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Sanz-Serrano J, Callewaert E, De Boever S, Drees A, Verhoeven A, Vinken M. Chemical-induced liver cancer: an adverse outcome pathway perspective. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2024; 23:425-438. [PMID: 38430529 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2024.2326479] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The evaluation of the potential carcinogenicity is a key consideration in the risk assessment of chemicals. Predictive toxicology is currently switching toward non-animal approaches that rely on the mechanistic understanding of toxicity. AREAS COVERED Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) present toxicological processes, including chemical-induced carcinogenicity, in a visual and comprehensive manner, which serve as the conceptual backbone for the development of non-animal approaches eligible for hazard identification. The current review provides an overview of the available AOPs leading to liver cancer and discusses their use in advanced testing of liver carcinogenic chemicals. Moreover, the challenges related to their use in risk assessment are outlined, including the exploitation of available data, the need for semantic ontologies, and the development of quantitative AOPs. EXPERT OPINION To exploit the potential of liver cancer AOPs in the field of risk assessment, 3 immediate prerequisites need to be fulfilled. These include developing human relevant AOPs for chemical-induced liver cancer, increasing the number of AOPs integrating quantitative toxicodynamic and toxicokinetic data, and developing a liver cancer AOP network. As AOPs and other areas in the field continue to evolve, liver cancer AOPs will progress into a reliable and robust tool serving future risk assessment and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julen Sanz-Serrano
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ellen Callewaert
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sybren De Boever
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Annika Drees
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anouk Verhoeven
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Daren L, Dan Y, Jinhong W, Chao L. NIK-mediated reactivation of SIX2 enhanced the CSC-like traits of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through suppressing ubiquitin-proteasome system. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024; 39:583-591. [PMID: 37461228 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The critical roles of NF-κB Inducing Kinase (NIK) in tumor progression have been elucidated in various tumors; however, its effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression are still confusing. Here, we found that NIK level was upregulated in HCC tissues compared to that of normal tissues, and positively correlated with the levels of cancer stem cell (CSC) markers. Then we established HCC cells with NIK-stable knockdown and found that NIK knockdown suppressed the CSC-like traits of HCC cells through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Mechanistically, we revealed that SIX2 protein level, but not its mRNA level, was significantly reduced in HCC cells with NIK knockdown, which was rescued by MG132 treatment. Furthermore, NIK knockdown promoted the ubiquitination level of SIX2 and decreased its protein stability. Moreover, Six2 overexpression partially reversed the inhibition of NIK knockdown on the CSC-like traits of HCC cells. This study identified a novel NIK/SIX2 axis conferring HCC stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Daren
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ye Dan
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wu Jinhong
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Chao
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Ji W, Bai J, Ke Y. Exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 contributes to tumorigenesis, metastasis, stemness, macrophage polarization, and infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma through PKM mediated glycolysis. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2023; 38:1332-1346. [PMID: 36880413 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With high morbidity and mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) deserves further exploration in its pathogenesis mechanisms for promising prognostic and therapeutic markers. This research was conducted to dig out roles of exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 in HCC. METHODS The level of exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 in HCC tissue and cells was determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Pull-down assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to identify interactions between ZFPM2-AS1 and miRNA-18b-5p, as well as miRNA-18b-5p and PKM. Western blotting was employed to explore the potential regulatory mechanism. Several in vitro assays were conducted in mice xenograft and orthotopic transplantation models to investigate impacts of exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 on HCC development, metastasis, and macrophage infiltration. RESULTS ZFPM2-AS1 was activated in HCC tissue and cells, with high enrichment in HCC-derived exosomes. Exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 enhances the cell abilities and stemness of HCC. MiRNA-18b-5p was directly targeted by ZFPM2-AS1 which triggered PKM expression via sponging miR-18b-5p. Exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 modulated glycolysis via PKM in an HIF-1α dependent way in HCC, promoting M2 polarization, and macrophage recruitment. Furthermore, exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 enhanced HCC cell growth, metastasis, and M2 infiltration in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Exosomal ZFPM2-AS1 exerted regulatory function on the progression of HCC via miR-18b-5p/PKM axis. ZFPM2-AS1 could be promising biomarker for the diagnosis and therapies of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Ji
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jie Bai
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yue Ke
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
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Howard A, Bojko J, Flynn B, Bowen S, Jungwirth U, Walko G. Targeting the Hippo/YAP/TAZ signalling pathway: Novel opportunities for therapeutic interventions into skin cancers. Exp Dermatol 2022; 31:1477-1499. [PMID: 35913427 PMCID: PMC9804452 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Skin cancers are by far the most frequently diagnosed human cancers. The closely related transcriptional co-regulator proteins YAP and TAZ (WWTR1) have emerged as important drivers of tumour initiation, progression and metastasis in melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. YAP/TAZ serve as an essential signalling hub by integrating signals from multiple upstream pathways. In this review, we summarize the roles of YAP/TAZ in skin physiology and tumorigenesis and discuss recent efforts of therapeutic interventions that target YAP/TAZ in in both preclinical and clinical settings, as well as their prospects for use as skin cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jodie Bojko
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of BathBathUK
| | | | - Sophie Bowen
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Ute Jungwirth
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of BathBathUK,Centre for Therapeutic InnovationUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Gernot Walko
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of BathBathUK,Centre for Therapeutic InnovationUniversity of BathBathUK
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Navarro CDC, Francisco A, Figueira TR, Ronchi JA, Oliveira HCF, Vercesi AE, Castilho RF. Dichloroacetate reactivates pyruvate-supported peroxide removal by liver mitochondria and prevents NAFLD aggravation in NAD(P) + transhydrogenase-null mice consuming a high-fat diet. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 917:174750. [PMID: 35032488 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.174750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which a high-fat diet (HFD) promotes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) appear to involve liver mitochondrial dysfunction and redox imbalance. The functional loss of the enzyme NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase, a main source of mitochondrial NADPH, results in impaired mitochondrial peroxide removal, pyruvate dehydrogenase inhibition by phosphorylation, and progression of NAFLD in HFD-fed mice. The present study aimed to investigate whether pharmacological reactivation of pyruvate dehydrogenase by dichloroacetate attenuates the mitochondrial redox dysfunction and the development of NAFLD in NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase-null (Nnt-/-) mice fed an HFD (60% of total calories from fat). For this purpose, Nnt-/- mice and their congenic controls (Nnt+/+) were fed chow or an HFD for 20 weeks and received sodium dichloroacetate or NaCl in the final 12 weeks via drinking water. The results showed that HFD reduced the ability of isolated liver mitochondria from Nnt-/- mice to remove peroxide, which was prevented by the dichloroacetate treatment. HFD-fed mice of both Nnt genotypes exhibited increased body and liver mass, as well as a higher content of hepatic triglycerides, but dichloroacetate treatment attenuated these abnormalities only in Nnt-/- mice. Notably, dichloroacetate treatment decreased liver pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphorylation levels and prevented the aggravation of NAFLD in HFD-fed Nnt-/- mice. Conversely, dichloroacetate treatment elicited moderate hepatocyte ballooning in chow-fed mice, suggesting potentially toxic effects. We conclude that the protection against HFD-induced NAFLD by dichloroacetate is associated with its role in reactivating pyruvate dehydrogenase and reestablishing the pyruvate-supported liver mitochondrial capacity to handle peroxide in Nnt-/- mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia D C Navarro
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil.
| | - Annelise Francisco
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil
| | - Tiago R Figueira
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil; School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-907, Brazil
| | - Juliana A Ronchi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil
| | - Helena C F Oliveira
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Anibal E Vercesi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil
| | - Roger F Castilho
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, 13083-888, Brazil.
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Fu Y, Ci H, Du W, Dong Q, Jia H. CHRNA5 Contributes to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Regulating YAP Activity. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14020275. [PMID: 35214008 PMCID: PMC8877699 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health concern worldwide. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the malignant phenotype is necessary for developing novel therapeutic strategies for HCC. Signaling pathways initiated by neurotransmitter receptors, such as α5-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRNA5), have been reported to be implicated in tumor progression. However, the functional mechanism of CHRNA5 in HCC remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of CHRNA5 in HCC and found that CHRNA5 expression was increased in human HCC tissues and positively correlated with the T stage (p < 0.05) and AJCC phase (p < 0.05). The KM plotter database showed that the high expression level of CHRNA5 was strongly associated with worse survival in HCC patients. Both in vitro and in vivo assays showed that CHRNA5 regulates the proliferation ability of HCC by regulating YAP activity. In addition, CHRNA5 promotes the stemness of HCC by regulating stemness-associated genes, such as Nanog, Sox2 and OCT4. Cell migration and invasion assays demonstrated that CHRNA5 significantly enhanced the metastasis of HCC by regulating epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated genes. Furthermore, we found that CHRNA5 regulates the sensitivity of sorafenib in HCC. Our findings suggest that CHRNA5 plays a key role in the progression and drug resistance of HCC, and targeting CHRNA5 may be a strategy for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Fu
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China; (Y.F.); (H.C.); (W.D.)
| | - Hongfei Ci
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China; (Y.F.); (H.C.); (W.D.)
| | - Wei Du
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China; (Y.F.); (H.C.); (W.D.)
| | - Qiongzhu Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China; (Y.F.); (H.C.); (W.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Whole-Period Monitoring and Precise Intervention of Digestive Cancer, Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (SMHC), Institute of Fudan-Minhang Academic Health System, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China
- Correspondence: (Q.D.); (H.J.); Tel./Fax: +86-21-5423-7960 (Q.D.); +86-21-5288-7175 (H.J.)
| | - Huliang Jia
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China; (Y.F.); (H.C.); (W.D.)
- Correspondence: (Q.D.); (H.J.); Tel./Fax: +86-21-5423-7960 (Q.D.); +86-21-5288-7175 (H.J.)
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Morciano G, Vezzani B, Missiroli S, Boncompagni C, Pinton P, Giorgi C. An Updated Understanding of the Role of YAP in Driving Oncogenic Responses. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13123100. [PMID: 34205830 PMCID: PMC8234554 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13123100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In 2020, the global cancer database GLOBOCAN estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases worldwide. The discovery of targeted therapies may help prognosis and outcome of the patients affected, but the understanding of the plethora of highly interconnected pathways that modulate cell transformation, proliferation, invasion, migration and survival remains an ambitious goal. Here we propose an updated state of the art of YAP as the key protein driving oncogenic response via promoting all those steps at multiple levels. Of interest, the role of YAP in immunosuppression is a field of evolving research and growing interest and this summary about the current pharmacological therapies impacting YAP serves as starting point for future studies. Abstract Yes-associated protein (YAP) has emerged as a key component in cancer signaling and is considered a potent oncogene. As such, nuclear YAP participates in complex and only partially understood molecular cascades that are responsible for the oncogenic response by regulating multiple processes, including cell transformation, tumor growth, migration, and metastasis, and by acting as an important mediator of immune and cancer cell interactions. YAP is finely regulated at multiple levels, and its localization in cells in terms of cytoplasm–nucleus shuttling (and vice versa) sheds light on interesting novel anticancer treatment opportunities and putative unconventional functions of the protein when retained in the cytosol. This review aims to summarize and present the state of the art knowledge about the role of YAP in cancer signaling, first focusing on how YAP differs from WW domain-containing transcription regulator 1 (WWTR1, also named as TAZ) and which upstream factors regulate it; then, this review focuses on the role of YAP in different cancer stages and in the crosstalk between immune and cancer cells as well as growing translational strategies derived from its inhibitory and synergistic effects with existing chemo-, immuno- and radiotherapies.
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