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Hashemi M, Sabouni E, Rahmanian P, Entezari M, Mojtabavi M, Raei B, Zandieh MA, Behroozaghdam M, Mirzaei S, Hushmandi K, Nabavi N, Salimimoghadam S, Ren J, Rashidi M, Raesi R, Taheriazam A, Alexiou A, Papadakis M, Tan SC. Deciphering STAT3 signaling potential in hepatocellular carcinoma: tumorigenesis, treatment resistance, and pharmacological significance. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2023; 28:33. [PMID: 37085753 PMCID: PMC10122325 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-023-00438-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered one of the greatest challenges to human life and is the most common form of liver cancer. Treatment of HCC depends on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy, all of which have their own drawbacks, and patients may develop resistance to these therapies due to the aggressive behavior of HCC cells. New and effective therapies for HCC can be developed by targeting molecular signaling pathways. The expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in human cancer cells changes, and during cancer progression, the expression tends to increase. After induction of STAT3 signaling by growth factors and cytokines, STAT3 is phosphorylated and translocated to the nucleus to regulate cancer progression. The concept of the current review revolves around the expression and phosphorylation status of STAT3 in HCC, and studies show that the expression of STAT3 is high during the progression of HCC. This review addresses the function of STAT3 as an oncogenic factor in HCC, as STAT3 is able to prevent apoptosis and thus promote the progression of HCC. Moreover, STAT3 regulates both survival- and death-inducing autophagy in HCC and promotes cancer metastasis by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, upregulation of STAT3 is associated with the occurrence of chemoresistance and radioresistance in HCC. Specifically, non-protein-coding transcripts regulate STAT3 signaling in HCC, and their inhibition by antitumor agents may affect tumor progression. In this review, all these topics are discussed in detail to provide further insight into the role of STAT3 in tumorigenesis, treatment resistance, and pharmacological regulation of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Hashemi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Eisa Sabouni
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parham Rahmanian
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maliheh Entezari
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Behnaz Raei
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Arad Zandieh
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mitra Behroozaghdam
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Mirzaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Noushin Nabavi
- Department of Urologic Sciences and Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6H3Z6, Canada
| | - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
- The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Rasoul Raesi
- Department of Health Services Management, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Afshin Taheriazam
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- Department of Science and Engineering, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, Australia
- AFNP Med Austria, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marios Papadakis
- Department of Surgery II, University Hospital Witten-Herdecke, University of Witten-Herdecke, Heusnerstrasse 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany.
| | - Shing Cheng Tan
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Li J, Xu J, Wang Y, Li Q, Sun X, Fu W, Zhang B. Association of Nucleostemin Polymorphisms with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Chinese Han Population. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2022; 26:255-262. [PMID: 35638911 PMCID: PMC9150128 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2021.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) is a common infectious disease that poses a global economic and health burden due to its high morbidity and mortality. Studies have demonstrated that host genetic factors play critical roles in the susceptibility and outcome of CHB. Aims: In this study, we aimed to assess the potential role of genetic variants of the nucleostemin (NS) gene with respect to CHB susceptibility. Materials and Methods: Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NS gene were genotyped in 446 patients with CHB and 399 healthy controls all of Chinese Han origin using the polymerase chain reaction-ligation detection reaction method. Results: The results showed that the three SNPs, rs3733039, rs1866268, and rs11177, were significantly associated with CHB. After a Bonferroni correction, the positive association of the rs3733039 SNP with CHB remained significant. Further analyses based on gender demonstrated that these SNPs are associated with CHB in both the female and male subgroups. After correction for multiple comparisons, all three SNPs in the female group were associated with CHB, whereas only the rs1866268 SNP in the male group was associated with CHB. Haplotype analysis showed that the C-C-G and T-T-T haplotypes in the block consisting of rs3733039-rs1866268-rs11177 were significantly associated with CHB. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a genetic association between SNPs in the NS gene and the risk of CHB in the Chinese Han population for the first time. Thus, variations in the NS gene might serve as potential genetic biomarkers of CHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixia Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Jinya Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yantai Qishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Yangui Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Xilian Sun
- Department of Nursing, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Wen Fu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China
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Crawford M, Liu X, Cheng YSL, Tsai RY. Nucleostemin upregulation and STAT3 activation as early events in oral epithelial dysplasia progression to squamous cell carcinoma. Neoplasia 2021; 23:1289-1299. [PMID: 34785448 PMCID: PMC8605099 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2021.11.001] [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: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Most low-grade oral epithelial dysplasia remains static or regress, but a significant minority of them (4-11%) advances to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) within a few years. To monitor the progression of epithelial dysplasia for early cancer detection, we investigated the expression profiles of nucleostemin (NS) and phospho-STAT3 (p-STAT3) in rodent and human samples of dysplasia and OSCCs. In a 4NQO-induced rat oral carcinogenesis model, the number and distribution of NS and p-STAT3-positive cells increased in hyperplastic, dysplastic, and neoplastic lesions compared to normal epithelium. In human samples, the NS signal significantly increased in high-grade dysplasia and poorly differentiated OSCC, whereas p-STAT3 was more ubiquitously expressed than NS and showed increased intensity in high-grade dysplasia and both well and poorly differentiated OSCC. Analyses of human dysplastic samples with longitudinally followed outcomes revealed that cells with prominent nucleolar NS signals were more abundant in low-grade dysplasia that advanced to OSCC in 2 or 3 years than those remaining static for 7-14 years. These results suggest that NS upregulation and STAT3 activation are early events in the progression of low-grade dysplasia to OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Crawford
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2121 W Holcombe Blvd, Rm 517, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoqin Liu
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2121 W Holcombe Blvd, Rm 517, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Yi-Shing L Cheng
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, 3302 Gaston Ave, Dallas, Texas 75246, USA.
| | - Robert Yl Tsai
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2121 W Holcombe Blvd, Rm 517, Houston, Texas 77030, USA; Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
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Kim SM, Rampogu S, Vetrivel P, Kulkarni AM, Ha SE, Kim HH, Lee KW, Kim GS. Transcriptome analysis of sinensetin-treated liver cancer cells guided by biological network analysis. Oncol Lett 2021; 21:355. [PMID: 33747212 PMCID: PMC7968004 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is recognized as one of the most frequently occurring malignant types of liver cancer globally, making the identification of biomarkers critically important. The aim of the present study was to identify the genes involved in the anticancer effects of flavonoid compounds so that they may be used as targets for cancer treatment. Sinensetin (SIN), an isolated polymethoxyflavone monomer compound, possesses broad antitumor activities in vitro. Therefore, the identification of a transcriptome profile on the condition of cells treated with SIN may aid to better understand the genes involved and its mechanism of action. Genomic profiling studies of cancer are increasing rapidly in order to provide gene expression data that can reveal prognostic biomarkers to combat liver cancer. In the present study, high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to reveal differential gene expression patterns between SIN-treated and SIN-untreated human liver cancer HepG2 cells. A total of 43 genes were identified to be differentially expressed (39 downregulated and 4 upregulated in the SIN-treated group compared with the SIN-untreated group). An extensive network analysis for these 43 genes resulted in the identification of 10 upregulated highly interconnected hub genes that contributed to the progression of cancer. Functional enrichment analysis of these 10 hub genes revealed their involvement in the regulation of apoptotic processes, immune response and tumor necrosis factor production. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of these 10 genes were evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and the results were consistent with the RNA-seq data. Overall, the results of the present study revealed differentially expressed genes involved in cancer after SIN treatment in HepG2 cells and may help to develop strategies targeting these genes for treating liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong Min Kim
- Research Institute of Life Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Shailima Rampogu
- Division of Life Science, Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Plus), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Preethi Vetrivel
- Research Institute of Life Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Apoorva M Kulkarni
- Division of Life Science, Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Plus), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Eun Ha
- Research Institute of Life Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Hun Hwan Kim
- Research Institute of Life Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Keun Woo Lee
- Division of Life Science, Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Plus), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Gon Sup Kim
- Research Institute of Life Science and College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam 52828, Republic of Korea
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Dong L, Cao X, Luo Y, Zhang G, Zhang D. A Positive Feedback Loop of lncRNA DSCR8/miR-98-5p/STAT3/HIF-1α Plays a Role in the Progression of Ovarian Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1713. [PMID: 32984052 PMCID: PMC7492662 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Accumulating studies have revealed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) contribute to ovarian cancer (OC). DSCR8 has been found to mediate hepatocellular carcinoma development, while its role in OC remains to be explored. Methods In this study, lncRNA DSCR8 and miR-98-5p expressions in OC tissues and adjacent non-cancer tissues were determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Besides, gain-of-function or loss-of-function assays of DSCR8 and miR-98-5p were conducted on OC cell lines SKOV-3 and A2780. Cell proliferation was detected with Cell Counting Kit (CCK)8 and colony formation assay, and western blot was used to test the apoptotic levels of OC cells. Transwell assay was conducted to examine cell invasion, and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of OC cells was tested by western blot. Moreover, luciferase activity assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were conducted to verify the relationships between DSCR8 and miR-98-5p, miR-98-5p, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Results DSCR8 was remarkedly increased in OC tissues and associated with poorer survival of OC patients. Overexpressing DSCR8 promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT but inhibited apoptosis. On the other hand, miR-98-5p was downregulated in OC tissues and relieved the progression of OC. Moreover, overexpressed DSCR8 increased the levels of STAT3 and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and dampened the functions of miR-98-5p on OC. Pharmaceutical intervention of STAT3 and HIF-1α significantly altered the expressions of DSCR8 and miR-98-5p. Conclusion The present results suggested a positive feedback loop of lncRNA DSCR8/miR-98-5p/STAT3/HIF-α axis in the progression of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Dong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xuejiao Cao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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Camero S, Camicia L, Marampon F, Ceccarelli S, Shukla R, Mannarino O, Pizer B, Schiavetti A, Pizzuti A, Tombolini V, Marchese C, Dominici C, Megiorni F. BET inhibition therapy counteracts cancer cell survival, clonogenic potential and radioresistance mechanisms in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Cancer Lett 2020; 479:71-88. [PMID: 32200036 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The antitumour effects of OTX015, a first-in-class BET inhibitor (BETi), were investigated as a single agent or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) in preclinical in vitro models of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma. Herein, we demonstrated the upregulation of BET Bromodomain gene expression in RMS tumour biopsies and cell lines compared to normal skeletal muscle. In vitro experiments showed that OTX015 significantly reduced RMS cell proliferation by altering cell cycle modulators and apoptotic related proteins due to the accumulation of DNA breaks that cells are unable to repair. Interestingly, OTX015 also impaired migration capacity and tumour-sphere architecture by downregulating pro-stemness genes and was able to potentiate ionizing radiation effects by reducing the expression of different drivers of tumour dissemination and resistance mechanisms, including the GNL3 gene, that we correlated for the first time with the RMS phenotype. In conclusion, our research sheds further light on the molecular events of OTX015 action against RMS cells and indicates this novel BETi as an effective option to improve therapeutic strategies and overcome the development of resistant cancer cells in patients with RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Camero
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rajeev Shukla
- Department of Perinatal and Paediatric Pathology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Olga Mannarino
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Barry Pizer
- Department of Oncology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP, UK.
| | - Amalia Schiavetti
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Antonio Pizzuti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Carlo Dominici
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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