Recent advances in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

cGAS suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma independent of its cGAMP synthase activity

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a key innate immune sensor that recognizes cytosolic DNA to induce immune responses against invading pathogens. The role of cGAS is conventionally recognized as a nucleotidyltransferase to catalyze the synthesis of cGAMP upon recognition of cytosolic DNA, which leads to the activation of STING and production of type I/III interferon to fight against the pathogen. However, given that hepatocytes are lack of functional STING expression, it is intriguing to define the role of cGAS in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the liver parenchymal cells derived malignancy. In this study, we revealed that cGAS was significantly downregulated in clinical HCC tissues, and its dysregulation contributed to the progression of HCC. We further identified cGAS as an immune tyrosine inhibitory motif (ITIM) containing protein, and demonstrated that cGAS inhibited the progression of HCC and increased the response of HCC to sorafenib treatment by suppressing PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 pathway in cellular and animal models. Mechanistically, cGAS recruits SH2-containing tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP1) via ITIM, and dephosphorylates p85 in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), which leads to the suppression of AKT-mTORC1 pathway. Thus, cGAS is identified as a novel tumor suppressor in HCC via its function independent of its conventional role as cGAMP synthase, which indicates a novel therapeutic strategy for advanced HCC by modulating cGAS signaling.

Regulation and targeting of SREBP-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an increasing burden on global public health and is associated with enhanced lipogenesis, fatty acid uptake, and lipid metabolic reprogramming. De novo lipogenesis is under the control of the transcription factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) and essentially contributes to HCC progression. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the regulation of SREBP-1 isoforms in HCC based on cellular, animal, and clinical data. Specifically, we (i) address the overarching mechanisms for regulating SREBP-1 transcription, proteolytic processing, nuclear stability, and transactivation and (ii) critically discuss their impact on HCC, taking into account (iii) insights from pharmacological approaches. Emphasis is placed on cross-talk with the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt)-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) axis, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), protein kinase A (PKA), and other kinases that directly phosphorylate SREBP-1; transcription factors, such as liver X receptor (LXR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator 1 (PGC-1), signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs), and Myc; epigenetic mechanisms; post-translational modifications of SREBP-1; and SREBP-1-regulatory metabolites such as oxysterols and polyunsaturated fatty acids. By carefully scrutinizing the role of SREBP-1 in HCC development, progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance, we shed light on the potential of SREBP-1-targeting strategies in HCC prevention and treatment.

CBX1 is involved in hepatocellular carcinoma progression and resistance to sorafenib and lenvatinib via IGF-1R/AKT/SNAIL signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Chromobox Homolog 1 (CBX1) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including the evolution and advancement of diverse cancers. The role of CBX1 in pan-cancer and its mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, remains to be further investigated.

METHODS

Bioinformatics approaches were harnessed to scrutinize CBX1's expression profile, its association with tumor staging, and its potential impact on patient outcomes across various cancers. Single-cell RNA sequencing data facilitated the investigation of CBX1 expression patterns at the individual cell level. The CBX1 expression levels in HCC and adjacent non-tumor tissues were quantified through Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western Blotting (WB), and Immunohistochemical analyses. A tissue microarray was employed to explore the relationship between CBX1 levels, patient prognosis, and clinicopathological characteristics in HCC. Various in vitro assays-including CCK-8, colony formation, Transwell invasion, and scratch tests-were conducted to assess the proliferative and motility properties of HCC cells upon modulation of CBX1 expression. Moreover, the functional impact of CBX1 on HCC was further discerned through xenograft studies in nude mice.

RESULTS

CBX1 was found to be upregulated in most cancer forms, with heightened expression correlating with adverse patient prognoses. Within the context of HCC, elevated levels of CBX1 were consistently indicative of poorer clinical outcomes. Suppression of CBX1 through knockdown methodologies markedly diminished HCC cell proliferation, invasive capabilities, migratory activity, Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes, and resistance to Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Contrastingly, CBX1 augmentation facilitated the opposite effects. Subsequent investigative efforts revealed CBX1 to be a promoter of EMT and a contributor to increased TKI resistance within HCC cells, mediated via the IGF-1R/AKT/SNAIL signaling axis. The oncogenic activities of CBX1 proved to be attenuable either by AKT pathway inhibition or by targeted silencing of IGF-1R.

CONCLUSIONS

The broad overexpression of CBX1 in pan-cancer and specifically in HCC positions it as a putative oncogenic entity. It is implicated in forwarding HCC progression and exacerbating TKI resistance through its interaction with the IGF-1R/AKT/SNAIL signaling cascade.

The regulation of hypoxia-related lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still a public health disease with its high prevalence and morbidity. Short of early diagnosis biomarkers and effective therapy, the treatment of HCC patients hasn't achieved ideal effect. Hypoxia is a hallmark of HCC, which is mainly induced by imbalance of tumor cell proliferation and insufficient supply of oxygen. Recently, amounting evidence suggested lncRNAs, especially hypoxia-related lncRNAs play a pivotal role in regulating HCC. Hypoxia-related lncRNAs are involved in altering glucose metabolism, maintaining of cancer stem cell-like properties (CSCs), cell apotosis, proliferation and immune escape, which all contribute to the poor prognosis of HCC patients. The novel identified hypoxia-related lncRNAs could be the potential target or biomarkers of HCC, which are beneficial to the clinical treatment. Herein, we summarized currently reported hypoxia-related lncRNAs and their related mechanisms, providing potential application and future perspective of hypoxia-related lncRNAs as a potential therapeutic target.

The impact of lipidome on breast cancer: a Mendelian randomization study

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the association between specific lipidomes and the risk of breast cancer (BC) using the Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization (TSMR) approach and Bayesian Model Averaging Mendelian Randomization (BMA-MR) method.

METHOD

The study analyzed data from large-scale GWAS datasets of 179 lipidomes to assess the relationship between lipidomes and BC risk across different molecular subtypes. TSMR was employed to explore causal relationships, while the BMA-MR method was carried out to validate the results. The study assessed heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy through Cochran's Q, MR-Egger intercept tests, and MR-PRESSO. Moreover, a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms on the MR study.

RESULTS

By examining 179 lipidome traits as exposures and BC as the outcome, the study revealed significant causal effects of glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and glycerolipids on BC risk. Specifically, for estrogen receptor-positive BC (ER+ BC), phosphatidylcholine (P < 0.05) and phosphatidylinositol (OR: 0.916-0.966, P < 0.05) within glycerophospholipids play significant roles, along with the importance of glycerolipids (diacylglycerol (OR = 0.923, P < 0.001) and triacylglycerol, OR: 0.894-0.960, P < 0.05)). However, the study did not observe a noteworthy impact of sphingolipids on ER+BC. In the case of estrogen receptor-negative BC (ER- BC), not only glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids (OR = 1.085, P = 0.008), and glycerolipids (OR = 0.909, P = 0.002) exerted an influence, but the protective effect of sterols (OR: 1.034-1.056, P < 0.05) was also discovered. The prominence of glycerolipids was minimal in ER-BC. Phosphatidylethanolamine (OR: 1.091-1.119, P < 0.05) was an important causal effect in ER-BC.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings reveal that phosphatidylinositol and triglycerides levels decreased the risk of BC, indicating a potential protective role of these lipid molecules. Moreover, the study elucidates BC's intricate lipid metabolic pathways, highlighting diverse lipidome structural variations that may have varying effects in different molecular subtypes.

STRN3 promotes tumour growth in hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting the hippo pathway

HCC is a globally high-incidence malignant tumour, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. Recently, STRN3 has been found to be elevated in various tumours, but its expression and biological functions in HCC have not been studied. In the study, clinical correlation analysis was performed on 371 liver cancer patients from TCGA database and liver cancer tissues and normal tissues from the GEO database. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to detect relevant proteins in cells, and CCK8 and colony formation experiments were performed to analyse cell proliferation ability. Transwell and wound healing experiments were performed to detect cell invasion ability, and flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis. Single-cell sequencing data and multiple immunofluorescence were analysed for the expression abundance and distribution of certain proteins. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of STRN3 in patients' tumour and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. The results indicated STRN3 was highly expressed in liver tumour tissues and was closely associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of STRN3 could significantly inhibit cell proliferation and migration ability. At the same time, we found that STRN3 could inhibit the Hippo pathway and promote the entry of YAP protein into the nucleus. Our study first found that STRN3 could promote tumour growth by inhibiting the Hippo pathway. The study of STRN3 can promote the understanding and treatment of the occurrence and development of HCC.

Quercetin-induced degradation of RhoC suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma invasion and metastasis

BACKGROUND

Tumor metastasis and recurrence are major causes of mortality in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is still lack of effective therapeutic targets and drugs. Previous reports implied that ras homolog family member C (RhoC) plays a toxic role on metastasis and proliferation of cancer.

METHODS

In this research, the correlation between RhoC and metastasis ability was confirmed by in vitro experiments and TCGA database. We explored whether quercetin could inhibit cell migration or invasion by transwell assay. Real-time PCR, overexpression and ubiquitination assay, etc. were applied in mechanism study. Primary HCC cells and animal models including patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) were employed to evaluate the anti-metastasis effects of quercetin.

RESULTS

Clinical relevance and in vitro experiments further confirmed the level of RhoC was positively correlated with invasion and metastasis ability of HCC. Then we uncovered that quercetin could attenuate invasion and metastasis of HCC by downregulating RhoC's level in vitro, in vivo and PDXs. Furthermore, mechanistic investigations displayed quercetin hindered the E3 ligase expression of SMAD specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 2 (SMURF2) leading to enhancement of RhoC's ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research has revealed the novel mechanisms quercetin regulates degradation of RhoC level by targeting SMURF2 and identified quercetin may be a potential compound for HCC therapy.

Goal-directed fluid therapy during post-resection phase in low central venous pressure assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy: a randomized controlled superiority trial

PURPOSE

The purpose of this prospective single blinded randomized controlled trial was to find out whether goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) strategy in post-transection period in low central venous pressure (CVP) assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) has more benefit than traditional fluid strategy.

METHODS

Between April 2020 and Dec 2021, patients who were scheduled for laparoscopic liver resection surgery were eligible to participate in the study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: control group that received traditional fluid strategy in post-transection period in low CVP assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy and GDFT strategy group that received GDFT strategy in post-transection period. The primary outcome parameter is the incidence of postoperative complications. Secondary outcome parameters include perioperative clinical outcomes, postoperative clinical outcomes, length of hospital stay after surgery, postoperative lactic acid, fluids and vasoactive medications during the operation.

RESULTS

A total of 159 patients in the control group and 160 patients in the GDFT were included. Two groups had no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications including pneumonia (P = 0.34), acute kidney injury (P = 0.72), hepatic insufficiency (P = 0.25), pleural effusion (P = 0.08) and seroperitoneum (P = 1.00), respectively. The amount of perioperative urine output is fewer in GDFT group than in the control group (P = 0.0354), while other perioperative variables and postoperative variables were comparable between two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show the implementation of GDFT strategy is not associated with fewer postoperative complications. GDFT strategy did not result in improved outcomes in low CVP-assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy.

Celecoxib and cisplatin dual-loaded microspheres synergistically enhance transarterial chemoembolization effect of hepatocellular carcinoma

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a first-line treatment for intermediate to advanced-stage liver cancer, with drug-eluting microspheres commonly used as embolic agents. However, currently available drug-eluting microspheres suffer from low drug-loading capacity and limited drug options. In this work, we developed polydopamine-modified polyvinyl alcohol dual-drug-loaded microspheres encapsulating celecoxib and cisplatin (referred to as PCDMS). Physicochemical characterization revealed that the surface of the microspheres displayed increased roughness after polydopamine modification, and celecoxib and cisplatin were successfully loaded onto the microsphere surface. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that the PCDMS significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of highly metastatic human liver cancer cells (MHCC-97H) and human liver cancer cells (SMMC-7721). Furthermore, the dual-loaded microspheres exhibited remarkable tumor growth inhibition and reshaped the tumor microenvironment in both subcutaneous H22 liver cancer model in Balb/c mice and intrahepatic VX2 tumor model in New Zealand rabbits, demonstrating a synergistic antitumor effect where 1 + 1>2. This work provides a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of refractory liver cancer and holds significant translational potential.

Stomatin-like protein 2 promotes cell proliferation and survival under 5-Fluorouracil stress in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The crucial role of STOML2 in tumor progression has been documented recently in various cancers. Previous studies have shown that STOML2 promoted cancer cell proliferation, but the underlying mechanism is not fully illustrated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The expression and clinical relevance of STOML2 in pan-cancer was analyzed by TIMER2 web platform in pan-cancer. The prognostic significance of STOML2 in HCC was evaluated utilizing KM curve and a nomogram model. Signaling pathways associated with STOML2 expression were discovered by GSEA. CCK-8 assay was performed to evaluate the proliferative capacity of HCC cells after manipulating STOML2 expression. Flow cytometry was utilized to analyze cell cycle progression. Results indicated that increased STOML2 expression in HCC linked to unfavorable clinical outcomes. Cell cycle and cell division related terms were enriched under conditions of elevated STOML2 expression via GSEA analysis. A notable decrease in cell proliferation was observed in MHCC97H with STOML2 knocked-down, accompanied by G1-phase arrest, up-regulation of p21, down-regulation of CyclinD1 and its regulatory factor MYC, while STOML2 overexpression in Huh7 showed the opposite results. These results indicated that STOML2 was responsible for HCC proliferation by regulating the expression level of MYC/cyclin D1 and p21. Furthermore, an inverse correlation was found between STOML2 expression and 5-FU sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

STOML2 promotes cell cycle progression in HCC which is associated with activation of MYC/CyclinD1/p21 pathway, and modulates the response of HCC to 5-FU.

Smart glypican-3-targeting peptide-chlorin e6 conjugates for targeted photodynamic therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive and lethal malignancy with poor prognosis, necessitating the urgent development of effective treatments. Targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a promising way to selectively eradicate tumor cells without affecting normal cells. Inspired by promising features of peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) in targeted cancer therapy, herein a novel glypican-3 (GPC3)-targeting PDC-PDT strategy was developed for the precise PDT treatment of HCC. The GPC3-targeting photosensitizer conjugates were developed by attaching GPC3-targeting peptides to chlorin e6. Conjugate 8b demonstrated the ability to penetrate HCC cells via GPC3-mediated entry process, exhibiting remarkable tumor-targeting capacity, superior antitumor efficacy, and minimal toxicity towards normal cells. Notably, conjugate 8b achieved complete tumor elimination upon light illumination in a HepG2 xenograft model without harm to normal tissues. Overall, this innovative GPC3-targeting conjugation strategy demonstrates considerable promise for clinical applications for the treatment of HCC.

HSP90, as a functional target antigen of a mAb 11C9, promotes stemness and tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Identification of promising targeted antigens that exhibited cancer-specific expression is a crucial step in the development of novel antibody-targeted therapies. We here aimed to investigate the anti-tumor activity of a novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) 11C9 and identify the antibody tractable target in the hepatocellular cancer stem cells (HCSCs).

METHODS

The identification of the targeted antigen was conducted using SDS-PAGE, western blot, mass spectrometry, and co-immunoprecipitation. Silence of HSP90 was induced by siRNA interference. Positive cells were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Double-immunofluorescent (IF) staining and two-color flow cytometry detected the co-expression. Self-renewal, invasion, and drug resistance were assessed by sphere formation, matrigel-coated Transwell assay, and CCK-8 assay, respectively. Tumorigenicity was evaluated in mouse xenograft models. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis were performed to explore the mechanism of mAb 11C9 and potential targets.

RESULTS

MAb 11C9 inhibited invasion and self-renewal abilities of HCC cell lines and reversed the cisplatin resistance. HSP90 (~ 95 kDa) was identified as a targeted antigen of mAb 11C9. Tissue microarrays and online databases revealed that HSP90 was overexpressed in HCC and associated with a poor prognosis. FACS and double-IF staining showed the co-expression of HSP90 and CSCs markers (CD90 and ESA). In vitro and in vivo demonstrated the tumorigenic potentials of HSP90. The inhibition of HSP90 by siRNA interference or 17-AAG inhibitor both decreased the number of invasion, sphere cells, and CD90+ or ESA+ cells, as well as reversed the resistance. Bioinformatics analysis and western blot verified that HSP90 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

The study preliminarily revealed the anti-tumor activity of mAb 11C9. More importantly, we identified HSP90 as a targeted antigen of mAb 11C9, which functions as an oncogene in phenotype shaping, stemness maintenance, and therapeutic resistance by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Circ_0102543 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression through the miR-942-5p/SGTB axis

Introduction

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most serious cancers. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been reported to regulate the progression of HCC. Herein, the role of circ_0102543 in HCC tumorigenesis was investigated.

Materials

The expression levels of circ_0102543, microRNA-942-5p (miR-942-5p), and small glutamine rich tetratricopeptide repeat co-chaperone beta (SGTB) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay, thymidine analog 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU) assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry were conducted to explore the function of circ_0102543 in HCC cells and the regulatory mechanism among circ_0102543, miR-942-5p and SGTB in HCC cells. Western blot examined the related protein levels.

Results

The expression of circ_0102543 and SGTB was decreased in HCC tissues, while the expression of miR-942-5p was increased. Circ_0102543 acted as a sponge for miR-942-5p, and SGTB was the target of miR-942-5p. Circ_0102543 up-regulation hindered tumor growth in vivo. In vitro experiments showed that overexpression of circ_0102543 significantly repressed the malignant behaviors of HCC cells, while co-transfection of miR-942-5p partially attenuated these effects mediated by circ_0102543. In addition, SGTB knockdown increased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells inhibited by miR-942-5p inhibitor. Mechanically, circ_0102543 regulated SGTB expression in HCC cells by sponging miR-942-5p.

Conclusion

Overexpression of circ_0102543 suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells by regulating the miR-942-5p/SGTB axis, suggesting that circ_0102543/miR-942-5p/SGTB axis may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Glycomimetics for the inhibition and modulation of lectins

Carbohydrates are essential mediators of many processes in health and disease. They regulate self-/non-self- discrimination, are key elements of cellular communication, cancer, infection and inflammation, and determine protein folding, function and life-times. Moreover, they are integral to the cellular envelope for microorganisms and participate in biofilm formation. These diverse functions of carbohydrates are mediated by carbohydrate-binding proteins, lectins, and the more the knowledge about the biology of these proteins is advancing, the more interfering with carbohydrate recognition becomes a viable option for the development of novel therapeutics. In this respect, small molecules mimicking this recognition process become more and more available either as tools for fostering our basic understanding of glycobiology or as therapeutics. In this review, we outline the general design principles of glycomimetic inhibitors (Section 2). This section is then followed by highlighting three approaches to interfere with lectin function, i.e. with carbohydrate-derived glycomimetics (Section 3.1), novel glycomimetic scaffolds (Section 3.2) and allosteric modulators (Section 3.3). We summarize recent advances in design and application of glycomimetics for various classes of lectins of mammalian, viral and bacterial origin. Besides highlighting design principles in general, we showcase defined cases in which glycomimetics have been advanced to clinical trials or marketed. Additionally, emerging applications of glycomimetics for targeted protein degradation and targeted delivery purposes are reviewed in Section 4.

Sevoflurane suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma cell progression via circ_0001649/miR-19a-3p/SGTB axis

BACKGROUND

Sevoflurane is a widely used anesthetic agent and is reported to play an anti-tumor action in many cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unclear.

METHODS

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were treated with sevoflurane for 12 or 24 h. HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry assay, respectively. The protein levels were determined by western blot. The expression of circular RNA (circ)_0001649, microRNA (miR)-19a-3p, and small glutamine rich tetratricopeptide repeat containing Beta (SGTB) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between miR-19a-3p and circ_0001649 or SGTB was predicted by Starbase and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays.

RESULTS

Sevoflurane inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but promoted apoptosis. Sevoflurane could affect the expression of circ_0001649 and knockdown of circ_0001649 reversed the effects of sevoflurane on HCC cell progression. Subsequently, miR-19a-3p was identified as a target of circ_0001649 and directly targeted SGTB. In addition, circ_0001649 suppressed the development of sevoflurane-induced HCC cells through miR-19a-3p/SGTB axis.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that sevoflurane inhibited HCC cell development via circ_0001649/miR-19a-3p/SGTB axis.

Polydopamine-Coated Radiolabeled Microspheres for Combinatorial Radioembolization and Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is a local radionuclide therapy and is successfully used in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. Radioactive microspheres have been widely studied for TARE. Preparation of ideal radioactive microspheres is significant for clinical research and patient treatment. In this study, we have designed a novel multifunctional microsphere, i.e., polydopamine (PDA)-coated ¹⁷⁷Lu-radiolabeled silica microspheres (MS) denoted as ¹⁷⁷Lu-MS@PDA, which can be used for TARE and photothermal therapy (PTT). The radiostability of ¹⁷⁷Lu-MS@PDA was significantly improved by coating ¹⁷⁷Lu-MS with PDA. In addition, the coating of PDA makes microspheres have excellent photothermal performance. MicroSPECT/CT images showed that ¹⁷⁷Lu-MS@PDA was accurately embolized and remained in the tumor during the observation time. At the time, it also showed that ¹⁷⁷Lu-MS@PDA was very stable in vivo. Furthermore, the anti-tumor results demonstrated that TARE combined with PTT of ¹⁷⁷Lu-MS@PDA can significantly inhibit tumor growth without obvious side effects. ¹⁷⁷Lu-MS@PDA holds great potential as a promising radioactive microsphere for HCC.

Aberrant DNA Methylation Patterns of Deleted in Liver Cancer 1 Isoforms in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common primary liver cancer, is the third leading cause of death worldwide. DNA methylation changes are common in HCC and have been studied to be associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. In our study, we used the MassARRAY^® EpiTYPER technology to investigate the methylation differences of deleted in liver cancer 1 (DLC1) (isoform 1 and 3) promoter between HCC tissues and corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues and the association between methylation levels and clinicopathological features. In addition, the modified CRISPR-Cas9 system and the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (DNMTi) were utilized to explore the functional correlation of epigenetic modifications and DLC1 gene regulation. The methylation levels of the DLC1 isoforms in HCC samples were found significantly lower than those in the adjacent noncancerous tissues (all p < 0.0001). Also, we found that the expression of DLC1 could be bidirectionally regulated by the modified CRISPR-Cas9 system and the DNMTi. Moreover, the hypomethylation of DLC1 in HCC samples was connected with the presence of satellite lesions (p = 0.0305) and incomplete tumor capsule (p = 0.0204). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the methylation levels of DLC1 could be applied to discriminate HCC patients (area under the curve = 0.728, p < 0.0001). The hypomethylation status was a key regulatory mechanism of DLC1 expression and might serve as a potential biomarker for HCC.

Characterization of the intestinal fungal microbiome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Gut mycobiota plays a crucial role in benign liver diseases; however, its correlation with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate fungal differences in patients with HCC-associated cirrhosis compared to cirrhotic patients without HCC and healthy controls.

METHODS

The 72 fecal samples from 34 HCC patients, 20 cirrhotic patients, and 18 healthy controls were collected and analyzed using ITS2 rDNA sequencing.

RESULTS

Our results revealed the presence of intestinal fungal dysbiosis with significant enrichment of opportunistic pathogenic fungi such as Malassezia, Malassezia sp., Candida, and C. albicans in HCC patients compared with healthy controls and cirrhosis patients. Alpha-diversity analysis demonstrated that patients with HCC and cirrhosis showed decreased fungal diversity compared to healthy controls. Beta diversity analysis indicated that the three groups exhibited significant segregated clustering. Besides, C. albicans was found to be significantly more abundant in the HCC patients with TNM stage III-IV than those with stage I-II, in contrast to the commensal organism S. cerevisiae. We also confirmed that the HCC patients were successfully classified with an area under the curve value of 0.906 based on the fecal fungal signature. Finally, our animal experiments confirm that aberrant colonization of the intestine by C. albicans and M. furfur can promote the development of HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that dysbiosis of the gut mycobiome might be involved in HCC development.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR, ChiCTR2100054537. Registered 19 December 2021, http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=144550&htm=4.

Clinical care in hepatocellular carcinoma: A mixed methods assessment of experiences and challenges of oncology professionals

INTRODUCTION

Healthcare providers (HCPs) may face numerous dilemmas in optimally screening, diagnosing, and treating patients with, and/or at risk for, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to achieve a greater understanding of the challenges in HCC care which in turn could delineate HCP educational opportunities within this oncologic sub-specialty.

METHODS

A mixed-methods approach was used to identify practice gaps and clinical barriers experienced by US-based medical oncologists, hepatologists, oncology physician assistants, oncology nurse practitioners, and interventional radiologists involved in HCC care. The qualitative (semi-structured interview) and quantitative (survey) data collection approaches were deployed sequentially with findings subsequently triangulated.

RESULTS

A total of 214 HCPs participated in this study. Analysis revealed challenges related to screening and diagnosing HCC, specifically in applying appropriate screening guidelines, and the optimal use and decisions related to diagnostic imaging and biopsy. Issues related to treatment selection included the application of existing HCC guidelines in treatment decision-making, weighing risk/benefit ratios of various antineoplastics regimens (i.e., tyrosine kinase inhibitors-TKIs, immunotherapy agents, chemotherapy), sequencing therapies, potential toxicity management, and optimally educating patients about their HCC.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the educational needs of those involved in HCC care and provide a starting point for clinicians to both reflect on their practice and identify opportunities to enhance communication within the HCC team and between provider and patient. There is an opportunity to optimize continuing professional development interventions that address the identified gaps in clinical practice specifically related to teamwork and interdisciplinary communication.

Zymolytic grain extract facilitates the conversion of liver tumor cells to hepatocyte-like cells through hepatocyte nuclear factors

At present, malignant tumors are an urgent global threat to human health. Conversion of cancer cells to normal-like or normal cells will open new therapeutic avenues for eradicating cancer. It has been reported that compounds extracted from grains display biological activities, such as antioxidant, antiviral and antitumor activities. In this study, we identified clear changes in a liver tumor cell line (HepG2) after stimulation with zymolytic grain extract (ZGE) supernatants. The expression levels of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1A (HNF1A), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A (HNF4A) and forkhead box protein A3 (FOXA3) were significantly increased. Eukaryotic transcriptome analyses revealed that trends in the transcriptional changes for genes were similar in HepG2 cells stimulated with ZGE (zHeps) and the normal hepatocyte cell line L02. Changes in the expression levels of genes involved in drug transport, metabolism and the malignant characteristics of cancer cells in nude mice further indicated that ZGE regulated the expression of HNF1A, HNF4A and FOXA3, which altered the expression of a series of hepatocyte-specific genes. It was also confirmed that zHeps acquired some of the characteristics of hepatocyte-like cells. Our results not only provide new ideas for the treatment of liver tumors but also lay a solid foundation for the application of combination therapy.

Novel EGFR‐MAPK kinase and ABC transporter inhibitors for HepG2 resistant to Erlotinib

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the world, with outlook for most patients having a 5-year survivability of less than 5%. In a previous study from our laboratory, novel estrone inspired analogs act as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors in HepG2 cells. This study focuses on the effect of these analogs on an HCC cell line resistance to Erlotinib. Lead compounds MMA132 and MMA102 showed 13 and 20 µM IC₅₀ values, respectively against HepG2-R resistant to Erlotinib. These compounds showed cell cycle arrest of the G2 phase up to 54%, and inhibited cell migration of HepG2-R cells up to 48 h. Western blot analysis revealed that MMA132 reduced total EGFR content after 48 h, while MMA102 inhibited MEK kinase by 84% after 48 h. Western blot analysis also revealed that multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2) is overexpressed in HepG2-R, suggesting that ABC transporters play a likely cause in drug resistance. MMA102 showed significant inhibition of both P-glycoprotein (83%) and ABCG2 (53%), two additional ABC transporters. Additionally, MMA102 and MMA132 were used in a combination therapy with MK571(MRP1/2 inhibitor) and produced IC₅₀ values of 18 and 10 µM, respectively, better than either MMA102/132 or MK571 alone. To validate our findings, we conducted molecular dynamic simulations with MMA102 and MMA132 in MEK, P-glycoprotein, MRP1, and MRP2. Results coincided with biological findings in which MMA102 orientation is favored in both MEK and P-glycoprotein pockets, whereas MMA132 likely binds with MRP2, as likely suggested by the combinatorial study.

Circadian gene CSNK1D promoted the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway via stabilizing Dishevelled Segment Polarity Protein 3

PURPOSE

A variety of studies have connected circadian rhythm to the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to figure out about the circadian genes' profile characteristics, prognostic significance, and targeted values in HCC.

METHODS

The expression profiles and prognostic significance of circadian genes in the cancer genome atlas liver hepatocellular carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) database were investigated using bioinformatics analysis. The expression features of Casein Kinase 1 Delta (CSNK1D), a robust signature gene, was further detected by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in a local HCC cohort. The effect of CSNK1D on corresponding phenotypes of HCC cells was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), flowcytometry, clone assay, Transwell assay, and xenograft assay. In addition, the underlying mechanisms of CSNK1D in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling were validated by multiple molecular experiments.

RESULTS

Abnormal expression of the Circadian genome was associated with the malignant clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients. A 10 circadian gene-based signature with substantial prognostic significance was developed using Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis. Of them, CSNK1D, significantly elevated in a local HCC cohort, was chosen for further investigation. Silencing or overexpression of CSNK1D significantly reduced or increased proliferation, invasion, sorafenib resistance, xenograft development, and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of HCC cells, respectively. Mechanically, CSNK1D exacerbated the aggressiveness of HCC cells by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling through interacting with Dishevelled Segment Polarity Protein 3 (DVL3).

CONCLUSIONS

The Circadian gene CSNK1D was found to contribute to HCC progression by boosting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, hinting that it could be a prospective therapeutic target for HCC.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization Combined with Anti-vascular Agent Combretastatin A4 Phosphate Inhibits Growth and Vascularization of Liver Tumor in an Animal Model

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P) on proliferation, migration, and capillary tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization combined with CA4P in the treatment of rabbit VX2 liver tumor.

METHODS

The effects of different concentrations of CA4P on proliferation, migration and capillary tube formation of HUVECs were investigated by cell proliferation assay, wound healing assay and capillary tube formation assay, respectively. Thirty-two rabbits implanted with liver VX2 tumors were randomly divided into 4 groups. After catheterization of the left hepatic artery, the infusion was performed using normal saline (group A), CA4P aqueous solution (group B), lipiodol and polyvinyl alcohol particles (group C), and CA4P lipiodol emulsion and polyvinyl alcohol particles (group D), respectively. Half of the animals in each group were euthanized for immunohistochemical analysis to evaluate microvessel density (MVD) at 3 days post-treatment. The other half were examined by MRI and histology to evaluate tumor growth and necrosis at 7 days post-treatment.

RESULTS

CA4P could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of HUVECs in cell experiments. After interventional treatment, the level of MVD in group D was lower than that in group C (P<0.01). The tumor volume in group C or D was lower than that in group A or B (P<0.01). The tumor necrosis rate was higher in group D than in the other groups.

CONCLUSION

The study suggests that CA4P could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and capillary tube formation of HUVECs, and transcatheter arterial embolization combined with CA4P could inhibit the growth of VX2 tumor and obviously induce tumor necrosis.

Integrated analysis revealing the role of TET3-mediated MUC13 promoter hypomethylation in hepatocellular carcinogenesis

Aim: To explore the function and underlying mechanism of MUC13 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) oncogenesis. Materials & Methods: Online databases and software were used to perform analyses of expression, methylation and enrichment pathway. Experiments were performed to confirm the results using HCC cells in vitro. Results: MUC13 was upregulated in HCC and liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) and had a positive influence on CSC generation. Further analyses revealed that MUC13 with promoter hypomethylated was regulated by DNA demethylase TET3, which was overexpressed in HCC and liver CSCs. Conclusion: These results strongly suggested that high TET3 expression in liver CSCs may mediate MUC13 upregulation via promoter hypomethylation and thereby contribute to hepatocellular carcinogenesis.

Nanocarrier-based delivery of arsenic trioxide for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a severe threat to human health and economic development. Despite many attempts at HCC treatment, most are inevitably affected by the genetic instability and variability of tumor cells. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has shown to be effective in HCC. However, time-consuming challenges, especially the optimal concentration in tumor tissue and bioavailability of ATO, remain to be overcome for its transition from the bench to the bedside. To bypass these issues, nanotechnology-based delivery systems have been developed for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment in recent years. This article is a systematic overview of the latest contributions and detailed insights into ATO-loaded nanocarriers, with particular attention paid to strategies for improving the efficacy of nanocarriers of ATO.

Involvement of adaptor protein, phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper 1 in diallyl trisulfide-induced cytotoxicity in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

It has been demonstrated that APPL1 (adaptor protein, phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper 1) is involved in the regulation of several growth-related signaling pathways and thus closely associated with the development and progression of some cancers. Diallyl trisulfide (DAT), a garlic-derived bioactive compound, exerts selective cytotoxicity to various human cancer cells through interfering with pro-survival signaling pathways. However, whether and how DAT affects survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells remain unclear. Herein, we tested the hypothesis of the involvement of APPL1 in DAT-induced cytotoxicity in HCC HepG2 cells. We found that Lys 63 (K63)-linked polyubiquitination of APPL1 was significantly decreased whereas phosphorylation of APPL1 at serine residues remained unchanged in DAT-treated HepG2 cells. Compared with wild-type APPL1, overexpression of APPL1 K63R mutant dramatically increased cell apoptosis and mitigated cell survival, along with a reduction of phosphorylation of STAT3, Akt, and Erk1/2. In addition, DAT administration markedly reduced protein levels of intracellular TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6). Genetic inhibition of TRAF6 decreased K63-linked polyubiquitination of APPL1. Moreover, the cytotoxicity impacts of DAT on HepG2 cells were greatly attenuated by overexpression of wild-type APPL1. Taken together, these results suggest that APPL1 polyubiquitination probably mediates the inhibitory effects of DAT on survival of HepG2 cells by modulating STAT3, Akt, and Erk1/2 pathways.

Machine learning algorithm and deep neural networks identified a novel subtype in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. Due to the lack of specific characteristics in the early stage of the disease, patients are usually diagnosed in the advanced stage of disease progression. OBJECTIVE: This study used machine learning algorithms to identify key genes in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and constructed a prediction model to predict the survival risk of HCC patients. METHODS: The transcriptome data and clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The differential expression analysis and COX proportional-hazards model participated in the identification of survival-related genes. K-Means, Random forests, and LASSO regression are involved in identifying novel subtypes of HCC and screening key genes. The prediction model was constructed by deep neural networks (DNN), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) reveals the metabolic pathways where key genes are located. RESULTS: Two subtypes were identified with significantly different survival rates (p< 0.0001, AUC = 0.720) and 17 key genes associated with the subtypes. The accuracy rate of the deep neural network prediction model is greater than 93.3%. The GSEA analysis found that the survival-related genes were significantly enriched in hallmark gene sets in the MSigDB database. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we used machine learning algorithms to screen out 17 genes related to the survival risk of HCC patients, and trained a DNN model based on them to predict the survival risk of HCC patients. The genes that make up the model are all key genes that affect the formation and development of cancer.

Circ_0061395 functions as an oncogenic gene in hepatocellular carcinoma by acting as a miR-1182 sponge

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in liver cancer, with a high rate of metastasis and recurrence. Circular RNA_0061395 (circ_0061395) has been shown to be involved in the advance of HCC. However, the interaction between circ_0061395 and microRNA (miRNA) in HCC has not been studied. Quantitative real-time polymerase-chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of related genes in liver cancer tissues and cells. The stability of circ_0061395 was verified by RNase R digestion. Through detection of cell malignant behavior and apoptosis, the capping experiment was carried out to verify the regulatory relationship between miR-1182 and circ_0061395 or SPARC/osteonectin, CWCV and Kazal-like domains proteoglycan 1 (SPOCK1). The expression of related proteins was detected by western blot. The interaction of miR-1182 with circ_0061395 or SPOCK1 has been notarized by Dual-luciferase reporter analysis and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Xenotransplantation experiments using BALB/C nude mice were used to confirm the function of circ_0061395 in vivo. Circ_0061395 and SPOCK1 were significantly expressed in liver cancer tissues and cells. Silencing circ_0061395 reduced the proliferation, migration, invasion, tube formation and tumor spheroid formation rate of Huh-7 and SNU-387 cells. MiR-1182 was a target of circ_0061395. Silencing circ_0061395 inhibited the malignant behavior of HCC cells by releasing miR-1182. In addition, SPOCK1 was the target of miR-1182. Overexpression of SPOCK1 partially restored the inhibitory effect of miR-1182 on cell proliferation. Animal experiments confirmed the anti-tumor effect of silence circ_0061395. Circ_0061395 induced the changes of the expression of SPOCK1 by regulating miR-1182, thereby mediating the process of HCC, and at least partially promoting the development of HCC cells, providing a novel targeted therapy for HCC.

Integrated System Pharmacology Approaches to Elucidate Multi-Target Mechanism of Solanum surattense against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant liver tumors with high mortality. Chronic hepatitis B and C viruses, aflatoxins, and alcohol are among the most common causes of hepatocellular carcinoma. The limited reported data and multiple spectra of pathophysiological mechanisms of HCC make it a challenging task and a serious economic burden in health care management. Solanum surattense (S. surattense) is the herbal plant used in many regions of Asia to treat many disorders including various types of cancer. Previous in vitro studies revealed the medicinal importance of S. surattense against hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the exact molecular mechanism of S. surattense against HCC still remains unclear. In vitro and in silico experiments were performed to find the molecular mechanism of S. surattense against HCC. In this study, the network pharmacology approach was used, through which multi-targeted mechanisms of S. surattense were explored against HCC. Active ingredients and potential targets of S. surattense found in HCC were figured out. Furthermore, the molecular docking technique was employed for the validation of the successful activity of bioactive constituents against potential genes of HCC. The present study investigated the active “constituent–target–pathway” networks and determined the tumor necrosis factor (TNF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Bcl-2-like protein 1(BCL2L1), estrogen receptor (ER), GTPase HRas, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1-α), Harvey Rat sarcoma virus, also known as transforming protein p21 (HRAS), and AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 1 (AKT1), and found that the genes were influenced by active ingredients of S. surattense. In vitro analysis was also performed to check the anti-cancerous activity of S. surattense on human liver cells. The result showed that S. surattense appeared to act on HCC via modulating different molecular functions, many biological processes, and potential targets implicated in 11 different pathways. Furthermore, molecular docking was employed to validate the successful activity of the active compounds against potential targets. The results showed that quercetin was successfully docked to inhibit the potential targets of HCC. This study indicates that active constituents of S. surattense and their therapeutic targets are responsible for their pharmacological activities and possible molecular mechanisms for treating HCC. Lastly, it is concluded that active compounds of S. surattense act on potential genes along with their influencing pathways to give a network analysis in system pharmacology, which has a vital role in the development and utilization of drugs. The current study lays a framework for further experimental research and widens the clinical usage of S. surattense.

Potentially functional variants of MAP3K14 in the NF-κB signaling pathway genes predict survival of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Background

The NF-κB signaling pathway plays an important role in associating inflammation with tumor development and progression. However, few studies have reported that roles of genetic variants of the NF-κB signaling pathway genes in survival of patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC), especially with regards to potentially functional SNPs.

Methods

We used multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate associations between 2,060 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 NF-κB signaling pathway genes and survival of 866 HBV-HCC patients, which were randomly split (1:1) into discovery and validation datasets. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis was conducted to identify associations between survival-associated SNPs and mRNA expression of corresponding genes. Furthermore, online database was used to assess mRNA expression of corresponding genes and survival. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the prediction accuracy of models integrating both clinical and genetic variables on HCC survival.

Results

A total of 6 SNPs in MAP3K14 remained significantly associated with OS of HBV-HCC patients (P<0.05, BFDP<0.8). Further eQTL analysis demonstrated that significant correlations between the rs2074292 (G>A) A allele was associated with higher mRNA expression levels of MAP3K14 (P=0.044) in normal liver tissue, which was associated with worse survival of HBV-HCC patients. In the additive model, after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, drinking status, AFP level, cirrhosis, embolus and BCLC stage, the combined dataset showed that HBV-HCC patients carrying the rs2074292 AA and GA genotypes (HR=1.71, 95%CI= 1.29-2.27, P=0.000) (HR=1.40, 95%CI=1.10-1.77, P=0.005) have worse OS than GG genotype, respectively. The addition of risk genotypes to the prediction models increased the AUC significantly from 71.15% to 73.11% (P=0.012) and from 72.55% to 74.21% (P=0.010) for 1-year and 3-year OS, respectively.

Conclusion

Our study indicated that MAP3K14 rs2074292 A allele may be a potential predictor of HBV-HCC survival, likely regulating MAP3K14 mRNA expression.

pH-activated nanoplatform for visualized photodynamic and ferroptosis synergistic therapy of tumors

To overcome drug resistance and improve precision theranostics for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a nanoplatform with an "off/on" function for multimodality imaging (near-infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and photoacoustic imaging) and synergistic therapy (photodynamic therapy and ferroptosis) activated by an acidic pH in the tumor microenvironment is proposed. Although many photosensitizers with photodynamic effects have been reported, very few of them have outstanding photodynamic effect and high stability with response to endogenous stimuli capable of NIR-II imaging. Herein, a new amphiphilic photosensitizer SR780 derived from croconaine dye, was developed with satisfactory photodynamic effects and pH-responsive NIR-II imaging. Interestingly, it was deactivated by coordination with Fe³⁺ (SR780@Fe) and activated during their release under mild acidic condition. Ferroptosis can generate hydroxyl free radical and lipid peroxide, which aggravate the oxidative stress of tumor cells and mediate their death while depleting glutathione (GSH) to enhance photodynamic effect. In situ pH-activatable theranostic nanoplatform, SR780@Fe-PAE-GP, was thus developed by loading SR780@Fe with pH-responsive polymers, modified by a glypican-3 (GPC-3) receptor-targeting peptide. The synergistic antitumor effects were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo, and the tumor inhibition rate of the SR780@Fe-PAE-GP + L treatment group reached 98%.

Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a primary malignancy of the liver, is a threat to the health of all humans as a prevalent malignancy and is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. It is difficult to diagnose because symptoms do not show up until late in the disease, and patients often progress to the point where transplantation, resection, or even local treatment cannot be performed. The progression of HCC is regulated by the immune system, and immunotherapy enables the body's immune system's defenses to target liver cancer cells; therefore, immunotherapy has brought a new hope for the treatment of HCC. Currently, the main types of immunotherapies for liver cancer are: immune checkpoint inhibitors, liver cancer vaccines and cellular therapies. In this review, the progress of immunotherapy for the treatment of HCC is summarized.

Investigations of nitazoxanide molecular targets and pathways for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma using network pharmacology and molecular docking

Nitazoxanide has been investigated for colorectal cancer and breast cancer. However, its molecular targets and pathways have not yet been explored for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. Utilizing a network pharmacology approach, nitazoxanide’s potential targets and molecular pathways for HCC treatment were investigated. HCC targets were extracted from the GeneCards database. Potential targets of nitazoxanide were predicted using Swiss Target Prediction and Super Pred. Intersecting targets were analyzed with VENNY online tool. Using Cytoscape, a protein-protein interaction (PPI), cluster, and core targets-pathways networks were constructed. Using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), gene ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted. The nitazoxanide was molecularly docked with anti-HCC core targets by employing Auto Dock Vina. A total of 168 potential targets of nitazoxanide, 13,415 HCC-related targets, and 153 intersecting targets were identified. The top eight anti-HCC core targets were identified: SRC, EGFR, CASP3, MMP9, mTOR, HIF1A, ERBB2, and PPARG. GO enrichment analysis showed that nitazoxanide might have anti-HCC effects by affecting gene targets involved in multiple biological processes (BP) (protein phosphorylation, transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase (RTKs) signaling pathway, positive regulation of MAP kinase activity, etc.). KEGG pathways and core targets-pathways network analysis indicated that pathways in cancer and proteoglycans in cancer are two key pathways that significantly contribute to the anti-HCC effects of nitazoxanide. Results of molecular docking demonstrated the potential for active interaction between the top eight anti-HCC core targets and nitazoxanide. Our research offers a theoretical basis for the notion that nitazoxanide may have distinct therapeutic effects in HCC, and the identified pharmacological targets and pathways might function as biomarkers for HCC therapy.

Computational Metabolomics Reveals the Potential Mechanism of Matrine Mediated Metabolic Network Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex issue in cancer treatment in the world at present. Matrine is the main active ingredient isolated from Sophora flavescens air and possesses excellent antitumor effects in HCC. However, the specific underlying mechanisms, especially the possible relationships between the anti-HCC effect of matrine and the related metabolic network of HCC, are not yet clear and need further clarification. In this study, an integrative metabolomic-based bioinformatics algorithm was designed to explore the underlying mechanism of matrine on HCC by regulating the metabolic network. Cell clone formation, invasion, and adhesion assay were utilized in HCC cells to evaluate the anti-HCC effect of matrine. A cell metabolomics approach based on LC-MS was used to obtain the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways regulated by matrine. The maximum activity contribution score model was developed and applied to calculate high contribution target genes of matrine, which could regulate a metabolic network based on the coexpression matrix of matrine-regulated metabolic genes and targets. Matrine significantly repressed the clone formation and invasion, enhanced cell–cell adhesion, and hampered cell matrix adhesion in SMMC-7721 cells. Metabolomics results suggested that matrine markedly regulated the abnormal metabolic network of HCC by regulating the level of choline, creatine, valine, spermidine, 4-oxoproline, D-(+)-maltose, L-(−)-methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-pyroglutamic acid, and pyridoxine, which are involved in D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, etc. Our proposed metabolomic-based bioinformatics algorithm showed that the regulating metabolic networks of matrine exhibit anti-HCC effects through acting on MMP7, ABCC1, PTGS1, etc. At last, MMP7 and its related target β-catenin were validated. Together, the metabolomic-based bioinformatics algorithm reveals the effects of the regulating metabolic networks of matrine in treating HCC relying on the unique characteristics of the multitargets and multipathways of traditional Chinese medicine.

Rapid Determination of 9 Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Human Plasma by QuEChERS-UPLC-MS/MS

A reliable and rapid method employing QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) pretreatment coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) was successfully developed and validated for the analysis of nine tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in human plasma. Biological samples were extracted with acetonitrile and salted out with 350 mg of anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄), followed by purification with 40 mg of ethyl enediamine-N-propylsilane (PSA) adsorbents. All analytes and internal standards (IS) were separated on the Hypersil GOLD VANQUISH C18 (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.9 μM) column using the mobile phases composed of acetonitrile (phase A) and 0.1% formic acid in water (phase B) for 8.0 min. Detection was performed by selection reaction monitoring (SRM) in the positive ion electrospray mode. Lenvatinib, sorafenib, cabozantinib, apatinib, gefitinib, regorafenib, and anlotinib rendered good linearity over the range of 0.1–10 ng/ml, and 1–100 ng/ml for tivantinib and galunisertib. All linear correlation coefficients for all standard curves were ≥ 0.9966. The limits of detection (LOD) and the limits of quantitation (LOQ) ranged from 0.003 to 0.11 ng/ml and 0.01–0.37 ng/ml, respectively. The method was deemed satisfactory with an accuracy of -7.34–6.64%, selectivity, matrix effect (ME) of 90.48–107.77%, recovery, and stability. The proposed method is simple, efficient, reliable, and applicable for the detection of TKIs in human plasma samples as well as for providing a reference for the clinical adjustment of drug administration regimen by monitoring the drug concentrations in the plasma of patients.

The combination of PD-1 blockade with interferon-α has a synergistic effect on hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) or its ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited, and it is recommended that they be combined with other therapies. We evaluated the combination of pegylated interferon-α (Peg-IFNα) with PD-1 blockade in HCC mouse models.

METHODS

We analyzed the effects of Peg-IFNα on tumor-infiltrating immune cells and PD-1 expression in the HCC immune microenvironment and examined the underlying mechanism of its unique effect on the PD-1 pathway. The in vivo efficacy of anti-PD-1 and Peg-IFNα was evaluated in both subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse models of HCC.

RESULTS

The combination of Peg-IFNα with PD-1 blockade dramatically enhanced T-cell infiltration, improved the efficacy of PD-1 antibody and prolonged mouse survival compared with PD-1 antibody monotherapy. Mechanistically, Peg-IFNα could recruit cytotoxic CD8⁺ T cells to infiltrate the HCC microenvironment by inducing tumor cells to secrete the chemokine CCL4. Nevertheless, the HCC microenvironment quickly overcame the immune responses by upregulating PD-1 expression in CD8⁺ T cells via the IFNα-IFNAR1-JAK1-STAT3 signaling pathway. The combination of PD-1 blockade with Peg-IFNα could restore the cytotoxic capacity of CD8⁺ T cells and exerted a significant synergistic effect on HCC.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that in addition to initiating the antitumor immune response itself, Peg-IFNα can also generate a microenvironment favoring PD-1 blockade. Thus, the combination of Peg-IFNα and PD-1 blockade can be a promising strategy for HCC.

Natural Products in Preventing Tumor Drug Resistance and Related Signaling Pathways

Drug resistance is still an obstacle in cancer therapy, leading to the failure of tumor treatment. The emergence of tumor drug resistance has always been a main concern of oncologists. Therefore, overcoming tumor drug resistance and looking for new strategies for tumor treatment is a major focus in the field of tumor research. Natural products serve as effective substances against drug resistance because of their diverse chemical structures and pharmacological effects. We reviewed the signaling pathways involved in the development of tumor drug resistance, including Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Renin-angiotensin system (Ras), Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), Wnt, Notch, Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), and their specific signaling pathway inhibitors derived from natural products. This can provide new ideas for the prevention of drug resistance in cancer therapy.

Peptide-Conjugated Aggregation-Induced Emission Fluorogenic Probe for Glypican-3 Protein Detection and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Imaging

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality on a global scale, and the development of accurate detection and imaging methods for HCC cells is urgently needed. Herein, by connecting peptide L5, which can specifically bind to the overexpressed Glypican-3 (GPC-3) protein of HCC cells with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) moiety ammonium cation-functionalized 9,10-distyrylanthracene (NDSA) via the “click” reaction, we synthesized a fluorescent probe NDSA-L5. In an aqueous solution, the probe shows weak emission, whereas, in the presence of the GPC-3 protein, bright fluorescence can be obtained since NDSA-L5 binds to the GPC-3 protein, leading to the restricted intramolecular movement of AIE-active NDSA-L5. The imaging and flow cytometry experiments demonstrate that the NDSA-L5 probe can rapidly accumulate in the subcutaneous HCC cells and liver tumor tissue and shows a potential application in early detection and surgical navigation for HCC cancer.

B4GALT5 high expression associated with poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

B4GALT5 is postulated to be an important protein in sugar metabolism that catalyzes the synthesis of lactosylceramide (LacCer). However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown.

METHOD

We characterized the expression of B4GALT5 in HCC tissue compared to normal tissue, and explored its function of B4GALT5 in HCC by enrichment analysis based on its co-expressed gene set. Next, we checked whether B4GALT5 expression is correlated to immune infiltration level and clinical prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Finally, we verified the expression of B4GALT5 using clinical samples evaluated by RT-PCR, and conducted in vitro experiments with B4GALT5-knockdown HCC cells to investigate the function of B4GALT5 in the HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

RESULTS

We found B4GALT5 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly high in HCC tissue compared to normal tissue. The enrichment analysis of the gene sets that co-expressed with B4GALT5 showed specificity in HCC-related pathways and functions. Also, the expression pattern of B4GALT5 was significantly related to the immune infiltration level, especially CD4+ T cell and macrophage cells. B4GALT5 higher mRNA expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS) in HCC patients. Furthermore, In vitro experiments showed that depletion of B4GALT5 significantly inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. This study revealed the function and its mediated pathways of B4GALT5 in HCC, indicating that B4GALT5 may serve as a prognostic biomarker of HCC.

Prophylactic Use of Antibiotics for Postsurgical Infection in c-TACE and DEB-TACE High-Risk Patients: A Case-Control Study

Objectives

According to recent reports, prophylactic use of antibiotics is not always required in conventional transarterial chemoembolization (c-TACE). However, clinical evidence of prophylactic antibiotics in drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) to prevent postsurgical infection is limited. This study is aimed to evaluate the correlation between the preoperative prophylactic application of antibiotics and postoperative infection in c-TACE or DEB-TACE, especially in a population with a high risk for postsurgical infection.

Methods

In this retrospective study, TACE patients diagnosed with hepatic carcinoma (between January 2019 and May 2021) were examined. The case group was given 1.5 g cefuroxime sodium 0.5-1 hour before TACE, while there was no intervention in the control group. The outcomes analyzed were leukocyte count >9.5 × 109/L on the second day after the operation and the diagnosis of infection within one month after the operation. We applied univariate, multivariate logistic regression, trend analysis, and subgroup analysis to find potential risk factors and the necessity of prophylactic antibiotics.

Results

Among 142 eligible cases, 72 received antibiotics while 70 were kept as control, 113 cases were treated with c-TACE, and 29 were treated with DEB-TACE. Multivariate analysis showed that the increase in white blood cell count after the operation was related to diabetes (OR 5.112, 95% CI 1.229-21.264, p = 0.025). The occurrence of postoperative infection was negatively correlated with preoperative albumin value (＜25 g/L) (OR 153.118, 95% CI 1.631-14372.331, p = 0.030). Trend analysis showed that the risk of postoperative infection increased with a decrease in serum albumin level (P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that there were no significant differences in the incidence of increased leukocyte count and postoperative infection between the prophylactic and nonprophylactic treatment groups, in the case of diabetes, preoperative albumin levels, and operation mode (P > 0.1).

Conclusions

Prophylactic antibiotic treatment before the c-TACE or DEB-TACE had no significant correlation with postoperative leukocyte increase and postoperative infection. Diabetes history and serum albumin levels were the prominent risk factors associated with an increase in postoperative leukocyte count and postoperative infection. Future large-scale studies and randomized-controlled trials are required to confirm and validate this association.

Construction and Validation of a Necroptosis-Related Signature Associated With the Immune Microenvironment in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is a widespread and often deadly neoplasm. There is increasing evidence that necroptosis mediates numerous tumor-associated behaviors, as well as the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, suggesting its use as a biomarker for tumor prognosis.

Methods: Data on mRNA expression and necroptosis regulators were acquired from the TCGA and KEGG databases, respectively. Clinical liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) patient data and information on the expression of necroptosis regulators were processed by unsupervised cluster analysis was performed on LIHC patients together with necroptotic regulator expression and, differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes (DENRGs) were identified by comparing the two clusters. A signature based on eight DENRGs was constructed and verified through independent data sets, and its relationship with the tumor microenvironment was investigated.

Results: Unsupervised cluster analysis demonstrated inherent immune differences among LIHC patients. In all, 1,516 DENRGs were obtained by comparison between the two clusters. In the training set, the final eight genes obtained by univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression were utilized for constructing the signature. The survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve achieved satisfactory results in both sets. The high-risk group was characterized by greater immune infiltration and poor prognosis. The results of survival analysis based on the expression of eight DENRGs further confirmed the signature.

Conclusion: We established and validated a risk signature based on eight DERNGs related to the tumor microenvironment. This provides a possible explanation for the different clinical effects of immunotherapy and provides a novel perspective for predicting tumor prognosis in LIHC.

Comprehensive Analysis of HHLA2 as a Prognostic Biomarker and Its Association With Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Inhibitory immune checkpoint proteins promote tumor immune escape and are associated with inferior patient outcome. However, the biological functions and regulatory roles of one of its members, HHLA2, in the tumor immune microenvironment have not been explored.

Methods

RandomForest analyses (371 cases), qRT-PCR (15 cases), and immunohistochemical staining (189 cases) were used to validate the prognostic value of HHLA2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Bioinformatic analyses were further performed to explore the biological functions and potential signaling pathways affected by HHLA2. Moreover, ESTIMATE, single sample gene set enrichment analysis, CIBERSORT, TIMER, and other deconvolution methods were used to analyze the composition and infiltration level of immune cells. Multiplex immunofluorescence assays were employed to validate the fractions of suppressive immune cells, and HHLA2-related molecular alterations were investigated. Finally, the clinical response to chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade was predicted by TIDE, Submap, and several other in silico analyses.

Results

RandomForest analysis revealed that HHLA2 was the most important inhibitory immune checkpoint associated with HCC patient prognosis (relative importance = 1). Our HCC cohorts further revealed that high HHLA2 expression was an independent prognostic biomarker of shorter overall survival (P<0.01) and time to recurrence (P<0.001) for HCC patients. Bioinformatics experiments revealed that HHLA2 may accelerate the cell cycle of cancer cells. Additionally, we found that high expression of HHLA2 was associated with immune infiltrates, including some immunosuppressive cells, cytokines, chemokines, and corresponding receptors, resulting in an immunosuppressive environment. Notably, HHLA2 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration of exhausted CD8+ T cells, which was validated by immunofluorescence. Genomic alteration analyses revealed that promoter hypermethylation of HHLA2 may be associated with its low expression. More importantly, patients with high HHLA2 expression may be more sensitive to chemotherapy and have better responses to immunotherapy.

Conclusions

High expression of HHLA2 is an independent prognostic biomarker for HCC patients. It can activate the cell cycle and foster an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by enriching exhausted CD8+ T cells. Promoter hypermethylation might lead to low expression of HHLA2 in HCC. Thus, targeting HHLA2 may be a practical therapeutic strategy for HCC patients in the future.

Long Non-Coding RNA CASC7 Promotes Proliferation and Inhibits Apoptosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Downregulating miR-340-5p CASC7/miR-340-5p Axis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor worldwide with a poor prognosis. Amounting studies revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) show important roles in various biological processes. The purpose of this study was to explore the biological function and potential molecular mechanism of CASC7 in HCC. Methods: CASC7 expression in HCC cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR. The expressions of CASC7 and miR-340-5p were changed by transfection of miR-340-5p mimic, the CASC7 overexpression and knockdown plasmids. The interaction between CASC7 and miR-340-5p was assessed by a Dual-Luciferase reporter assay. The biological functions of CASC7 were evaluated by CCK-8, colony formation assay, ROS assay kit, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry (FCM). Results: CASC7 was upregulated in HCC cell lines. CASC7 overexpression significantly promoted cell proliferation, as well as inhibited apoptosis and oxidative stress. In contrast, CASC7 knockdown could reverse these above changes. The result of the Dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that CASC7 directly targeted miR-340-5p and negatively regulated its expression. In addition, CASC7 promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of HCC cells through activating Nrf2 pathway by downregulating miR-340-5p. Conclusions: In summary, CASC7 promotes HCC tumorigenesis and progression through the Nrf2 pathway by targeting miR-340-5p, which may provide a new target for therapy of HCC.

Drug delivery strategy in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

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

Lipid based nanoparticles as a novel treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma: a comprehensive review on targeting and recent advances

Liver cancer is considered one of the deadliest diseases with one of the highest disease burdens worldwide. Among the different types of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma is considered to be the most common type. Multiple conventional approaches are being used in treating hepatocellular carcinoma. Focusing on drug treatment, regular agents in conventional forms fail to achieve the intended clinical outcomes. In order to improve the treatment outcomes, utilizing nanoparticles-specifically lipid based nanoparticles-are considered to be one of the most promising approaches being set in motion. Multiple forms of lipid based nanoparticles exist including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, microemulsion, nanoemulsion, phytosomes, lipid coated nanoparticles, and nanoassemblies. Multiple approaches are used to enhance the tumor uptake as well tumor specificity such as intratumoral injection, passive targeting, active targeting, and stimuli responsive nanoparticles. In this review, the effect of utilizing lipidic nanoparticles is being discussed as well as the different tumor uptake enhancement techniques used.

THRSP identified as a potential hepatocellular carcinoma marker by integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignant liver tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis worldwide. This study aimed to identify hub genes and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms in HCC progression by integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), 12 critical differential co-expression genes were identified between tumor and normal tissues. Via survival analysis, we found higher expression of LCAT, ACSM3, IGF1, SRD5A2, THRSP and ACADS was associated with better prognoses in HCC patients. Among which, THRSP was selected for the next investigations. We found that THRSP mRNA expression was negatively correlated with its methylation and closely associated with clinical characteristics in HCC patients. Moreover, THRSP expression had a negative correlation with the infiltration levels of several immune cells (e.g., B cells and CD4+ T cells). qRT-PCR verified that THRSP was lower expressed in HCC tissues and cell lines compared with control. Silencing of THRSP promoted the migration, invasion, proliferation, and inhibited cell apoptosis of HCCLM and Huh7 cell lines. Decreased expression of THRSP promoted HCC progression by NF-κB, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. In conclusion, THRSP might serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target of HCC.

The synergistic antitumor effect of IL-6 neutralization with NVP-BEZ235 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still ranks among the top cancers worldwide with high incidence and mortality. Due to abnormal activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway in HCC, targeting this pathway represents a potential therapeutic strategy. NVP-BEZ235 is a novel dual-targeted ATP-competitive PI3K/mTOR inhibitor that has shown effective antitumor effects. In this study, we found that interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly increased after exposure to NVP-BEZ235, and we proposed a treatment in which an anti-IL-6 antibody was combined with NVP-BEZ235 for HCC. In vitro results revealed that targeted inhibition of IL-6 potentiated the antitumor effects of NVP-BEZ235 in HCC cells. The mechanism might be attributed to their synergistic inhibitory activity on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Furthermore, an in vivo study demonstrated that combined administration of NVP-BEZ235 and anti-IL-6 Ab reduced HCC tumour load more effectively than either NVP-BEZ235 or anti-IL-6 Ab treatment alone. These findings add guidance value to the analysis of HCC and provide a reference for clinical treatment.

Hyaluronated and PEGylated Liposomes as a Potential Drug-Delivery Strategy to Specifically Target Liver Cancer and Inflammatory Cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver cancer and is characterized by poor clinical outcomes, with the majority of patients not being eligible for curative therapy and treatments only being applicable for early-stage tumors. CD44 is a receptor for hyaluronic acid (HA) and is involved in HCC progression. The aim of this work is to propose HA- and PEGylated-liposomes as promising approaches for the treatment of HCC. It has been found, in this work, that CD44 transcripts are up-regulated in HCC patients, as well as in a murine model of NAFLD/NASH-related hepatocarcinogenesis. Cell culture experiments indicate that HA-liposomes are more rapidly and significantly internalized by Huh7 cells that over-express CD44, compared with HepG2 cells that express low levels of the receptor, in which the uptake seems due to endocytic events. By contrast, human and murine macrophage cell lines (THP-1, RAW264.7) show improved and rapid uptake of PEG-modified liposomes without the involvement of the CD44. Moreover, the internalization of PEG-modified liposomes seems to induce polarization of THP1 towards the M1 phenotype. In conclusion, data reported in this study indicate that this strategy can be proposed as an alternative for drug delivery and one that dually and specifically targets liver cancer cells and infiltrating tumor macrophages in order to counteract two crucial aspect of HCC progression.

Green tea-derived theabrownin induces cellular senescence and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma through p53 signaling activation and bypassed JNK signaling suppression

Background

Theabrownin (TB) is a bioactive component of tea and has been reported to exert effects against many human cancers, but its efficacy and mechanism on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with different p53 genotypes remains unclarified.

Methods

MTT assay, DAPI staining, flow cytometry and SA-β-gal staining were applied to evaluate the effects of TB on HCC cells. Quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) and Western blot (WB) were conducted to explore the molecular mechanism of TB. A xenograft model of zebrafish was established to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of TB.

Results

MTT assays showed that TB significantly inhibited the proliferation of SK-Hep-1, HepG2, and Huh7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, of which SK-Hep-1 was the most sensitive one with the lowest IC50 values. The animal data showed that TB remarkably suppressed SK-Hep-1 tumor growth in xenograft model of zebrafish. The cellular data showed TB's pro-apoptotic and pro-senescent effect on SK-Hep-1 cells. The molecular results revealed the mechanism of TB that p53 signaling pathway (p-ATM, p-ATR, γ-H2AX, p-Chk2, and p-p53) was activated with up-regulation of downstream senescent genes (P16, P21, IL-6 and IL-8) as well as apoptotic genes (Bim, Bax and PUMA) and proteins (Bax, c-Casp9 and c-PARP). The p53-mediated mechanism was verified by using p53-siRNA. Moreover, by using JNK-siRNA, we found JNK as a bypass regulator in TB's mechanism.

Conclusions

To sum up, TB exerted tumor-inhibitory, pro-senescent and pro-apoptotic effects on SK-Hep-1 cells through ATM-Chk2-p53 signaling axis in accompany with JNK bypass regulation. This is the first report on the pro-senescent effect and multi-target (p53 and JNK) mechanism of TB on HCC cells, providing new insights into the underlying mechanisms of TB's anti-HCC efficacy.