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Nie Y, Yan J, Huang X, Jiang T, Zhang S, Zhang G. Dihydrotanshinone I targets ESR1 to induce DNA double-strand breaks and proliferation inhibition in hepatocellular carcinoma. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 130:155767. [PMID: 38833789 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155767] [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: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to its high incidence and elevated mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged as a formidable global healthcare challenge. The intricate interplay between gender-specific disparities in both incidence and clinical outcomes has prompted a progressive recognition of the substantial influence exerted by estrogen and its corresponding receptors (ERs) upon HCC pathogenesis. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) emerged for the treatment of HCC by administering exogenous estrogen. However, the powerful side effects of estrogen, including the promotion of breast cancer and infertility, hinder the further application of ERT. Identifying effective therapeutic targets for estrogen and screening bioactive ingredients without E2-like side effects is of great significance for optimizing HCC ERT. METHODS In this study, we employed an integrative approach, harnessing data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, clinical paraffin sections, adenoviral constructs as well as in vivo studies, to unveil the association between estrogen, estrogen receptor α (ESR1) and HCC. Leveraging methodologies encompassing molecular dynamics simulation and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) were used to confirm whether ESR1 is a molecular target of DHT. Multiple in vitro and in vivo experiments were used to identify whether i) ESR1 is a crucial gene that promotes DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and proliferation inhibition in HCC, ii) Dihydrotanshinone I (DHT), a quinonoid monomeric constituent derived from Salvia miltiorrhiza (Dan shen) exerts anti-HCC effects by regulating ESR1 and subsequent DSBs, iii) DHT has the potential to replace E2. RESULTS DHT could target ESR1 and upregulate its expression in a concentration-dependent manner. This, in turn, leads to the downregulation of breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1), a pivotal protein involved in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) process. The consequence of this downregulation is manifested through the induction of DSBs in HCC, subsequently precipitating a cascade of downstream events, including apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Of particular significance is the comparative assessment of DHT and isodose estradiol treatments, which underscores DHT's excellent HCC-suppressive efficacy without concomitant perturbation of endogenous sex hormone homeostasis. CONCLUSION Our findings not only confirm ESR1 as a therapeutic target in HCC management but also underscores DHT's role in upregulating ESR1 expression, thereby impeding the proliferation and invasive tendencies of HCC. In addition, we preliminarily identified DHT has the potential to emerge as an agent in optimizing HCC ERT through the substitution of E2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunmeng Nie
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Junbin Yan
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (The Xin Hua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), No. 318 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
| | - Xueru Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (The Xin Hua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), No. 318 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of Intestine-Liver of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China.
| | - Guangji Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Blood-Stasis-Toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China; Traditional Chinese Medicine 'Preventing Disease' Wisdom Health Project Research Center of Zhejiang, Hangzhou 310053, China.
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Integrated analysis of ferroptosis-related gene signature for overall survival prediction in Asian patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Transl Oncol 2023; 25:721-730. [PMID: 36319928 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02977-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent types of cancers in Asia. Accumulating evidence suggests that ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic form of cell death, and has played an important role in cancer biology. METHODS Based on the manually curated ferroptosis-related gene set and TCGA-LIHC dataset of Asian patients, we used DESeq2, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and univariate Cox regression to identify differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes with significantly prognostic capacity. A risk signature was constructed based on the selected genes for predicting the survival of HCC patients in Asia. The survival prediction accuracy was confirmed by the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was used to explore the functional associations of the signature. Ferroptosis potential index (FPI) and xCell algorithm was applied to quantify ferroptosis and immune cell infiltration, respectively. Two independent datasets from the GEO and the ICGC database were used for external validation. RESULTS The ferroptosis-related signature could accurately predict the survival outcomes of HCC patients in Asian (p value < 0.0001). We showed that the signature was an independent factor and was beneficial in elevating risk stratification of current clinicopathologic features, such as the amount of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and residual tumor classification. Functional characterization showed that critical processes in tumorigenesis belonged to the high-risk groups, for example inflammatory response, which may be the main driver of HCC. The high-risk group had higher FPIs and infiltrations of macrophages and T-helper cells than the low-risk group. Furthermore, two independent cohorts confirmed the prognostic value of our signature. CONCLUSION Overall, our results demonstrated potential application of ferroptosis-related genes as independent biomarkers in Asian HCC patients. Targeting ferroptosis may be clinically useful beyond known clinicopathological factors and provide benefit in immunotherapy.
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Chen X, Sun M, Feng W, Chen J, Ji X, Xie M, Huang W, Chen X, Zhang B, Nie Y, Fan D, Wu K, Xia L. An integrative analysis revealing cuproptosis-related lncRNAs signature as a novel prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2023; 14:1056000. [PMID: 36845390 PMCID: PMC9950118 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1056000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Cuproptosis is a newly defined form of cell death, whether cuproptosis involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. Method: We obtained patients' RNA expression data and follow-up information from University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We analyzed the mRNA level of Cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) and performed univariate Cox analysis. Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) was chosen for further investigation. Real-Time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), Western blotting (WB), Immunohistochemical (IHC), and Transwell assays were used to determine expression patterns and functions of CRGs in LIHC. Next, we identified CRGs-related lncRNAs (CRLs) and differentially expressed CRLs between HCC and normal cases. Univariate Cox analysis, least absolute shrinkage selection operator (LASSO) analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to construct the prognostic model. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis was used to assess whether the risk model can act as an independent risk factor of overall survival duration. Different risk groups performed immune correlation analysis, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) analysis were performed in different risk groups. Finally, we assessed the performance of the predictive model in drug sensitivity. Results: CRGs expression levels have significant differences between tumor and normal tissues. High expression of Dihydrolipoamide S-Acetyltransferase (DLAT) correlated to metastasis of HCC cells and indicated poor prognosis for HCC patients. Our prognostic model consisted of four cuproptosis-related lncRNA (AC011476.3, AC026412.3, NRAV, MKLN1-AS). The prognostic model performed well in predicting survival rates. The results from Cox regression analysis suggested that risk score can serve as an independent prognostic element for survival durations. Survival analysis revealed that low risk patients have extended survival periods compared with those with high risk. The results of the immune analysis indicated that risk score has a positive correlation with B cell and CD4+ T cell Th2, while has a negative relationship with endothelial cell and hematopoietic cells. Besides, immune checkpoint genes have higher expression folds in the high-risk set than in the low-risk set. The high-risk group had higher rates of genetic mutation than the low-risk set while having a shorter survival time. GSEA revealed the signaling pathways enriched in the high-risk group were mostly immune-related, while metabolic-related pathways were enriched in the low-risk group. Drugs sensitivity analysis indicated that our model has the ability to predict the efficacy of clinical treatment. Conclusion: The Cuproptosis-related lncRNAs prognostic formula is a novel predictor of HCC patients' prognosis and drug sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xilang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mengyu Sun
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Weibo Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ji
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Meng Xie
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yongzhan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Daiming Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kaichun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,*Correspondence: Kaichun Wu, ; Limin Xia,
| | - Limin Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China,*Correspondence: Kaichun Wu, ; Limin Xia,
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Zhang J, Zhao J, Wei S, Huang P, Tu X, Su G, Gan Y, Gong W, Xiang B. Developing and Validating an Autophagy Gene-Set-Based Prognostic Signature in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:8399-8415. [DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s388592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Single-Cell RNA Transcriptomics Reveals the State of Hepatic Lymphatic Endothelial Cells in Hepatitis B Virus-Related Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11102910. [PMID: 35629036 PMCID: PMC9143330 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11102910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is an acutely decompensated cirrhosis syndrome with high short-term mortality. Very little is known about the relationship between the lymphatic system and ACLF. We explored the role of hepatic lymphatic vessels (LVs) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LyECs) in ACLF using human liver samples with the help of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology. Here, ACLF exhibited more severe liver injury and inflammation than cirrhosis, as indicated by significant increases in plasma levels of alanine/aspartate aminotransferases and total bilirubin. Compared with cirrhosis cases, the number of intrahepatic LVs was decreased significantly in ACLF patients. ScRNA-seq revealed that many monocyte/macrophages infiltrated into the liver of ACLF cases. Meanwhile, scRNA-seq revealed a group of apoptotic and dysfunctional LyECs, which were the result of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) released from infiltrating monocyte/macrophages. In vitro, SPP1 increased the proportion of dead LyECs significantly and impaired the ability of tube formation of LyECs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In conclusion, ACLF is associated with less LV and LyEC dysfunction, at least in part mediated by SPP1 released from infiltrating monocyte/macrophages. Hepatic LVs and LyECs can be a novel therapeutic strategy for ACLF.
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Fu XW, Song CQ. Identification and Validation of Pyroptosis-Related Gene Signature to Predict Prognosis and Reveal Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:748039. [PMID: 34820376 PMCID: PMC8606409 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.748039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by a poor prognosis and accounts for the fourth common cause of cancer-related deaths. Recently, pyroptosis has been revealed to be involved in the progression of multiple cancers. However, the role of pyroptosis in the HCC prognosis remains elusive. Methods: The clinical information and RNA-seq data of the HCC patients were collected from the TCGA-LIHC datasets, and the differential pyroptosis-related genes (PRG) were firstly explored. The univariate Cox regression and consensus clustering were applied to recognize the HCC subtypes. The prognostic PRGs were then submitted to the LASSO regression analysis to build a prognostic model in the TCGA training cohort. We further evaluated the predictive model in the TCGA test cohort and ICGC validation cohort (LIRI-JP). The accuracy of prediction was validated using the Kaplan—Meier (K-M) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to determine the differential immune cell infiltrations and related pathways. Finally, the expression of the prognostic genes was validated by qRT-PCR in vivo and in vitro. Results: We identified a total of 26 differential PRGs, among which three PRGs comprising GSDME, GPX4, and SCAF11 were subsequently chosen for constructing a prognostic model. This model significantly distinguished the HCC patients with different survival years in the TCGA training, test, and ICGC validation cohorts. The risk score of this model was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor. A nomogram was generated indicating the survival years for each HCC patient. The ssGSEA demonstrated several tumor-infiltrating immune cells to be remarkably associated with the risk scores. The qRT-PCR results also showed the apparent dysregulation of PRGs in HCC. Finally, the drug sensitivity was analyzed, indicating that Lenvatinib might impact the progression of HCC via targeting GSDME, which was also validated in human Huh7 cells. Conclusion: The PRG signature comprised of GSDME, GPX4, and SCAF11 can serve as an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients, which would provide further evidence for more clinical and functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Wei Fu
- Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.,Laboratory of Gene Therapeutic Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Qing Song
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China.,Laboratory of Gene Therapeutic Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
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Chan MH, Lu CN, Chung YL, Chang YC, Li CH, Chen CL, Wei DH, Hsiao M. Magnetically guided theranostics: montmorillonite-based iron/platinum nanoparticles for enhancing in situ MRI contrast and hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. J Nanobiotechnology 2021; 19:308. [PMID: 34627267 PMCID: PMC8501633 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-01052-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In Asia, including Taiwan, malignant tumors such as Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) one of the liver cancer is the most diagnosed subtype. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been a typical diagnostic method for accurately diagnosing HCC. When it is difficult to demonstrate non-enhanced MRI of tumors, radiologists can use contrast agents (such as Gd3+, Fe3O4, or FePt) for T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging remain in the liver for a long time to facilitate diagnosis via MRI. However, it is sometimes difficult for T2-weighted imaging to detect small tumor lesions because the liver tissue may absorb iron ions. This makes early cancer detection a challenging goal. This challenge has prompted current research to create novel nanocomposites for enhancing the noise-to-signal ratio of MRI. To develop a method that can more efficiently diagnose and simultaneously treat HCC during MRI examination, we designed a functionalized montmorillonite (MMT) material with a porous structure to benefit related drugs, such as mitoxantrone (MIT) delivery or as a carrier for the FePt nanoparticles (FePt NPs) to introduce cancer therapy. Multifunctional FePt@MMT can simultaneously visualize HCC by enhancing MRI signals, treating various diseases, and being used as an inducer of magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH). After loading the drug MIT, FePt@MMT-MIT provides both MFH treatment and chemotherapy in one nanosystem. These results ultimately prove that functionalized FePt@MMT-MIT could be integrated as a versatile drugs delivery system by combining with MRI, chemotheraeutic drugs, and magnetic guide targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hsien Chan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ning Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT, 05439, USA
| | - Yi-Lung Chung
- Graduate Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chan Chang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hsiu Li
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Long Chen
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, 110, Taiwan.
| | - Da-Hua Wei
- Graduate Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
| | - Michael Hsiao
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
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