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Tahir F, Farooq M, Malik MA, Manzoor S. Extracellular Vesicles Contribute to Viral-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Understanding Their Involvement in Viral Hepatitis and Their Potential as Biomarkers for Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma Detection. Viral Immunol 2024; 37:159-166. [PMID: 38588555 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2023.0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The high global prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and the poor prognosis of hepatitis B and hepatitis C-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), necessitates the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Recent studies show that cell-to-cell communication via extracellular vesicles (EVs) is involved in the HCC progression. The objective of the following study was to explore the role of EVs in the progression of viral-induced HCC and investigate their potential for the early diagnosis of cancer. First, the mRNA derived from EVs of HCC patients was compared to the mRNA derived from EVs from the healthy controls. Expression analysis of ANGPTL3, SH3BGRL3, and IFITM3 genes from the EVs was done. Afterward, to confirm whether hepatocytes can uptake EVs, HuH7 cells were exposed to EVs, and the expression analysis of downstream target genes (AKT, TNF-α, and MMP-9) in Huh7 cells was done. Transcriptional analysis showed that in the EVs from HCC patients, the expression levels of ANGPTL3, SH3BGRL3, and IFITM3 were significantly increased by 2.62-, 4.3-, and 9.03-folds, respectively. The downstream targets, AKT, TNF-α, and MMP-9, also showed a considerable change of 4.1-, 1.46-, and 5.05-folds, respectively, in Huh7 cells exposed to HCC EVs. In conclusion, the following study corroborates the role of EVs in HCC progression. Furthermore, the significant alteration in mRNA levels of the selected genes demonstrates their potential to be used as possible biomarkers for the early diagnosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Tahir
- Molecular Virology and Immunology Research Group, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Mariya Farooq
- Molecular Virology and Immunology Research Group, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Maliha Ashraf Malik
- Molecular Virology and Immunology Research Group, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sobia Manzoor
- Molecular Virology and Immunology Research Group, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Rana M, Saini M, Das R, Gupta S, Joshi T, Mehta DK. Circulating MicroRNAs: Diagnostic Value as Biomarkers in the Detection of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Microrna 2023; 12:99-113. [PMID: 37005546 DOI: 10.2174/2211536612666230330083146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a metabolic-related disorder, is the most common cause of chronic liver disease which, if left untreated, can progress from simple steatosis to advanced fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the leading cause of hepatic damage globally. Currently available diagnostic modalities for NAFLD and hepatocellular carcinoma are mostly invasive and of limited precision. A liver biopsy is the most widely used diagnostic tool for hepatic disease. But due to its invasive procedure, it is not practicable for mass screening. Thus, noninvasive biomarkers are needed to diagnose NAFLD and HCC, monitor disease progression, and determine treatment response. Various studies indicated that serum miRNAs could serve as noninvasive biomarkers for both NAFLD and HCC diagnosis because of their association with different histological features of the disease. Although microRNAs are promising and clinically useful biomarkers for hepatic diseases, larger standardization procedures and studies are still required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minakshi Rana
- M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, HR, India
| | - Manisha Saini
- M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, HR, India
| | - Rina Das
- M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, HR, India
| | - Sumeet Gupta
- M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, HR, India
| | - Tanishq Joshi
- M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, HR, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar Mehta
- M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, HR, India
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Post-Translational Modifications of ATG4B in the Regulation of Autophagy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11081330. [PMID: 35456009 PMCID: PMC9025542 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy plays a key role in eliminating and recycling cellular components in response to stress, including starvation. Dysregulation of autophagy is observed in various diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Autophagy is tightly regulated by autophagy-related (ATG) proteins. Autophagy-related 4 (ATG4) is the sole cysteine protease, and four homologs (ATG4A–D) have been identified in mammals. These proteins have two domains: catalytic and short fingers. ATG4 facilitates autophagy by promoting autophagosome maturation through reversible lipidation and delipidation of seven autophagy-related 8 (ATG8) homologs, including microtubule-associated protein 1-light chain 3 (LC3) and GABA type A receptor-associated protein (GABARAP). Each ATG4 homolog shows a preference for a specific ATG8 homolog. Post-translational modifications of ATG4, including phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, O-GlcNAcylation, oxidation, S-nitrosylation, ubiquitination, and proteolytic cleavage, regulate its activity and ATG8 processing, thus modulating its autophagic activity. We reviewed recent advances in our understanding of the effect of post-translational modification on the regulation, activity, and function of ATG4, the main protease that controls autophagy.
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El-Nakeep S. Molecular and genetic markers in hepatocellular carcinoma: In silico analysis to clinical validation (current limitations and future promises). World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol 2022; 13:1-14. [PMID: 35116176 PMCID: PMC8788164 DOI: 10.4291/wjgp.v13.i1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second cause of cancer-related mortality. The diagnosis of HCC depends mainly on α-fetoprotein, which is limited in its diagnostic and screening capabilities. There is an urgent need for a biomarker that detects early HCC to give the patients a chance for curative treatment. New targets of therapy could enhance survival and create future alternative curative methods. In silico analysis provides both; discovery of biomarkers, and understanding of the molecular pathways, to pave the way for treatment development. This review discusses the role of in silico analysis in the discovery of biomarkers, molecular pathways, and the role the author has contributed to this area of research. It also discusses future aspirations and current limitations. A literature review was conducted on the topic using various databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Wiley Online Library), searching in various reviews, and editorials on the topic, with overviewing the author’s own published and unpublished work. This review discussed the steps of the validation process from in silico analysis to in vivo validation, to incorporation into clinical practice guidelines. In addition, reviewing the recent lines of research of bioinformatic studies related to HCC. In conclusion, the genetic, molecular and epigenetic markers discoveries are hot areas for HCC research. Bioinformatics will enhance our ability to accomplish this understanding in the near future. We face certain limitations that we need to overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah El-Nakeep
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11591, Egypt
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Czauderna C, Poplawski A, O Rourke CJ, Castven D, Pérez-Aguilar B, Becker D, Heilmann-Heimbach S, Odenthal M, Amer W, Schmiel M, Drebber U, Binder H, Ridder DA, Schindeldecker M, Straub BK, Galle PR, Andersen JB, Thorgeirsson SS, Park YN, Marquardt JU. Epigenetic modifications precede molecular alterations and drive human hepatocarcinogenesis. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e146196. [PMID: 34375307 PMCID: PMC8492348 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.146196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of primary liver cancer is a multi-stage process. Detailed understanding of sequential epigenetic alterations is largely missing. Here, we performed Infinium Human Methylation 450k BeadChips and RNA sequencing analyses for genome-wide methylome and transcriptome profiling of cirrhotic liver (n=7), low- (n=4) and high-grade (n=9) dysplastic lesions, early (n=5) and progressed (n=3) hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) synchronously detected in eight HCC patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Integrative analyses of epigenetically driven molecular changes were identified and validated in two independent cohorts comprising 887 HCC. Mitochondrial DNA sequencing was further employed for clonality analyses and indicates multi-clonal origin in the majority of investigated HCC. Alterations in DNA methylation progressively increased from CL to dysplastic lesions and reached a maximum in early HCC. Associated early alterations identified by IPA pathway analyses involved apoptosis, immune regulation and stemness pathways, while late changes centered on cell survival, proliferation and invasion. We further validated putative 23 epi-drivers with concomitant expression changes and associated with overall survival. Functionally, Striatin 4 (STRN4) was demonstrated to be epigenetically regulated and inhibition of STRN4 significantly suppressed tumorigenicity of HCC cell lines.Overall, application of integrative genomic analyses defines epigenetic driver alterations and provides promising targets for novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Czauderna
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alicia Poplawski
- Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Colm J O Rourke
- Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Darko Castven
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Diana Becker
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Wafa Amer
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marcel Schmiel
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Uta Drebber
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Harald Binder
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dirk A Ridder
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Beate K Straub
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peter R Galle
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jesper B Andersen
- Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Snorri S Thorgeirsson
- Laboratory of Experimental Carcinogenesis (LEC), National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, United States of America
| | - Young Nyun Park
- Department of Pathology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
| | - Jens U Marquardt
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Xia F, Liu P, Li M. The regulatory factors and pathological roles of autophagy-related protein 4 in diverse diseases: Recent research advances. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:1644-1675. [PMID: 33314291 DOI: 10.1002/med.21772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Macroautophagy (autophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved and dynamic degradation/recycling pathway in which portions of the cytoplasm, such as dysfunctional proteins and surplus organelles, are engulfed by double-membrane bound vesicles through a lysosome-dependent process. As the only proteolytic enzyme of the core mammalian autophagy proteins, autophagy-related protein 4 (ATG4) primes newly synthesized pro-light chain 3 (LC3) to form LC3-I that attaches to phosphatidylethanolamine and delipidates LC3-PE to LC3-I for recycling. Besides autophagy, ATG4 has been shown to be involved in regulating various biological and pathological processes. The roles of ATG4 in cancer therapy, a methodology for ATG4 activity detection, and the discovery of chemical modulators have been well-reviewed. However, a comprehensive summary on how ATG4 is regulated by multiple factors and, thereby, how ATG4 influences autophagy or other pathways remains lacking. In this paper, we summarize multiple processes and molecules that regulate the activity of ATG4, such as micro-RNAs, posttranslational modifications, and small molecules. Additionally, we focus on the relationship between ATG4 and diverse diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration, microbial infection, and other diseases. It provides insight regarding potential ATG4-targeted therapeutic opportunities, which could be beneficial for future studies and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Xia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peiqing Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Jiang Y, He J, Li Y, Guo Y, Tao H. The Diagnostic Value of MicroRNAs as a Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:5179048. [PMID: 31871941 PMCID: PMC6907051 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5179048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in diagnosing cancer has been attracted increasing attention. However, few miRNAs have been applied in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of miRNAs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at early stages clinically. METHODS A literature search was carried out using PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases. We explored the diagnostic value of miRNAs in distinguishing HCC from healthy individuals. The quality assessment was performed in Review Manager 5.3 software. The overall sensitivity and specificity and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained with random-effects models through Stata 14.0 software. And heterogeneity was assessed using Q test and I 2 statistics. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were conducted based on the sample, nation, quality of studies, and miRNA profiling. The publication bias was evaluated through Deeks' funnel plot. RESULTS A total of 34 studies, involving in 2747 HCC patients and 2053 healthy individuals, met the inclusion criteria in the 33 included literature studies. In the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve, AUC was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.90-0.94), with 0.84 (95% CI, 0.79-0.88) sensitivity and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83-0.90) specificity. There was no publication bias (P=0.48). CONCLUSION miRNAs in vivo can be acted as a potential diagnostic biomarker for HCC, which can facilitate the early diagnosis of HCC in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jimin He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, China
| | - Yiqin Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yongcan Guo
- Clinical Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Hualin Tao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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Screening for blood leukocyte microRNA biomarkers responsible for association between qi deficiency constitution and Pi-qi-deficiency syndrome of chronic superficial gastritis. JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICAL SCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcms.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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