1
|
Shetti D, Mallela VR, Ye W, Sharif M, Ambrozkiewicz F, Trailin A, Liška V, Hemminki K. Emerging role of circulating cell-free RNA as a non-invasive biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 200:104391. [PMID: 38795877 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104391] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a severe neoplastic disease associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. HCC is often detected at advanced stages leading to ineffective curative treatments. Recently, liquid biopsy has emerged as a non-invasive method to identify highly specific HCC biomarkers in bodily fluids such as blood, serum, urine, and saliva. Circulating cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs), particularly cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and cell-free RNA (cfRNA), have become promising candidates for biomarkers in liquid biopsy applications. While cfDNA presented significant challenges, researchers have turned their attention to cfRNA, which can be efficiently identified through various methods and is considered a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This review primarily focuses on studies related to detecting various cfRNA in body fluids as biomarkers. The aim is to provide a summary of available information to assist researchers in their investigations and the development of new diagnostic and prognostic tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dattatrya Shetti
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Venkata Ramana Mallela
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic
| | - Wenjing Ye
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic
| | - Mahyar Sharif
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University,Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Ambrozkiewicz
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic
| | - Andriy Trailin
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Liška
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic; Department of Surgery, University Hospital in Pilsen and Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 80, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic
| | - Kari Hemminki
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, Pilsen 323 00, Czech Republic; Department of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Panettieri E, Campisi A, De Rose AM, Mele C, Giuliante F, Vauthey JN, Ardito F. Emerging Prognostic Markers in Patients Undergoing Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Narrative Review. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2183. [PMID: 38927889 PMCID: PMC11201456 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver resection is potentially curative. Nevertheless, post-operative recurrence is common, occurring in up to 70% of patients. Factors traditionally recognized to predict recurrence and survival after liver resection for HCC include pathologic factors (i.e., microvascular and capsular invasion) and an increase in alpha-fetoprotein level. During the past decade, many new markers have been reported to correlate with prognosis after resection of HCC: liquid biopsy markers, gene signatures, inflammation markers, and other biomarkers, including PIVKA-II, immune checkpoint molecules, and proteins in urinary exosomes. However, not all of these new markers are readily available in clinical practice, and their reproducibility is unclear. Liquid biopsy is a powerful and established tool for predicting long-term outcomes after resection of HCC; the main limitation of liquid biopsy is represented by the cost related to its technical implementation. Numerous patterns of genetic expression capable of predicting survival after curative-intent hepatectomy for HCC have been identified, but published findings regarding these markers are heterogenous. Inflammation markers in the form of prognostic nutritional index and different blood cell ratios seem more easily reproducible and more affordable on a large scale than other emerging markers. To select the most effective treatment for patients with HCC, it is crucial that the scientific community validate new predictive markers for recurrence and survival after resection that are reliable and widely reproducible. More reports from Western countries are necessary to corroborate the evidence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Panettieri
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Andrea Campisi
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.M.D.R.); (C.M.); (F.G.); (F.A.)
| | - Agostino M. De Rose
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.M.D.R.); (C.M.); (F.G.); (F.A.)
| | - Caterina Mele
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.M.D.R.); (C.M.); (F.G.); (F.A.)
| | - Felice Giuliante
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.M.D.R.); (C.M.); (F.G.); (F.A.)
| | - Jean-Nicolas Vauthey
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Francesco Ardito
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (A.M.D.R.); (C.M.); (F.G.); (F.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Huang Q, Zhong X, Li J, Hu R, Yi J, Sun J, Xu Y, Zhou X. Exosomal ncRNAs: Multifunctional contributors to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 173:116409. [PMID: 38460375 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116409] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant liver cancer characterized by aggressive progression, unfavorable prognosis, and an increasing global health burden. Therapies that precisely target immunological checkpoints and immune cells have gained significant attention as possible therapeutics in recent years. In truth, the efficacy of immunotherapy is heavily contingent upon the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recent studies have indicated that exosomes serve as a sophisticated means of communication among biomolecules, executing an essential part in the TME of immune suppression. Exosomal non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) can induce the activation of tumor cells and immunosuppressive immune cells that suppress the immune system, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), CD+8 T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and regulatory B cells (Bregs). This cell-cell crosstalk triggered by exosomal ncRNAs promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis, angiogenesis, malignant phenotype transformation, and drug resistance. Hence, it is imperative to comprehend how exosomal ncRNAs regulate tumor cells or immune cells within the TME to devise more comprehensive and productive immunotherapy programs. This study discusses the features of exosomal ncRNAs in HCC and how the activation of the exosomes redefines the tumor's immunosuppressive microenvironment, hence facilitating the advancement of HCC. Furthermore, we also explored the potential of exosomal ncRNAs as a viable biological target or natural vehicle for HCC therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Huang
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao PR China; Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, PR China; Department of Liver Disease, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Xin Zhong
- Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, PR China; Department of Liver Disease, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Jing Li
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao PR China; Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, PR China; Department of Liver Disease, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Rui Hu
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao PR China; Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, PR China; Department of Liver Disease, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Jinyu Yi
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao PR China; Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, PR China; Department of Liver Disease, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Jialing Sun
- Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, PR China; Department of Liver Disease, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Youhua Xu
- Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao PR China.
| | - Xiaozhou Zhou
- Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, PR China; Department of Liver Disease, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Dawoud A, Elmasri RA, Mohamed AH, Mahmoud A, Rostom MM, Youness RA. Involvement of CircRNAs in regulating The "New Generation of Cancer Hallmarks": A Special Depiction on Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 196:104312. [PMID: 38428701 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104312] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The concept of 'Hallmarks of Cancer' is an approach of reducing the enormous complexity of cancer to a set of guiding principles. As the underlying mechanism of cancer are portrayed, we find that we gain insight and additional aspects of the disease arise. The understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) brought a new dimension and led to the discovery of novel hallmarks such as senescent cells, non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming, polymorphic microbiomes and unlocked phenotypic plasticity. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded, covalently closed RNA molecules that are ubiquitous across all species. Recent studies on the circRNAs have highlighted their crucial function in regulating the formation of human malignancies through a range of biological processes. The primary goal of this review is to clarify the role of circRNAs in the most common form of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review also addressed the topic of how circRNAs affect HCC hallmarks, including the new generation hallmarks. Finally, the enormous applications that these rapidly expanding ncRNA molecules serve in the functional and molecular development of effective HCC diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Dawoud
- Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Department, Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), 11835, New Administrative Capital, Egypt; School of Medicine, University of North California, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - R A Elmasri
- Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Department, Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), 11835, New Administrative Capital, Egypt
| | - A H Mohamed
- Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Department, Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), 11835, New Administrative Capital, Egypt; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - A Mahmoud
- Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Department, Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), 11835, New Administrative Capital, Egypt; Biotechnology School, Nile University, Giza 12677, Egypt
| | - M M Rostom
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo (GUC), Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - R A Youness
- Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Department, Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), 11835, New Administrative Capital, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhao X, Wang Y, Xia H, Liu S, Huang Z, He R, Yu L, Meng N, Wang H, You J, Li J, Yam JWP, Xu Y, Cui Y. Roles and Molecular Mechanisms of Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Microvascular Invasion: A Review. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2023; 11:1170-1183. [PMID: 37577231 PMCID: PMC10412705 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2022.00013s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being a leading cause of cancer-related death, has high associated mortality and recurrence rates. It has been of great necessity and urgency to find effective HCC diagnosis and treatment measures. Studies have shown that microvascular invasion (MVI) is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis after hepatectomy. The abnormal expression of biomacromolecules such as circ-RNAs, lncRNAs, STIP1, and PD-L1 in HCC patients is strongly correlated with MVI. Deregulation of several markers mentioned in this review affects the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, EMT, and anti-apoptotic processes of HCC cells through multiple complex mechanisms. Therefore, these biomarkers may have an important clinical role and serve as promising interventional targets for HCC. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on the functions and regulatory mechanisms of MVI-related biomarkers in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Zhao
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yudan Wang
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haoming Xia
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Shuqiang Liu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Ziyue Huang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Risheng He
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Liang Yu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nanfeng Meng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Hang Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Junqi You
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jinglin Li
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Judy Wai Ping Yam
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Functional and Clinical Translational Medicine, Fujian Province University, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Tumor Targeted Nano Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer (Fujian Medical University), Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Pharmacy and Individualized Therapy of Huzhou, Department of Pharmacy, Changxing People’s Hospital, Changxing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yunfu Cui
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zeng Y, Hu S, Luo Y, He K. Exosome Cargos as Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2365. [PMID: 37765333 PMCID: PMC10537613 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15092365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Due to the insidiousness of HCC onset and the lack of specific early-stage markers, the early diagnosis and treatment of HCC are still unsatisfactory, leading to a poor prognosis. Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle containing various components, which play an essential part in the development, progression, and metastasis of HCC. A large number of studies have demonstrated that exosomes could serve as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of HCC. These diagnostic components mainly include proteins, microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs. The exosome biomarkers showed high sensitivity and high specificity in distinguishing HCC from health controls and other liver diseases, such as chronic HBV and liver cirrhosis. The expression of these biomarkers also exhibits correlations with various clinical factors such as tumor size, TMN stage, overall survival, and recurrence rate. In this review, we summarize the function of exosomes in the development of HCC and highlight their application as HCC biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis prediction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yulai Zeng
- Department of Liver Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China; (Y.Z.); (S.H.)
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai 200127, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Shuyu Hu
- Department of Liver Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China; (Y.Z.); (S.H.)
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai 200127, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Liver Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China; (Y.Z.); (S.H.)
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai 200127, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Kang He
- Department of Liver Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China; (Y.Z.); (S.H.)
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai 200127, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai 200127, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lin Z, Ji Y, Zhou J, Li G, Wu Y, Liu W, Li Z, Liu T. Exosomal circRNAs in cancer: Implications for therapy resistance and biomarkers. Cancer Lett 2023; 566:216245. [PMID: 37247772 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite the advances in cancer treatment in recent years, the development of resistance to cancer therapy remains the biggest hurdle towards curative cancer treatments. Therefore, investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer therapy resistance is of paramount clinical importance. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), novel members of the noncoding RNA family, are endogenous biomolecules in eukaryotes characterized by a covalently closed loop structure with multiple biological functions. Significantly, circRNAs are abundant and stable in exosomes and can be packaged, secreted and transferred to targeted tumour cells, thereby modulating diverse hallmarks of cancer behaviours, such as proliferation, migration, and immune escape. Notably, a great number of exosomal circRNAs are abnormally expressed during cancer treatment and can mediate cancer therapy resistance through complex mechanisms; therefore, targeting exosomal circRNAs is a promising therapeutic method to reverse therapy resistance. This review aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying exosomal circRNAs controlling the resistance of cancer to common therapies, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy, and we also discussed the therapeutic potential of exosomal circRNAs as clinical biomarkers and novel targets in cancer clinical management. We also discussed the prospects and challenges of targeting exosomal circRNAs as a novel therapeutic strategy for reversing cancer therapy resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengjun Lin
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China; Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuqiao Ji
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China; Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoqing Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China; Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanlin Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China; Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Weifeng Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Oncology Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100035, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhihong Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Tang Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rao G, Peng X, Tian Y, Fu X, Zhang Y. Circular RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: biogenesis, function, and pathology. Front Genet 2023; 14:1106665. [PMID: 37485335 PMCID: PMC10361733 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1106665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Both genetic and environmental factors through a multitude of underlying molecular mechanisms participate in the pathogenesis of HCC. Recently, numerous studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs), an emerging class of non-coding RNAs characterized by the presence of covalent bonds linking 3' and 5' ends, play an important role in the initiation and progression of cancers, including HCC. In this review, we outline the current status of the field of circRNAs, with an emphasis on the functions and mechanisms of circRNAs in HCC and its microenvironment. We also summarize and discuss recent advances of circRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. These efforts are anticipated to throw new insights into future perspectives about circRNAs in basic, translational and clinical research, eventually advancing the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guocheng Rao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Cancer Center West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xi Peng
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Cancer Center West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan Tian
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Cancer Center West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xianghui Fu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Cancer Center West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuwei Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hu M, Li X, Jiang Z, Xia Q, Hu Y, Guo J, Fu L. Exosomes and circular RNAs: promising partners in hepatocellular carcinoma from bench to bedside. Discov Oncol 2023; 14:60. [PMID: 37154831 PMCID: PMC10167081 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00672-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality, and a low 5-year survival rate. Exploring the potential molecular mechanisms, finding diagnostic biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity, and determining new therapeutic targets for HCC are urgently needed. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to play a key role in the occurrence and development of HCC, while exosomes play an important role in intercellular communication; thus, the combination of circRNAs and exosomes may have inestimable potential in early diagnosis and curative therapy. Previous studies have shown that exosomes can transfer circRNAs from normal or abnormal cells to surrounding or distant cells; thereafter, circRNAs influence target cells. This review summarizes the recent progress regarding the roles of exosomal circRNAs in the diagnosis, prognosis, occurrence and development and immune checkpoint inhibitor and tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance of HCC to provide inspiration for further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Hu
- School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, 315010, China
| | - Xue Li
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Zhenluo Jiang
- Department of Emergency, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, 315010, China
| | - Qing Xia
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, 315010, China
| | - Yaoren Hu
- School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, 315010, China
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Digestive System Tumors of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, China
| | - Junming Guo
- School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Liyun Fu
- School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
- Department of Infection and Hepatology, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, 315010, China.
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Digestive System Tumors of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, China.
- Ningbo Clinical Research Center for Digestive System Tumors, Ningbo, 315010, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang XB, Luo T, Lu SL, Lu HZ, Zhao TY, Jiang ZJ, Liu XY, Zhao C, Li LQ, Chen J. Circular RNA hsa_circ_0005218 promotes the early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting the miR-31-5p/CDK1 pathway. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14816. [PMID: 37035389 PMCID: PMC10073894 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence has manifested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) exhibited critical function in regulating various signaling pathways related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. However, the role and mechanism of the circRNAs in the HCC early recurrence remain elusive. In this study, high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was conducted to identify the expression profile of circRNAs in HCC tissues and circ_0005218 was identified as one circRNA that significantly up-regulated in early recurrent HCC tissues. And patients with high expression of circ_0005218 showed worsen overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Moreover, the promotion effects of circ_0005218 on HCC cells in term of proliferation, invasion and metastasis were confirmed both in vitro and vivo by gain- and loss-of function assays. In addition, dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that circ_0005218 could competitively bind to micro-RNA (miR)-31-5p. Furthermore, we showed that suppression of CDK1 by miR-31-5p could be partially rescued by up-regulating circ_0005218. Taken together, the present study indicates that circ_0005218 absorbed miR-31-5p as a sponge to weaken its suppression on CDK1 expression, and thus boost HCC cell invasion and migration, which would act as a potential biomarker to predict the HCC early recurrence and as a new therapeutic target for treatment of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-bo Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Shao-long Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Hua-ze Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Tai-yun Zhao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Nanning, China
| | - Zhi-jun Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Xin-yu Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Chang Zhao
- Department of Interventional Therapy, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Le-qun Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021 China.
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021 China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yao M, Liang S, Cheng B. Role of exosomes in hepatocellular carcinoma and the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1110922. [PMID: 36733504 PMCID: PMC9886889 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1110922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually occurs on the basis of chronic liver inflammatory diseases and cirrhosis. The liver microenvironment plays a vital role in the tumor initiation and progression. Exosomes, which are nanometer-sized membrane vesicles are secreted by a number of cell types. Exosomes carry multiple proteins, DNAs and various forms of RNA, and are mediators of cell-cell communication and regulate the tumor microenvironment. In the recent decade, many studies have demonstrated that exosomes are involved in the communication between HCC cells and the stromal cells, including endothelial cells, macrophages, hepatic stellate cells and the immune cells, and serve as a regulator in the tumor proliferation and metastasis, immune evasion and immunotherapy. In addition, exosomes can also be used for the diagnosis and treatment HCC. They can potentially serve as specific biomarkers for early diagnosis and drug delivery vehicles of HCC. Chinese herbal medicine, which is widely used in the prevention and treatment of HCC in China, may regulate the release of exosomes and exosomes-mediated intercellular communication. In this review, we summarized the latest progresses on the role of the exosomes in the initiation, progression and treatment of HCC and the potential value of Traditional Chinese medicine in exosomes-mediated biological behaviors of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Man Yao
- Oncology Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (The Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Shufang Liang
- Oncology Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (The Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Binbin Cheng
- Oncology Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (The Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China,Faculty of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naval Medical University (The Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Binbin Cheng,
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang XP, Pei JP, Zhang CD, Yusupu M, Han MH, Dai DQ. Exosomal circRNAs: A key factor of tumor angiogenesis and therapeutic intervention. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113921. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
|
13
|
Yeung CLS, Yam JWP. Therapy-induced modulation of extracellular vesicles in hepatocellular carcinoma. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:1088-1101. [PMID: 35158067 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Despite rapid development of anti-tumorigenic treatments, the clinical outcome for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still far from satisfactory. With a deeper understanding about tumor microenvironment (TME), the critical role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as intercellular liaison has come into spotlight. The dynamic functionality of these nanoparticles revealed cancer cells can employ both tumor and non-tumorous components for their own benefit, so as to mediate cell-to-cell communication and interchange of oncogenic biomolecules. Increasing studies on HCC-derived EVs have identified various irregulated biomolecules, that may serve as biomarkers or therapeutic targets. In this review, we first introduce the current knowledge about EVs and how they operate to maintain a healthy liver microenvironment. We then summarize some of the aberrant observations reported on HCC-derived EVs and how they contribute to HCC pathogenesis. Finally, we describe how current treatments for HCC alter behavior of EVs, which may shed light for potential prognostic markers and therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cherlie Lot Sum Yeung
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Judy Wai Ping Yam
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research (The University of Hong Kong), Hong Kong.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wu Z, Yu X, Zhang S, He Y, Guo W. Mechanism underlying circRNA dysregulation in the TME of digestive system cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:951561. [PMID: 36238299 PMCID: PMC9550895 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.951561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new series of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that have been reported to be expressed in eukaryotic cells and have a variety of biological functions in the regulation of cancer pathogenesis and progression. The TME, as a microscopic ecological environment, consists of a variety of cells, including tumor cells, immune cells and other normal cells, ECM and a large number of signaling molecules. The crosstalk between circRNAs and the TME plays a complicated role in affecting the malignant behaviors of digestive system cancers. Herein, we summarize the mechanisms underlying aberrant circRNA expression in the TME of the digestive system cancers, including immune surveillance, angiogenesis, EMT, and ECM remodelling. The regulation of the TME by circRNA is expected to be a new therapeutic method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuijun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuting He
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wenzhi Guo, ; Yuting He,
| | - Wenzhi Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wenzhi Guo, ; Yuting He,
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Gonvers S, Tabrizian P, Melloul E, Dormond O, Schwartz M, Demartines N, Labgaa I. Is liquid biopsy the future commutator of decision-making in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma? Front Oncol 2022; 12:940473. [PMID: 36033451 PMCID: PMC9402935 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.940473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver transplant (LT) is the most favorable treatment option for patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Numerous attempts have been pursued to establish eligibility criteria and select HCC patients for LT, leading to various systems that essentially integrate clinico-morphological variables. Lacking of sufficient granularity to recapitulate the biological complexity of the disease, all these alternatives display substantial limitations and are thus undeniably imperfect. Liquid biopsy, defined as the molecular analysis of circulating analytes released by a cancer into the bloodstream, was revealed as an incomparable tool in the management of cancers, including HCC. It appears as an ideal candidate to refine selection criteria of LT in HCC. The present comprehensive review analyzed the available literature on this topic. Data in the field, however, remain scarce with only 17 studies. Although rare, these studies provided important and encouraging findings highlighting notable prognostic values and supporting the contribution of liquid biopsy in this specific clinical scenario. These results underpinned the critical and urgent need to intensify and accelerate research on liquid biopsy, in order to determine whether and how liquid biopsy may be integrated in the decision-making of LT in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Gonvers
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Parissa Tabrizian
- Recanati Miller Transplant Institute, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Emmanuel Melloul
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Dormond
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Myron Schwartz
- Recanati Miller Transplant Institute, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nicolas Demartines
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ismail Labgaa
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Ismail Labgaa,
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Liu J, Xiao P, Jiang W, Wang Y, Huang Y. Diagnostic value of exosomes in patients with liver cancer: a systematic review. CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPANISH ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEXICO 2022; 24:2285-2294. [PMID: 35947296 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02906-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. More and more studies have shown that exosomes can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of liver cancer, but their diagnostic accuracy is still unclear. Therefore, this meta-analysis summarizes various studies on the diagnostic value of exosomes for liver cancer. METHODS A comprehensive search was carried out based on the set search terms in PubMed, Web of Science and Wiley until April 1, 2022. All statistical analyses were performed by STATA 17 statistical software and Review Manager 5.4. Quality Assessment for Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy 2 tool was applied to evaluate the quality of included articles. Random effects model was used to calculate various diagnostic indicators. RESULTS A total of 47 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The number of participants was 3196. The combined sensitivity, specificity and the area under the curve with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were, respectively 0.80 (0.75-0.84), 0.83 (0.79-0.87), 0.89 (0.85-0.91). CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis shows that exosomes have good diagnostic accuracy for liver cancer and can be used as an effective biomarker for the diagnosis of liver cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jusong Liu
- Department of Transfusion, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Taiping Road, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Pan Xiao
- Department of Transfusion, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Taiping Road, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxue Jiang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Yuhan Wang
- Department of Transfusion, Yaan People's Hospital, Yaan, 625000, China
| | - Yuanshuai Huang
- Department of Transfusion, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Taiping Road, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yang S, Wang J, Wang S, Zhou A, Zhao G, Li P. Roles of small extracellular vesicles in the development, diagnosis and possible treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma (Review). Int J Oncol 2022; 61:91. [PMID: 35674180 PMCID: PMC9262158 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2022.5381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignancy of hepatocytes accounting for 75-85% of primary hepatic carcinoma cases. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), previously known as exosomes with a diameter of 30-200 nm, can transport a variety of biological molecules between cells, and have been proposed to function in physiological and pathological processes. Recent studies have indicated that the cargos of sEVs are implicated in intercellular crosstalk among HCC cells, paratumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. sEV-encapsulated substances (including DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids) regulate signal transduction pathways in recipient cells and contribute to cancer initiation and progression in HCC. In addition, the differential expression of sEV cargos between patients facilitates the potential utility of sEVs in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with HCC. Furthermore, the intrinsic properties of low immunogenicity and high stability render sEVs ideal vehicles for targeted drug delivery in the treatment of HCC. The present review article summarizes the carcinogenic and anti-neoplastic capacities of sEVs and discusses the potential and prospective diagnostic and therapeutic applications of sEVs in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuyue Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Shidong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Anni Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Guiping Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Nie G, Lian N, Peng D, Lu J, Li B. Prognostic Value of Exosomal Noncoding RNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis. Carcinogenesis 2022; 43:754-765. [PMID: 35904534 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgac066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
High morbidity, recurrence and mortality make hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) a leading cause of cancer-related burden and deaths. The lack of prognostic evaluation methods weakened the therapeutic efficacy for HCC. Exosomal noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a key role in cancer development. Our meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic value of exosome-transferred noncoding RNAs in predicting the outcomes of patients with HCC. We obtained 16 articles from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and EMBASE up to 4 November 2021. The ncRNAs were divided into three parts:microRNAs (miRNA), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) and circular RNAs (circRNA). In the pooled hazard ratios (HRs), upregulated miRNAs were 3.06 (95% CI = 2.51-3.73), downregulated miRNAs were 3.28 (95% CI = 2.61-4.11), lncRNAs were 3.34 (95% CI = 1.87-5.96), and circRNAs were 1.76 (95% CI = 1.36-2.14). As the results of subgroup analysis, upregulated miRNAs had a pooled HR of 3.10 (95% CI = 1.66-5.81), and the HR of downregulated miRNAs was 3.04 (95% CI = 2.17-4.28) for multivariate analysis of overall survival (OS). Meanwhile, upregulated miRNAs had a pooled HR of 2.61 (95% CI = 1.89-3.60), and the HR of downregulated miRNAs was 3.77 (95% CI = 1.11-12.73) for multivariate analysis of other endpoints. Remarkably, miR-21 has a pooled HR of 2.48 (95%CI = 1.52-4.05, I 2 = 0) for disease-free survival (DFS). In conclusion, the expression of exosomal noncoding RNAs can be used to evaluate the prognosis of patients with HCC. Exosome-transferred miR-21 might serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guilin Nie
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Lian
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dingzhong Peng
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiong Lu
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bei Li
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhang Q, Li H, Liu Y, Li J, Wu C, Tang H. Exosomal Non-Coding RNAs: New Insights into the Biology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. CURRENT ONCOLOGY (TORONTO, ONT.) 2022; 29:5383-5406. [PMID: 36005165 PMCID: PMC9406833 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol29080427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Exosomes, extracellular vesicles with a diameter of 40 to 160 nm, are among the smallest extracellular vesicles released by cells. They deliver different cargoes, including proteins, DNAs, and RNAs, and facilitate communication between cells to coordinate a variety of physiological and pathological functions. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth common malignant tumor and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Its molecular mechanism remains largely unknown, and there is a lack of reliable and noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction. Mounting evidence has shown that exosomes carry a variety of ncRNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), which play critical roles in the occurrence and progression of HCC. In this review, we summarize the recent findings of exosomal miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs in HCC from their impact on the development of HCC to their potential applications in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (Q.Z.); (H.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Hanlin Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (Q.Z.); (H.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (Q.Z.); (H.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jian Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China;
| | - Chunling Wu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (Q.Z.); (H.L.); (Y.L.)
- Correspondence: (C.W.); (H.T.)
| | - Hua Tang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China; (Q.Z.); (H.L.); (Y.L.)
- Central Nervous System Drug Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou 646000, China
- Engineering, Informatics Fusion and Transformation Key Laboratory, Luzhou 646000, China
- Correspondence: (C.W.); (H.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
The Exosome Journey: From Biogenesis to Regulation and Function in Cancers. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:9356807. [PMID: 35898929 PMCID: PMC9313905 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9356807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Exosomes are a type of small endosomal-derived vesicles ranging from 30 to 150 nm, which can serve as functional mediators in cell-to-cell communication and various physiological and pathological processes. In recent years, exosomes have emerged as crucial mediators of intracellular communication among tumor cells, immune cells, and stromal cells, which can shuttle bioactive molecules, such as proteins, lipids, RNA, and DNA. Exosomes exhibit the high bioavailability, biological stability, targeting specificity, low toxicity, and immune characteristics, suggesting their potentials in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers. They can be applied as an effective tool in the diagnostics, therapeutics, and drug delivery in cancers. This review summarizes the regulation and functions of exosomes in various cancers to augment our understanding of exosomes, which paves the way for parallel advancements in the therapeutic approach of cancers. In this review, we also discuss the challenges and prospects for clinical application of exosome-based diagnostics and therapeutics for cancers.
Collapse
|
21
|
Devaraj E, Perumal E, Subramaniyan R, Mustapha N. Liver fibrosis: Extracellular vesicles mediated intercellular communication in perisinusoidal space. Hepatology 2022; 76:275-285. [PMID: 34773651 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ezhilarasan Devaraj
- Department of Pharmacology, The Blue Lab, Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology Division, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - Elumalai Perumal
- Department of Pharmacology, The Blue Lab, Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology Division, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - Raghunandhakumar Subramaniyan
- Department of Pharmacology, The Blue Lab, Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology Division, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - Najimi Mustapha
- Laboratory of Pediatric Hepatology and Cell Therapy, IREC Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Liu Y, Wang L, Liu W. Roles of circRNAs in the Tumorigenesis and Metastasis of HCC: A Mini Review. Cancer Manag Res 2022; 14:1847-1856. [PMID: 35668744 PMCID: PMC9166687 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s362594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with loop structures that are stable and widely distributed in different tumor tissues. The development of high-throughput sequencing and in silico tools has enabled the discovery of numerous functional circRNAs. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor, and the mechanism involved in its progression has remained unclear. In recent years, an increasing number of circRNAs have been identified in HCC, contributing to tumorigenesis and metastasis and with the potential role as biomarkers through competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) as miRNA sponges or by interacting with RNA binding proteins (RBPs). In this review, we summarize the regulatory roles of circRNAs in HCC development as well as the use of bioinformatics tools in the annotation and prioritization of circRNA and highlight the participation of exosomal circRNAs in HCC metastasis and drug resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Zhao Y, Yao J. The Biological Functions and Clinical Values of Exosomal Circular RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:885214. [PMID: 35530313 PMCID: PMC9069097 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.885214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exacts a heavy disease burden and is currently the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC usually lacks obvious symptoms in the early stage, and most HCC patients are diagnosed at advanced stages with poor prognosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded RNAs that form covalently closed loops and are stable in exosomes. Exosomes are known as important messengers of the cross-talk between tumor and immune cells. Accumulating studies have demonstrated the promoter or suppressor roles of exosomal circRNAs in the carcinogenesis, progression, and metastasis of HCC. In this review, we summarized the current studies on the biological functions and diagnostic and prognostic values of exosomal circRNAs in HCC progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinmei Yao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Wang W, Hao LP, Song H, Chu XY, Wang R. The Potential Roles of Exosomal Non-Coding RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:790916. [PMID: 35280805 PMCID: PMC8912917 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.790916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth highest-incidence cancer and the 4th most deadly cancer all over the world, with a high fatality and low diagnostic rate. Nowadays, Excessive alcohol consumption, type-2 diabetes, smoking and obesity have become some primary risk factors of HCC. As intercellular messenger transporting information cargoes between cells, exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by most types of cells including tumor cells and non-tumor cells and play a pivotal role in establishing an HCC microenvironment. Exosomes, and more generally EVs, contain different molecules, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs), non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), proteins, lipids and transcription factors. The three main ncRNAs in exosomes are microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs). NcRNAs, identified as essential components, are selectively sorted into exosomes and exosomal ncRNAs show great potential in regulating tumor development, including proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, immune escape and drug resistance. Here, we chiefly review the formation and uptake of exosomes, classification of exosomal ncRNAs and current research on the roles of exosomal ncRNAs in HCC progression. We also explored their clinical applications as new diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic avenues in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Li-Ping Hao
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haizhu Song
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Chu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Yang JC, Hu JJ, Li YX, Luo W, Liu JZ, Ye DW. Clinical Applications of Liquid Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:781820. [PMID: 35211399 PMCID: PMC8860830 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.781820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis in the world. The low rate of early diagnosis, as well as the high risk of postoperative metastasis and recurrence, led to the poor clinical prognosis of HCC patients. Currently, it mainly depends on serum markers, imaging examination, and tissue biopsy to diagnose and determine the recurrence and metastasis of HCC after treatments. Nevertheless, the accuracy and sensitivity of serum markers and imaging for early HCC diagnosis are suboptimal. Tissue biopsy, containing limited tissue samples, is insufficient to reveal comprehensive tumor biology information and is inappropriate to monitor dynamic tumor progression due to its invasiveness. Thus, low invasive diagnostic methods and novel biomarkers with high sensitivity and reliability must be found to improve HCC detection and prediction. As a non-invasive, dynamic, and repeatable detection method, “liquid biopsy”, has attracted much attention to early diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response, which promotes the progress of precision medicine. This review summarizes the clinical applications of liquid biopsy in HCC, including circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and exosome in early diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, disease monitoring, and guiding personalized treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Cui Yang
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun-Jie Hu
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi-Xin Li
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jin-Zhou Liu
- Department of Pain Management, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Da-Wei Ye
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Pancreatic-Biliary Surgery, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Lyu LH, Zhang CY, Yang WJ, Jin AL, Zhu J, Wang H, Liu T, Wang BL, Cheng JW, Yang XR, Guo W. Hsa_circ_0003945 promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by mediating miR-34c-5p/LGR4/β-catenin axis activity. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:2218-2229. [PMID: 35170199 PMCID: PMC8995453 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play essential roles in regulating cancer progression, but many circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. Dysregulated circRNAs in HCC were identified through bioinformatics analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus data sets. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR), Sanger sequencing, RNase R digestion and actinomycin D treatment were conducted to confirm the characterization of circRNAs. CCK‐8, wound‐healing and Transwell assays were performed to assess the functional roles of Hsa_circ_0003945 (Circ_0003945) in HCC cell lines. Subcellular fractionation and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were performed to locate Circ_0003945 in HCC cells. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay was executed to verify the binding of Circ_0003945 to microRNAs (miRNAs) or the miRNAs to their target genes. In this study, we found that Circ_0003945 was upregulated in HCC tissue, and higher Circ_0003945 expression was positively correlated with tumour size and tumour stage. Furthermore, high plasma levels of circulating Circ_0003945 were confirmed in HCC patients compared with those in non‐HCC groups. The functional experiments revealed that overexpression or knockdown of Circ_0003945 promoted or attenuated tumour growth and migration, respectively. Mechanistically, Circ_0003945 might exert as a miR‐34c‐5p sponge to upregulate the expression of leucine‐rich repeat‐containing G protein‐coupled receptor 4 (LGR4), activating the β‐catenin pathway, and finally facilitating HCC progression. Additionally, a β‐catenin activator could reverse the effect of Circ_0003945 knockdown. In conclusion, Circ_0003945 exerts a tumour‐promoting role in HCC cells by regulating the miR‐34c‐5p/LGR4/β‐catenin axis, which may be a potential target for HCC therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hua Lyu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun-Yan Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiamen Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Xiamen, China
| | - Wen-Jing Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - An-Li Jin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Te Liu
- Shanghai Geriatric Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bei-Li Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Cancer center, Zhong Shan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Wen Cheng
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-Rong Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery & Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiamen Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Xiamen, China.,Cancer center, Zhong Shan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wusong Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Role of Exosomes in Immune Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:2521025. [PMID: 35126514 PMCID: PMC8816547 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2521025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. Since most patients with HCC are diagnosed at the intermediate or advanced stage and because HCC has a high incidence of metastasis and recurrence, it is one of the leading causes of cancer death. Exosomes are a subtype of extracellular vesicles and are typically 30–150 nm in diameter. Originating from endosomes, they can be secreted by almost all living cells. They are widely present in various body fluids and serve as an important medium for the interactions between cells. A series of studies have revealed that exosomes-mediated intercellular transfer of proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites plays a crucial role in the initiation and progression of HCC, hypoxia and angiogenesis, chemotherapy sensitivity, and cell death mode and regulates the immune microenvironment. In this paper, we reviewed the recent researches on the multiple roles of tumor-associated exosomes in the progression of HCC. We laid particular focus on those researches that reveal how exosomes regulate the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and how exosomal cargos affect the progression of HCC. Besides, we emphasize some prospective directions to achieve a more accurate and complete analysis of the HCC immune microenvironment.
Collapse
|
28
|
Wei XC, Liu LJ, Zhu F. Exosomes as potential diagnosis and treatment for liver cancer. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 14:334-347. [PMID: 35116120 PMCID: PMC8790408 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v14.i1.334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer is the fourth most significant cause of cancer-related death. Lack of early diagnosis strategy and a scarcity of efficient therapy constitute the main reasons for its lethality. Exosomes, which contain various bioactive molecules, are characterized by high biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and high transport efficiency. As a result, exosomes have become a research hotspot and present significant potential for cancer diagnosis biomarkers, biotherapeutics, therapy targets, drug carriers and therapeutic agents.
AIM To explore the potential of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer.
METHODS We conducted a systematic literature search via PubMed and Web of Science. The following keywords were used: "exosomal biomarkers", "exosomal therapy", "exosomal therapy", and "liver cancer" or "HCC". The duplicate data were deleted by EndNote software. Literature search focused on full-texts and references of each article were carefully checked. One author (Xiao-Cui Wei) screened the literature that met the following inclusion criteria: (1) Detection of exosomes or their contents in clinical samples (body fluid or tissue); or (2) Exosomes served as drug carriers or therapeutic factors. Two authors (Xiao-Cui Wei and Li-Juan Liu) independently reviewed all retained literature and analyzed the information.
RESULTS A total of 1295 studies were identified using the systematic literature search. Of these, 835 duplicate studies were removed. A further 402 irrelevant studies were excluded due to being irrelevant, including other diseases, review articles, the literature containing neither clinical samples nor animal experiments, exosome-independent studies, methods for detecting exosomes, or articles in Chinese. Finally, 58 published papers were retained and analyzed in the study. It showed a list of potential exosomal biomarkers that were upregulated in the blood samples of patients with liver cancer. Those downregulated in exosomes might serve as possible biotherapeutics. Some exosomes derived from cells in vitro were used for cytology or animal experiments to explore the mechanism of these exosome contents in disease. These contents might serve as potential targets for liver cancer. Additionally, we also discussed that exosomes serve as drug carriers or therapeutic factors.
CONCLUSION Exosomes might serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic biotargets in liver cancer and have the potential to act as drug carriers and self-treatment factors for liver cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Cui Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Li-Juan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Roles and mechanisms of exosomal non-coding RNAs in human health and diseases. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:383. [PMID: 34753929 PMCID: PMC8578673 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00779-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Exosomes play a role as mediators of cell-to-cell communication, thus exhibiting pleiotropic activities to homeostasis regulation. Exosomal non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), mainly microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are closely related to a variety of biological and functional aspects of human health. When the exosomal ncRNAs undergo tissue-specific changes due to diverse internal or external disorders, they can cause tissue dysfunction, aging, and diseases. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the underlying regulatory mechanisms of exosomes in human diseases. In addition, we explore the current knowledge on the roles of exosomal miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs in human health and diseases, including cancers, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases, to determine their potential implication in biomarker identification and therapeutic exploration.
Collapse
|
30
|
Song Y, Cao P, Li J. Plasma circular RNA hsa_circ_0001821 acts as a novel diagnostic biomarker for malignant tumors. J Clin Lab Anal 2021; 35:e24009. [PMID: 34523755 PMCID: PMC8605135 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circular RNAs (circRNAs) can function as key regulators of oncogenic processes. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of hsa_circ_0001821 in plasma of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and other malignant tumors and analyze its correlations with clinical features and diagnostic values. METHODS In total, 467 plasma samples, including samples from 80 healthy controls, were collected between 2015 and 2019 from patients at the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University. Plasma levels of hsa_circ_0001821 were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic value was performed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS Plasma hsa_circ_0001821 was increased in CRC patients, and high hsa_circ_0001821 expression predicted advanced stage and unfavorable in overall survival. In addition, this study showed the upregulation of hsa_circ_0001821 in plasma of lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ROC curve showed that the region under the loop for the diagnosis of CRC, HCC, and lung cancer was 0.815, 0.692, and 0.792. CONCLUSION Plasma hsa_circ_0001821 possibly is a novel biological marker for malignant tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yulan Song
- Blood Purification Center, The Affiliated People's Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jipeng Li
- Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated People's Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Liao R, Liu L, Zhou J, Wei X, Huang P. Current Molecular Biology and Therapeutic Strategy Status and Prospects for circRNAs in HBV-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:697747. [PMID: 34277444 PMCID: PMC8284075 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.697747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are newly classified noncoding RNA (ncRNA) members with a covalently closed continuous loop structure that are involved in immune responses against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and play important biological roles in the occurrence and pathogenesis of HCC progression. The roles of circRNAs in HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) have gained increasing attention. Substantial evidence has revealed that both tissue and circulating circRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes. So far, at least four circRNA/miRNA regulatory axes such as circRNA_101764/miR-181, circRNA_100338/miR-141-3p, circ-ARL3/miR-1305, circ-ATP5H/miR-138-5p, and several circulating circRNAs were reported to be associated with HBV-HCC development. Notably, TGF/SMAD, JAK/STAT, Notch and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways may play pivotal roles in this HBV-driven HCC via several circRNAs. Moreover, in non-HBV HCC patients or HCC patients partially infected by HBV, numerous circRNAs have been identified to be important regulators impacting the malignant biological behavior of HCC. Furthermore, the role of circRNAs in HCC drug resistance has become a focus of research with the aim of reversing chemoresistance and immune resistance. Herein, we review the molecular biology of circRNAs in HBV-HCC and their potential in therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The People's Rongchang Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Xufu Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wang H, Zeng X, Zheng Y, Wang Y, Zhou Y. Exosomal circRNA in Digestive System Tumors: The Main Player or Coadjuvants? Front Oncol 2021; 11:614462. [PMID: 34249673 PMCID: PMC8264426 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.614462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are a type of extracellular microvesicles with a diameter of 40–160 nm. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a type of closed circular RNA molecule that is highly conserved in evolution. Exosomal circRNA plays a vital role in the proliferation, invasion, migration, and drug resistance of digestive system tumors. In this study, we used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, UALCAN, Python crawler, miRTargetLink Human, Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), micBioinformatic online tool, and Cytoscape software (3.7.1). The results showed that circ-RanGAP1 in gastric cancer, circUHRF1 in hepatocellular carcinoma, and circFMN2 in colorectal cancer regulate the malignant behavior of tumors and affect the expression of their host gene through sponging miR-877-3p, miR-449c-5p, and miR-1182, respectively. Twenty exosomal circRNAs regulate 6,570 target genes through sponging 23 miRNAs. Firstly, 270 of those target genes are regulated by two or more miRNAs, which are highly correlated with 83 tumor-related pathways and six Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Secondly, 1,146 target genes were significantly differentially expressed in corresponding digestive system tumors, and functional enrichment analysis revealed that 78 of those were involved in 20 cancer-related pathways. In short, the bioinformatics analysis showed that these exosomal circRNAs are stably expressed in body fluids, and regulate the occurrence and development of gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and other digestive system tumors through sponging miRNAs. Exosomal circRNAs may be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of disease and identification of effective therapeutic targets in the future, as well as improve the prognosis of patients with digestive system tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haoying Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Diseases of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xi Zeng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Diseases of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ya Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Diseases of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuping Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Diseases of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yongning Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Gastrointestinal Diseases of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zhang Y, Wang Y. Circular RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Emerging Functions to Clinical Significances. Front Oncol 2021; 11:667428. [PMID: 34055634 PMCID: PMC8160296 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.667428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary cancer of the liver and carries high morbidity and mortality. Diagnosing HCC at an early stage is challenging. Therefore, finding new, highly sensitive and specific diagnostic biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC patients is extremely important. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with covalently closed loop structures. They are characterized by remarkable stability, long half-life, abundance and evolutionary conservation. Recent studies have shown that many circRNAs are expressed aberrantly in HCC tissues and have important regulatory roles during the development and progression of HCC. Hence, circRNAs are promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. This review: (i) summarizes the biogenesis, categories, and functions of circRNAs; (ii) focuses on current progress of dysregulated expression of circRNAs in HCC with regard to regulation of the tumor hallmarks, “stemness” of cancer cells, and immunotherapy; (iii) highlights circRNAs as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC; and (iv) discusses some of the challenges, questions and future perspectives of circRNAs research in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yucheng Zhang
- Scientific Research Center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Pelizzaro F, Cardin R, Penzo B, Pinto E, Vitale A, Cillo U, Russo FP, Farinati F. Liquid Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Where Are We Now? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2274. [PMID: 34068786 PMCID: PMC8126224 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer related death worldwide. Diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers are urgently needed in order to improve patient survival. Indeed, the most widely used biomarkers, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), have limited accuracy as both diagnostic and prognostic tests. Liver biopsy provides an insight on the biology of the tumor, but it is an invasive procedure, not routinely used, and not representative of the whole neoplasia due to the demonstrated intra-tumoral heterogeneity. In recent years, liquid biopsy, defined as the molecular analysis of cancer by-products, released by the tumor in the bloodstream, emerged as an appealing source of new biomarkers. Several studies focused on evaluating extracellular vesicles, circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA and non-coding RNA as novel reliable biomarkers. In this review, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on the most relevant available evidence on novel circulating biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and therapeutic monitoring. Liquid biopsy seems to be a very promising instrument and, in the near future, some of these new non-invasive tools will probably change the clinical management of HCC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Pelizzaro
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.P.); (R.C.); (B.P.); (E.P.); (F.P.R.)
| | - Romilda Cardin
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.P.); (R.C.); (B.P.); (E.P.); (F.P.R.)
| | - Barbara Penzo
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.P.); (R.C.); (B.P.); (E.P.); (F.P.R.)
| | - Elisa Pinto
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.P.); (R.C.); (B.P.); (E.P.); (F.P.R.)
| | - Alessandro Vitale
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (A.V.); (U.C.)
| | - Umberto Cillo
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (A.V.); (U.C.)
| | - Francesco Paolo Russo
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.P.); (R.C.); (B.P.); (E.P.); (F.P.R.)
| | - Fabio Farinati
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy; (F.P.); (R.C.); (B.P.); (E.P.); (F.P.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Aishanjiang K, Wei XD, Fu Y, Lin X, Ma Y, Le J, Han Q, Wang X, Kong X, Gu J, Wu H. Circular RNAs and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: New Epigenetic Players With Diagnostic and Prognostic Roles. Front Oncol 2021; 11:653717. [PMID: 33959506 PMCID: PMC8093866 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.653717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Due to the lack of potent diagnosis and prognosis biomarkers and effective therapeutic targets, the overall prognosis of survival is poor in HCC patients. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of novel endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed loop structures and implicated in diverse physiological processes and pathological diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of circRNAs in HCC diagnosis, prognosis, development, and drug resistance, suggesting that circRNAs may be a class of novel targets for improving HCC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments. In fact, some artificial circRNAs have been engineered and showed their therapeutic potential in treating HCV infection and gastric cancer. In this review, we introduce the potential of circRNAs as biomarkers for HCC diagnosis and prognosis, as therapeutic targets for HCC treatments and discuss the challenges in circRNA research and chances of circRNA application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kedeerya Aishanjiang
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Department of Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Transplantation, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-Dong Wei
- Department of General Surgery, The 81st Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Fu
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Department of Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinjie Lin
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Department of Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yujie Ma
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Department of Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiamei Le
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Department of Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuqin Han
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Department of Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The 81st Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoni Kong
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Department of Liver Diseases, Central Laboratory, ShuGuang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinyang Gu
- Department of Transplantation, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hailong Wu
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Department of Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Labgaa I, Villanueva A, Dormond O, Demartines N, Melloul E. The Role of Liquid Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognostication. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040659. [PMID: 33562173 PMCID: PMC7914891 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancer. Clinical guidelines for the management of HCC endorse algorithms deriving from clinical variables whose performances to prognosticate HCC is limited. Liquid biopsy is the molecular analysis of tumor by-products released into the bloodstream. It offers minimally-invasive access to circulating analytes like DNA, RNA, exosomes and cells. This technology demonstrated promising results for various applications in cancers, including prognostication. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the contribution of liquid biopsy in HCC prognostication. The results suggested that liquid biopsy may be a polyvalent and valuable tool to prognosticate HCC. Abstract Showing a steadily increasing cancer-related mortality, the epidemiological evolution of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is concerning. Numerous strategies have attempted to prognosticate HCC but their performance is modest; this is partially due to the heterogeneous biology of this cancer. Current clinical guidelines endorse classifications and scores that use clinical variables, such as the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification. These algorithms are unlikely to fully recapitulate the genomic complexity of HCC. Integrating molecular readouts on a patient-basis, following a precision-medicine perspective, might be an option to refine prognostic systems. The limited access to HCC tissue samples is an important limitation to these approaches but it could be partially circumvented by using liquid biopsy. This concept consists of the molecular analysis of products derived from a solid tumor and released into biological fluids, mostly into the bloodstream. It offers an easy and minimally-invasive access to DNA, RNA, extracellular vesicles and cells that can be analyzed with next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. This review aims to investigate the potential contributions of liquid biopsy in HCC prognostication. The results identified prognostic values for each of the components of liquid biopsy, suggesting that this technology may help refine HCC prognostication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Labgaa
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (I.L.); (O.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Division of Liver Diseases, Liver Cancer Program, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Olivier Dormond
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (I.L.); (O.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Nicolas Demartines
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (I.L.); (O.D.); (E.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Emmanuel Melloul
- Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne (UNIL), CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; (I.L.); (O.D.); (E.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Ely A, Bloom K, Maepa MB, Arbuthnot P. Recent Update on the Role of Circular RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:1-17. [PMID: 33542907 PMCID: PMC7851377 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s268291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
After being overlooked for decades, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently generated considerable interest. circRNAs play a role in a variety of normal and pathological biological processes, including hepatocarcinogenesis. Many circRNAs contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis through sponging of microRNAs (miRs) and disruption of cellular signaling pathways that play a part in control of cell proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis. In most cases, overexpressed circRNAs sequester miRs to cause de-repressed translation of mRNAs that encode oncogenic proteins. Conversely, low expression of circRNAs has also been described in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is associated with inhibited production of tumor suppressor proteins. Other functions of circRNAs that contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis include translation of truncated proteins and acting as adapters to regulate influence of transcription factors on target gene expression. circRNAs also affect hepatocyte transformation indirectly. For example, the molecules regulate immune surveillance of cancerous cells and influence the liver fibrosis that commonly precedes HCC. Marked over- or under-expression of circRNA expression in HCC, with correlating plasma concentrations, has diagnostic utility and assays of these RNAs are being developed as biomarkers of HCC. Although knowledge in the field has recently surged, the myriad of described effects suggests that not all may be vital to hepatocarcinogenesis. Nevertheless, investigation of the role of circRNAs is providing valuable insights that are likely to contribute to improved management of a serious and highly aggressive cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Ely
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kristie Bloom
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mohube Betty Maepa
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Patrick Arbuthnot
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Sukowati CHC, Cabral LKD, Tiribelli C, Pascut D. Circulating Long and Circular Noncoding RNA as Non-Invasive Diagnostic Tools of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Biomedicines 2021; 9:90. [PMID: 33477833 PMCID: PMC7832835 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9010090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide, partially due to late diagnosis of the disease. Growing evidence in the field of biomarker discovery has shown the promising use of nucleic acid in the early detection of many cancers, including HCC. Here, we review data on how various long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) could be used as a diagnostic tool for HCC being differentially expressed in HCC compared to non-HCC patients. These non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) showed high stability in the blood being present as free-circulating molecules or encapsulated into exosomes. This review reports some recent evidence on the use of lncRNAs and circRNAs as possible diagnostic biomarkers for HCC. Further, their pathophysiological mechanism in liver carcinogenesis was also described, elucidating the complex regulatory networks making these ncRNAs of particular relevance for the study of liver malignancy cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caecilia H. C. Sukowati
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS, AREA Science Park, Campus Basovizza, SS14, km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (C.H.C.S.); (L.K.D.C.); (C.T.)
| | - Loraine Kay D. Cabral
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS, AREA Science Park, Campus Basovizza, SS14, km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (C.H.C.S.); (L.K.D.C.); (C.T.)
- Doctoral School in Molecular Biomedicine, University of Trieste, 34100 Trieste, Italy
| | - Claudio Tiribelli
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS, AREA Science Park, Campus Basovizza, SS14, km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (C.H.C.S.); (L.K.D.C.); (C.T.)
| | - Devis Pascut
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato ONLUS, AREA Science Park, Campus Basovizza, SS14, km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (C.H.C.S.); (L.K.D.C.); (C.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Exosomal circRNAs: A new star in cancer. Life Sci 2021; 269:119039. [PMID: 33454367 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
As a disease that seriously endangers human health, cancer still lacks effective treatment because of its complicated mechanism of action. Currently, an emerging class of RNAs, named circular RNAs (circRNAs), has been found to be closely related to cancer. CircRNAs have a stable closed loop structure which would be hardly degraded in blood or body fluids. Exosomes are found naturally in a variety of cells, mediating cell-to-cell communication, or participating in multiple processes of tumor development. Researchers have found that abnormally expressed circRNAs may be associated with the occurrence and development of malignancies. As a kind of exosome-derived non-coding RNAs, exosomal circRNAs have also played important roles in cancer progression and acted as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for cancer, and thus arousing more and more attention. This article reviews the functions, mechanisms and values of the exosomal circRNAs in tumors in order to provide new ideas and novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Collapse
|
40
|
Circular RNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 83:242-252. [PMID: 33434640 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of single-stranded closed non-coding RNA molecules (ncRNAs), which are formed as a result of reverse splicing of mRNAs. Despite their relative abundance, an interest in understanding their regulatory importance is rather recent. High stability, abundance and evolutionary conservation among species underline some of their important traits. CircRNAs perform a variety of cellular functions ranging from miRNA and proteins sponges to transcriptional modulation and splicing. Additionally, most circRNAs are expressed aberrantly in pathological conditions suggesting their possible exploitation as diagnostic biomarkers. Their covalent closed cyclic structure resulting in resistance to RNases further makes them suitable as cancer biomarkers. Studies involving human tumors have verified differences in the expression profiles of circRNAs, indicating a regulatory role in cancer pathogenesis and metastasis. As endogenous competitive RNA, circRNAs can regulate tumor proliferation and invasion. Further, some circRNAs located in the nucleus can regulate transcription of genes by binding to RNA polymerase II. In this review, we elaborate the characteristics, functions and mechanisms of action of circRNAs in cancer. We also discuss the possibility of using circRNAs as potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for cancer.
Collapse
|
41
|
Luo Y, Gui R. Circulating Exosomal CircMYC Is Associated with Recurrence and Bortezomib Resistance in Patients with Multiple Myeloma. Turk J Haematol 2020; 37:248-262. [PMID: 32812415 PMCID: PMC7702652 DOI: 10.4274/tjh.galenos.2020.2020.0243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Studies have shown that serum circRNA can be used as a biomarker for many tumors. However, the role of exosomal circRNA in prognostic evaluation in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to analyze the role of circulating exosomal circMYC in the relapse and prognosis of patients with MM. Materials and Methods Circulating exosomes from 122 patients with MM and 54 healthy people were isolated. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure circMYC exosomal expression. Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank testing were used for estimating significance in survival rates. A Cox regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Compared with healthy people, the expression level of serum exosomal circMYC was significantly increased in patients with MM. In addition, the expression of circMYC in circulating exosomes in bortezomib-resistant patients was significantly higher than that in non-resistant patients. The expression level of exosomal circMYC was correlated with deletion 17p, t(4;14), Durie-Salmon staging, and the International Staging System. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis found that a high exosomal circMYC level was an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with MM. The patients with high exosome circMYC expression had higher relapse rates and higher mortality rates. The overall survival rate and progression-free survival rate of MM patients with high exosomal circMYC expression were lower than those of patients with low exosomal circMYC expression. Conclusion These findings suggest that circulating exosomal circMYC has great potential as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of MM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanwei Luo
- The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Department of Blood Transfusion, Changsha, China
| | - Rong Gui
- The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Department of Blood Transfusion, Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|