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Wang Y, Zhang J, Yang Y, Chen J, Tan F, Zheng J. Single-cell analysis revealed that MTIF2 could promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression through modulating the ROS pathway. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34438. [PMID: 39082024 PMCID: PMC11284438 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34438] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Aims To analyze the expression of mitochondrial translational initiation factor 2 (MTIF2) and the biological functions of the gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Background The treatment of HCC treatment and its prognostic prediction are limited by a lack of comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms in HCC. OBJECTIVE: To determine the cells expressing MTIF2 in HCC and the function of the MTIF2+ cell subpopulation. Methods Gene expression analysis on TIMER 2.0, UALCAN, and GEPIA databases was performed to measure the expression of MTIF2 in HCC tissues. Cell clustering subgroups and annotation were conducted based on the single-cell sequencing data of HCC and paracancerous tissues in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. MTIF2 expression in different cell types was analyzed. Further, biological pathways potentially regulated by MTIF2 in each cell type were identified. In addition, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of MTIF2 with genes in its regulated biological pathways were developed. The cell function assay was performed to verify the effects of superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2) and MTIF2 on HCC cells. Finally, we screened virtual drugs targeting MTIF2 and SOD2 employing database screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics. Results MTIF2 showed a remarkably high expression in HCC tissues. We identified a total of 10 cell types between HCC tissues and paracancerous tissues. MTIF2 expression was upregulated in epithelial cells, macrophages, and hepatocytes. More importantly, high-expressed MTIF2 in HCC tissues was mainly derived from epithelial cells and hepatocytes, in which the reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway was significantly positively correlated with MTIF2. In the PPI network, there was a unique interaction pair between SOD2 and MTIF2 in the ROS pathway. Cell function experiments showed that overexpression of MTIF2 enhanced the proliferative and invasive capacities of HCC, which could synergize with SOD2 to co-promote the development of HCC. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations showed that DB00183 maintained a high structural stability with MTIF2 and SOD2 proteins during the simulation process. Conclusion Our study confirmed that the high-expressed MTIF2 in HCC tissues was derived from epithelial cells and hepatocytes. MTIF2 might act on SOD2 to regulate the ROS pathway, thereby affective the progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Medical and Healthcare Center, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Jingqiu Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Jinhao Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Fengwu Tan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Jinfang Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
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Wang X, Yang X, Liu Z, Shen Z, Li M, Cheng R, Zhao L, Xi Y, Wang J, Sang S. 3D bioprinting of an in vitro hepatoma microenvironment model: Establishment, evaluation, and anticancer drug testing. Acta Biomater 2024:S1742-7061(24)00386-6. [PMID: 39025391 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.07.019] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Tumor behavior, including its response to treatments, is influenced by interactions between mesenchymal and malignant cells, as well as their spatial arrangement. To study tumor biology and evaluate anticancer drugs, accurate 3D tumor models are essential. Here, we developed an in vitro biomimetic hepatoma microenvironment model by combining an extracellular matrix (3DM-7721). Initially, the internal grid structure, composed of 10/6 % GelMA/gelatin loaded with SMMC-7721 cells, was printed using 3D bioprinting. The external component consisted of fibroblasts and human umbilical vein endothelial cells loaded with 10/3 % GelMA/gelatin. A control model (3DP-7721) lacked external cell loading. GelMA/gelatin hydrogels provided robust structural support and biocompatibility. The SMMC-7721 cells in the 3DM-7721 model exhibit superior tumor-associated gene expression and proliferation characteristics when compared to the 3DP-7721 model. Furthermore, the 3DM-7721 type exhibited increased resistance to anticancer agents. SMMC-7721 cells in the 3DM-7721 model exhibit significant tumorigenicity in nude mice. The 3DM-7721 model group showed pathological characteristics of malignant tumors, with a high degree of deterioration, and a significant positive correlation between malignant tumor-related gene pathways. This high-fidelity 3DM-7721 tumor microenvironment model is invaluable for studying tumor progression, devising effective treatment strategies, and discovering drugs. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyuan Wang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Micro Nano Sensors & Artificial Intelligence Perception, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Xiaoning Yang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Micro Nano Sensors & Artificial Intelligence Perception, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Zixian Liu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Micro Nano Sensors & Artificial Intelligence Perception, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Key Lab of Advanced Transducers and Intelligent Control System of the Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Zhizhong Shen
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Micro Nano Sensors & Artificial Intelligence Perception, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Meng Li
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Micro Nano Sensors & Artificial Intelligence Perception, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Shanxi Institute of 6D Artificial Intelligence Biomedical Science, Taiyuan 030031, China
| | - Rong Cheng
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Micro Nano Sensors & Artificial Intelligence Perception, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Shanxi Institute of 6D Artificial Intelligence Biomedical Science, Taiyuan 030031, China
| | - Liting Zhao
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Yanfeng Xi
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | | | - Shengbo Sang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Micro Nano Sensors & Artificial Intelligence Perception, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Shanxi-Zheda Institute of Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan 030024, China.
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3
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El-Kholy MA, Abu-Seadah SS, Hasan A, Elhussiny MEA, Abdelwahed MS, Hanbazazh M, Samman A, Alrashdi SA, Rashed ZF, Ashmawy D, Othman AE, Abdelaleem MF, Abo-Saif AIA, Abdel-Maqsoud RR, Attiah SM, Assiri ES, Nasr M, Ismail KA, Saad DZ, El-Mosely MM. The Role of Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule Cancer Stem Cell Marker in Evaluation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:915. [PMID: 38929532 PMCID: PMC11205386 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent form of malignancy that is characterized by high mortality rates and prognosis that remain suboptimal, largely due to treatment resistance mechanisms. Recent studies have implicated cancer stem cells (CSCs), particularly those expressing epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), in HCC progression and resistance. In the present study, we sought to assess EpCAM expression in HCC patients and its correlation with various clinicopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: Tissue samples from 42 HCC patients were subjected to immunohistochemical staining to evaluate EpCAM expression. Clinicopathological data were obtained including the size, grade and stage of tumors, vascular invasion status, alpha-fetoprotein levels, and cirrhosis status. The Chi square and Fisher's exact tests were employed to assess the association between categorical groups. Independent Student-t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to investigate the association between continuous patient characteristics and survival. Results: Immunohistochemical analysis revealed EpCAM expression in 52.5% of HCC cases. EpCAM-positive tumors exhibited characteristics indicative of aggressive disease, including larger tumor sizes (p = 0.006), greater tumor multiplicity (p = 0.004), higher grades (p = 0.002), more advanced stages (p = 0.003), vascular invasion (p = 0.023), elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels (p = 0.013), and cirrhosis (p = 0.052). Survival analysis demonstrated that EpCAM expression was significantly associated with lower overall rates of survival and higher rates of recurrence in HCC patients. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that EpCAM expression may serve as a prognostic biomarker for HCC with a potential role in patient management. Targeting EpCAM-positive CSCs may represent a promising approach to overcome treatment resistance and improve clinical outcomes in HCC. However, further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying EpCAM's role in HCC progression is warranted to facilitate the development of personalized therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa A. El-Kholy
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Shimaa S. Abu-Seadah
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Abdulkarim Hasan
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed E. A. Elhussiny
- General Medicine Practice Program, Histology Department, Batterjee Medical Collage, Aseer 61421, Saudi Arabia
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S. Abdelwahed
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 23218, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mehenaz Hanbazazh
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 23218, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulhadi Samman
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 23218, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saeed A. Alrashdi
- Laboratory Department, Al-Mezailef General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Al-Mezailef 21912, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zaky F. Rashed
- Anesthesia Department, College of Applied Sciences, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 71666, Saudi Arabia
- Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Diaa Ashmawy
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta 34517, Egypt
| | - Alyaa E. Othman
- Infectious Diseases Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | | | - Amany I. A. Abo-Saif
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Rania R. Abdel-Maqsoud
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Samah M. Attiah
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Eissa Saeed Assiri
- Laboratory Department, Aseer Central Hospital, Ministry of Health, Abha 62523, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Nasr
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Khadiga Ahmed Ismail
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Diana Z. Saad
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Marwa M. El-Mosely
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
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Swain T, Pflueger C, Freytag S, Poppe D, Pflueger J, Nguyen T, Li J, Lister R. A modular dCas9-based recruitment platform for combinatorial epigenome editing. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:474-491. [PMID: 38000387 PMCID: PMC10783489 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted epigenome editing tools allow precise manipulation and investigation of genome modifications, however they often display high context dependency and variable efficacy between target genes and cell types. While systems that simultaneously recruit multiple distinct 'effector' chromatin regulators can improve efficacy, they generally lack control over effector composition and spatial organisation. To overcome this we have created a modular combinatorial epigenome editing platform, called SSSavi. This system is an interchangeable and reconfigurable docking platform fused to dCas9 that enables simultaneous recruitment of up to four different effectors, allowing precise control of effector composition and spatial ordering. We demonstrate the activity and specificity of the SSSavi system and, by testing it against existing multi-effector targeting systems, demonstrate its comparable efficacy. Furthermore, we demonstrate the importance of the spatial ordering of the recruited effectors for effective transcriptional regulation. Together, the SSSavi system enables exploration of combinatorial effector co-recruitment to enhance manipulation of chromatin contexts previously resistant to targeted editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Swain
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Christian Pflueger
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Saskia Freytag
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Daniel Poppe
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Jahnvi Pflueger
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Trung Viet Nguyen
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Ji Kevin Li
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Ryan Lister
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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5
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Dos Reis Oliveira C, Pereira JC, Barros Ibiapina A, Roseno Martins IR, de Castro E Sousa JM, Ferreira PMP, Carneiro da Silva FC. Buthionine sulfoximine and chemoresistance in cancer treatments: a systematic review with meta-analysis of preclinical studies. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2023; 26:417-441. [PMID: 37606035 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2023.2246876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) is a synthetic amino acid that blocks the biosynthesis of reduced glutathione (GSH), an endogenous antioxidant cellular component present in tumor cells. GSH levels have been associated with tumor cell resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and platinum compounds. Consequently, by depleting GSH, BSO enhances the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents in drug-resistant tumors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis of preclinical studies utilizing BSO in cancer treatments. The systematic search was carried out using the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE up until March 20, 2023, in order to collect preclinical studies that evaluated BSO, alone or in association, as a strategy for antineoplastic therapy. One hundred nine investigations were found to assess the cytotoxic potential of BSO alone or in combination with other compounds. Twenty-one of these met the criteria for performing the meta-analysis. The evidence gathered indicated that BSO alone exhibits cytotoxic activity. However, this compound is generally used in combination with other antineoplastic strategies, mainly chemotherapy ones, to improve cytotoxicity to carcinogenic cells and treatment efficacy. Finally, this review provides important considerations regarding BSO use in cancer treatment conditions, which might optimize future studies as a potential adjuvant antineoplastic therapeutic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joedna Cavalcante Pereira
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancerology (LabCancer), Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
| | | | | | - João Marcelo de Castro E Sousa
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
- Laboratory of Toxicological Genetics (Lapgenic), Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
| | - Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancerology (LabCancer), Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
| | - Felipe Cavalcanti Carneiro da Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
- Laboratory of Toxicological Genetics (Lapgenic), Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
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6
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Amin MN, El-Far YM, El-Mowafy M, Elgaml A. Tazemetostat decreases β-catenin and CD13 protein expression in HEPG-2 and Hepatitis B virus-transfected HEPG-2 with decreased cell viability. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:180. [PMID: 37941056 PMCID: PMC10634085 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01593-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the global health concerns. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the major causes of HCC. Poor clinical outcome of HCC patients is attributed to a small population of cancer cells known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this work, we studied the effect of inhibiting the enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase known to be overexpressed in CSCs, using tazemetostat (Taz). The effect of Taz was assessed in the HCC cell line (HEPG2) and Hepatitis B virus-transfected HEPG2 (HBV/HEPG2) cells. MTT assay showed a significant decrease in HEPG2 cells viability after 48 h treatment with either 0.5, 1, 4 or 6 μM Taz. HEPG2 and HBV/HEPG2 cells were incubated with either 0.5 or 1 μM Taz for 48 h, and then, the cells and supernatants were collected for protein expression analysis of EZH2, CD13, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and β-catenin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Taz showed a significant dose-dependent inhibition of EZH2, CD13 and β-catenin in HEPG2 and HBV/HEPG2 cells. Also, EpCAM protein levels were significantly decreased in HBV/HEPG2 but not in HEPG2 cell line alone. Our results indicate that Taz inhibition of EZH2 leads to downregulation of β-catenin signaling and eventually decreased expression of CD13 and EpCAM, which are characteristic for CSCs. The present study suggests that Taz could be a promising treatment for HCC including HBV-induced HCC that might be used in combination with radio/chemotherapy to target CSCs and prevent tumor relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed N Amin
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Yousra M El-Far
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Mohammed El-Mowafy
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Abdelaziz Elgaml
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt.
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University, New Damietta, 34518, Egypt.
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7
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Vij M, Menon J, Subbiah K, Raju LP, Gowrisankar G, Shanmugum N, Kaliamoorthy I, Rammohan A, Rela M. Pathologic and Immunophenotypic Characterization of Syncytial Giant Cell Variant of Pediatric Hepatocellular Carcinoma. A Distinct Subtype. Fetal Pediatr Pathol 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37071763 DOI: 10.1080/15513815.2023.2201318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in pediatrics has a uniformly poor prognosis. Complete surgical resection or liver transplantation remain the only curative options. In contrast to adult HCC, literature on pediatric HCC is sparse and a majority of the distinct subtypes are undefined with regards to their histology, immunohistochemistry and prognosis. CASE REPORT Two infants, one with biliary atresia and another with transaldolase deficiency, underwent living donor liver transplants. Explant-liver histopathology revealed tumor with diffuse neoplastic syncytial giant cell pattern. Immunophenotypic characterization highlighted expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule, alpha fetoprotein and metallothionein. CONCLUSION HCC with syncytial giant cells variant can occur in infants with underlying liver disease, specifically in our experience, with biliary atresia and another with transaldolase deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukul Vij
- Department of Pathology, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jagadeesh Menon
- The Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Komalavalli Subbiah
- The Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Lexmi Priya Raju
- Department of Pathology, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Gowripriya Gowrisankar
- Department of Pathology, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Naresh Shanmugum
- The Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy
- The Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ashwin Rammohan
- The Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mohamed Rela
- The Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation, Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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8
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He R, Xu Y, Yu L, Meng N, Wang H, Cui Y, Yam JWP. Extracellular Vesicles Act as Carriers for Cargo Delivery and Regulate Wnt Signaling in the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072088. [PMID: 37046749 PMCID: PMC10093647 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
As the primary type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) causes a large number of deaths every year. Despite extensive research conducted on this disease, the prognosis of HCC remains unclear. Recently, research has largely focused on extracellular vesicles (EVs), and they have been found to participate in various ways in the development of various diseases, including HCC, such as by regulating cell signaling pathways. However, recent studies have reported the mechanisms underlying the regulation of Wnt signaling by EVs in HCC, primarily focusing on the regulation of the canonical pathways. This review summarizes the current literature on the regulation of Wnt signaling by EVs in HCC and their underlying mechanisms. In addition, we also present future research directions in this field. This will deepen the understanding of HCC and provide new ideas for its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risheng He
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563006, China
- Key Laboratory of Functional and Clinical Translational Medicine, Fujian Province University, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen 361000, China
- Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Tumor Targeted Nano Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310063, China
- Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Pharmacy and Individualized Therapy of Huzhou, Department of Pharmacy, Changxing People’s Hospital, Changxing 313000, China
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Liang Yu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Nanfeng Meng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Hang Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Yunfu Cui
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China
| | - Judy Wai Ping Yam
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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9
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Huang M, Xiang Y, Chen Y, Lu H, Zhang H, Liu F, Qin X, Qin X, Li X, Yang F. Bottom-Up Signal Boosting with Fractal Nanostructuring and Primer Exchange Reaction for Ultrasensitive Detection of Cancerous Exosomes. ACS Sens 2023; 8:1308-1317. [PMID: 36855267 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c02819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Exosomes are emerging as promising biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, yet sensitive and accurate quantification of tumor-derived exosomes remains a challenge. Here, we report an ultrasensitive and specific exosome sensor (NPExo) that initially leverages hierarchical nanostructuring array and primer exchange reaction (PER) for quantitation of cancerous exosomes. This NPExo uses a high-curvature nanostructuring array (bottom) fabricated by single-step electrodeposition to enhance capturing of the target exosomes. The immuno-captured exosome thus provides abundant membrane sites to insert numerous cholesterol-DNA probes with a density much higher than that by immune pairing, which further allows PER-based DNA extension to assemble enzyme concatemers (up) for signal amplification. Such a bottom-up signal-boosting design imparts NPExo with ultrahigh sensitivity up to 75 particles/mL (i.e., <1 exosome per 10 μL) and a broad dynamic range spanning 6 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, our sensor allows monitoring subtle exosomal phenotypic transition and shows high accuracy in discrimination of liver cancer patients from healthy donors via blood samples, suggesting the great potential of NPExo as a promising tool in clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minmin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Yuanhang Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Hao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Fengfei Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xiaoling Qin
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xiaojie Qin
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xinchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Micro-Nanoscale Bioanalysis and Drug Screening of Guangxi Education Department, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules Research and Evaluation, Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
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10
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He Z, Chen Q, He W, Cao J, Yao S, Huang Q, Zheng Y. Hepatocellular carcinoma subtypes based on metabolic pathways reveals potential therapeutic targets. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1086604. [PMID: 36937389 PMCID: PMC10017446 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1086604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignancy with steadily increasing incidence rates worldwide and poor therapeutic outcomes. Studies show that metabolic reprogramming plays a key role in tumor genesis and progression. In this study, we analyzed the metabolic heterogeneity of epithelial cells in the HCC and screened for potential biomarkers. Methods The hepatic single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets of HCC patients and healthy controls were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Based on data intergration and measurement of differences among groups, the metabolic epithelial cell subpopulations were identified. The single-cell metabolic pathway was analyzed and the myeloid subpopulations were identified. Cell-cell interaction analysis and single-cell proliferation analysis were performed. The gene expression profiles of HCC patients were obtained from the GSE14520 dataset of GEO and TCGA-LIHC cohort of the UCSC Xena website. Immune analysis was performed. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and functionally annotated. Tumor tissues from HCC patients were probed with anti-ALDOA, anti-CD68, anti-CD163, anti-CD4 and anti-FOXP3 antibodies. Results We analyzed the scRNA-seq data from 48 HCC patients and 14 healthy controls. The epithelial cells were significantly enriched in HCC patients compared to the controls (p = 0.011). The epithelial cells from HCC patients were classified into two metabolism-related subpopulations (MRSs) - pertaining to amino acid metabolism (MRS1) and glycolysis (MRS2). Depending on the abundance of these metabolic subpopulations, the HCC patients were also classified into the MRS1 and MRS2 subtype distinct prognoses and immune infiltration. The MRS2 group had significantly worse clinical outcomes and more inflamed tumor microenvironment (TME), as well as a stronger crosstalk between MRS2 cells and immune subpopulations that resulted in an immunosuppressive TME. We also detected high expression levels of ALDOA in the MRS2 cells and HCC tissues. In the clinical cohort, HCC patients with higher ALDOA expression showed greater enrichment of immunosuppressive cells including M2 macrophages and T regulatory cells. Discussion The glycolytic subtype of HCC cells with high ALDOA expression is associated with an immunosuppressive TME and predicts worse clinical outcomes, providing new insights into the metabolism and prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehua He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- School of Computer, Electronic and Information, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- *Correspondence: Qingfeng Chen,
| | - Wanrong He
- Department of Gastroenterology, People’s Hospital of Guangxi, Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Junyue Cao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shunhan Yao
- Medical College, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qingqiang Huang
- Guigang City Department of Radiology, People’s Hospital, Guigang, Guangxi, China
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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11
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Zhang G, Hou Y. Screening for aberrantly methylated and differentially expressed genes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with cirrhosis. World J Surg Oncol 2022; 20:364. [PMCID: PMC9673405 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-022-02828-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as the leading chronic liver disease worldwide causes hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to find potential aberrantly methylated and differentially expressed genes in NAFLD of HCC patients with cirrhosis.
Methods
DNA methylation data, mRNA expression data, and the corresponding clinical information of HCC were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, tissue sample) database. HCC patients with cirrhosis were divided into two groups according to the presence of NAFLD. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were obtained.
Results
By overlapping 79 up-regulated genes and 1020 hypomethylated genes, we obtained 5 hypomethylated-highly expressed genes (HypoHGs). By overlapping 365 down-regulated genes and 481 hypermethylated genes, we identified 13 hypermethylated-lowly expressed genes (Hyper-LGs). Survival analysis of these 18 MDEGs indicated that the expression of DGKK and HOXD9 was significantly correlated with the overall survival time of NAFLD patients.
Conclusions
We identified several candidate genes whose expressions were regulated by DNA methylation of NAFLD of HCC with cirrhosis, which may provide a new field in understanding the clinical pathological mechanism of NAFLD of HCC with cirrhosis.
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12
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Chen W, Wang R, Zhao Y, Li Y, Wang X, Peng W, Bai S, Zheng M, Liu M, Cheng B. CD44v6+ Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Maintain Stemness Properties through Met/cJun/Nanog Signaling. Stem Cells Int 2022; 2022:5853707. [PMID: 36387747 PMCID: PMC9663228 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5853707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are characterized by their self-renewal and differentiation abilities. CD44v6 is a novel CSC marker that can activate various signaling pathways. Here, we hypothesized that the HGF/Met signaling pathway promotes stemness properties in CD44v6+ hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells via overexpression of the transcription factor, cJun, thus representing a valuable target for HCC therapy. Magnetic activated cell sorting was used to separate the CD44v6+ from CD44v6- cells, and Met levels were regulated using lentiviral particles and the selective Met inhibitor, PHA665752. An orthotopic liver xenograft tumor model was used to assess the self-renewal ability of CD44v6+ cells in immunodeficient NOD/SCID mice. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were also conducted using cJun-overexpressing 293 T cells to identify the exact binding site of cJun in the Nanog promoter. Our data demonstrate that CD44v6 is an ideal surface marker of liver CSCs. CD44v6+ HCC cells express higher levels of Met and possess self-renewal and tumor growth abilities. Xenograft liver tumors were smaller in nude mice injected with shMet HCC cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of liver tissue specimens revealed that high Met levels in HCC cells were associated with poor patient prognosis. Further, a cJun binding site was identified 1700 bp upstream of the Nanog transcription start site and mutation of the cJun binding site reduced Nanog expression. In conclusion, the HGF/Met signaling pathway is important for maintenance of stemness in CD44v6+ HCC cells by enhancing expression of cJun, which binds 1700 bp upstream of the Nanog transcription start site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
| | - Ronghua Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
| | - Yuchong Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
| | - Yawen Li
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China 563003
| | - Xiju Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
- Department of Digestive Endoscopy, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyi Street No. 28, Guiyang, Guizhou, China 550000
| | - Wang Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
| | - Shuya Bai
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
| | - Mengli Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
| | - Man Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Taikang Tongji Wuhan Hospital, Wuhan, China 430050
| | - Bin Cheng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China 430030
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13
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Hasannia M, Abnous K, Taghdisi SM, Nekooei S, Ramezani M, Alibolandi M. Synthesis of doxorubicin-loaded peptosomes hybridized with gold nanorod for targeted drug delivery and CT imaging of metastatic breast cancer. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:391. [PMID: 36045404 PMCID: PMC9429417 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01607-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer nanomedicines based on synthetic polypeptides have attracted much attention due to their superior biocompatibility and biodegradability, stimuli responsive capability through secondary conformation change, adjustable functionalities for various cargos such as peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and small therapeutic molecules. Recently, a few nanoformulations based on polypeptides comprising NK105, NC6004, NK911, CT2103, have entered phase I-III clinical trials for advanced solid tumors therapy. In the current study, we prepared polypeptide-based vesicles called peptosome via self-assembly of amphiphilic polypeptide-based PEG-PBLG diblock copolymer. RESULTS In this regard, poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate (PBLG) was synthesized via ring opening polymerization (ROP) of γ-benzyl L-glutamate-N-carboxyanhydride (BLG-NCA) using N-hexylamine as initiator. Then amine-terminated PBLG was covalently conjugated to heterofuctional maleimide PEG-carboxylic acid or methyl-PEG-carboxylic acid. The PEG-PBLG peptosomes were prepared through double emulsion method for the co-delivery of doxorubicin.HCl and gold nanorods as hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents in interior compartment and membrane of peptosomes, respectively (Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX) that DOX encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity were determined 42 ± 3.6 and 1.68 ± 3.6. Then, theranostic peptosomes were decorated with thiol-functionalized EpCAM aptamer throught thiol-maleimide reaction producing Apt-Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX for targeted delivery. The non-targeted and targeted peptosomes showed 165.5 ± 1.1 and 185 ± 4.7 nm diameters, respectively while providing sustained, controlled release of DOX. Furthermore, non-targeted and targeted peptosomes showed considerable serum stability. In vitro study on MCF-7 and 4T1 cells showed significantly higher cytotoxicity for Apt-Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX in comparison with Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX while both system did not show any difference in cytotoxicity against CHO cell line. Furthermore, Apt-Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX illustrated higher cellular uptake toward EpCAM-overexpressing 4T1 cells compared to Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX. In preclinical stage, therapeutic and diagnostic capability of the prepared Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX and Apt-Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX were investigated implementing subcutaneous 4T1 tumor model in BALB/c mice. The obtained data indicated highest therapeutic index for Apt-Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX compared to Pep@MUA.GNR-DOX and free DOX. Moreover, the prepared system showed capability of CT imaging of tumor tissue in 4T1 tumorized mice through tumor accumulation even 24 h post-administration. CONCLUSION In this regard, the synthesized theranostic peptosomes offer innovative hybrid multipurpose platform for fighting against breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maliheh Hasannia
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Student Research Committee, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Khalil Abnous
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Taghdisi
- Targeted Drug Delivery Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sirous Nekooei
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ramezani
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Nanotechnology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Mona Alibolandi
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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14
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Combined Targeting of AKT and mTOR Inhibits Tumor Formation of EpCAM+ and CD90+ Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells in an Orthotopic Mouse Model. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081882. [PMID: 35454789 PMCID: PMC9024696 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081882] [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: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and Thy-1 cell surface antigen (CD90) have been implicated as cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Expression of EpCAM and CD90 on HCC cells is associated with increased tumorigenicity, metastasis and poor prognosis. In this study, we demonstrate that combined treatment with AKT and mTOR inhibitors—i.e., MK2206 and RAD001—results in a synergistic reduction in proliferation of EpCAM+ and CD90+ HCC cells cultured either as adherent cells or as tumoroids in vitro. In addition, tumor growth was reduced by combined treatment with AKT and mTOR inhibitors in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model of an EpCAM+ HCC cell line (Huh7) and primary patient-derived EpCAM+ HCC cells (HCC1) as well as a CD90+ HCC-related cell line (SK-HEP1) in vivo. However, during AKT/mTOR treatment, outgrowth of therapy-resistant tumors was observed in all mice analyzed within a few weeks. Resistance was associated in most cases with restoration of AKT signaling in the tumors, intrahepatic metastases and distant metastases. In addition, an upregulation of the p38 MAPK pathway was identified in the AKT/mTOR inhibitor-resistant tumor cells by kinome profiling. The development of resistant cells during AKT/mTOR therapy was further analyzed by red-green-blue (RGB) marking of HCC cells, which revealed an outgrowth of a large number of Huh7 cells over a period of 6 months. In summary, our data demonstrate that combined treatment with AKT and mTOR inhibitors exhibits synergistic effects on proliferation of EpCAM+ as well as CD90+ HCC cells in vitro. However, the fast development of large numbers of resistant clones under AKT/mTOR therapy observed in vitro and in the orthotopic xenotransplantation mouse model in vivo strongly suggests that this therapy alone will not be sufficient to eliminate EpCAM+ or CD90+ cancer stem cells from HCC patients.
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15
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Motawi TMK, Sadik NAH, Sabry D, Fahim SA, Shahin NN. rs62139665 Polymorphism in the Promoter Region of EpCAM Is Associated With Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in Egyptians. Front Oncol 2022; 11:754104. [PMID: 35070966 PMCID: PMC8766815 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.754104] [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: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a universal health problem that is particularly alarming in Egypt. The major risk factor for HCC is hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection which is a main burden in Egypt. The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a stem cell marker involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of many malignancies, including HCC. We investigated the association of -935 C/G single nucleotide polymorphism in EpCAM promoter region (rs62139665) with HCC risk, EpCAM expression and overall survival in Egyptians. A total of 266 patients (128 HCV and 138 HCC cases) and 117 age- and sex-matched controls participated in this study. Genotyping, performed using allelic discrimination and confirmed by sequencing, revealed a significant association between EpCAM rs62139665 and HCC susceptibility, with higher GG genotype and G allele distribution in HCC patients than in non-HCC subjects. Such association was not detected in HCV patients compared to controls. EpCAM gene expression levels, determined in blood by RT-qPCR, and its serum protein expression levels, determined by ELISA, were significantly higher in GG relative to GC+CC genotype carriers in HCV and HCC patients in a recessive model. ROC analysis of EpCAM protein levels revealed significant discriminatory power between HCC patients and non-HCC subjects, with improved diagnostic accuracy when combining α-fetoprotein and EpCAM compared to that of α-fetoprotein alone. Altogether, EpCAM rs62139665 polymorphism is significantly associated with HCC and with EpCAM gene and protein expression levels in the Egyptian population. Moreover, serum EpCAM levels may hold promise for HCC diagnosis and for improving the diagnostic accuracy of α-fetoprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dina Sabry
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Badr University in Cairo, Badr City, Egypt.,Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sally Atef Fahim
- Biochemistry Department, School of Pharmacy, Newgiza University (NGU), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nancy Nabil Shahin
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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16
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Huang SL, Wang YM, Wang QY, Feng GG, Wu FQ, Yang LM, Zhang XH, Xin HW. Mechanisms and Clinical Trials of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Immunotherapy. Front Genet 2021; 12:691391. [PMID: 34306031 PMCID: PMC8296838 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.691391] [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: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common and lethal tumors worldwide, is usually not diagnosed until the disease is advanced, which results in ineffective intervention and unfavorable prognosis. Small molecule targeted drugs of HCC, such as sorafenib, provided only about 2.8 months of survival benefit, partially due to cancer stem cell resistance. There is an urgent need for the development of new treatment strategies for HCC. Tumor immunotherapies, including immune check point inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) and bispecific antibodies (BsAb), have shown significant potential. It is known that the expression level of glypican-3 (GPC3) was significantly increased in HCC compared with normal liver tissues. A bispecific antibody (GPC3-S-Fabs) was reported to recruit NK cells to target GPC3 positive cancer cells. Besides, bispecific T-cell Engagers (BiTE), including GPC3/CD3, an aptamer TLS11a/CD3 and EpCAM/CD3, were recently reported to efficiently eliminate HCC cells. It is known that immune checkpoint proteins programmed death-1 (PD-1) binding by programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) activates immune checkpoints of T cells. Anti-PD-1 antibody was reported to suppress HCC progression. Furthermore, GPC3-based HCC immunotherapy has been shown to be a curative approach to prolong the survival time of patients with HCC in clinically trials. Besides, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor may inhibit the migration, invasion and angiogenesis of HCC. Here we review the cutting-edge progresses on mechanisms and clinical trials of HCC immunotherapy, which may have significant implication in our understanding of HCC and its immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Li Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Doctoral Scientific Research Center, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yu-Ming Wang
- Department of Spinal and Neural Functional Reconstruction, Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China.,School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Guang-Gui Feng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Fu-Qing Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Liu-Ming Yang
- Doctoral Scientific Research Center, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xi-He Zhang
- Doctoral Scientific Research Center, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Hong-Wu Xin
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
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17
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The inhibition of ABCB1/MDR1 or ABCG2/BCRP enables doxorubicin to eliminate liver cancer stem cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10791. [PMID: 34031441 PMCID: PMC8144399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89931-9] [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: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Two ATP-binding cassette transporters, ABCB1/MDR1 and ABCG2/BCRP, are considered the most critical determinants for chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, their roles in the chemoresistance in liver cancer stem cells remain elusive. Here we explored the role of inhibition of MDR1 or ABCG2 in sensitizing liver cancer stem cells to doxorubicin, the most frequently used chemotherapeutic agent in treating liver cancer. We show that the inhibition of MDR1 or ABCG2 in Huh7 and PLC/PRF/5 cells using either pharmacological inhibitors or RNAi resulted in the elevated level of intracellular concentration of doxorubicin and the accompanied increased apoptosis as determined by confocal microscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, flow cytometry, and annexin V assay. Notably, the inhibition of MDR1 or ABCG2 led to the reversal of the chemoresistance, as evident from the enhanced death of the chemoresistant liver cancer stem cells in tumorsphere-forming assays. Thus, the elevation of effective intracellular concentration of doxorubicin via the inhibition of MDR1 or ABCG2 represents a promising future strategy that transforms doxorubicin from a traditional chemotherapy agent into a robust killer of liver cancer stem cells for patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.
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18
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Nia A, Dhanasekaran R. Genomic Landscape of HCC. CURRENT HEPATOLOGY REPORTS 2020; 19:448-461. [PMID: 33816052 PMCID: PMC8015384 DOI: 10.1007/s11901-020-00553-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer related mortality in the world and it has limited treatment options. Understanding the molecular drivers of HCC is important to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutics. PURPOSE OF REVIEW HCC arises in a complex background of chronic hepatitis, fibrosis and liver regeneration which lead to genomic changes. Here, we summarize studies that have expanded our understanding of the molecular landscape of HCC. RECENT FINDINGS Recent technological advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) have elucidated specific genetic and molecular programs involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. We summarize the major somatic mutations and epigenetic changes have been identified in NGS-based studies. We also describe promising molecular therapies and immunotherapies which target specific genetic and epigenetic molecular events. SUMMARY The genomic landscape of HCC is incredibly complex and heterogeneous. Promising new developments are helping us decipher the molecular drivers of HCC and leading to new therapies.
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Park DJ, Sung PS, Kim JH, Lee GW, Jang JW, Jung ES, Bae SH, Choi JY, Yoon SK. EpCAM-high liver cancer stem cells resist natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity by upregulating CEACAM1. J Immunother Cancer 2020; 8:jitc-2019-000301. [PMID: 32221015 PMCID: PMC7206970 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Natural killer (NK) cells can recognize and kill cancer cells directly, but their activity can be attenuated by various inhibitory molecules expressed on the surface. The expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a potential marker for cancer stem cells (CSCs), is known to be strongly associated with poor clinical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NK cells targeting CSCs may be a promising strategy for anti-tumor therapy, but little is known about how they respond to EpCAMhigh CSCs in HCC. Methods EpCAM expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 280 human HCC tissues obtained from curative surgery. To investigate the functional activity of NK cells against liver CSCs, EpCAMhigh and EpCAMlow Huh-7 cells were sorted by flow cytometry. The functional role of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1), which is related to NK cells, was determined by in vitro co-culture of NK cells and hepatoma cells using Hepa1–6 mouse hepatoma cells, as well as in vivo experiments using C57/BL6 mice. Results The frequency of recurrence after curative surgery was higher in patients with positive EpCAM expression than in those with negative EpCAM expression. In subsequent analysis based on the anatomical location of EpCAM expression, patients with peritumoral EpCAM expression showed worse prognosis than those with pantumoral EpCAM expression. Co-culture experiments demonstrated that CEACAM1 was upregulated on the surface of EpCAMhigh HCC cells, resulting in resistance to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Inversely, silencing CEACAM1 restored cytotoxicity of NK cells against EpCAMhigh Huh-7 cells. Moreover, neutralizing CEACAM1 on the NK cell surface enhanced killing of Huh-7 cells, suggesting that homophilic interaction of CEACAM1 is responsible for attenuated NK cell–mediated killing of CEACAM1high cells. In mouse experiments with Hepa1–6 cells, EpCAMhigh Hepa1–6 cells formed larger tumors and showed higher CEACAM1 expression after NK cell depletion. NK-mediated cytotoxicity was enhanced after blocking CEACAM1 expression using the anti-CEACAM1 antibody, thereby facilitating tumor regression. Moreover, CEACAM1 expression positively correlated with EpCAM expression in human HCC tissues, and serum CEACAM1 levels were also significantly higher in patients with EpCAM+ HCC. Conclusion Our data demonstrated that EpCAMhigh liver CSCs resist NK cell–mediated cytotoxicity by upregulation of CEACAM1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Jun Park
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Pil Soo Sung
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hee Kim
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gil Won Lee
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Won Jang
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Sun Jung
- Department of Hospital Pathology, College of Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Si Hyun Bae
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Young Choi
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Kew Yoon
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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20
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Younis MA, Khalil IA, Harashima H. Gene Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Highlighting the Journey from Theory to Clinical Applications. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202000087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud A. Younis
- Laboratory of Innovative Nanomedicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Hokkaido University Kita‐12, Nishi‐6, Kita‐ku Sapporo 060‐0812 Japan
- Faculty of Pharmacy Assiut University Assiut 71526 Egypt
| | - Ikramy A. Khalil
- Laboratory of Innovative Nanomedicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Hokkaido University Kita‐12, Nishi‐6, Kita‐ku Sapporo 060‐0812 Japan
- Faculty of Pharmacy Assiut University Assiut 71526 Egypt
| | - Hideyoshi Harashima
- Laboratory of Innovative Nanomedicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Hokkaido University Kita‐12, Nishi‐6, Kita‐ku Sapporo 060‐0812 Japan
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21
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Sun L, Yang H, Wang Y, Zhang X, Jin B, Xie F, Jin Y, Pang Y, Zhao H, Lu X, Sang X, Zhang H, Lin F, Sun W, Huang P, Mao Y. Application of a 3D Bioprinted Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Model in Antitumor Drug Research. Front Oncol 2020; 10:878. [PMID: 32582546 PMCID: PMC7283506 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The existing in vitro models for antitumor drug screening have great limitations. Many compounds that inhibit 2D cultured cells do not exhibit the same pharmacological effects in vivo, thereby wasting human and material resources as well as time during drug development. Therefore, developing new models is critical. The 3D bioprinting technology has greater advantages in constructing human tissue compared with sandwich culture and organoid construction. Here, we used 3D bioprinting technology to construct a 3D model with HepG2 cells (3DP-HepG2). The biological activities of the model were evaluated by immunofluorescence, real-time quantitative PCR, and transcriptome sequencing. Compared with the traditional 2D cultured tumor cells (2D-HepG2), 3DP-HepG2 showed significantly improved expression of tumor-related genes, including ALB, AFP, CD133, IL-8, EpCAM, CD24, and β-TGF genes. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed large differences in gene expression between 3DP-HepG2 and 2D-HepG2, especially genes related to hepatocyte function and tumor. We also compared the effects of antitumor drugs in 3DP-HepG2 and 2D-HepG2, and found that the large differences in drug resistance genes between the models may cause differences in the drugs' pharmacodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lejia Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Huayu Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Yanan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, CAMS and School of Basic Medicine, PUMC, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, CAMS and School of Basic Medicine, PUMC, Beijing, China
| | - Bao Jin
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Feihu Xie
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Yukai Jin
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Pang
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China.,Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Haitao Zhao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Xinting Sang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
| | - Hongbing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, CAMS and School of Basic Medicine, PUMC, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Lin
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China.,Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, China.,Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Pengyu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yilei Mao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, PUMC & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Beijing, China
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22
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Alhabbab RY. Targeting Cancer Stem Cells by Genetically Engineered Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells. Front Genet 2020; 11:312. [PMID: 32391048 PMCID: PMC7188929 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The term cancer stem cell (CSC) starts 25 years ago with the evidence that CSC is a subpopulation of tumor cells that have renewal ability and can differentiate into several distinct linages. Therefore, CSCs play crucial role in the initiation and the maintenance of cancer. Moreover, it has been proposed throughout several studies that CSCs are behind the failure of the conventional chemo-/radiotherapy as well as cancer recurrence due to their ability to resist the therapy and their ability to re-regenerate. Thus, the need for targeted therapy to eliminate CSCs is crucial; for that reason, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has currently been in use with high rate of success in leukemia and, to some degree, in patients with solid tumors. This review outlines the most common CSC populations and their common markers, in particular CD133, CD90, EpCAM, CD44, ALDH, and EGFRVIII, the interaction between CSCs and the immune system, CAR T cell genetic engineering and signaling, CAR T cells in targeting CSCs, and the barriers in using CAR T cells as immunotherapy to treat solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowa Y. Alhabbab
- Division of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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23
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Canals D, Salamone S, Santacreu BJ, Nemeth E, Aguilar D, Hernandez-Corbacho MJ, Adada M, Staquicini DI, Arap W, Pasqualini R, Haley J, Obeid LM, Hannun YA. Ceramide launches an acute anti-adhesion pro-migration cell signaling program in response to chemotherapy. FASEB J 2020; 34:7610-7630. [PMID: 32307766 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000205r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapy has been reported to upregulate sphingomylinases and increase cellular ceramide, often linked to the induction to cell death. In this work, we show that sublethal doses of doxorubicin and vorinostat still increased cellular ceramide, which was located predominantly at the plasma membrane. To interrogate possible functions of this specific pool of ceramide, we used recombinant enzymes to mimic physiological levels of ceramide at the plasma membrane upon chemotherapy treatment. Using mass spectrometry and network analysis, followed by experimental confirmation, the results revealed that this pool of ceramide acutely regulates cell adhesion and cell migration pathways with weak connections to commonly established ceramide functions (eg, cell death). Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) was identified as responsible for the generation of plasma membrane ceramide upon chemotherapy treatment, and both ceramide at the plasma membrane and nSMase2 were necessary and sufficient to mediate these "side" effects of chemotherapy on cell adhesion and migration. This is the first time a specific pool of ceramide is interrogated for acute signaling functions, and the results define plasma membrane ceramide as an acute signaling effector necessary and sufficient for regulation of cell adhesion and cell migration under chemotherapeutical stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Canals
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Silvia Salamone
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Bruno Jaime Santacreu
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Erika Nemeth
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Aguilar
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mohamad Adada
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Daniela I Staquicini
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA.,Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Wadih Arap
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Renata Pasqualini
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA.,Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - John Haley
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Lina M Obeid
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Northport VA Hospital, Northport, NY, USA; deceased.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Yusuf A Hannun
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Biochemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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24
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Ishiguro K, Yan IK, Lewis-Tuffin L, Patel T. Targeting Liver Cancer Stem Cells Using Engineered Biological Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Cancer. Hepatol Commun 2020; 4:298-313. [PMID: 32025612 PMCID: PMC6996342 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
By exploiting their biological functions, the use of biological nanoparticles such as extracellular vesicles can provide an efficient and effective approach for hepatic delivery of RNA‐based therapeutics for the treatment of liver cancers such as hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Targeting liver cancer stem cells (LCSC) within HCC provide an untapped opportunity to improve outcomes by enhancing therapeutic responses. Cells with tumor‐initiating capabilities such as LCSC can be identified by expression of markers such as epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) on their cell surface. EpCAM is a target of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling, a fundamental pathway in stem‐cell growth. Moreover, mutations in the β‐catenin gene are frequently observed in HCC and can be associated with constitutive activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. However, targeting these pathways for the treatment of HCC has been challenging. Using RNA nanotechnology, we developed engineered biological nanoparticles capable of specific and effective delivery of RNA therapeutics targeting β‐catenin to LCSC. Extracellular vesicles isolated from milk were loaded with small interfering RNA to β‐catenin and decorated with RNA scaffolds to incorporate RNA aptamers capable of binding to EpCAM. Cellular uptake of these EpCAM‐targeting therapeutic milk‐derived nanovesicles in vitro resulted in loss of β‐catenin expression and decreased proliferation. The uptake and therapeutic efficacy of these engineered biological nanotherapeutics was demonstrated in vivo using tumor xenograft mouse models. Conclusion: β‐catenin can be targeted directly to control the proliferation of hepatic cancer stem cells using small interfering RNA delivered using target‐specific biological nanoparticles. Application of this RNA nanotechnology–based approach to engineer biological nanotherapeutics provides a platform for developing cell‐surface molecule–directed targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Ishiguro
- Department of Transplantation Mayo Clinic Jacksonville FL.,Department of Cancer Biology Mayo Clinic Jacksonville FL
| | - Irene K Yan
- Department of Transplantation Mayo Clinic Jacksonville FL.,Department of Cancer Biology Mayo Clinic Jacksonville FL
| | | | - Tushar Patel
- Department of Transplantation Mayo Clinic Jacksonville FL.,Department of Cancer Biology Mayo Clinic Jacksonville FL
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25
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Hybrid silica-coated Gd-Zn-Cu-In-S/ZnS bimodal quantum dots as an epithelial cell adhesion molecule targeted drug delivery and imaging system. Int J Pharm 2019; 570:118645. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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26
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Karacicek B, Erac Y, Tosun M. Functional consequences of enhanced expression of STIM1 and Orai1 in Huh-7 hepatocellular carcinoma tumor-initiating cells. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:751. [PMID: 31366337 PMCID: PMC6668110 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-5947-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ sensor, stromal interaction molecule1 (STIM1) activates the plasma membrane (PM) channel Orai1 in order to mediate store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in response to ER store depletion. Enhanced expression of STIM1 in cancer tissue has been associated with poor patient prognosis. Therefore, this study investigated the functional consequences of enhanced expression of STIM1 and Orai1 in a tumor-initiating subpopulation of Huh-7 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells that express epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and Prominin 1 (CD133). Methods We performed qRT-PCR, intracellular Ca2+ monitoring, protein analyses, and real-time cell proliferation assays on EpCAM(+)CD133(+) subpopulation of tumor-initiating Huh-7 HCC cells expressing high levels of STIM1 and/or Orai1. Statistical significance between the means of two groups was evaluated using unpaired Student’s t-test. Results Enhanced STIM1 expression significantly increased ER Ca2+ release and proliferation rate of EpCAM(+)CD133(+) cells. Conclusion STIM1 overexpression may facilitate cancer cell survival by increasing ER Ca2+-buffering capacity, which makes more Ca2+ available for the cytosolic events, on the other hand, possibly preventing Ca2+-dependent enzymatic activity in mitochondria whose Ca2+ uniporter requires much higher cytosolic Ca2+ levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Karacicek
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Dokuz Eylul University, 35340, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Y Erac
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ege University, 35100, Izmir, Turkey
| | - M Tosun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Izmir University of Economics, 35330, Izmir, Turkey.
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27
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Locatelli E, Li Y, Monaco I, Guo W, Maturi M, Menichetti L, Armanetti P, Martin RC, Comes Franchini M. A novel theranostic gold nanorods- and Adriamycin-loaded micelle for EpCAM targeting, laser ablation, and photoacoustic imaging of cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Nanomedicine 2019; 14:1877-1892. [PMID: 30936691 PMCID: PMC6422422 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s197265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction and purpose Cancer stem cells (CSCs) present a higher capacity to evade being killed by cancer agents and developing chemoresistance, thus leading to failure of conventional anticancer therapeutics. Nanomaterials specifically designed for targeting and treating not only tumor cells, but also CSCs, may encompass therapeutic and diagnostic tools, thus successfully eradicating the tumor. Materials and methods Polymeric micelles simultaneously loaded with gold nanorods (GNRs) and Adriamycin were prepared and used as a novel therapeutic and diagnostic weapon. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is an important CSC surface marker and has been exploited in this work as an active targeting agent. Photoacoustic imaging was applied for GNR individuation and tissue recognition. Results The nanosystem was demonstrated to be able to elicit effective targeting of cancer cells and cause their killing, in particular under laser ablation. Moreover, ex vivo photoacoustic imaging is able to clearly identify tumor regions thanks to GNR’s contrast. Conclusion The nanosystem can be considered a powerful and promising theranostic weapon for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Locatelli
- Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari", Bologna, Italy,
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA,
| | - Ilaria Monaco
- Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari", Bologna, Italy,
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Hematology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mirko Maturi
- Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari", Bologna, Italy,
| | - Luca Menichetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Armanetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Robert C Martin
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA,
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28
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Yu CC, Chen YW, Yeh PY, Hsiao YS, Lin WT, Kuo CW, Chueh DY, You YW, Shyue JJ, Chang YC, Chen P. Random and aligned electrospun PLGA nanofibers embedded in microfluidic chips for cancer cell isolation and integration with air foam technology for cell release. J Nanobiotechnology 2019; 17:31. [PMID: 30782169 PMCID: PMC6379968 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-019-0466-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) comprise the high metastatic potential population of cancer cells in the blood circulation of humans; they have become the established biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, individualized cancer therapy, and cancer development. Technologies for the isolation and recovery of CTCs can be powerful cancer diagnostic tools for liquid biopsies, allowing the identification of malignancies and guiding cancer treatments for precision medicine. METHODS We have used an electrospinning process to prepare poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanofibrous arrays in random or aligned orientations on glass slips. We then fabricated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based microfluidic chips embedding the PLGA nanofiber arrays and modified their surfaces through sequential coating with using biotin-(PEG)7-amine through EDC/NHS activation, streptavidin (SA), and biotinylated epithelial-cell adhesion-molecule antibody (biotin-anti-EpCAM) to achieve highly efficient CTC capture. When combined with an air foam technology that induced a high shear stress and, thereby, nondestructive release of the captured cells from the PLGA surfaces, the proposed device system operated with a high cell recovery rate. RESULTS The morphologies and average diameters of the electrospun PLGA nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal Raman imaging. The surface chemistry of the PLGA nanofibers conjugated with the biotin-(PEG)7-amine was confirmed through time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) imaging. The chip system was studied for the effects of the surface modification density of biotin-(PEG)7-amine, the flow rates, and the diameters of the PLGA nanofibers on the capture efficiency of EpCAM-positive HCT116 cells from the spiked liquid samples. To assess their CTC capture efficiencies in whole blood samples, the aligned and random PLGA nanofiber arrays were tested for their abilities to capture HCT116 cells, providing cancer cell capture efficiencies of 66 and 80%, respectively. With the continuous injection of air foam into the microfluidic devices, the cell release efficiency on the aligned PLGA fibers was 74% (recovery rate: 49%), while it was 90% (recovery rate: 73%) on the random PLGA fibers, from tests of 200 spiked cells in 2 mL of whole blood from healthy individuals. Our study suggests that integrated PMMA microfluidic chips embedding random PLGA nanofiber arrays may be suitable devices for the efficient capture and recovery of CTCs from whole blood samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Cheng Yu
- Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, Taishan, New Taipei City, 24301, Taiwan
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wen Chen
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Po-Ying Yeh
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Sheng Hsiao
- Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, Taishan, New Taipei City, 24301, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Ting Lin
- Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, Taishan, New Taipei City, 24301, Taiwan
| | - Chiung-Wen Kuo
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Di-Yen Chueh
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Wen You
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Jong Shyue
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chih Chang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.
| | - Peilin Chen
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.
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29
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Kapka-Skrzypczak L, Popek S, Sawicki K, Drop B, Czajka M, Jodłowska-Jędrych B, Matysiak-Kucharek M, Furman-Toczek D, Zagórska-Dziok M, Kruszewski M. IL‑6 prevents CXCL8‑induced stimulation of EpCAM expression in ovarian cancer cells. Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:2317-2322. [PMID: 30747214 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.9890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), which is expressed in the majority of epithelial tissues, exhibits tumor growth promoting abilities and is overexpressed in human epithelial ovarian cancer. Therefore, EpCAM is considered to be a promising target for specific immune‑based therapies. The present study evaluated the role of IL‑6 and IL‑8 in the expression of EpCAM in the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line. Furthermore, the cellular localization of the EpCAM protein in A2780 cells was determined and the effect of EpCAM inhibition on the proliferation of the A2780 cells was investigated. An MTT assay demonstrated that blocking EpCAM with anti‑EPCAM antibodies had no effect on cellular metabolic activity (proliferation). Gene expression analysis revealed that IL‑8 increased EpCAM expression, whereas IL‑6 and the combination of IL‑6/IL‑8 had no effect on EpCAM expression. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that EpCAM is expressed on A2780 cell membranes. The present results demonstrated that IL‑8 increased EpCAM expression at the mRNA level in ovarian cancer cells and suggested a potential role of IL‑6 as an inhibitor of IL‑8‑stimulated EpCAM expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucyna Kapka-Skrzypczak
- Department of Medical Biology and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Information Technology and Management, 35‑225 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Sylwia Popek
- Department of Cancer Genetics with Cytogenetics Laboratory, Medical University of Lublin, 20‑080 Lublin, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Sawicki
- Department of Molecular Biology and Translational Research, Institute of Rural Health, 0‑090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Drop
- Department of Informatics and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University, 20‑090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Magdalena Czajka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Translational Research, Institute of Rural Health, 0‑090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Barbara Jodłowska-Jędrych
- Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit, Medical University of Lublin, 20‑080 Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Dominika Furman-Toczek
- Department of Medical Biology and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Information Technology and Management, 35‑225 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Martyna Zagórska-Dziok
- Department of Medical Biology and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Information Technology and Management, 35‑225 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Marcin Kruszewski
- Department of Medical Biology and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Information Technology and Management, 35‑225 Rzeszow, Poland
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30
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Wang N, Wang S, Li MY, Hu BG, Liu LP, Yang SL, Yang S, Gong Z, Lai PBS, Chen GG. Cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma: an overview and promising therapeutic strategies. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2018; 10:1758835918816287. [PMID: 30622654 PMCID: PMC6304707 DOI: 10.1177/1758835918816287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor clinical outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is ascribed to the resistance of HCC cells to traditional treatments and tumor recurrence after curative therapies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified as a small subset of cancer cells which have high capacity for self-renewal, differentiation and tumorigenesis. Recent advances in the field of liver CSCs (LCSCs) have enabled the identification of CSC surface markers and the isolation of CSC subpopulations from HCC cells. Given their central role in cancer initiation, metastasis, recurrence and therapeutic resistance, LCSCs constitute a therapeutic opportunity to achieve cure and prevent relapse of HCC. Thus, it is necessary to develop therapeutic strategies to selectively and efficiently target LCSCs. Small molecular inhibitors targeting the core stemness signaling pathways have been actively pursued and evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies. Other alternative therapeutic strategies include targeting LCSC surface markers, interrupting the CSC microenvironment, and altering the epigenetic state. In this review, we summarize the properties of CSCs in HCC and discuss novel therapeutic strategies that can be used to target LCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuozhou Wang
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of
Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR,
China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck
Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of
Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ming-Yue Li
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong,
China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Bao-guang Hu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The
Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong,
China
| | - Li-ping Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas
Surgery, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Shenzhen
People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Sheng-li Yang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical
College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shucai Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Pingshan
District People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province,
China
| | - Zhongqin Gong
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of
Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR,
China
| | - Paul B. S. Lai
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University
of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
SAR, China
| | - George G. Chen
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University
of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Dharanipragada P, Seelam SR, Parekh N. SeqVItA: Sequence Variant Identification and Annotation Platform for Next Generation Sequencing Data. Front Genet 2018; 9:537. [PMID: 30487811 PMCID: PMC6247818 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The current trend in clinical data analysis is to understand how individuals respond to therapies and drug interactions based on their genetic makeup. This has led to a paradigm shift in healthcare; caring for patients is now 99% information and 1% intervention. Reducing costs of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has made it possible to take genetic profiling to the clinical setting. This requires not just fast and accurate algorithms for variant detection, but also a knowledge-base for variant annotation and prioritization to facilitate tailored therapeutics based on an individual's genetic profile. Here we show that it is possible to provide a fast and easy access to all possible information about a variant and its impact on the gene, its protein product, associated pathways and drug-variant interactions by integrating previously reported knowledge from various databases. With this objective, we have developed a pipeline, Sequence Variants Identification and Annotation (SeqVItA) that provides end-to-end solution for small sequence variants detection, annotation and prioritization on a single platform. Parallelization of the variant detection step and with numerous resources incorporated to infer functional impact, clinical relevance and drug-variant associations, SeqVItA will benefit the clinical and research communities alike. Its open-source platform and modular framework allows for easy customization of the workflow depending on the data type (single, paired, or pooled samples), variant type (germline and somatic), and variant annotation and prioritization. Performance comparison of SeqVItA on simulated data and detection, interpretation and analysis of somatic variants on real data (24 liver cancer patients) is carried out. We demonstrate the efficacy of annotation module in facilitating personalized medicine based on patient's mutational landscape. SeqVItA is freely available at https://bioinf.iiit.ac.in/seqvita.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashanthi Dharanipragada
- Center for Computational Natural Science and Bioinformatics, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sampreeth Reddy Seelam
- Center for Computational Natural Science and Bioinformatics, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Nita Parekh
- Center for Computational Natural Science and Bioinformatics, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India
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Wu G, Zhan S, Rui C, Sho E, Shi X, Ding Y. Microporous cellulosic scaffold as a spheroid culture system modulates chemotherapeutic responses and stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cell Biochem 2018; 120:5244-5255. [PMID: 30302811 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guoyi Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School Nanjing China
- Clinical Medical Center for Digestive Disease of Jiangsu Province Nanjing China
| | - Shanshan Zhan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School Nanjing China
- Clinical Medical Center for Digestive Disease of Jiangsu Province Nanjing China
| | - Chen Rui
- KCI Biotech (Suzhou), Inc Suzhou China
| | | | - Xiaolei Shi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School Nanjing China
- Clinical Medical Center for Digestive Disease of Jiangsu Province Nanjing China
| | - Yitao Ding
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School Nanjing China
- Clinical Medical Center for Digestive Disease of Jiangsu Province Nanjing China
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Pasha SS, Fageria L, Climent C, Rath NP, Alemany P, Chowdhury R, Roy A, Laskar IR. Evaluation of novel platinum(ii) based AIE compound-encapsulated mesoporous silica nanoparticles for cancer theranostic application. Dalton Trans 2018. [PMID: 29517794 DOI: 10.1039/c7dt04232a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Advanced biomedical research has established that cancer is a multifactorial disorder which is highly heterogeneous in nature and responds differently to different treatment modalities, due to which constant monitoring of therapy response is becoming extremely important. To accomplish this, different theranostic formulations have been evaluated. However, most of them are found to suffer from several limitations extending from poor resolution, radiation damage, to high costs. In order to develop a better theranostic modality, we have designed and synthesized a novel platinum(ii)-based 'aggregation induced emission' (AIE) molecule (named BMPP-Pt) which showed strong intra-cellular fluorescence and also simultaneously exhibited potent cytotoxic activity. Due to this dual functionality, we wanted to explore the possibility of using this compound as a single molecule based theranostic modality. This compound was characterized using elemental analysis, NMR and IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray structure determination. BMPP-Pt was found to exhibit a high AIE property with emission maxima at 497 nm. For more efficient cancer cell targeting, BMPP-Pt was encapsulated into mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Pt-MSNPs) and the MSNPs were further surface modified with an anti-EpCAM aptamer (Pt-MSNP-E). Pt-MSNPs exhibited higher intracellular fluorescence compared to free BMPP-Pt, though both of them induced a similar degree of cell death via the apoptosis pathway, possibly via cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. Anti-EpCAM aptamer modification was found to increase both cytotoxicity and intracellular fluorescence compared to unmodified MSNPs. Our study showed that EpCAM functionalized BMPP-Pt loaded MSNPs can efficiently internalize and induce apoptosis of cancer cells as well as show strong intracellular fluorescence. This study provides clues towards the development of a potential single compound based theranostic modality in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheik Saleem Pasha
- Department of Chemistry, Pilani Campus, BITS, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India.
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Drug-induced expression of EpCAM contributes to therapy resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2018; 41:651-662. [PMID: 30116994 PMCID: PMC6244739 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-018-0399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background With a less than 5% overall survival rate, esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker that is expressed in various epithelial carcinomas, including EAC. Accumulating evidence indicates that CSC subpopulations can initiate cancer development and, in addition, drive metastasis, recurrence and drug resistance. It has also been reported that EpCAM up-regulation in EAC may lead to an aggressive behavior and, thus, an adverse clinical outcome. Here, we aimed to determine whether treatment with standard chemotherapeutic agents may induce EpCAM expression and, concomitantly, increases in malignant potential and drug resistance in EAC. Methods EpCAM expression was assessed in 20 primary human EAC/adjacent normal tissues, as well as in a human EAC-derived cell line (OE-19), in a pre-malignant Barrett’s Esophagus cell line (Bar-T) and in a benign esophageal cell line (HET 1-A), using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and qRT-PCR, respectively. Drug-induced resistance was investigated in OE-19-derived spheres treated with (a combination of) adriamycin, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (ACF) using survival, adhesion and flow cytometric assays, respectively, and compared to drug resistance induced by standard chemotherapeutic agents (CTA). Finally, ACF treatment-surviving cells were evaluated for their tumor forming capacities both in vitro and in vivo using spheroid formation and xenograft assays, respectively. Results High EpCAM expression was observed in esophageal cancer tissues and esophageal cancer-derived cell lines, but not in adjacent benign esophageal epithelia and benign esophageal cell lines (HET 1-A and Bar-T). The OE-19 cell spheres were drug resistant and EpCAM expression was significantly induced in the OE-19 cell spheres compared to the non-sphere OE-19 cells. When OE-19 cell spheres were challenged with ACF, the EpCAM mRNA and protein levels were further up-regulated up to 48 h, whereas a decreased EpCAM expression was observed at 72 h. EpCAM down-regulation by RNA interference increased the ACF efficacy to kill OE-19 cells. Increased EpCAM expression coincided with the CSC marker CD90 and was associated with an aggressive growth pattern of OE-19 cell spheres in vivo. Conclusions From our data we conclude that an ACF-induced increase in EpCAM expression reflects the selection of a CSC subpopulation that underlies tumor development and drug resistance in EAC.
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Zou Y, Huang S, Liao Y, Zhu X, Chen Y, Chen L, Liu F, Hu X, Tu H, Zhang L, Liu Z, Chen Z, Tan W. Isotopic graphene-isolated-Au-nanocrystals with cellular Raman-silent signals for cancer cell pattern recognition. Chem Sci 2018; 9:2842-2849. [PMID: 29732070 PMCID: PMC5914539 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc05442d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For cancer diagnosis, technologies must be capable of molecular recognition, and they must possess a built-in pattern recognition component for efficient imaging and discrimination of targeted cancer cells. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) tags based on plasmonically active nanoparticles hold promise for accurate and efficient cancer cell recognition, owing to ultra-narrow peak and sensitive optical properties. However, a complex fingerprint spectrum increases data analysis difficulty, making it necessary to develop multicolor SERS tags with a simple fingerprint spectrum. To address this, we herein fabricated SERS-encoded nanoparticles (NPs) with stable and simple fingerprint spectrum through synthesis of isotopic cellular Raman-silent graphene-isolated-Au-nanocrystals (GIANs) and conjugation with phospholipid-polyethylene glycol-linked aptamers to target proteins overexpressed on the cancer cell surface. GIANs, which possess the properties of graphitic nanomaterials, such as super-stable optical properties and high Raman cross-section, showed enhanced SERS signals. The 2D-band Raman shift of GIAN, which located in the cellular Raman-silent region, was easily regulated through fabrication of isotopic GIANs without changing their molecular structure. Such GIAN tags demonstrated multiplexed Raman imaging capability, both in vivo and in vitro, with low background interference. Moreover, cell membrane protein (nucleolin, mucin and epithelial cell adhesion molecule)-specific, aptamer-conjugated isotopic GIANs were fabricated and feasibly applied to built-in coding for rapid imaging and pattern recognition of targeted cancer cells. Such isotopic GIAN-aptamer-encoders show high potential for efficient cancer cell identification and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiu Zou
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Siqi Huang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Yixin Liao
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Xupeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle Body , College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China
| | - Yiqin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle Body , College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China
| | - Long Chen
- Faculty of Science and Technology , University of Macau , E11, Avenida da Universidade , Taipa , 999078 , Macau
| | - Fang Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Xiaoxiao Hu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Haijun Tu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Liang Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Zhangkun Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL) , State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics , College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and College of Life Sciences , Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province , Hunan University , Changsha , Hunan 410082 , China .
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics , Center for Research at Bio/nano Interface , Health Cancer Center , UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida 32611-7200 , USA
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Zaazaa AM, Lokman MS, Shalby AB, Ahmed HH, El-Toumy SA. Ellagic Acid Holds Promise Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
in an Experimental Model: Mechanisms of Action. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2018; 19:387-393. [PMID: 29479987 PMCID: PMC5980924 DOI: 10.22034/apjcp.2018.19.2.387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This research work was initiated to explore the efficacy of ellagic acid in mitigation of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. Rats were distributed into 4 groups; negative control, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), doxorubicin and ellagic acid. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), glypican-3 (GPC-3), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and suppressors of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) levels were assayed by ELISA. Immunohistochemical examination of hepatic VEGF expression was also conducted, along with histological procedures for examination of liver tissue sections. Significant elevation in serum AFP, GPC-3 and STAT3 levels with a significant drop in SOCS3 were observed in the HCC group. In contrast, the treated groups showed significant decline in serum AFP, GPC-3 and STAT3 levels and significant increase in SOCS3. Additionally, the HCC group declared mild positive immunoreaction for VEGF in hepatocytes while treatment with doxorubicin or ellagic acid was associated with a negative immunoreaction for VEGF. These results were supported by histological examination of liver tissue. The obtained findings suggested that ellagic acid may have beneficial chemopreventive role against hepatocarcinogenesis through its apoptotic, antiangiogenic and antiproliferative activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa M Zaazaa
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
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37
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Xu Y, Miao C, Jin C, Qiu C, Li Y, Sun X, Gao M, Lu N, Kong B. SUSD2 promotes cancer metastasis and confers cisplatin resistance in high grade serous ovarian cancer. Exp Cell Res 2018; 363:160-170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2017.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Wang MH, Sun R, Zhou XM, Zhang MY, Lu JB, Yang Y, Zeng LS, Yang XZ, Shi L, Xiao RW, Wang HY, Mai SJ. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule overexpression regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:2. [PMID: 29305578 PMCID: PMC5849035 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-017-0013-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is known to be highly expressed in a variety of epithelial carcinomas, and it is involved in cell adhesion and proliferation. However, its expression profile and biological function in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. In this study, higher expression of EpCAM was found in NPC samples compared with non-cancer nasopharyngeal mucosa by qRT-PCR. Additionally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of NPC specimens from 64 cases showed that high EpCAM expression was associated with metastasis and shorter survival. Multivariate survival analysis identified high EpCAM expression as an independent prognostic factor. Ectopic EpCAM expression in NPC cells promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), induced a cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotype, and enhanced metastasis in vitro and in vivo without an effect on cell proliferation. Notably, EpCAM overexpression reduced PTEN expression and increased the level of AKT, mTOR, p70S6K and 4EBP1 phosphorylation. Correspondingly, an AKT inhibitor and rapamycin blocked the effect of EpCAM on NPC cell invasion and stem-like phenotypes, and siRNA targeting PTEN rescued the oncogenic activities in EpCAM knockdown NPC cells. Our data demonstrate that EpCAM regulates EMT, stemness and metastasis of NPC cells via the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-He Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Min Zhou
- Zhoukou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhoukou, China
| | - Mei-Yin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Bin Lu
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Si Zeng
- Cancer Center of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xian-Zi Yang
- Cancer Center of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruo-Wen Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui-Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Shi-Juan Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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Babaei M, Abnous K, Taghdisi SM, Amel Farzad S, Peivandi MT, Ramezani M, Alibolandi M. Synthesis of theranostic epithelial cell adhesion molecule targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticle with gold gatekeeper for hepatocellular carcinoma. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2017; 12:1261-1279. [PMID: 28520529 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2017-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM In this study, we report the fabrication of epithelial cell adhesion molecule targeted 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) encapsulated PEGylated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NPs) hybridized with gold NPs (PEG-Au@Si-5-FU) as gatekeeper for theranostic applications. MATERIALS & METHODS The prepared targeted and nontargeted formulations were evaluated in vitro in terms of their cellular internalization and toxicity. The prepared theranostic hybrid system was also implemented for computed tomography of HepG2 tumor-bearing nude mice in vivo. RESULTS Fluorescence microscopy and MTT assay demonstrated that the developed epithelial cell adhesion molecule-PEG-Au@Si-5-FU had higher cytotoxicity than nontargeted PEG-Au@Si-5-FU in 2D and 3D HepG2 cell cultures. Moreover, the targeted hybrid system was preferentially accumulated in HepG2 tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION This work introduces a novel strategy for developing multimodal NPs via nanoparticulate hybrid materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Babaei
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Khalil Abnous
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Taghdisi
- Targeted Drug Delivery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sara Amel Farzad
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Ramezani
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Nanotechnology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mona Alibolandi
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Peritumoral EpCAM Is an Independent Prognostic Marker after Curative Resection of HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma. DISEASE MARKERS 2017; 2017:8495326. [PMID: 28572700 PMCID: PMC5442434 DOI: 10.1155/2017/8495326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that the tumor microenvironment has a profound influence on tumor initiation and progression, opening a new avenue for studying tumor biology. Nonetheless, the prognostic values of the peritumoral expression of EpCAM and CD13 remain to be elucidated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. In this study, the expression of EpCAM and CD13 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in peritumoral liver hepatocytes from 106 hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) related HCC patients who had undergone curative hepatectomy. The peritumoral EpCAM-positive group had a significantly worse overall survival (OS) (p = 0.003) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.022) compared to the negative group. Peritumoral CD13-positive patients were also associated with poor OS (p = 0.038), while not significantly associated with RFS. The adjusted multivariate COX proportional hazard regression analysis suggested that only the positive expression of peritumoral EpCAM precisely predicted poor OS. Being peritumoral EpCAM positive was also significantly associated with a larger tumor size, liver cirrhosis, and more frequent vascular invasion; however, no statistically significant association was observed between CD13 and any clinicopathological features. Taken together, peritumoral EpCAM and CD13 expression was associated with a poor prognosis, but EpCAM may be a better prognostic marker than CD13 in HBV-related HCC patients. In the future, peritumoral EpCAM could be a good target for adjuvant therapy after curative hepatectomy.
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Xie Y, Zhong DW. AEG-1 is associated with hypoxia-induced hepatocellular carcinoma chemoresistance via regulating PI3K/AKT/HIF-1alpha/MDR-1 pathway. EXCLI JOURNAL 2016; 15:745-757. [PMID: 28337106 PMCID: PMC5318678 DOI: 10.17179/excli2016-694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common characteristic of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with reduced response to chemotherapy, thus increasing the probability of tumor recurrence. Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) has been involved in a wide array of cancer progression including proliferation, chemoresistance, angiogenesis and metastasis, but its effect on HCC chemoresistance induced by hypoxia is unclear. In this study, expression of AEG-1 and multiple drug resistance (MDR-1) were examined in HCC using immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR. Furthermore, their expression levels were detected in HCC HepG2 cells in normoxia or hypoxia via RT-PCR and Western blot assays. Specific shRNAs were used to silence AEG-1 expression in HepG2 cells. Results showed AEG-1 and MDR-1 expression were higher in HCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Incubation of HepG2 cells in hypoxia increased expression of AEG-1 and MDR-1, compared to incubation in normoxia. Exposure to hypoxia blunted sensitivity of HepG2 cells to Adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil and cis-platinum, as evidenced by modest alterations in cell viability and apoptosis rate, however the sensitivity was elevated with AEG-1 knockdown. PI3K/AKT/HIF-1/MDR-1 pathway was attenuated following AEG-1 knockdown in hypoxia. Based on these data, it was suggested that AEG-1 is associated with hypoxia-induced hepatocellular carcinoma chemoresistance via regulating PI3K/AKT/HIF-1/MDR-1 pathway. This study uncovered a novel potential target for development of an effective therapy against hypoxia-induced HCC chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Xie
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the 2nd XiangYa Hospital of Centre South University, 139#, Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - De-Wu Zhong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the 2nd XiangYa Hospital of Centre South University, 139#, Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
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