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Li S, Hao L, Li N, Hu X, Yan H, Dai E, Shi X. Targeting the Hippo/YAP1 signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma: From mechanisms to therapeutic drugs (Review). Int J Oncol 2024; 65:88. [PMID: 39092548 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2024.5676] [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: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The Hippo signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in regulating cell growth and organ size. Its regulatory effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) encompass diverse aspects, including cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis, tumor drug resistance, metabolic reprogramming, immunomodulatory effects and autophagy. Yes‑associated protein 1 (YAP1), a potent transcriptional coactivator and a major downstream target tightly controlled by the Hippo pathway, is influenced by various molecules and pathways. The expression of YAP1 in different cell types within the liver tumor microenvironment exerts varying effects on tumor outcomes, warranting careful consideration. Therefore, research on YAP1‑targeted therapies merits attention. This review discusses the composition and regulation mechanism of the Hippo/YAP1 signaling pathway and its relationship with HCC, offering insights for future research and cancer prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghao Li
- Clinical Medical College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
| | - Liyuan Hao
- Clinical Medical College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
| | - Na Li
- Clinical Medical College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, P.R. China
| | - Huimin Yan
- Clinical Research Center, Shijiazhuang Fifth Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050024, P.R. China
| | - Erhei Dai
- Clinical Research Center, Shijiazhuang Fifth Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050024, P.R. China
| | - Xinli Shi
- Center of Experimental Management, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, Shanxi 030619, P.R. China
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2
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Liang H, Xu Y, Zhao J, Chen M, Wang M. Hippo pathway in non-small cell lung cancer: mechanisms, potential targets, and biomarkers. Cancer Gene Ther 2024; 31:652-666. [PMID: 38499647 PMCID: PMC11101353 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-024-00761-z] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the primary contributor to cancer-related deaths globally, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constitutes around 85% of all lung cancer cases. Recently, the emergence of targeted therapy and immunotherapy revolutionized the treatment of NSCLC and greatly improved patients' survival. However, drug resistance is inevitable, and extensive research has demonstrated that the Hippo pathway plays a crucial role in the development of drug resistance in NSCLC. The Hippo pathway is a highly conserved signaling pathway that is essential for various biological processes, including organ development, maintenance of epithelial balance, tissue regeneration, wound healing, and immune regulation. This pathway exerts its effects through two key transcription factors, namely Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). They regulate gene expression by interacting with the transcriptional-enhanced associate domain (TEAD) family. In recent years, this pathway has been extensively studied in NSCLC. The review summarizes a comprehensive overview of the involvement of this pathway in NSCLC, and discusses the mechanisms of drug resistance, potential targets, and biomarkers associated with this pathway in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongge Liang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Minjiang Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mengzhao Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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3
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Fan W, Adebowale K, Váncza L, Li Y, Rabbi MF, Kunimoto K, Chen D, Mozes G, Chiu DKC, Li Y, Tao J, Wei Y, Adeniji N, Brunsing RL, Dhanasekaran R, Singhi A, Geller D, Lo SH, Hodgson L, Engleman EG, Charville GW, Charu V, Monga SP, Kim T, Wells RG, Chaudhuri O, Török NJ. Matrix viscoelasticity promotes liver cancer progression in the pre-cirrhotic liver. Nature 2024; 626:635-642. [PMID: 38297127 PMCID: PMC10866704 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06991-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanics contribute to cancer development1,2, and increased stiffness is known to promote HCC progression in cirrhotic conditions3,4. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by an accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the ECM; however, how this affects HCC in non-cirrhotic conditions is unclear. Here we find that, in patients and animal models, AGEs promote changes in collagen architecture and enhance ECM viscoelasticity, with greater viscous dissipation and faster stress relaxation, but not changes in stiffness. High AGEs and viscoelasticity combined with oncogenic β-catenin signalling promote HCC induction, whereas inhibiting AGE production, reconstituting the AGE clearance receptor AGER1 or breaking AGE-mediated collagen cross-links reduces viscoelasticity and HCC growth. Matrix analysis and computational modelling demonstrate that lower interconnectivity of AGE-bundled collagen matrix, marked by shorter fibre length and greater heterogeneity, enhances viscoelasticity. Mechanistically, animal studies and 3D cell cultures show that enhanced viscoelasticity promotes HCC cell proliferation and invasion through an integrin-β1-tensin-1-YAP mechanotransductive pathway. These results reveal that AGE-mediated structural changes enhance ECM viscoelasticity, and that viscoelasticity can promote cancer progression in vivo, independent of stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiguo Fan
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Kolade Adebowale
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Chemistry, Engineering and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lóránd Váncza
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Yuan Li
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Md Foysal Rabbi
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Koshi Kunimoto
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Dongning Chen
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Gergely Mozes
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - David Kung-Chun Chiu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Division of Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yisi Li
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Junyan Tao
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yi Wei
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nia Adeniji
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Ryan L Brunsing
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Renumathy Dhanasekaran
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Aatur Singhi
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David Geller
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Su Hao Lo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Louis Hodgson
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edgar G Engleman
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Division of Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Vivek Charu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Satdarshan P Monga
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Taeyoon Kim
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Departments of Medicine and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Chemistry, Engineering and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Natalie J Török
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- VA, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
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4
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Lei L, Yang J, Peng H, Huang R, Liang L, Liu R, Li J. The Prognostic Significance of the TEAD4 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Gen Med 2023; 16:6005-6013. [PMID: 38144438 PMCID: PMC10748864 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s440973] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Abnormal expression of genes causes tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, the aims of this study were to explore the transcription enhancer domain factor 4 (TEAD4) in patients with liver cancer and its relationship with prognosis. Methods HTSeq-FPKM data and corresponding clinical data of HCC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Difference in TEAD4 expression between normal and tumor and the correlation with clinical characteristics were analyzed by the chi-squared test based on UALCAN. HepG2 cell lines were used to study the effect of TEAD4 on HCC cell lines. The expression and clinical significance of TEAD4 in HCC were detected in clinical cases. Results The transcription and post-transcription levels of TEAD4 were higher in HCC tumors than normal illustrated different expressed transcription of TEAD4 in gender, nodal metastasis status, tumor grades, and individual cancer stages. The high TEAD4 expression was significantly associated with tumor grades. The high expression of TEAD4 was significantly correlated to shorter 2-5 years overall survival. Inhibition of TEAD4 expression in HepG2 cells resulted in significantly decreased cell proliferation and invasion. Conclusion TEAD4 was identified as an independent prognostic factor, and inhibition of TEAD4 expression in HepG2 cells resulted in significantly decreased cell proliferation and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Lei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hao Peng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruiyan Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lichun Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruifang Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiangfa Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Mao S, Liu Q, Wu H, Zhu J, Xie Y, Ma J, Zhen N, Pan Q. Phase separation of YAP mediated by coiled-coil domain promotes hepatoblastoma proliferation via activation of transcription. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 38:1398-1407. [PMID: 36908026 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.16173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
AIM AND BACKGROUND Yes-associated protein (YAP), a key transcriptional co-activator associated with cell fate and tumor progression, has been reported to be a powerful driver of hepatoblastoma (HB). In this study, we investigated the mechanism underlying oncogenic role of YAP in HB. METHODS The expression of YAP in HB tissues was measured through WB and qRT-PCR. The IHC and IF were performed to determine the distribution of YAP. The phase separation of YAP was proved by living cell imaging and FRAP experiment. The effect of YAP phase separation in HB cells in vitro an in vivo were tested using CCK8, flow cytometry, and xenograft tumors. RESULTS YAP was overexpressed and activated in HB. Nuclear YAP formed an active transcriptional site via LLPS to recruit the crucial transcription factor TEAD4. Thus, YAP phase separation facilitated transcription of oncogenic genes and subsequently mediated chemoresistance of HB. Mechanistically, the phase separation ability of YAP depends on the coiled-coil domain, which is a typical phase separation domain. The electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic interactions within YAP are also vital to YAP phase separation. More importantly, YAP inhibitor verteporfin is potential treatment for HB and combination with cisplatin enhanced therapeutic efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Highly expressed and active YAP exerts an oncogenic effect in HB via phase separation and provides new insights for the treatment of HB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Mao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianrui Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiabei Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Xie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji Ma
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Diagnostics for Pediatrics, Shanghai, China
| | - Ni Zhen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuhui Pan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Diagnostics for Pediatrics, Shanghai, China
- Sanya Women and Children's Hospital Managed by Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Sanya, Hainan, China
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6
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Fang J, Singh S, Cheng C, Natarajan S, Sheppard H, Abu-Zaid A, Durbin AD, Lee HW, Wu Q, Steele J, Connelly JP, Jin H, Chen W, Fan Y, Pruett-Miller SM, Rehg JE, Koo SC, Santiago T, Emmons J, Cairo S, Wang R, Glazer ES, Murphy AJ, Chen T, Davidoff AM, Armengol C, Easton J, Chen X, Yang J. Genome-wide mapping of cancer dependency genes and genetic modifiers of chemotherapy in high-risk hepatoblastoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4003. [PMID: 37414763 PMCID: PMC10326052 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39717-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A lack of relevant genetic models and cell lines hampers our understanding of hepatoblastoma pathogenesis and the development of new therapies for this neoplasm. Here, we report an improved MYC-driven hepatoblastoma-like murine model that recapitulates the pathological features of embryonal type of hepatoblastoma, with transcriptomics resembling the high-risk gene signatures of the human disease. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics identify distinct subpopulations of hepatoblastoma cells. After deriving cell lines from the mouse model, we map cancer dependency genes using CRISPR-Cas9 screening and identify druggable targets shared with human hepatoblastoma (e.g., CDK7, CDK9, PRMT1, PRMT5). Our screen also reveals oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in hepatoblastoma that engage multiple, druggable cancer signaling pathways. Chemotherapy is critical for human hepatoblastoma treatment. A genetic mapping of doxorubicin response by CRISPR-Cas9 screening identifies modifiers whose loss-of-function synergizes with (e.g., PRKDC) or antagonizes (e.g., apoptosis genes) the effect of chemotherapy. The combination of PRKDC inhibition and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy greatly enhances therapeutic efficacy. These studies provide a set of resources including disease models suitable for identifying and validating potential therapeutic targets in human high-risk hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shivendra Singh
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Changde Cheng
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sivaraman Natarajan
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Heather Sheppard
- Comparative Pathology Core, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ahmed Abu-Zaid
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ha Won Lee
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jacob Steele
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jon P Connelly
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongjian Jin
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Wenan Chen
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yiping Fan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jerold E Rehg
- Comparative Pathology Core, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Selene C Koo
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Teresa Santiago
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Joseph Emmons
- VPC Diagnostic Laboratory, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Stefano Cairo
- Champions Oncology, 1330 Piccard dr, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Ruoning Wang
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disease, Hematology/Oncology & BMT, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Evan S Glazer
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Andrew J Murphy
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Taosheng Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Andrew M Davidoff
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Carolina Armengol
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Translational Program in Cancer Research (CARE), Badalona, Spain
- CIBER, Hepatic and Digestive Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Madrid, Spain
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
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Saito Y, Yin D, Kubota N, Wang X, Filliol A, Remotti H, Nair A, Fazlollahi L, Hoshida Y, Tabas I, Wangensteen KJ, Schwabe RF. A Therapeutically Targetable TAZ-TEAD2 Pathway Drives the Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via ANLN and KIF23. Gastroenterology 2023; 164:1279-1292. [PMID: 36894036 PMCID: PMC10335360 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.02.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Despite recent progress, long-term survival remains low for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The most effective HCC therapies target the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and there are almost no therapies that directly target tumor cells. Here, we investigated the regulation and function of tumor cell-expressed Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in HCC. METHODS HCC was induced in mice by Sleeping Beauty-mediated expression of MET, CTNNB1-S45Y, or TAZ-S89A, or by diethylnitrosamine plus CCl4. Hepatocellular TAZ and YAP were deleted in floxed mice via adeno-associated virus serotype 8-mediated expression of Cre. TAZ target genes were identified from RNA sequencing, confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation, and evaluated in a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference (CRISPRi) screen. TEA domain transcription factors (TEADs), anillin (ANLN), Kif23, and programmed cell death protein ligand 1 were knocked down by guide RNAs in dead clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 (dCas9) knock-in mice. RESULTS YAP and TAZ were up-regulated in murine and human HCC, but only deletion of TAZ consistently decreased HCC growth and mortality. Conversely, overexpression of activated TAZ was sufficient to trigger HCC. TAZ expression in HCC was regulated by cholesterol synthesis, as demonstrated by pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl- coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1), or sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP2). TAZ- and MET/CTNNB1-S45Y-driven HCC required the expression of TEAD2 and, to a lesser extent, TEAD4. Accordingly, TEAD2 displayed the most profound effect on survival in patients with HCC. TAZ and TEAD2 promoted HCC via increased tumor cell proliferation, mediated by TAZ target genes ANLN and kinesin family member 23 (KIF23). Therapeutic targeting of HCC, using pan-TEAD inhibitors or the combination of a statin with sorafenib or anti-programmed cell death protein 1, decreased tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the cholesterol-TAZ-TEAD2-ANLN/KIF23 pathway as a mediator of HCC proliferation and tumor cell-intrinsic therapeutic target that could be synergistically combined with TIME-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshinobu Saito
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York.
| | - Dingzi Yin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Naoto Kubota
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Aveline Filliol
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Helen Remotti
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Ajay Nair
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Ladan Fazlollahi
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Ira Tabas
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York; Institute of Human Nutrition, New York, New York
| | - Kirk J Wangensteen
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
| | - Robert F Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York; Institute of Human Nutrition, New York, New York.
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8
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Lnc-uc.147 Is Associated with Disease Stage of Liver, Gastric, and Renal Cancer. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13020265. [PMID: 36830634 PMCID: PMC9953473 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Lnc-uc.147, a long non-coding RNA derived from a transcribed ultraconserved region (T-UCR), was previously evidenced in breast cancer. However, the role of this region in other tumor types was not previously investigated. The present study aimed to investigate lnc-uc.147 in different types of cancer, as well as to suggest lnc-uc.147 functional and regulation aspects. From solid tumor datasets analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), deregulated lnc-uc.147 expression was associated with the histologic grade of hepatocellular carcinoma, and with the tumor stage of clear cell renal and gastric adenocarcinoma. Considering the epidemiologic relevance of liver cancer, silencing lnc-uc.147 reduced the viability and clonogenic capacity of HepG2 cell lines. Additionally, we suggest a relation between the transcription factor TEAD4 and lnc-uc.147 in liver and breast cancer cells.
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9
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Pobbati AV, Kumar R, Rubin BP, Hong W. Therapeutic targeting of TEAD transcription factors in cancer. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:450-462. [PMID: 36709077 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The Hippo signaling pathway inhibits the activity of the oncogenic YAP (Yes-associated protein)/TAZ (transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif)-TEAD (TEA/ATTS domain) transcriptional complex. In cancers, inactivating mutations in upstream Hippo components and/or enhanced activity of YAP/TAZ and TEAD have been observed. The activity of this transcriptional complex can be effectively inhibited by targeting the TEAD family of transcription factors. The development of TEAD inhibitors has been driven by the discovery that TEAD has druggable hydrophobic pockets, and is currently at the clinical development stage. Three small molecule TEAD inhibitors are currently being tested in Phase I clinical trials. In this review, we highlight the role of TEADs in cancer, discuss various avenues through which TEAD activity can be inhibited, and outline the opportunities for the administration of TEAD inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajaybabu V Pobbati
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ramesh Kumar
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology, and Research), Singapore 138673
| | - Brian P Rubin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Robert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Wanjin Hong
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology, and Research), Singapore 138673.
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10
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Hu S, Molina L, Tao J, Liu S, Hassan M, Singh S, Poddar M, Bell A, Sia D, Oertel M, Raeman R, Nejak-Bowen K, Singhi A, Luo J, Monga SP, Ko S. NOTCH-YAP1/TEAD-DNMT1 Axis Drives Hepatocyte Reprogramming Into Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Gastroenterology 2022; 163:449-465. [PMID: 35550144 PMCID: PMC9329208 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a devastating liver cancer with extremely high intra- and inter-tumoral molecular heterogeneity, partly due to its diverse cellular origins. We investigated clinical relevance and the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatocyte (HC)-driven ICC development. METHODS Expression of ICC driver genes in human diseased livers at risk for ICC development were examined. The sleeping beauty and hydrodynamic tail vein injection based Akt-NICD/YAP1 ICC model was used to investigate pathogenetic roles of SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) and yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) in HC-driven ICC. We identified DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) as a YAP1 target, which was validated by loss- and gain-of-function studies, and its mechanism addressed by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. RESULTS Co-expression of AKT and Notch intracellular domain (NICD)/YAP1 in HC yielded ICC that represents 13% to 29% of clinical ICC. NICD independently regulates SOX9 and YAP1 and deletion of either, significantly delays ICC development. Yap1 or TEAD inhibition, but not Sox9 deletion, impairs HC-to-biliary epithelial cell (BEC) reprogramming. DNMT1 was discovered as a novel downstream effector of YAP1-TEAD complex that directs HC-to-BEC/ICC fate switch through the repression of HC-specific genes regulated by master regulators for HC differentiation, including hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha, hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha/beta. DNMT1 loss prevented NOTCH/YAP1-dependent HC-driven cholangiocarcinogenesis, and DNMT1 re-expression restored ICC development following TEAD repression. Co-expression of DNMT1 with AKT was sufficient to induce tumor development including ICC. DNMT1 was detected in a subset of HCs and dysplastic BECs in cholestatic human livers prone to ICC development. CONCLUSION We identified a novel NOTCH-YAP1/TEAD-DNMT1 axis essential for HC-to-BEC/ICC conversion, which may be relevant in cholestasis-to-ICC pathogenesis in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikai Hu
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China;,Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Laura Molina
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Junyan Tao
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Silvia Liu
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Mohammed Hassan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Sucha Singh
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Minakshi Poddar
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Aaron Bell
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Daniela Sia
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Michael Oertel
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Reben Raeman
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Kari Nejak-Bowen
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Aatur Singhi
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Division of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Jianhua Luo
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA
| | - Satdarshan P. Monga
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA USA;,Co-Corresponding Authors: Sungjin Ko, D.V.M., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop Street S-424 BST, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, Tel: 412-648-8146; Fax: (412) 648-1916; , Satdarshan P. Monga, M.D., FAASLD., Professor of Pathology and Medicine, Director, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, UPMC Endowed Chair, Vice Chair and Division Chief of Experimental Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine and UPMC, 200 Lothrop Street S-422 BST, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, Tel: (412) 648-9966; Fax: (412) 648-1916;
| | - Sungjin Ko
- Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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11
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Lozano A, Lujambio A. β-Catenin Is a Novel Target in YES-associated Protein-driven Cholangiocarcinoma. Gastroenterology 2022; 163:374-376. [PMID: 35661722 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Lozano
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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12
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Zhang Y, Xu H, Cui G, Liang B, Chen X, Ko S, Affo S, Song X, Liao Y, Feng J, Wang P, Wang H, Xu M, Wang J, Pes GM, Ribback S, Zeng Y, Singhi A, Schwabe RF, Monga SP, Evert M, Tang L, Calvisi DF, Chen X. β-Catenin Sustains and Is Required for YES-associated Protein Oncogenic Activity in Cholangiocarcinoma. Gastroenterology 2022; 163:481-494. [PMID: 35489428 PMCID: PMC9329198 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS YES-associated protein (YAP) aberrant activation is implicated in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD)-mediated transcriptional regulation is the primary signaling event downstream of YAP. The role of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling in cholangiocarcinogenesis remains undetermined. Here, we investigated the possible molecular interplay between YAP and β-Catenin cascades in iCCA. METHODS Activated AKT (Myr-Akt) was coexpressed with YAP (YapS127A) or Tead2VP16 via hydrodynamic tail vein injection into mouse livers. Tumor growth was monitored, and liver tissues were collected and analyzed using histopathologic and molecular analysis. YAP, β-Catenin, and TEAD interaction in iCCAs was investigated through coimmunoprecipitation. Conditional Ctnnb1 knockout mice were used to determine β-Catenin function in murine iCCA models. RNA sequencing was performed to analyze the genes regulated by YAP and/or β-Catenin. Immunostaining of total and nonphosphorylated/activated β-Catenin staining was performed in mouse and human iCCAs. RESULTS We discovered that TEAD factors are required for YAP-dependent iCCA development. However, transcriptional activation of TEADs did not fully recapitulate YAP's activities in promoting cholangiocarcinogenesis. Notably, β-Catenin physically interacted with YAP in human and mouse iCCA. Ctnnb1 ablation strongly suppressed human iCCA cell growth and Yap-dependent cholangiocarcinogenesis. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that YAP/ transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) regulate a set of genes significantly overlapping with those controlled by β-Catenin. Importantly, activated/nonphosphorylated β-Catenin was detected in more than 80% of human iCCAs. CONCLUSION YAP induces cholangiocarcinogenesis via TEAD-dependent transcriptional activation and interaction with β-Catenin. β-Catenin binds to YAP in iCCA and is required for YAP full transcriptional activity, revealing the functional crosstalk between YAP and β-Catenin pathways in cholangiocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Guofei Cui
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Binyong Liang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiangzheng Chen
- Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sungjin Ko
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Silvia Affo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xinhua Song
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Liao
- The Central Laboratory, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianguo Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China; Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition & Health, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China
| | - Haichuan Wang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California; Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingxiao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Giovanni M Pes
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Silvia Ribback
- Institute of Pathology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yong Zeng
- Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Aatur Singhi
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Satdarshan P Monga
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Liling Tang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Diego F Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California; Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
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13
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Zagiel B, Melnyk P, Cotelle P. Progress with YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitors: a patent review (2018-present). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2022; 32:899-912. [PMID: 35768160 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2022.2096436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Hippo pathway represents a new opportunity for the treatment of cancer. Overexpression of Yes-associated protein (YAP) or transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) or TEAD has been demonstrated in cancers and YAP mediates resistance to cancer drugs. Since 2018, the potential of this pathway has been illustrated by numerous articles and patents and the first drugs entering in clinical trial phase 1. AREAS COVERED This review is limited to published patent applications that have disclosed direct small-molecule inhibitors of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD interaction. EXPERT OPINION The YAP/TAZ-TEAD transcriptional complex is a promising target for the treatment of cancer. Approximately 30 international patents (used database: Sci-finder, query: TEAD; documents: patents; period: from 2017-January 2022) that disclose TEAD transcriptional inhibitors have been filled since 2018. The mechanism of action is not always described in the patents, we can divide the drugs into three different categories: (i) external TEAD ligands; (ii) non-covalent TEAD ligands of the palmitate pocket; (iii) covalent TEAD ligands, which bind into the palmitate pocket. The first molecules in clinical trial phase 1 are non-covalent TEAD ligands. The selective TEAD ligand have also been patented, published and selectivity could be of great interest for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Zagiel
- Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, University of Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Patricia Melnyk
- Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, University of Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
| | - Philippe Cotelle
- Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, University of Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille, France
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14
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Liberelle M, Toulotte F, Renault N, Gelin M, Allemand F, Melnyk P, Guichou JF, Cotelle P. Toward the Design of Ligands Selective for the C-Terminal Domain of TEADs. J Med Chem 2022; 65:5926-5940. [PMID: 35389210 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The Hippo signaling pathway plays a fundamental role in the control of organ growth, cell proliferation, and stem cell characters. TEADs are the main transcriptional output regulators of the Hippo signaling pathway and bind to YAP and TAZ co-activators. TEAD1-4 are expressed differently, depending on the tissue and developmental level, and can be overexpressed in certain pathologies. TEAD ligands mainly target the internal pocket of the C-terminal domain of TEAD, and the first ligands selective for TEAD1 and TEAD3 have been recently reported. In this paper, we focus on the topographic homology of the TEAD C-terminal domain both externally and in the internal pocket to highlight the possibility of rationally designing ligands selective for one of the TEAD family members. We identified a novel TEAD2-specific pocket and reported its first ligand. Finally, AlphaFold2 models of full-length TEADs suggest TEAD autoregulation and emphasize the importance of the interface 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Liberelle
- INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, Université de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Florine Toulotte
- INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, Université de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Nicolas Renault
- INSERM, CHU Lille, U-1286 - INFINTE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, Université de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Muriel Gelin
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, F-34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Allemand
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, F-34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Patricia Melnyk
- INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, Université de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Jean-François Guichou
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, F-34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Cotelle
- INSERM, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Research Center, Université de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.,CS 90108, ENSCL-Centrale Lille, F-59652 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
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15
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Chen T, Tian L, Chen J, Zhao X, Zhou J, Guo T, Sheng Q, Zhu L, Liu J, Lv Z. A Comprehensive Genomic Analysis Constructs miRNA-mRNA Interaction Network in Hepatoblastoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:655703. [PMID: 34422793 PMCID: PMC8377242 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.655703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare disease but nevertheless the most common hepatic tumor in the pediatric population. For patients with advanced HB, the prognosis is dismal and there are limited therapeutic options. Multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) were reported to be involved in HB development, but the miRNA–mRNA interaction network in HB remains elusive. Through a comparison between HB and normal liver samples in the GSE131329 dataset, we detected 580 upregulated differentially expressed mRNAs (DE-mRNAs) and 790 downregulated DE-mRNAs. As for the GSE153089 dataset, the first cluster of differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were detected between fetal-type tumor and normal liver groups, while the second cluster of DE-miRNAs were detected between embryonal-type tumor and normal liver groups. Through the intersection of these two clusters of DE-miRNAs, 33 upregulated hub miRNAs, and 12 downregulated hub miRNAs were obtained. Based on the respective hub miRNAs, the upstream transcription factors (TFs) were detected via TransmiR v2.0, while the downstream target genes were predicted via miRNet database. The intersection of target genes of respective hub miRNAs and corresponding DE-mRNAs contributed to 250 downregulated candidate genes and 202 upregulated candidate genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses demonstrated the upregulated candidate genes mainly enriched in the terms and pathways relating to the cell cycle. We constructed protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, and obtained 211 node pairs for the downregulated candidate genes and 157 node pairs for the upregulated candidate genes. Cytoscape software was applied for visualizing the PPI network and respective top 10 hub genes were identified using CytoHubba. The expression values of hub genes in the PPI network were subsequently validated through Oncopression database followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in HB and matched normal liver tissues, resulting in six significant downregulated genes and seven significant upregulated genes. The miRNA–mRNA interaction network was finally constructed. In conclusion, we uncover various miRNAs, TFs, and hub genes as potential regulators in HB pathogenesis. Additionally, the miRNA–mRNA interaction network, PPI modules, and pathways may provide potential biomarkers for future HB theranostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linlin Tian
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Jianglong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuhao Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingfeng Sheng
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linlin Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiangbin Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhibao Lv
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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16
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Coto-Llerena M, Tosti N, Taha-Mehlitz S, Kancherla V, Paradiso V, Gallon J, Bianco G, Garofoli A, Ghosh S, Tang F, Ercan C, Christofori GM, Matter MS, Droeser RA, Zavolan M, Soysal SD, von Flüe M, Kollmar O, Terracciano LM, Ng CKY, Piscuoglio S. Transcriptional Enhancer Factor Domain Family member 4 Exerts an Oncogenic Role in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Hippo-Independent Regulation of Heat Shock Protein 70 Family Members. Hepatol Commun 2021; 5:661-674. [PMID: 33860124 PMCID: PMC8034568 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional enhancer factor domain family member 4 (TEAD4) is a downstream effector of the conserved Hippo signaling pathway, regulating the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. It is up-regulated in several cancer types and is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unexplored. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we found that TEAD4 was overexpressed in HCC and was associated with aggressive HCC features and worse outcome. Overexpression of TEAD4 significantly increased proliferation and migration rates in HCC cells in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, RNA sequencing analysis of TEAD4-overexpressing HCC cells demonstrated that TEAD4 overexpression was associated with the up-regulation of genes involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, proliferation, and protein-folding pathways. Among the most up-regulated genes following TEAD4 overexpression were the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) family members HSPA6 and HSPA1A. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction experiments demonstrated that TEAD4 regulates HSPA6 and HSPA1A expression by directly binding to their promoter and enhancer regions. The pharmacologic inhibition of HSP70 expression in TEAD4-overexpressing cells reduced the effect of TEAD4 on cell proliferation. Finally, by overexpressing TEAD4 in yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ)-knockdown HCC cells, we showed that the effect of TEAD4 on cell proliferation and its regulation of HSP70 expression does not require YAP and TAZ, the main effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway. Conclusion: A novel Hippo-independent mechanism for TEAD4 promotes cell proliferation and tumor growth in HCC by directly regulating HSP70 family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mairene Coto-Llerena
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland.,Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research LaboratoryDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Nadia Tosti
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Stephanie Taha-Mehlitz
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research LaboratoryDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland.,ClarunisDepartment of Visceral SurgeryUniversity Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver DiseasesSt. Clara Hospital and University Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Venkatesh Kancherla
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Viola Paradiso
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - John Gallon
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research LaboratoryDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Gaia Bianco
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research LaboratoryDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Andrea Garofoli
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Souvik Ghosh
- Computational and Systems Biology, BiozentrumUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Fengyuan Tang
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Caner Ercan
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Matthias S Matter
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Raoul A Droeser
- ClarunisDepartment of Visceral SurgeryUniversity Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver DiseasesSt. Clara Hospital and University Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Mihaela Zavolan
- Computational and Systems Biology, BiozentrumUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Savas D Soysal
- ClarunisDepartment of Visceral SurgeryUniversity Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver DiseasesSt. Clara Hospital and University Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Markus von Flüe
- ClarunisDepartment of Visceral SurgeryUniversity Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver DiseasesSt. Clara Hospital and University Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Otto Kollmar
- ClarunisDepartment of Visceral SurgeryUniversity Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver DiseasesSt. Clara Hospital and University Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Luigi M Terracciano
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Charlotte K Y Ng
- Department for BioMedical ResearchUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Salvatore Piscuoglio
- Institute of Medical Genetics and PathologyUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland.,Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research LaboratoryDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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17
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Delgado ER, Erickson HL, Tao J, Monga SP, Duncan AW, Anakk S. Scaffolding Protein IQGAP1 Is Dispensable, but Its Overexpression Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma via YAP1 Signaling. Mol Cell Biol 2021; 41:e00596-20. [PMID: 33526450 PMCID: PMC8088129 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00596-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
IQ motif-containing GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) is a ubiquitously expressed scaffolding protein that is overexpressed in a number of cancers, including liver cancer, and is associated with protumorigenic processes, such as cell proliferation, motility, and adhesion. IQGAP1 can integrate multiple signaling pathways and could be an effective antitumor target. Therefore, we examined the role of IQGAP1 in tumor initiation and promotion during liver carcinogenesis. We found that ectopic overexpression of IQGAP1 in the liver is not sufficient to initiate tumorigenesis. Moreover, we report that the tumor burden and cell proliferation in the diethylnitrosamine-induced liver carcinogenesis model in Iqgap1-/- mice may be driven by MET signaling. In contrast, IQGAP1 overexpression enhanced YAP activation and subsequent NUAK2 expression to accelerate and promote hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a clinically relevant model expressing activated (S45Y) β-catenin and MET. Here, increasing IQGAP1 expression in vivo does not alter β-catenin or MET activation; instead, it promotes YAP activity. Overall, we demonstrate that although IQGAP1 expression is not required for HCC development, the gain of IQGAP1 function promotes the rapid onset and increased liver carcinogenesis. Our results show that an adequate amount of IQGAP1 scaffold is necessary to maintain the quiescent status of the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan R Delgado
- Department of Pathology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hanna L Erickson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Junyan Tao
- Department of Pathology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Satdarshan P Monga
- Department of Pathology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew W Duncan
- Department of Pathology, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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18
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Abstract
Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the predominant primary liver tumor in children. While the prognosis is favorable when the tumor can be resected, the outcome is dismal for patients with progressed HB. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for HB is imperative for early detection and effective treatment. Sequencing analysis of human HB specimens unraveled the pivotal role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation in this disease. Nonetheless, β-catenin activation alone does not suffice to induce HB, implying the need for additional alterations. Perturbations of several pathways, including Hippo, Hedgehog, NRF2/KEAP1, HGF/c-Met, NK-1R/SP, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR cascades and aberrant activation of c-MYC, n-MYC, and EZH2 proto-oncogenes, have been identified in HB, although their role requires additional investigation. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on HB molecular pathogenesis, the relevance of the preclinical findings for the human disease, and the innovative therapeutic strategies that could be beneficial for the treatment of HB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Antonio Solinas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Stefano Cairo
- XenTech, Evry, France,Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica, Padova, Italy
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Diego F. Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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19
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Driskill JH, Pan D. The Hippo Pathway in Liver Homeostasis and Pathophysiology. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2020; 16:299-322. [PMID: 33234023 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-030420-105050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the regenerative capacity of the liver have converged on the Hippo pathway, a serine/threonine kinase cascade discovered in Drosophila and conserved from unicellular organisms to mammals. Genetic studies of mouse and rat livers have revealed that the Hippo pathway is a key regulator of liver size, regeneration, development, metabolism, and homeostasis and that perturbations in the Hippo pathway can lead to the development of common liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease and liver cancer. In turn, pharmacological targeting of the Hippo pathway may be utilized to boost regeneration and to prevent the development and progression of liver diseases. We review current insights provided by the Hippo pathway into liver pathophysiology. Furthermore, we present a path forward for future studies to understand how newly identified components of the Hippo pathway may control liver physiology and how the Hippo pathway is regulated in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan H Driskill
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA; , .,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Duojia Pan
- Department of Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA; ,
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20
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Chen M, Huang B, Zhu L, Chen K, Liu M, Zhong C. Structural and Functional Overview of TEAD4 in Cancer Biology. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:9865-9874. [PMID: 33116572 PMCID: PMC7547805 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s266649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) is an important member of the TEAD family. As a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, TEAD4 has essential roles in cell proliferation, cell survival, tissue regeneration, and stem cell maintenance. TEAD4 contains a TEA DNA binding domain that binds the promoters of target genes and a Yes-associated protein/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (YAP/TAZ) binding domain that associates with transcriptional cofactors. TEAD4 coordinates with YAP, TAZ, VGLL, and other transcription factors to regulate different cellular processes in cancer via its transcriptional output. Moreover, TEAD4 undergoes post-translational modifications and subcellular translocations, and both processes have been shown to shed new insights on how TEAD transcriptional activity can be modified. In summary, TEAD4 has important roles in cancer, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, cancer stem cell dynamics, and chemotherapeutic drug resistance, suggesting that TEAD4 may be a promising prognostic biomarker in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai200120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bingsong Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai200120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai200120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kui Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai200120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai200120, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chunlong Zhong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai200120, People’s Republic of China
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21
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Calvisi DF, Solinas A. Hepatoblastoma: current knowledge and promises from preclinical studies. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 5:42. [PMID: 32632393 DOI: 10.21037/tgh.2019.12.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival rate for patients with metastatic hepatoblastoma (HB) is steadily increased in the last thirty years from 27% to 79%. These achievements result from accurate risk stratification and effective chemotherapy and surgical care. However, patients with poor prognosis require more effective therapies. Recent years have witnessed new insights on the biology of HB, setting the stage for molecular classification and new targets of therapy. We review here the molecular pathology of HB, focusing on the driver genes involved in the process of oncogenesis and the identification of novel targets. We also address the role of in vivo models in elucidating the mechanisms of development of this disease and the pre-clinical phase of new treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego F Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Antonio Solinas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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22
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Chen X, Kiss A, Schaff Z, Evert K, Zhang Y, Zhong S, Wang J, Evert M, Calvisi DF, Chen X. CDK9 is dispensable for YAP-driven hepatoblastoma development. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2020; 67:e28221. [PMID: 32124532 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.28221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common pediatric liver malignancy, occurring mainly during the first 4 years of life. Recent studies unraveled the frequent, coordinated activation of Wnt/β-catenin and YAP/Hippo (where YAP is yes-associated protein) pathways in human HB samples. Furthermore, it was found that concomitant overexpression of activated forms of β-catenin and YAP in the mouse liver triggers HB formation in YAP/β-catenin mice. Cyclin-dependent kinases 9 (CDK9) is an elongating kinase, which has been shown to mediate YAP-driven tumorigenesis. The role of CDK9 in HB molecular pathogenesis has not been investigated to date. METHODS CDK9 expression was determined in human HB lesions, HB cell lines, and YAP/β-catenin mouse livers. CDK9 was silenced in human HB cell lines and the effects on growth rate and YAP targets were analyzed. Hydrodynamic transfection of YAPS127A and ∆N90-β-catenin together with either shCdk9 or control shLuc (where Luc is luciferase) plasmids was employed to assess the requirement of Cdk9 for HB development in vivo. RESULTS Nuclear immunoreactivity for CDK9 protein was more pronounced in human HB samples and YAP/β-catenin mouse HB tumor tissues than in corresponding surrounding nontumorous liver tissues. CDK9 protein was also expressed in human HB cell lines. Silencing of CDK9 in human HB cell lines did not lead to consistent effects on HB cell growth or YAP target gene expression. Surprisingly, silencing of Cdk9 led to accelerated liver tumorigenesis in YAP/β-catenin mice. CONCLUSION CDK9 is not a major downstream mediator of YAP oncogenic function in HB development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyan Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Andras Kiss
- Second Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsa Schaff
- Second Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katja Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California.,Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, College of Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sheng Zhong
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Jingxiao Wang
- School of Life Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Diego F Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
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23
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Zhang S, Zhang J, Evert K, Li X, Liu P, Kiss A, Schaff Z, Ament C, Zhang Y, Serra M, Evert M, Chen N, Xu F, Chen X, Tao J, Calvisi DF, Cigliano A. The Hippo Effector Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-Binding Motif Cooperates with Oncogenic β-Catenin to Induce Hepatoblastoma Development in Mice and Humans. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2020; 190:1397-1413. [PMID: 32283103 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common pediatric liver tumor. Though Wnt/β-catenin and Hippo cascades are implicated in HB development, studies on crosstalk between β-catenin and Hippo downstream effector transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in HB are lacking. Expression levels of TAZ and β-catenin in human HB specimens were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Functional interplay between TAZ and β-catenin was determined by overexpression of an activated form of TAZ (TAZS89A), either alone or combined with an oncogenic form of β-catenin (ΔN90-β-catenin), in mouse liver via hydrodynamic transfection. Activation of TAZ often co-occurred with that of β-catenin in clinical specimens. Although the overexpression of TAZS89A alone did not induce hepatocarcinogenesis, concomitant overexpression of TAZS89A and ΔN90-β-catenin triggered the development of HB lesions exhibiting both epithelial and mesenchymal features. Mechanistically, TAZ/β-catenin-driven HB development required TAZ interaction with transcriptional enhanced associate domain factors. Blockade of the Notch cascade did not inhibit TAZ/β-catenin-dependent HB formation in mice but suppressed the mesenchymal phenotype. Neither Yes-associated protein nor heat shock factor 1 depletion affected HB development in TAZ/β-catenin mice. In human HB cell lines, silencing of TAZ resulted in decreased cell growth, which was further reduced when TAZ knockdown was associated with suppression of either β-catenin or Yes-associated protein. Overall, our study identified TAZ as a crucial oncogene in HB development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Zhang
- Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Thoracic Oncology II, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Ministry of Education, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, PR China
| | - Katja Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Xiaolei Li
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The 960th Hospital of the PLA, Jinan, PR China
| | - Pin Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Andras Kiss
- Second Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsa Schaff
- Second Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Cindy Ament
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Monica Serra
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nianyong Chen
- Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Feng Xu
- Lung Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Junyan Tao
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Diego F Calvisi
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Antonio Cigliano
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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24
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Wnt/β-catenin signaling as a useful therapeutic target in hepatoblastoma. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20192466. [PMID: 31511432 PMCID: PMC6757184 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20192466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma is a malignant tumor in the liver of children that generally occurs at the age of 2–3 years. There have been ample evidence from the preclinical as well as clinical studies suggesting the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hepatoblastoma, which is mainly attributed to the somatic mutations in the exon 3 of β-catenin gene. There is increased translocation of β-catenin protein from the cell surface to cytoplasm and nucleus and intracellular accumulation is directly linked to the severity of the cancer. Accordingly, the alterations in β-catenin and its target genes may be used as markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of pediatric live tumors. Furthermore, scientists have reported the therapeutic usefulness of inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hepatoblastoma and this inhibition of signaling has been done using different methods including short interfering RNA (siRNA), miRNA and pharmacological agents. Wnt/β-catenin works in association with other signaling pathways to induce the development of hepatoblastoma including Yes-associated protein (YAP)1 (YAP-1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) 1 (mTOR-1), SLC38A1, glypican 3 (GPC3), nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB), epidermal growth factor receptor, ERK1/2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), regenerating islet-derived 1 and 3 α (REG1A and 3A), substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor and PARP-1. The present review describes the key role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the development of hepatoblastoma. Moreover, the role of other signaling pathways in hepatoblastoma in association with Wnt/β-catenin has also been described.
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