Research Center of Kunming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Kunming 650031, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Huang
- Clinical Research Center of Kunming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Kunming 650031, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhan
- Clinical Research Center of Kunming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Kunming 650031, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Kang
- Clinical Research Center of Kunming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Kunming 650031, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianghou Hou
- Clinical Research Center of Kunming Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Kunming 650031, People's Republic of China
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14
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Rathi N, Maughan BL, Agarwal N, Swami U. Mini-Review: Cabozantinib in the Treatment of Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:3741-3749. [PMID: 32547210 PMCID: PMC7246323 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s202973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cabozantinib is an oral, tyrosine-kinase inhibitor with potent activity against VEGFR2 and MET, along with multiple other tyrosine kinases involved in cancer development and progression. Herein, we will focus on preclinical and clinical studies leading to the approval of cabozantinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Covered studies include NCT01100619, CABOSUN, METEOR, NCT00940225 and the CELESTIAL trial. Finally, we review future directions of cabozantinib development by highlighting some ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nityam Rathi
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Benjamin L Maughan
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Neeraj Agarwal
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Umang Swami
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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15
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Du ZQ, Dong J, Li MX, Zhang JF, Bi JB, Ren YF, Zhang LN, Wu RQ, Monga SPS, Lv Y, Zhang XF, Wang HC. Overexpression of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor Α D842V Mutants Prevents Liver Regeneration and Chemically Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis via Inhibition of MET and EGFR. J Cancer 2020; 11:4614-4624. [PMID: 32489479 PMCID: PMC7255377 DOI: 10.7150/jca.44492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Platelet-derived growth receptor α (PDGFRα) is a key factor in many pathophysiological processes. The expression level of PDGFRα is significantly elevated in the early stage of liver development and maintained at a lower level in adult normal livers. In this study, we constructed a liver-specific PDGFRαD842 mutant transgenic (TG) mice model to explore the effect of continuous activation of PDGFRα on liver regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis. 14-day-old TG and wild-type (WT) mice were intraperitoneally injected with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at a dose of 25 μg/g body weight. Two-month-old male TG and WT mice were subjected to partial hepatectomy (PH). The liver tissues were collected for further analysis at different time points. Overexpression of PDGFRα D842V and its target genes, Akt, c-myc and cyclin D1 in hepatocytes with no overt phenotype versus WT mice were compared. Unexpectedly, a dramatic decrease in hepatocyte proliferation was noted after PH in TG versus WT mice, possibly due to the downregulation of hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). No TG mice developed HCC spontaneously after 14 months follow-up. However, TG mice were more resistant to DEN-induced hapatocarcinogenesis at 6, 10, and 12 months of age, showing delayed hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis, lower tumor incidence, smaller size and fewer number, compared with age-matched WTs, partially through downregulation of MET and EGFR. In conclusion, continuous activation of PDGFRα signaling by expression of PDGFRα D842V does not promote, but inhibit hepatic regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis, possibly through compensatory downregulation of MET and EGFR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Qing Du
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
| | - Jian Dong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
| | - Mu-Xing Li
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,Department of General Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jian-Fei Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,Department of Surgical Oncology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Jian-Bin Bi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
| | - Yi-Fan Ren
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
| | - Li-Na Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rong-Qian Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
| | - Satdarshan P S Monga
- Department of Pathology and Medicine and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yi Lv
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
| | - Xu-Feng Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China.,National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Precision Surgery & Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
| | - Hai-Chen Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China
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16
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Dash S, Aydin Y, Widmer KE, Nayak L. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mechanisms Associated with Chronic HCV Infection and the Impact of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2020; 7:45-76. [PMID: 32346535 PMCID: PMC7167284 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s221187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the major risk factor for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mechanisms of HCC initiation, growth, and metastasis appear to be highly complex due to the decade-long interactions between the virus, immune system, and overlapping bystander effects of host metabolic liver disease. The lack of a readily accessible animal model system for HCV is a significant obstacle to understand the mechanisms of viral carcinogenesis. Traditionally, the primary prevention strategy of HCC has been to eliminate infection by antiviral therapy. The success of virus elimination by antiviral treatment is determined by the SVR when the HCV is no longer detectable in serum. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and its analogs, pegylated IFN-α (PEG-IFN-α) alone with ribavirin (RBV), have been the primary antiviral treatment of HCV for many years with a low cure rate. The cloning and sequencing of HCV have allowed the development of cell culture models, which accelerated antiviral drug discovery. It resulted in the selection of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-based combination therapy that now offers incredible success in curing HCV infection in more than 95% of all patients, including those with cirrhosis. However, several emerging recent publications claim that patients who have liver cirrhosis at the time of DAAs treatment face the risk of HCC occurrence and recurrence after viral cure. This remains a substantial challenge while addressing the long-term benefit of antiviral medicine. The host-related mechanisms that drive the risk of HCC in the absence of the virus are unknown. This review describes the multifaceted mechanisms that create a tumorigenic environment during chronic HCV infection. In addition to the potential oncogenic programming that drives HCC after viral clearance by DAAs, the current status of a biomarker development for early prediction of cirrhosis regression and HCC detection post viral treatment is discussed. Since DAAs treatment does not provide full protection against reinfection or viral transmission to other individuals, the recent studies for a vaccine development are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta Dash
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA70119, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA
| | - Yucel Aydin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA70112, USA
| | - Kyle E Widmer
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA70119, USA
| | - Leela Nayak
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA70119, USA
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17
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Successful stories of drug repurposing for cancer therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. DRUG REPURPOSING IN CANCER THERAPY 2020. [PMCID: PMC7471801 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819668-7.00008-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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18
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Dai Q, Zhang C, Yuan Z, Sun Q, Jiang Y. Current discovery strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma therapeutics. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 15:243-258. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1696769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuzi Dai
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Cunlong Zhang
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, Shenzhen Kivita Innovative Drug Discovery Institute, The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Zigao Yuan
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, Shenzhen Kivita Innovative Drug Discovery Institute, The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Qinsheng Sun
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, Shenzhen Kivita Innovative Drug Discovery Institute, The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Yuyang Jiang
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P. R. China
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Dash S, Aydin Y, Moroz K. Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy in the Liver: Good or Bad? Cells 2019; 8:E1308. [PMID: 31652893 PMCID: PMC6912708 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection triggers autophagy processes, which help clear out the dysfunctional viral and cellular components that would otherwise inhibit the virus replication. Increased cellular autophagy may kill the infected cell and terminate the infection without proper regulation. The mechanism of autophagy regulation during liver disease progression in HCV infection is unclear. The autophagy research has gained a lot of attention recently since autophagy impairment is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Macroautophagy, microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) are three autophagy processes involved in the lysosomal degradation and extracellular release of cytosolic cargoes under excessive stress. Autophagy processes compensate for each other during extreme endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress to promote host and microbe survival as well as HCC development in the highly stressed microenvironment of the cirrhotic liver. This review describes the molecular details of how excessive cellular stress generated during HCV infection activates CMA to improve cell survival. The pathological implications of stress-related CMA activation resulting in the loss of hepatic innate immunity and tumor suppressors, which are most often observed among cirrhotic patients with HCC, are discussed. The oncogenic cell programming through autophagy regulation initiated by a cytoplasmic virus may facilitate our understanding of HCC mechanisms related to non-viral etiologies and metabolic conditions such as uncontrolled type II diabetes. We propose that a better understanding of how excessive cellular stress leads to cancer through autophagy modulation may allow therapeutic development and early detection of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta Dash
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, 2400 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, USA.
| | - Yucel Aydin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
| | - Krzysztof Moroz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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20
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MAT2B mediates invasion and metastasis by regulating EGFR signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Exp Med 2019; 19:535-546. [PMID: 31493275 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-019-00579-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is mainly due to cancer metastasis. Methionine adenosyltransferase 2β (MAT2B) encodes a regulatory subunit (β) for methionine adenosyltransferase. Previous studies reveal that MAT2B provides a growth advantage for HCC, but its role in metastasis is unknown. This study showed that both in the xenograft zebra fish model and in the lung metastasis model in nude mice, the stable inhibition of MAT2B could suppress the metastasis of HCC cancer cells. Silencing of MAT2B in HCC cell lines could remarkably inhibit migration and invasion. By analysis of human phospho-kinase array membranes, we found several differentially expressed proteins, including phosphor-AKT, phospho-EGFR, phospho-Src family, phospho-FAK, phospho-STAT3 and phospho-ERK. We further confirmed the change of these EGFR pathway-related proteins was in accordance with MAT2B expression pattern through immunoblotting test. Finally, we found that MAT2B was overexpressed in HCC caner tissues and correlated with poor prognosis for HCC patients in clinical manifestation. Our study demonstrated that silencing of MAT2B could suppress liver cancer cell migration and invasion through the inhibition of EGFR signaling, which suggested that MAT2B might serve as a new prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.
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21
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Erdogan A, Ozkan A. Cetuximab and epirubicin HCl-combined application as a possibility to treat both parental and epirubicin HCl-resistant liver cancer cells. Biol Futur 2019; 70:175-184. [PMID: 34554450 DOI: 10.1556/019.70.2019.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Targeted chemotherapeutics such as cetuximab can cause many side effects such as skin toxicity when used in high concentrations. In addition, cancer cells can develop resistance to some of the anticancer agents during treatment. The lack of the desired success in chemotherapy and the development of resistance to chemotherapeutics, such as epirubicin HCl, suggest that there is a need for combined therapies. The combination of targeted chemotherapeutics and conventional chemotherapy drugs may lead to the emergence of new strategies in the treatment of cancer. In this study, cytotoxic, antiproliferative, cell cycle inhibitive, oxidative stress generation, and apoptotic effects and effect mechanisms of cetuximab alone and together with epirubicin HCl on parental liver cancer cells (P-Hep G2) and epirubicin HCl-resistant liver cancer cells (R-Hep G2) were investigated. MATERIALS Cytotoxic effects of cetuximab alone and with epirubicin-HCl on cells were determined by Cell Titer-Blue® Cell Viability and Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity tests. Cell cycle distributions and apoptosis were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Cetuximab with epirubicin HCl treatment increased the cytotoxic effect on both cells. Caspase-3/7 activity increased 3 and 1.5 times in comparison with control group in P-Hep G2 and R-Hep G2 cells, respectively, after treating with cetuximab alone, whereas the increase was found to be approximately 4.7 and 2.5 times when cetuximab was treated with epirubicin HCl in P-Hep G2 and R-Hep G2 cells, respectively. Both cetuximab alone and together with epirubicin HCl treatments caused increases in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in both cells. DISCUSSION Treatment of cetuximab with epirubicin HCl to P-Hep G2 and R-Hep G2 cells was found to be more effective in cytotoxic effect and inducing apoptosis comparison to cetuximab alone treatment. In addition, combination treatment showed different effects on pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic genes expression according to cells drug resistance properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayse Erdogan
- Genetic and Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Antalya, Turkey.
| | - Aysun Ozkan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
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Liu J, Ma Z, Liu Y, Wu L, Hou Z, Li W. Screening of potential biomarkers in hepatitis C virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma using bioinformatic analysis. Oncol Lett 2019; 18:2500-2508. [PMID: 31452738 PMCID: PMC6676667 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is among the main causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, HCV-induced HCC (HCV-HCC) exhibits adverse clinical outcomes and limited therapeutic treatments are available for this condition. To investigate key biomarkers in the occurrence and development of HCV-HCC, microarray datasets GSE62232, GSE69715 and GSE107170 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database for analysis. The differentially expressed genes between HCV-HCC and normal tissue were identified using the GEO2R online tool. The function enrichment analyses including Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery online tool. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database and visualized using Cytoscape. A total of 368 DEGs were identified, and the top 10 hub genes with a high degree of connectivity were selected for further analysis. Subsequently, overall survival and disease-free survival analysis revealed that there was a significant association between altered expression of HMMR, CCNB1 and KIF20A, and poor clinical outcome. In summary, these results indicate that HMMR, CCNB1 and KIF20A are potential targets for diagnosis and therapy of HCV-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yue Bei People's Hospital, Shaoguan, Guangdong 512026, P.R. China
| | - Zhanzhong Ma
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yue Bei People's Hospital, Shaoguan, Guangdong 512026, P.R. China
| | - Yanming Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yue Bei People's Hospital, Shaoguan, Guangdong 512026, P.R. China
| | - Liangyin Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yue Bei People's Hospital, Shaoguan, Guangdong 512026, P.R. China
| | - Zhiwei Hou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Yue Bei People's Hospital, Shaoguan, Guangdong 512026, P.R. China
| | - Wenli Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Yue Bei People's Hospital, Shaoguan, Guangdong 512026, P.R. China
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Thomas R, Weihua Z. Rethink of EGFR in Cancer With Its Kinase Independent Function on Board. Front Oncol 2019; 9:800. [PMID: 31508364 PMCID: PMC6716122 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of most potent oncogenes that are commonly altered in cancers. As a receptor tyrosine kinase, EGFR's kinase activity has been serving as the primary target for developing cancer therapeutics, namely the EGFR inhibitors including small molecules targeting its ATP binding pocket and monoclonal antibodies targeting its ligand binding domains. EGFR inhibitors have produced impressive therapeutic benefits to responsive types of cancers. However, acquired and innate resistances have precluded current anti-EGFR agents from offering sustainable benefits to initially responsive cancers and benefits to EGFR-positive cancers that are innately resistant. Recent years have witnessed a realization that EGFR possesses kinase-independent (KID) pro-survival functions in cancer cells. This new knowledge has offered a different angle of understanding of EGFR in cancer and opened a new avenue of targeting EGFR for cancer therapy. There are already many excellent reviews on the role of EGFR with a focus on its kinase-dependent functions and mechanisms of resistance to EGFR targeted therapies. The present opinion aims to initiate a fresh discussion about the function of EGFR in cancer cells by laying out some unanswered questions pertaining to EGFR in cancer cells, by rethinking the unmet therapeutic challenges from a view of EGFR's KID function, and by proposing novel approaches to target the KID functions of EGFR for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rintu Thomas
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Zhang Weihua
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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Wang S, Gribskov M. Transcriptome analysis identifies metallothionein as biomarkers to predict recurrence in hepatocellular cacinoma. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 7:e693. [PMID: 31056863 PMCID: PMC6565558 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the major liver tumor type seen in adults. HCC is usually caused by chronic liver disease such as hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection. One of the promising treatments for HCC is liver transplantation, in which a diseased liver is replaced with a healthy liver from another person. However, recurrence of HCC after surgery is a significant problem. Therefore, it is important to discover reliable cellular biomarkers that can predict recurrence in HCC. METHODS We analyzed previously published HCC RNA-Seq data that includes 21 paired tumor and normal samples, in which nine tumors were recurrent after orthotopic liver transplantation and 12 were nonrecurrent tumors with their paired normal samples. We used both the reference genome and de novo transcriptome assembly based analyses to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) and used RandomForest to discover biomarkers. RESULTS We obtained 398 DEG using the Reference approach and 412 DEG using de novo assembly approach. Among these DEG, 258 genes were identified by both approaches. We further identified 30 biomarkers that could predict the recurrence. We used another independent HCC study that includes 50 patients normal and tumor samples. By using these 30 biomarkers, the prediction accuracy was 100% for normal condition and 98% for tumor condition. A group of Metallothionein was specifically discovered as biomarkers in both reference and de novo assembly approaches. CONCLUSION We identified a group of Metallothionein genes as biomarkers to predict recurrence. The metallothionein genes were all down-regulated in tumor samples, suggesting that low metallothionein expression may be a promoter of tumor growth. In addition, using de novo assembly identified some unique biomarkers, further confirmed the necessity of conducting a de novo assembly in human cancer study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufang Wang
- School of Life SciencesNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
- Center of Special Environmental Biomechanics & Biomedical EngineeringNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Michael Gribskov
- Department of Biological SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Department of Computer SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
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Ardelt MA, Fröhlich T, Martini E, Müller M, Kanitz V, Atzberger C, Cantonati P, Meßner M, Posselt L, Lehr T, Wojtyniak J, Ulrich M, Arnold GJ, König L, Parazzoli D, Zahler S, Rothenfußer S, Mayr D, Gerbes A, Scita G, Vollmar AM, Pachmayr J. Inhibition of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5: A Strategy to Improve Sorafenib Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy. Hepatology 2019; 69:376-393. [PMID: 30033593 PMCID: PMC6590289 DOI: 10.1002/hep.30190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic options for patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are very limited. The only approved first-line treatment is the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib, which shows low response rates and severe side effects. In particular, the compensatory activation of growth factor receptors leads to chemoresistance and limits the clinical impact of sorafenib. However, combination approaches to improve sorafenib have failed. Here we investigate the inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) as a promising combination strategy to improve sorafenib response in HCC. Combination of sorafenib with Cdk5 inhibition (genetic knockdown by short hairpin RNA or CRISPR/Cas9 and pharmacologic inhibition) synergistically impaired HCC progression in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting both tumor cell proliferation and migration. Importantly, these effects were mediated by a mechanism for Cdk5: A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach revealed that Cdk5 inhibition interferes with intracellular trafficking, a process crucial for cellular homeostasis and growth factor receptor signaling. Cdk5 inhibition resulted in an accumulation of enlarged vesicles and respective cargos in the perinuclear region, considerably impairing the extent and quality of growth factor receptor signaling. Thereby, Cdk5 inhibition offers a comprehensive approach to globally disturb growth factor receptor signaling that is superior to specific inhibition of individual growth factor receptors. Conclusion: Cdk5 inhibition represents an effective approach to improve sorafenib response and to prevent sorafenib treatment escape in HCC. Notably, Cdk5 is an addressable target frequently overexpressed in HCC, and with Dinaciclib, a clinically tested Cdk5 inhibitor is readily available. Thus, our study provides evidence for clinically evaluating the combination of sorafenib and Dinaciclib to improve the therapeutic situation for patients with advanced-stage HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian A. Ardelt
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany,Institute of PharmacyParacelsus Medical UniversitySalzburgAustria
| | - Thomas Fröhlich
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, LAFUGA, Gene CentreUniversity of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Emanuele Martini
- IFOM‐FIRC Institute of Molecular OncologyDepartment of Oncology and Hemato‐OncologyUniversity of MilanMilanItalyMilanItaly
| | - Martin Müller
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Veronika Kanitz
- Institute of PathologyLudwig Maximilians University of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Carina Atzberger
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Petra Cantonati
- Institute of PharmacyParacelsus Medical UniversitySalzburgAustria
| | - Martina Meßner
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany,Institute of PharmacyParacelsus Medical UniversitySalzburgAustria
| | - Laura Posselt
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS‐M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine IVKlinikum der Universität MünchenMunichGermany
| | - Thorsten Lehr
- Clinical PharmacySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany
| | | | - Melanie Ulrich
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Georg J. Arnold
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, LAFUGA, Gene CentreUniversity of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Lars König
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS‐M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine IVKlinikum der Universität MünchenMunichGermany
| | - Dario Parazzoli
- IFOM‐FIRC Institute of Molecular OncologyDepartment of Oncology and Hemato‐OncologyUniversity of MilanMilanItalyMilanItaly
| | - Stefan Zahler
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Simon Rothenfußer
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS‐M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine IVKlinikum der Universität MünchenMunichGermany
| | - Doris Mayr
- Institute of PathologyLudwig Maximilians University of MunichMunichGermany
| | - Alexander Gerbes
- Department of Medicine 2, Liver Center MunichUniversity Hospital, LMU MunichMunichGermany
| | - Giorgio Scita
- IFOM‐FIRC Institute of Molecular OncologyDepartment of Oncology and Hemato‐OncologyUniversity of MilanMilanItalyMilanItaly
| | | | - Johanna Pachmayr
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical BiologyLMU MunichMunichGermany,Institute of PharmacyParacelsus Medical UniversitySalzburgAustria
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Immunohistochemical Expression of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 39:21-28. [PMID: 30864368 DOI: 10.2478/prilozi-2018-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling plays an important role in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to evaluate immunoexpression of EGFR in HCC and surrounding non-tumor liver tissue and to correlate it to multiple clinicopathologic data. MATERIAL AND METHODS We analyzed 60 patients with HCC for multiple clinicopathologic characteristics and survival. Presence of the immunosignal and the percentage of positive tumor cells at the whole tumor tissue sample and adjacent cirrhotic liver tissue were semi-quantitatively determined. RESULTS Nineteen patients (31.67%) were female and 41 (68.33%) were male ranging in age from 31 to 85 years, median 61.88±10.51. Mean survival time for female patients was 8.86±1.76 months, for male 13.03±1.50 months and overall survival was 11.6051±1.19 months. The most patients had: T2 status (41.67%), no enlarged lymph nodes (90%), vascular invasion (63.33%) and well differentiated (43.33%) tumors. EGFR immunoexpression was determined in range from 0% to 100% in both tumor and non-tumor tissue with mean value of 39.58% in tumor and 86.86% in cirrhotic tissue (p<0.00). Higher percent of tumor EGFR positive cells were found in cases with higher T status, higher levels of AFP and poorly differentiated carcinoma, but not significantly. Lower percent of tumor EGFR positive cells were found in patients with vascular invasion and enlarged lymph nodes, but also not significantly. EGFR expression in tumor tissue significantly influenced survival of the patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSION The study showed that expression of EGFR in lower percentage of tumor cells was associated to favorable prognosis, making it a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target.
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Papaccio F, Della Corte CM, Viscardi G, Di Liello R, Esposito G, Sparano F, Ciardiello F, Morgillo F. HGF/MET and the Immune System: Relevance for Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E3595. [PMID: 30441809 PMCID: PMC6274701 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An overactivation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) axis promotes tumorigenesis and tumor progression in various cancer types. Research data recently evidenced that HGF/MET signaling is also involved also in the immune response, mainly modulating dendritic cells functions. In general, the pathway seems to play an immunosuppressive role, thus hypothesizing that it could constitute a mechanism of primary and acquired resistance to cancer immunotherapy. Recently, some approaches are being developed, including drug design and cell therapy to combine MET and programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death receptor-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibition. This approach could represent a new weapon in cancer therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Papaccio
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Carminia Maria Della Corte
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Viscardi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Raimondo Di Liello
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Esposito
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Francesca Sparano
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Fortunato Ciardiello
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Floriana Morgillo
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Pansini n.5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
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Shahin YR, Elguindy NM, Abdel Bary A, Balbaa M. The protective mechanism of Nigella sativa against diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma through its antioxidant effect and EGFR/ERK1/2 signaling. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2018; 33:885-898. [PMID: 29923357 DOI: 10.1002/tox.22574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of natural products have powerful chemopreventive effects due to their antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anti-inflammatory activities that enable them to arrest cell proliferation in several cancer models. In the present study, we shed light on the protective mechanism of Nigella sativa extract against diethylnitrosamine (DENA)-induced preneoplastic stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats. We studied the extract effect on EGFR/ERK1/2 signaling pathway as one of the major signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation during hepatocarcinogenesis as well as the investigation of its antioxidant activity. The study also compared the effects of NSEE to those of (thymoquinone) TQ and silymarin as hepatoprotective substances. Rats received daily doses of NSEE (150, 250, 350 mg/kg BW), a dose per three alternative days/week of TQ (20 mg/kg BW) and a daily dose of silymarin (100 mg/kg BW). The doses were administered orally by gavage for 12 days before DENA and CCl4 administration, and then the supply of NSEE, TQ or silymarin was continued until the end of the experiment (16 weeks). DENA administration activated EGFR/ERK1/2 signaling and caused a significant increase in P-EGFR and P-ERK1/2 as well as a significant up-regulation of expression of target genes such as PCNA, c-fos and Bcl2, which indicated the increase in cell proliferation. Furthermore, a significant elevation in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and hepatic enzymes was observed in DENA-treated rats in addition to a decrease in the antioxidant status. The protection with NSEE, TQ, or silymarin has the potential to inhibit the EGFR/ERK1/2 activation and improve the antioxidant status. Moreover, the action of NSEE against the hepatocarcinogenesis was supported by high antioxidant activity and the histopathological observations of the liver. These data suggest that NSEE has a chemopreventive role in DENA-induced HCC through the inhibition of the EGFR/ERK1/2 signaling pathway and their target genes in addition to its role as an antioxidant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y R Shahin
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt
| | - N M Elguindy
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt
| | - A Abdel Bary
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - M Balbaa
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21511, Egypt
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Liao W, Liu J, Zhang D, Huang W, Chen R. Butein Inhibited In Vitro Hexokinase-2-Mediated Tumor Glycolysis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Blocking Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:3283-3292. [PMID: 29777095 PMCID: PMC5987617 DOI: 10.12659/msm.906528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anaerobic glycolysis is an important physiological process of all cancer cells. Butein has been reported to demonstrate substantial antitumor activities in various cancers. However, the effect of butein on tumor glycolysis remains unclear. In this study, the effect of butein on tumor glycolysis and the underlying mechanism were investigated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS Cell proliferation assay and anchorage-independent growth assay were carried out to evaluate the antitumor activities of butein in vitro. The effect of butein on tumor glycolysis was determined by examining the changes in glucose uptake and lactate production. Hexokinase-2 (HK-2) expression in HCC cells upon butein treatment was analyzed by Western blotting. The activity of butein on EGFR signaling pathway was studied and its potency in EGFR exogenous overexpression cells was investigated. RESULTS After butein treatment, HCC cell proliferation was significantly inhibited (91.4% in Hep3B and 88.2% in Huh-7 at 80 μM, p<0.001). Moreover, the number of colonies formed in the agar was substantially decreased (93.8% in Hep3B and 72.3% in Huh-7 at 80 μM, p<0.001). With the suppression of HK-2 expression, glucose consumption in Hep3B and Huh-7 cells decreased by 48.4% and 56.3%, respectively (p<0.01), and the lactate production also was reduced accordingly (39.5% in Hep3B and 48.6% in Huh-7, p<0.01). Mechanism investigations demonstrated that butein dose-dependently blocked the activation of the EGFR signaling pathway in HCC cells. In EGFR exogenous overexpression cells, the glycolysis suppression exerted by butein was substantially attenuated. CONCLUSIONS Butein has a substantial inhibitory effect on tumor glycolysis in HCC cells, and the glycolysis suppression exerted by butein is closely related to its effect on the EGFR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weirong Liao
- Department of General Surgery, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Jingtian Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Dawei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Wenhai Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Runhao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
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Yang Z, Duan J, Wang J, Liu Q, Shang R, Yang X, Lu P, Xia C, Wang L, Dou K. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles modified with polyethylenimine and galactose for siRNA targeted delivery in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy. Int J Nanomedicine 2018; 13:1851-1865. [PMID: 29618926 PMCID: PMC5875409 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s155537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Juanli Duan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianlin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Runze Shang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Xisheng Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hainan Branch of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Sanya, People's Republic of China
| | - Congcong Xia
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Kefeng Dou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
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Vishwakarma SK, Bardia A, Lakkireddy C, Paspala SAB, Habeeb MA, Khan AA. Real-time cellular and molecular dynamics of bi-metallic self-therapeutic nanoparticle in cancer cells. APPLIED NANOSCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13204-018-0654-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Since last decades various kinds of nanoparticles have been functionalized to improve their biomedical applications. However, the biological effect of un-modified/non-functionalized bi-metallic magnetic nanoparticles remains under investigated. Herein we demonstrate a multifaceted non-functionalized bi-metallic inorganic Gd-SPIO nanoparticle which passes dual high MRI contrast and can kill the cancer cells through several mechanisms. The results of the present study demonstrate that Gd-SPIO nanoparticles have potential to induce cancer cell death by production of reactive oxygen species and apoptotic events. Furthermore, Gd-SPIO nanoparticles also enhance the expression levels of miRNA-199a and miRNA-181a-7p which results in decreased levels of cancer markers such as C-met, TGF-β and hURP. One very interesting finding of this study reveals side scatter-based real-time analysis of nanoparticle uptake in cancer cells using flow cytometry analysis. In conclusion, this study paves a way for future investigation of un-modified inorganic nanoparticles to purport enhanced therapeutic effect in combination with potential anti-tumor drugs/molecules in cancer cells.
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Yang YM, Fukui M, Wang Z, Miao F, Karriker MJ, Seki E. Interventional Potential of Recombinant Feline Hepatocyte Growth Factor in a Mouse Model of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:378. [PMID: 30083132 PMCID: PMC6064873 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional pleiotropic protein involved in tissue regeneration, protection, angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic responses, and tumorigenesis, through binding to its receptor MET. Recombinant HGF protein has been shown to mitigate various liver disease models, such as alcohol-induced liver injury, hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, and fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, and anti-lipogenic effects of exogenous administration of feline HGF on a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse model. Methods: Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were fed a choline-deficient amino acid defined (CDAA) diet for 3 weeks to create the mouse model of NASH, which displays hepatic steatosis, inflammation, injury, and very mild fibrosis. One mg/kg of recombinant feline HGF was administered intravenously daily in the last 7 days of the total 3 weeks of CDAA diet feeding. Then, hepatic steatosis, inflammation, injury, and fibrogenic gene expression was examined. Results: After 3 weeks of a CDAA diet-feeding, the vehicle-treated mice exhibited evident deposition of lipid droplets in hepatocytes, inflammatory cell infiltration, and hepatocyte ballooning along with increased serum ALT levels whereas recombinant HGF-treated mice showed reduced hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and ballooned hepatocytes with a reduction of serum ALT levels. Recombinant HGF administration promoted hepatocyte proliferation. Increased hepatic lipid accumulation was accompanied by elevated expression of lipogenesis genes Fasn and Dgat1 in vehicle-treated mice. In HGF-treated mice, these genes were reduced with a decrease of lipid accumulation in the liver. Consistent with the anti-inflammatory property of HGF, augmented macrophage infiltration and upregulation of chemokines, Cxcl1, Ccl2, and Ccl5 in the CDAA diet fed mice, were suppressed by the addition of the HGF treatment. Finally, we examined the fibrotic response. The vehicle-treated mice had mild fibrosis with upregulation of Col1a1, Acta2, Timp1, Tgfb1, and Serpine1 expression. Recombinant HGF treatment significantly suppressed fibrogenic gene expression and collagen deposition in the liver. Conclusion: Recombinant feline HGF treatment suppressed the progression of NASH in a CDAA diet feeding mouse model.This suggests that recombinant HGF protein has therapeutic potential for NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Mee Yang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Masato Fukui
- Veterinary Medical Center–San Diego, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Zhijun Wang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Fiona Miao
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Margo J. Karriker
- Veterinary Medical Center–San Diego, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ekihiro Seki
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Ekihiro Seki
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Overexpression of SCAMP3 is an indicator of poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:109247-109257. [PMID: 29312605 PMCID: PMC5752518 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
SCAMP3, an isoform of the secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs) family, is a membrane-trafficking protein involved in endosome transport. Previous microarray data showed that SCAMP3 mRNA is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, the expression and clinical significance of SCAMP3 in 100 pairs of HCC and adjacent normal tissue were investigated. siRNA transfection was performed to silence SCAMP3 expression in HCC cells. The MTS assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the proliferation, cell cycle progression of HCC cells. Compared with adjacent normal tissues, SCAMP3 expression was dramatically increased in HCC tissues demonstrated by Western blotting (P < 0.05). In immunohistochemistry, compared with the adjacent normal tissues, SCAMP3 was detected in 96% of the HCC samples with a significant increase in intensity and number of stained cells (P < 0.05). Also, high SCAMP3 expression was found in 86% of the HCC samples (P < 0.05). The increased SCAMP3 expression was significantly correlated with vascular invasion (P = 0.004) and tumor stage (P = 0.001). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses showed that the expression of SCAMP3 was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival of HCC patients. Knockdown of SCAMP3 expression led to suppression of cell proliferation and blockage of cell cycle of HCC cells. In conclusion, our present study suggested that SCAMP3 may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker and molecular target of HCC and further investigation is warranted.
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Berretta M, Cavaliere C, Alessandrini L, Stanzione B, Facchini G, Balestreri L, Perin T, Canzonieri V. Serum and tissue markers in hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma: clinical and prognostic implications. Oncotarget 2017; 8:14192-14220. [PMID: 28077782 PMCID: PMC5355172 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
HCC represents the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite the high incidence, treatment options for advanced HCC remain limited and unsuccessful, resulting in a poor prognosis. Despite the major advances achieved in the diagnostic management of HCC, only one third of the newly diagnosed patients are presently eligible for curative treatments. Advances in technology and an increased understanding of HCC biology have led to the discovery of novel biomarkers. Improving our knowledge about serum and tissutal markers could ultimately lead to an early diagnosis and better and early treatment strategies for this deadly disease. Serum biomarkers are striking potential tools for surveillance and early diagnosis of HCC thanks to the non-invasive, objective, and reproducible assessments they potentially enable. To date, many biomarkers have been proposed in the diagnosis of HCC. Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignancy, characterized by early lymph node involvement and distant metastasis, with 5-year survival rates of 5%-10%. The identification of new biomarkers with diagnostic, prognostic or predictive value is especially important as resection (by surgery or combined with a liver transplant) has shown promising results and novel therapies are emerging. However, the relatively low incidence of CCA, high frequency of co-existing cholestasis or cholangitis (primary sclerosing cholangitis –PSC- above all), and difficulties with obtaining adequate samples, despite advances in sampling techniques and in endoscopic visualization of the bile ducts, have complicated the search for accurate biomarkers. In this review, we attempt to analyze the existing literature on this argument.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carla Cavaliere
- Department of Onco-Ematology Medical Oncology, S.G. Moscati Hospital of Taranto Taranto, Italy
| | - Lara Alessandrini
- Division of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Brigida Stanzione
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Gaetano Facchini
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, "G. Pascale" Foundation, Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Balestreri
- Department of Radiology, National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Tiziana Perin
- Division of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
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Brar TS, Hilgenfeldt E, Soldevila-Pico C. Etiology and Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-68082-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Song P, Yang J, Li X, Huang H, Guo X, Zhou G, Xu X, Cai Y, Zhu M, Wang P, Zhao S, Zhang D. Hepatocellular carcinoma treated with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody nimotuzumab: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore) 2017; 96:e8122. [PMID: 28953642 PMCID: PMC5626285 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000008122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Molecular targeted therapy provides new ideas and hope for the treatment of hepatocellular cancer. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is closely related to tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. PATIENT CONCERNS Several reports indicate that the EGFR is expressed frequently in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), thus targeting EGFR research has become a hot topic to explore the treatment of HCC patient. DIAGNOSES Anti-EGFR might serve as a potential therapeutic agent, especially for patients with HCC who are unable to tolerate chemotherapy and surgery. INTERVENTIONS Although phase II open-label study of cetuximab in unresectable HCC was negative, the clinical relevance of this report by Song et al which is based on a single patient is questionable. OUTCOMES We for the first time report that nimotuzumab (an anti-EGFR mAb) resulted in a complete remission (CR) in an 87-year-old patient with HCC. The patient was in B stage according to Barcelona center staging criteria and his liver function was Child-Pugh B grade. LESSONS Our case suggested that anti-EGFR mAbs might be potential therapeutic options for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xian Xu
- Department of Geriatric Radiology, The General Hospital of Chinese People's liberation Army, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Cai
- Department of Geriatric Oncology
| | - Min Zhu
- Department of Geriatric Oncology
| | | | - Shu Zhao
- Department of Geriatric Oncology
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Prognostic value of c-Met overexpression in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis and review. Oncotarget 2017; 8:90351-90357. [PMID: 29163834 PMCID: PMC5685755 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The overexpression of c-Met protein has been detected in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its prognostic impact remains uncertain. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of c-Met overexpression in patients who underwent curative surgical resection for HCC. A systematic computerized search of the electronic databases was carried out. From 5 studies, 1,408 patients who underwent surgical resection for HCC were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with patients with HCC having low c-Met expression, patients with c-Met-high tumor showed significantly worse relapse-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.26 [95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.56], P = 0.03) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.16 [95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.31], P = 0.01). In conclusion, our meta-analysis indicates that c-Met overexpression is a significant adverse prognostic factor for recurrence and survival in patients who underwent surgical resection for HCC.
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Zhang C, Peng L, Zhang Y, Liu Z, Li W, Chen S, Li G. The identification of key genes and pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma by bioinformatics analysis of high-throughput data. Med Oncol 2017; 34:101. [PMID: 28432618 PMCID: PMC5400790 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-017-0963-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Liver cancer is a serious threat to public health and has fairly complicated pathogenesis. Therefore, the identification of key genes and pathways is of much importance for clarifying molecular mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) initiation and progression. HCC-associated gene expression dataset was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Statistical software R was used for significance analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between liver cancer samples and normal samples. Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, based on R software, were applied for the identification of pathways in which DEGs significantly enriched. Cytoscape software was for the construction of protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and module analysis to find the hub genes and key pathways. Finally, weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to further screen critical gene modules with similar expression pattern and explore their biological significance. Significance analysis identified 1230 DEGs with fold change >2, including 632 significantly down-regulated DEGs and 598 significantly up-regulated DEGs. GO term enrichment analysis suggested that up-regulated DEG significantly enriched in immune response, cell adhesion, cell migration, type I interferon signaling pathway, and cell proliferation, and the down-regulated DEG mainly enriched in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress and endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response. KEGG pathway analysis found DEGs significantly enriched in five pathways including complement and coagulation cascades, focal adhesion, ECM–receptor interaction, antigen processing and presentation, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum. The top 10 hub genes in HCC were separately GMPS, ACACA, ALB, TGFB1, KRAS, ERBB2, BCL2, EGFR, STAT3, and CD8A, which resulted from PPI network. The top 3 gene interaction modules in PPI network enriched in immune response, organ development, and response to other organism, respectively. WGCNA revealed that the confirmed eight gene modules significantly enriched in monooxygenase and oxidoreductase activity, response to endoplasmic reticulum stress, type I interferon signaling pathway, processing, presentation and binding of peptide antigen, cellular response to cadmium and zinc ion, cell locomotion and differentiation, ribonucleoprotein complex and RNA processing, and immune system process, respectively. In conclusion, we identified some key genes and pathways closely related with HCC initiation and progression by a series of bioinformatics analysis on DEGs. These screened genes and pathways provided for a more detailed molecular mechanism underlying HCC occurrence and progression, holding promise for acting as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Peng
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaqin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenling Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Shilian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Guancheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China. .,Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
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Chen HY, Chen YM, Wu J, Yang FC, Lv Z, Qian YG, Zheng SS. Effects of HGF gene polymorphisms and protein expression on transhepatic arterial chemotherapeutic embolism efficacy and prognosis in patients with primary liver cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2017; 10:803-810. [PMID: 28243116 PMCID: PMC5315352 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s115035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the correlations of two hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene polymorphisms (rs5745652 and rs2074725) and their protein expression levels with the efficacy of transhepatic arterial chemotherapeutic embolism (TACE) and prognosis in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC). Methods From March 2011 to June 2012, 109 PLC patients (the case group) who chose TACE as primary treatment and 80 healthy people (the control group) who had undergone physical examination in The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University were selected during the same period. Gene polymorphisms of HGF rs5745652 and HGF rs2074725 were detected. Serum HGF level, treating efficacy, survival quality, and 3-year survival rate for PLC patients who received TACE were observed. Results There were significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies of HGF rs5745652 and HGF rs2074725, between the case and control groups (all P<0.05). Compared with CT+TT genotype of HGF rs5745652, patients carrying CC genotype had lower serum HGF levels, higher efficacy, better survival quality, and prolonged 3-year survival rate (all P<0.05). In rs2074725, patients carrying CA+AA genotype had lower serum HGF levels, higher efficacy, better survival quality, and prolonged 3-year survival rate compared with patients carrying rs2074725 CC genotype (all P<0.05). Gene polymorphisms of HGF rs5745652 and HGF rs2074725, tumor size, and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage were independent prognostic factors for PLC (P<0.05). Conclusion Our results indicated that HGF gene polymorphisms affect TACE efficacy and survival quality of PLC patients. Patients with HGF CC genotype of rs5745652 and CA+AA genotype of rs2074725 had decreased HGF level, better curative effect, high survival quality, and a good prognosis after TACE treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Yong Chen
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases
| | - Yao-Min Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases
| | - Fu-Chun Yang
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases
| | - Zhen Lv
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases
| | - Yi-Gang Qian
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases
| | - Shu-Sen Zheng
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University; Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases
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Yau TCC, Lencioni R, Sukeepaisarnjaroen W, Chao Y, Yen CJ, Lausoontornsiri W, Chen PJ, Sanpajit T, Camp A, Cox DS, Gagnon RC, Liu Y, Raffensperger KE, Kulkarni DA, Kallender H, Ottesen LH, Poon RTP, Bottaro DP. A Phase I/II Multicenter Study of Single-Agent Foretinib as First-Line Therapy in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 23:2405-2413. [PMID: 27821605 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-16-1789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: This phase I/II single-arm study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and activity of foretinib, an oral multikinase inhibitor of MET, ROS, RON, AXL, TIE-2, and VEGFR2, in the first-line setting in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients.Experimental Design: In the phase I part, advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients were dose escalated on foretinib (30-60 mg) every day using the standard 3+3 design. Once the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was determined, an additional 32 patients were dosed at the MTD in the phase II expansion cohort for assessment of efficacy and safety. Exploratory analyses were conducted to assess potential biomarkers that might correlate with clinical efficacy and survival.Results: The MTD of foretinib was established as 30 mg every day. The most frequent adverse events were hypertension, decreased appetite, ascites, and pyrexia. When dosed at 30 mg every day in the first-line setting, foretinib demonstrated promising antitumor activity. According to the modified mRECIST, the objective response rate was 22.9%, the disease stabilization rate 82.9%, and the median duration of response 7.6 months. The median time to progression was 4.2 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 15.7 months. Fifteen candidate biomarkers whose levels in the circulation were significantly altered in response to foretinib treatment were elucidated. Multivariate analyses identified IL6 and IL8 as independent predictors of OS.Conclusions: Foretinib demonstrated promising antitumor activity and good tolerability in the first-line setting in Asian advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Baseline plasma levels of IL6 or IL8 might predict the response to foretinib. Clin Cancer Res; 23(10); 2405-13. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C C Yau
- Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Riccardo Lencioni
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging and Intervention, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Yee Chao
- Cancer Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Jui Yen
- Internal Medicine, National Cheng University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wirote Lausoontornsiri
- Clinical Cancer Research Center, National Cancer Institute of Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pei-Jer Chen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Theeranun Sanpajit
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Phramongkutklao Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Donna S Cox
- GlaxoSmithKline, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Yuan Liu
- GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | | | | | - Ronnie T P Poon
- Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Donald P Bottaro
- Urologic Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Fajardo-Puerta AB, Mato Prado M, Frampton AE, Jiao LR. Gene of the month: HGF. J Clin Pathol 2016; 69:575-9. [DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2015-203575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional cytokine with important roles in cell proliferation, survival, motility and morphogenesis. Secreted by cells of mesenchymal origin, HGF is the specific ligand for the tyrosine-kinase receptor c-MET (cellular mesenchymal-epithelial transition), also called MET, which is expressed in different types of epithelial, endothelial and haematopoietic progenitor cells. The HGF/MET axis is involved in several biological processes, such as embryogenesis, organogenesis, adult tissue regeneration (including wound healing and liver regeneration) and carcinogenesis, for both solid and haematological malignancies.1 2 HGF and its particular interaction with the MET receptor have been extensively investigated in the last decades and remain the focus of numerous clinical trials.3–8 This short review focuses on HGF structure and function, as well as its roles in liver regeneration and different types of tumours.
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Mizuguchi Y, Takizawa T, Yoshida H, Uchida E. Dysregulated miRNA in progression of hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review. Hepatol Res 2016; 46:391-406. [PMID: 26490438 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most frequent cancer and the third cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The primary risk factor for HCC is liver cirrhosis secondary to persistent infection with hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus. Although a number of cellular phenomena and molecular events have been reported to facilitate tumor initiation, progression and metastasis, the exact etiology of HCC has not yet been fully uncovered. miRNA, a class of non-coding RNA, negatively regulate post-transcriptional processes that participate in crucial biological processes, including development, differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation. In the liver, specific miRNA can be negative regulators of gene expression. Recent studies have uncovered the contribution of miRNA to cancer pathogenesis as they can function as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. In addition, other studies have demonstrated their potential value in the clinical management of patients with HCC as some miRNA may be used as prognostic or diagnostic markers. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the roles of miRNA in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hiroshi Yoshida
- Department of Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eiji Uchida
- Department of Surgery, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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Komposch K, Sibilia M. EGFR Signaling in Liver Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 17:E30. [PMID: 26729094 PMCID: PMC4730276 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17010030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase that is activated by several ligands leading to the activation of diverse signaling pathways controlling mainly proliferation, differentiation, and survival. The EGFR signaling axis has been shown to play a key role during liver regeneration following acute and chronic liver damage, as well as in cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) highlighting the importance of the EGFR in the development of liver diseases. Despite the frequent overexpression of EGFR in human HCC, clinical studies with EGFR inhibitors have so far shown only modest results. Interestingly, a recent study has shown that in human HCC and in mouse HCC models the EGFR is upregulated in liver macrophages where it plays a tumor-promoting function. Thus, the role of EGFR in liver diseases appears to be more complex than what anticipated. Further studies are needed to improve the molecular understanding of the cell-specific signaling pathways that control disease development and progression to be able to develop better therapies targeting major components of the EGFR signaling network in selected cell types. In this review, we compiled the current knowledge of EGFR signaling in different models of liver damage and diseases, mainly derived from the analysis of HCC cell lines and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Komposch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Maria Sibilia
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Prystupa A, Kiciński P, Sak J, Boguszewska-Czubara A, Toruń-Jurkowska A, Załuska W. Proinflammatory Cytokines (IL-1α, IL-6) and Hepatocyte Growth Factor in Patients with Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis. Gastroenterol Res Pract 2015; 2015:532615. [PMID: 26448742 PMCID: PMC4558446 DOI: 10.1155/2015/532615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. The aim of the study was to assess the activity of interleukin-1α, interleukin-6, and hepatocyte growth factor protein (HGF) in serum of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Materials and Methods. Sixty patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis treated in various hospitals were randomly enrolled. The stage of cirrhosis was assessed according to the Child-Turcotte-Pugh scoring system. The control group consisted of ten healthy persons without liver disease, who did not drink alcohol. Additionally, the group of alcoholics without liver cirrhosis was included in the study. The activity of interleukin-1α, interleukin-6, and HGF in blood plasma of patients and controls was measured using the sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique with commercially available quantitative ELISA test kits. Results. Higher concentrations of HGF protein were demonstrated in patients with Child class B and Child class C liver cirrhosis, compared to controls and alcoholics without liver cirrhosis. Moreover, significantly higher concentrations of HGF protein were found in patients with Child class C liver cirrhosis compared to patients with Child class A liver cirrhosis (p < 0.05). The concentrations of interleukin-1α in patients with Child class B and Child class C liver cirrhosis were significantly higher in comparison with controls. Significantly higher concentrations of interleukin-6 were demonstrated in Child class C, compared to Child class A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Prystupa
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 16, 20-081 Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Kiciński
- Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 11, 20-081 Lublin, Poland
| | - Jarosław Sak
- Department of Ethics and Human Philosophy, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 4/6, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
- Department of Nephrology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-954 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Boguszewska-Czubara
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Toruń-Jurkowska
- Department of Mathematics and Medical Biostatistics, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 4, 20-954 Lublin, Poland
| | - Wojciech Załuska
- Department of Nephrology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-954 Lublin, Poland
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Cioca A, Cimpean A, Ceausu R, Fit AM, Zaharie T, Al-Hajjar N, Puia V, Raica M. Crosstalk between EGFR and p53 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2015; 15:8069-73. [PMID: 25338986 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.19.8069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide, with a high mortality. Most patients present with late stage disease, when the treatment options are limited to systemic chemotherapy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the significance of p53 and EGFR expression in HCC, and to determine whether these two markers correlate with conventional parameters of prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our study included a total of 45 patients, diagnosed histopathologically with HCC. Clinicopathological data including sex, age, tumor necrosis, tumor size, histologic grading, tumor stage, the presence of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, were recorded from the Institute database. Three independent microscopic fields were selected for each sample and all the tumor cells within each microscopic field were counted, and then the positive percent of p53 cells were calculated. Three staining patterns were recognized: diffuse, heterogenous and focal. The intensity of EGFR staining was scored on a scale of 0-3+: 0 no staining; 1+ when a weak membrane staining was observed; 2+ when membrane staining is more intense than in 1+, but less than 3+, and 3+ when intense dark brown staining delineated the membrane. To determine the relationship between EGFR expression and p53, we performed double staining in the same HCC specimens. RESULTS By immunohistochemical staining, p53 protein was detected in tumor cell nuclei in 20 HCCs (44%). We found a significant correlation between the intensity of p53 expression and the histological grade (p=0.008). EGFR expression was detected in 17 (38%) cases, linked to histological grade (p=0.039). Moreover, the intensity of p53 expression was significantly correlated with EGFR intensity (p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that overexpression of p53 and EGFR plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and contributes to more advanced disease. These markers are not only valuable predictors of prognosis in HCC, but they are also rational targets for new anti-tumor strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea Cioca
- Department of Pathology "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, 2Angiogenesis Research Center, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, 3Department of Pathology, 4Department of Surgical, Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania E-mail :
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Granito A, Guidetti E, Gramantieri L. c-MET receptor tyrosine kinase as a molecular target in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2015; 2:29-38. [PMID: 27508192 PMCID: PMC4918282 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s77038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
c-MET is the membrane receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), also known as scatter factor or tumor cytotoxic factor, a mitogenic growth factor for hepatocytes. HGF is mainly produced by cells of mesenchymal origin and it mainly acts on neighboring epidermal and endothelial cells, regulating epithelial growth and morphogenesis. HGF/MET signaling has been identified among the drivers of tumorigenesis in human cancers. As such, c-MET is a recognized druggable target, and against it, targeted agents are currently under clinical investigation. c-MET overexpression is a common event in a wide range of human malignancies, including gastric, lung, breast, ovary, colon, kidney, thyroid, and liver carcinomas. Despite c-MET overexpression being reported by a large majority of studies, no evidence for a c-MET oncogenic addiction exists in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In particular, c-MET amplification is a rare event, accounting for 4%–5% of cases while no mutation has been identified in c-MET oncogene in HCC. Thus, the selection of patient subgroups more likely to benefit from c-MET inhibition is challenging. Notwithstanding, c-MET overexpression was reported to be associated with increased metastatic potential and poor prognosis in patients with HCC, providing a rationale for its therapeutic inhibition. Here we summarize the role of activated HGF/MET signaling in HCC, its prognostic relevance, and the implications for therapeutic approaches in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Granito
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Guidetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Gramantieri
- Dipartimento dell'Apparato Digerente, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Centro di Ricerca Biomedica Applicata (CRBA), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico S Orsola-Malpighi e Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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47
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Gu HR, Park SC, Choi SJ, Lee JC, Kim YC, Han CJ, Kim J, Yang KY, Kim YJ, Noh GY, No SH, Jeong JH. Combined treatment with silibinin and either sorafenib or gefitinib enhances their growth-inhibiting effects in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Clin Mol Hepatol 2015; 21:49-59. [PMID: 25834802 PMCID: PMC4379197 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2015.21.1.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Silibinin, the main component of silymarin, is used as a hepatoprotectant and exhibits anticancer effects against various cancer cells. This study evaluated the effects of a combination of silibinin with either gefitinib or sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. METHODS Several different human HCC cell lines were used to test the growth-inhibiting effects and cell toxicity of silibinin both alone and in combination with either gefitinib or sorafenib. The cell viability and growth inhibition were assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, trypan blue staining, and a colony-forming assay. Furthermore, changes in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-related signals were evaluated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS Gefitinib, sorafenib, and silibinin individually exhibited dose-dependent antiproliferative effects on HCC cells. Combined treatment with silibinin enhanced the gefitinib-induced growth-inhibiting effects in some HCC cell lines. The combination effect of gefitinib and silibinin was synergistic in the SNU761 cell line, but was only additive in the Huh-BAT cell line. The combination effect may be attributable to inhibition of EGFR-dependent Akt signaling. Enhanced growth-inhibiting effects were also observed in HCC cells treated with a combination of sorafenib and silibinin. CONCLUSIONS Combined treatment with silibinin enhanced the growth-inhibiting effects of both gefitinib and sorafenib. Therefore, the combination of silibinin with either sorafenib or gefitinib could be a useful treatment approach for HCC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Ra Gu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Su Cheol Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Su Jin Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Cheol Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - You Cheoul Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chul Ju Han
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ki Young Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yeon Joo Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Geum Youb Noh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - So Hyeon No
- Research Center for Radiotherapy, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Radiological Cancer Medicine, University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Hoon Jeong
- Research Center for Radiotherapy, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea. ; Department of Radiological Cancer Medicine, University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea
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Lee D, Sung ES, Ahn JH, An S, Huh J, You WK. Development of antibody-based c-Met inhibitors for targeted cancer therapy. Immunotargets Ther 2015; 4:35-44. [PMID: 27471710 PMCID: PMC4918247 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s37409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling pathways mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and their ligands play important roles in the development and progression of human cancers, which makes RTK-mediated signaling pathways promising therapeutic targets in the treatment of cancer. Compared with small-molecule compounds, antibody-based therapeutics can more specifically recognize and bind to ligands and RTKs. Several antibody inhibitors of RTK-mediated signaling pathways, such as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, vascular endothelial growth factor, epidermal growth factor receptor or vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, have been developed and are widely used to treat cancer patients. However, since the therapeutic options are still limited in terms of therapeutic efficacy and types of cancers that can be treated, efforts are being made to identify and evaluate novel RTK-mediated signaling pathways as targets for more efficacious cancer treatment. The hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met signaling pathway has come into the spotlight as a promising target for development of potent cancer therapeutic agents. Multiple antibody-based therapeutics targeting hepatocyte growth factor or c-Met are currently in preclinical or clinical development. This review focuses on the development of inhibitors of the hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met signaling pathway for cancer treatment, including critical issues in clinical development and future perspectives for antibody-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongheon Lee
- Hanwha Chemical R&D Center, Biologics Business Unit, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Sil Sung
- Hanwha Chemical R&D Center, Biologics Business Unit, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Hyung Ahn
- Hanwha Chemical R&D Center, Biologics Business Unit, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungwon An
- Hanwha Chemical R&D Center, Biologics Business Unit, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Huh
- Hanwha Chemical R&D Center, Biologics Business Unit, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Weon-Kyoo You
- Hanwha Chemical R&D Center, Biologics Business Unit, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Della Corte CM, Fasano M, Papaccio F, Ciardiello F, Morgillo F. Role of HGF-MET Signaling in Primary and Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Cancer. Biomedicines 2014; 2:345-358. [PMID: 28548075 PMCID: PMC5344276 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines2040345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) pathway is deregulated in several cancers and is associated with aggressive phenotype and worse prognosis. MET, a tyrosine kinase receptor activated by HGF, plays a physiological role in embryogenesis, promoting cell growth, survival and motility. HGF-MET aberrant activation in tumorigenesis acts through various mechanisms: paracrine/autocrine HGF production, MET overexpression, MET germ-line and sporadic mutations and cross-talk with other growth factor receptors. In addition, MET activation could represent a mechanism of escape from other targeted therapies, through receptor amplification or over-stimulation by the ligand, as demonstrated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) models with acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors and also in models of melanoma resistant to the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib. As a consequence, a lot of molecules targeting MET signaling are under clinical investigation as single agent or in combination with other targeted drugs. Patient selection, based on MET expression on tumor samples (eventually, by re-biopsy of new metastatic sites), and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic markers are needed. Authors review the latest data on the role of MET and the molecular mechanism underlying primary or acquired resistance to biological agents, focusing on NSCLC, CRC and melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carminia Maria Della Corte
- Medical Oncology, Department of Experimental and Internal Medicine "F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara", Second University of Naples, Napoli 80131, Italy.
| | - Morena Fasano
- Medical Oncology, Department of Experimental and Internal Medicine "F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara", Second University of Naples, Napoli 80131, Italy.
| | - Federica Papaccio
- Medical Oncology, Department of Experimental and Internal Medicine "F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara", Second University of Naples, Napoli 80131, Italy.
| | - Fortunato Ciardiello
- Medical Oncology, Department of Experimental and Internal Medicine "F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara", Second University of Naples, Napoli 80131, Italy.
| | - Floriana Morgillo
- Medical Oncology, Department of Experimental and Internal Medicine "F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara", Second University of Naples, Napoli 80131, Italy.
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50
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Delitto D, Vertes-George E, Hughes SJ, Behrns KE, Trevino JG. c-Met signaling in the development of tumorigenesis and chemoresistance: Potential applications in pancreatic cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2014; 20:8458-8470. [PMID: 25024602 PMCID: PMC4093697 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i26.8458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The majority of patients are candidates only for palliative chemotherapy, which has proven largely ineffective in halting tumor progression. One proposed mechanism of chemoresistance involves signaling via the mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor protein (MET), a previously established pathway critical to cell proliferation and migration. Here, we review the literature to characterize the role of MET in the development of tumorigenesis, metastasis and chemoresistance, highlighting the potential of MET as a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. In this review, we characterize the role of c-Met in the development of tumorigenesis, metastasis and chemoresistance, highlighting the potential of c-Met as a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Biomarkers, Tumor/antagonists & inhibitors
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/enzymology
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/secondary
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology
- Drug Design
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Humans
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/enzymology
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/enzymology
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
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