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Julson JR, Quinn CH, Butey S, Erwin MH, Marayati R, Nazam N, Stewart JE, Beierle EA. PIM Kinase Inhibition Attenuates the Malignant Progression of Metastatic Hepatoblastoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:427. [PMID: 38203596 PMCID: PMC10778668 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010427] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary pediatric liver tumor. Children with pulmonary metastases at diagnosis experience survival rates as low as 25%. We have shown PIM kinases play a role in hepatoblastoma tumorigenesis. In this study, we assessed the role of PIM kinases in metastatic hepatoblastoma. We employed the metastatic hepatoblastoma cell line, HLM_2. PIM kinase inhibition was attained using PIM3 siRNA and the pan-PIM inhibitor, AZD1208. Effects of PIM inhibition on proliferation were evaluated via growth curve. Flow cytometry determined changes in cell cycle. AlamarBlue assay assessed effects of PIM kinase inhibition and cisplatin treatment on viability. The lethal dose 50% (LD50) of each drug and combination indices (CI) were calculated and isobolograms constructed to determine synergy. PIM kinase inhibition resulted in decreased HLM_2 proliferation, likely through cell cycle arrest mediated by p21. Combination therapy with AZD1208 and cisplatin resulted in synergy, potentially through downregulation of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase DNA damage response pathway. When assessing the combined effects of pharmacologic PIM kinase inhibition with cisplatin on HLM_2 cells, we found the agents to be synergistic, potentially through inhibition of the ATM pathway. These findings support further exploration of PIM kinase inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for metastatic hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Elizabeth A. Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Ave. South, Lowder Building, Suite 300, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; (J.R.J.)
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2
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Fang J, Singh S, Cheng C, Natarajan S, Sheppard H, Abu-Zaid A, Durbin AD, Lee HW, Wu Q, Steele J, Connelly JP, Jin H, Chen W, Fan Y, Pruett-Miller SM, Rehg JE, Koo SC, Santiago T, Emmons J, Cairo S, Wang R, Glazer ES, Murphy AJ, Chen T, Davidoff AM, Armengol C, Easton J, Chen X, Yang J. Genome-wide mapping of cancer dependency genes and genetic modifiers of chemotherapy in high-risk hepatoblastoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4003. [PMID: 37414763 PMCID: PMC10326052 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39717-6] [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: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A lack of relevant genetic models and cell lines hampers our understanding of hepatoblastoma pathogenesis and the development of new therapies for this neoplasm. Here, we report an improved MYC-driven hepatoblastoma-like murine model that recapitulates the pathological features of embryonal type of hepatoblastoma, with transcriptomics resembling the high-risk gene signatures of the human disease. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics identify distinct subpopulations of hepatoblastoma cells. After deriving cell lines from the mouse model, we map cancer dependency genes using CRISPR-Cas9 screening and identify druggable targets shared with human hepatoblastoma (e.g., CDK7, CDK9, PRMT1, PRMT5). Our screen also reveals oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in hepatoblastoma that engage multiple, druggable cancer signaling pathways. Chemotherapy is critical for human hepatoblastoma treatment. A genetic mapping of doxorubicin response by CRISPR-Cas9 screening identifies modifiers whose loss-of-function synergizes with (e.g., PRKDC) or antagonizes (e.g., apoptosis genes) the effect of chemotherapy. The combination of PRKDC inhibition and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy greatly enhances therapeutic efficacy. These studies provide a set of resources including disease models suitable for identifying and validating potential therapeutic targets in human high-risk hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shivendra Singh
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Changde Cheng
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sivaraman Natarajan
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Heather Sheppard
- Comparative Pathology Core, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ahmed Abu-Zaid
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ha Won Lee
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jacob Steele
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jon P Connelly
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongjian Jin
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Wenan Chen
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yiping Fan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering (CAGE), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jerold E Rehg
- Comparative Pathology Core, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Selene C Koo
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Teresa Santiago
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Joseph Emmons
- VPC Diagnostic Laboratory, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Stefano Cairo
- Champions Oncology, 1330 Piccard dr, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Ruoning Wang
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disease, Hematology/Oncology & BMT, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Evan S Glazer
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Andrew J Murphy
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Taosheng Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Andrew M Davidoff
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 325, Memphis, TN, USA
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Carolina Armengol
- Childhood Liver Oncology Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Translational Program in Cancer Research (CARE), Badalona, Spain
- CIBER, Hepatic and Digestive Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERehd, Madrid, Spain
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
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3
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Bownes LV, Julson JR, Quinn CH, Hutchins SC, Erwin MH, Markert HR, Stewart JE, Mroczek-Musulman E, Aye J, Yoon KJ, Ohlmeyer M, Beierle EA. The Effects of Protein Phosphatase 2A Activation with Novel Tricyclic Sulfonamides on Hepatoblastoma. J Pediatr Surg 2023; 58:1145-1154. [PMID: 36907775 PMCID: PMC10198925 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tumor suppressor, protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), is downregulated in hepatoblastoma. We aimed to examine the effects of two novel compounds of the tricyclic sulfonamide class, ATUX-3364 (3364) and ATUX-8385 (8385), designed to activate PP2A without causing immunosuppression, on human hepatoblastoma. METHODS An established human hepatoblastoma cell line, HuH6, and a human hepatoblastoma patient-derived xenograft, COA67, were treated with increasing doses of 3364 or 8385, and viability, proliferation, cell cycle and motility were investigated. Cancer cell stemness was evaluated by real-time PCR and tumorsphere forming ability. Effects on tumor growth were examined using a murine model. RESULTS Treatment with 3364 or 8385 significantly decreased viability, proliferation, cell cycle progression and motility in HuH6 and COA67 cells. Both compounds significantly decreased stemness as demonstrated by decreased abundance of OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2 mRNA. The ability of COA67 to form tumorspheres, another sign of cancer cell stemness, was significantly diminished by 3364 and 8385. Treatment with 3364 resulted in decreased tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION Novel PP2A activators, 3364 and 8385, decreased hepatoblastoma proliferation, viability, and cancer cell stemness in vitro. Animals treated with 3364 had decreased tumor growth. These data provide evidence for further investigation of PP2A activating compounds as hepatoblastoma therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura V Bownes
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Janet R Julson
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Colin H Quinn
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Sara Claire Hutchins
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Michael H Erwin
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Hooper R Markert
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jerry E Stewart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | | | - Jamie Aye
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Karina J Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
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Muench MO, Fomin ME, Gutierrez AG, López-Terrada D, Gilfanova R, Nosworthy C, Beyer AI, Ostolaza G, Kats D, Matlock KL, Cairo S, Keller C. CD203c is expressed by human fetal hepatoblasts and distinguishes subsets of hepatoblastoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:927852. [PMID: 36845728 PMCID: PMC9947649 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.927852] [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: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Hepatocytic cells found during prenatal development have unique features compared to their adult counterparts, and are believed to be the precursors of pediatric hepatoblastoma. The cell-surface phenotype of hepatoblasts and hepatoblastoma cell lines was evaluated to discover new markers of these cells and gain insight into the development of hepatocytic cells and the phenotypes and origins of hepatoblastoma. Methods Human midgestation livers and four pediatric hepatoblastoma cell lines were screened using flow cytometry. Expression of over 300 antigens was evaluated on hepatoblasts defined by their expression of CD326 (EpCAM) and CD14. Also analyzed were hematopoietic cells, expressing CD45, and liver sinusoidal-endothelial cells (LSECs), expressing CD14 but lacking CD45 expression. Select antigens were further examined by fluorescence immunomicroscopy of fetal liver sections. Antigen expression was also confirmed on cultured cells by both methods. Gene expression analysis by liver cells, 6 hepatoblastoma cell lines, and hepatoblastoma cells was performed. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate CD203c, CD326, and cytokeratin-19 expression on three hepatoblastoma tumors. Results Antibody screening identified many cell surface markers commonly or divergently expressed by hematopoietic cells, LSECs, and hepatoblasts. Thirteen novel markers expressed on fetal hepatoblasts were identified including ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 3 (ENPP-3/CD203c), which was found to be expressed by hepatoblasts with widespread expression in the parenchyma of the fetal liver. In culture CD203c+CD326++ cells resembled hepatocytic cells with coexpression of albumin and cytokeratin-19 confirming a hepatoblast phenotype. CD203c expression declined rapidly in culture whereas the loss of CD326 was not as pronounced. CD203c and CD326 were co-expressed on a subset of hepatoblastoma cell lines and hepatoblastomas with an embryonal pattern. Conclusions CD203c is expressed on hepatoblasts and may play a role in purinergic signaling in the developing liver. Hepatoblastoma cell lines were found to consist of two broad phenotypes consisting of a cholangiocyte-like phenotype that expressed CD203c and CD326 and a hepatocyte-like phenotype with diminished expression of these markers. CD203c was expressed by some hepatoblastoma tumors and may represent a marker of a less differentiated embryonal component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus O. Muench
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Marcus O. Muench,
| | - Marina E. Fomin
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Dolores López-Terrada
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | | | - Ashley I. Beyer
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Dina Kats
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | | | - Stefano Cairo
- Research and Development Unit, XenTech, Evry, France
| | - Charles Keller
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
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5
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Fan L, Pan Q, Yang W, Koo SC, Tian C, Li L, Lu M, Brown A, Ju B, Easton J, Ranganathan S, Shin S, Bondoc A, Yang JJ, Yu J, Zhu L. A developmentally prometastatic niche to hepatoblastoma in neonatal liver mediated by the Cxcl1/Cxcr2 axis. Hepatology 2022; 76:1275-1290. [PMID: 35179799 PMCID: PMC9385889 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common pediatric liver cancer. Its predominant occurrence in very young children led us to investigate whether the neonatal liver provides a protumorigenic niche to HB development. APPROACH AND RESULTS HB development was compared between orthotopic transplantation models established in postnatal day 5 (P5) and 60 (P60) mice (P5Tx and P60Tx models). Single-cell RNA-sequencing (sc-RNAseq) was performed using tumor and liver tissues from both models and the top candidate cell types and genes identified are investigated for their roles in HB cell growth, migration, and survival. CONCLUSIONS We found that various HB cell lines including HepG2 cells were consistently and considerably more tumorigenic and metastatic in the P5Tx model than in the P60Tx models. Sc-RNAseq of the P5Tx and P60Tx HepG2 models revealed that the P5Tx tumor was more hypoxic and had a larger number of activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) in the tumor-surrounding liver that express significantly higher levels of Cxcl1 than those from the P60Tx model. We found these differences were developmentally present in normal P5 and P60 liver. We showed that the Cxcl1/Cxcr2 axis mediated HB cell migration and was critical to HB cell survival under hypoxia. Treating HepG2 P60Tx model with recombinant CXCL1 protein induced intrahepatic and pulmonary metastasis and CXCR2 knockout (KO) in HepG2 cells abolished their metastatic potential in the P5Tx model. Lastly, we showed that in tumors from patients with metastatic HB, there was a similar larger population of aHSCs in the tumor-surrounding liver than in localized tumors, and tumor hypoxia was uniquely associated with prognosis of patients with HB among pediatric cancers. We demonstrated that the neonatal liver provides a prometastatic niche to HB development through the Cxcl1/Cxcr2 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Fan
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Qingfei Pan
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Selene C. Koo
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Cheng Tian
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Liyuan Li
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Meifen Lu
- Veterinary Pathology Core, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Anthony Brown
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Bensheng Ju
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Sarangarajan Ranganathan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
| | - Soona Shin
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
| | - Alexander Bondoc
- Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
| | - Jun J. Yang
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Jiyang Yu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
| | - Liqin Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
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6
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Song H, Bucher S, Rosenberg K, Tsui M, Burhan D, Hoffman D, Cho SJ, Rangaswami A, Breese M, Leung S, Ventura MVP, Sweet-Cordero EA, Huang FW, Nijagal A, Wang B. Single-cell analysis of hepatoblastoma identifies tumor signatures that predict chemotherapy susceptibility using patient-specific tumor spheroids. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4878. [PMID: 36008377 PMCID: PMC9411569 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32473-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric hepatoblastoma is the most common primary liver cancer in infants and children. Studies of hepatoblastoma that focus exclusively on tumor cells demonstrate sparse somatic mutations and a common cell of origin, the hepatoblast, across patients. In contrast to the homogeneity these studies would suggest, hepatoblastoma tumors have a high degree of heterogeneity that can portend poor prognosis. In this study, we use single-cell transcriptomic techniques to analyze resected human pediatric hepatoblastoma specimens, and identify five hepatoblastoma tumor signatures that may account for the tumor heterogeneity observed in this disease. Notably, patient-derived hepatoblastoma spheroid cultures predict differential responses to treatment based on the transcriptomic signature of each tumor, suggesting a path forward for precision oncology for these tumors. In this work, we define hepatoblastoma tumor heterogeneity with single-cell resolution and demonstrate that patient-derived spheroids can be used to evaluate responses to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanbing Song
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Simon Bucher
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- The Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Katherine Rosenberg
- The Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Margaret Tsui
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- The Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Deviana Burhan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- The Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Daniel Hoffman
- The Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Soo-Jin Cho
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- The Pediatric Liver Center at UCSF Benioff Childrens' Hospitals, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Arun Rangaswami
- The Pediatric Liver Center at UCSF Benioff Childrens' Hospitals, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Marcus Breese
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Stanley Leung
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - María V Pons Ventura
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - E Alejandro Sweet-Cordero
- The Pediatric Liver Center at UCSF Benioff Childrens' Hospitals, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Franklin W Huang
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Amar Nijagal
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- The Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- The Pediatric Liver Center at UCSF Benioff Childrens' Hospitals, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Bruce Wang
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- The Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
- The Pediatric Liver Center at UCSF Benioff Childrens' Hospitals, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
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7
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Marayati R, Julson JR, Bownes LV, Quinn CH, Hutchins SC, Williams AP, Markert HR, Beierle AM, Stewart JE, Hjelmeland AB, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. Metastatic human hepatoblastoma cells exhibit enhanced tumorigenicity, invasiveness and a stem cell-like phenotype. J Pediatr Surg 2022; 57:1018-1025. [PMID: 35300860 PMCID: PMC9119922 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2022.01.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Metastatic hepatoblastoma continues to pose a significant treatment challenge, primarily because the precise mechanisms involved in metastasis are not fully understood, making cell lines and preclinical models that depict the progression of disease and metastasis-related biology paramount. We aimed to generate and characterize a metastatic hepatoblastoma cell line to create a model for investigation of the molecular mechanisms associated with metastasis. MATERIALS/METHODS Using a murine model of serial tail vein injections of the human hepatoblastoma HuH6 cell line, non-invasive bioluminescence imaging, and dissociation of metastatic pulmonary lesions, we successfully established and characterized the metastatic human hepatoblastoma cell line, HLM_3. RESULTS The HLM_3 cells exhibited enhanced tumorigenicity and invasiveness, both in vitro and in vivo compared to the parent HuH6 cell line. Moreover, HLM_3 metastatic hepatoblastoma cells exhibited a stem cell-like phenotype and were more resistant to the standard chemotherapeutic cisplatin. CONCLUSION This newly described metastatic hepatoblastoma cell line offers a novel tool to study mechanisms of tumor metastasis and evaluate new therapeutic strategies for metastatic hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoud Marayati
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Janet R. Julson
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Laura V. Bownes
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Colin H. Quinn
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Sara C. Hutchins
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Adele P. Williams
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Hooper R. Markert
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Andee M. Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jerry E. Stewart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Anita B. Hjelmeland
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A. Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA,Corresponding Author: Elizabeth A. Beierle, MD, 1600 7th Ave. South, Lowder Building, Suite 300, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA, Phone: (205) 638-9688, Fax: (205) 975-4972,
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8
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Marayati R, Stafman LL, Williams AP, Bownes LV, Quinn CH, Markert HR, Easlick JL, Stewart JE, Crossman DK, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of PIM3 suppresses tumorigenesis and cancer cell stemness in human hepatoblastoma cells. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 29:558-572. [PMID: 33864024 PMCID: PMC8521561 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00334-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma remains one of the most difficult childhood tumors to treat and is alarmingly understudied. We previously demonstrated that Proviral Insertion site in Maloney murine leukemia virus (PIM) kinases, specifically PIM3, are overexpressed in human hepatoblastoma cells and function to promote tumorigenesis. We aimed to use CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing with dual gRNAs to introduce large inactivating deletions in the PIM3 gene and achieve stable PIM3 knockout in the human hepatoblastoma cell line, HuH6. PIM3 knockout of hepatoblastoma cells led to significantly decreased proliferation, viability, and motility, inhibited cell-cycle progression, decreased tumor growth in a xenograft murine model, and increased animal survival. Analysis of RNA sequencing data revealed that PIM3 knockout downregulated expression of pro-migratory and pro-invasive genes and upregulated expression of genes involved in apoptosis and differentiation. Furthermore, PIM3 knockout decreased hepatoblastoma cancer cell stemness as evidenced by decreased tumorsphere formation, decreased mRNA abundance of stemness markers, and decreased cell surface expression of CD133, a marker of hepatoblastoma stem cell-like cancer cells. Reintroduction of PIM3 into PIM3 knockout cells rescued the malignant phenotype. Successful CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of PIM3 kinase in human hepatoblastoma cells confirmed the role of PIM3 in promoting hepatoblastoma tumorigenesis and cancer cell stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoud Marayati
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Laura L. Stafman
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Adele P. Williams
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Laura V. Bownes
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Colin H. Quinn
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Hooper R. Markert
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Juliet L. Easlick
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jerry E. Stewart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - David K. Crossman
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A. Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
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9
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Wu PV, Rangaswami A. Current Approaches in Hepatoblastoma-New Biological Insights to Inform Therapy. Curr Oncol Rep 2022; 24:1209-1218. [PMID: 35438389 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-022-01230-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW As the most common pediatric primary liver cancer with rising incidence, hepatoblastoma remains challenging to treat. Here, we review the current understanding of the biology of hepatoblastoma and discuss how recent advances may lead to new treatment modalities. RECENT FINDINGS Standard chemotherapy regimens including cisplatin, in addition to surgery, have led to high cure rates among patients with low stage hepatoblastoma; however, metastatic and relapsed disease continue to have poor outcomes. Recent genomics and functional studies in cell lines and mouse models have established a central role for the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in tumorigenesis. Targeted agents and immunotherapy approaches are emerging as potential treatment avenues. With recent gains in knowledge of the genomic and transcriptomic landscape of hepatoblastoma, new therapeutic mechanisms can now be explored to improve outcomes for metastatic and relapsed hepatoblastoma and to reduce the toxicity of current treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng V Wu
- Division of Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation & Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1000 Welch Rd. Suite 300, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Arun Rangaswami
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, 550 16th St., 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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10
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Wu PV, Nusse R. 3D Culture of Primary Patient-Derived Hepatoblastoma Tumoroids. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2544:259-267. [PMID: 36125725 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2557-6_19] [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: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma, the most common primary liver malignancy in children, remains poorly understood due in part to a relative lack of methods to expand tumor cells in culture and a paucity of robust experimental models. Here, we describe a method to obtain primary tumor cells from patients with hepatoblastoma and to propagate the cells in 3D culture as tumor organoids, or "tumoroids". We further detail methods to prepare the tumoroids for whole-mount and cross-sectional imaging as well as to perform lentiviral transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng V Wu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Developmental Biology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Roel Nusse
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Developmental Biology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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11
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Hou JY, Yeh TC, Huang TH, Sheu JC, Liu HC. A retrospective study of clinical features and outcome in patients with refractory or recurrent hepatoblastoma: A single institution experience. Pediatr Neonatol 2021; 62:400-405. [PMID: 33967009 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2021.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 09/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common childhood primary hepatic malignancy. The overall survival rate in patients with HB has reached more than 80% over the past decades. The poor prognostic and high-risk HB have been defined, but the treatment and cure of refractory or relapsed HB is still an arduous task. METHODS The complete records of HB in patients under the age of 18 at the MacKay Memorial Hospital between 1990 and 2019 were examined. RESULTS The treatment results for 11 patients with refractory or relapsed HB are presented. The multi-modality treatment records were reviewed and the clinical characteristics associated with poor outcome included multifocal lesions, low α-fetoprotein, great vessel invasion and metastases. Delayed liver tumor surgery was carried out in eight cases. The median duration of follow-up for the 11 patients was 48.6 months (range 1.9 to 316.8 months). The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rate were 62.3% ± 15% (SE) and 49.9% ± 16.4% (SE), respectively. Most treatment-related toxicities were tolerable. The major concern during long term follow-up was irreversible high-frequency hearing loss. CONCLUSION Patients with refractory/relapsed HB are still a thorny issue and more research is needed to improve the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Yin Hou
- MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Chi Yeh
- MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Huan Huang
- MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Cherng Sheu
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Che Liu
- MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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12
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Wadhwani N, Markert HR, Marayati R, Bownes LV, Quinn CH, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Beierle EA. PIM447 inhibits oncogenesis and potentiates cisplatin effects in hepatoblastoma. J Pediatr Surg 2021; 56:1157-1164. [PMID: 33762119 PMCID: PMC8131223 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel therapies are needed for patients with hepatoblastoma because of an increasing incidence of disease and poor prognosis for advanced, refractory, and recurrent disease. PIM kinases promote tumorigenesis in hepatoblastoma. A novel PIM inhibitor, PIM447, has shown promise in inhibiting oncogenesis in hematologic and lymphoid malignancies. We hypothesized that PIM inhibition with PIM447 would result in decreased tumorigenesis in hepatoblastoma. METHODS The effects of PIM447 on hepatoblastoma viability, proliferation, motility, apoptosis, and tumor cell stemness were assessed in HuH6, a human hepatoblastoma cell line, and COA67, a human hepatoblastoma patient-derived xenograft. RESULTS PIM447 significantly decreased the viability, proliferation, and motility of HuH6 and COA67 cells. Apoptosis significantly increased following PIM447 treatment. PIM447 had a significant impact on tumor cell stemness as evidenced by decreased expression of CD133 and reduced ability of HuH6 and COA67 cells to form tumorspheres. Furthermore, combining PIM447 with cisplatin resulted in a significant decrease in cell viability compared to either treatment alone. CONCLUSION We showed that PIM447 inhibits oncogenesis and potentiates the effects of cisplatin in hepatoblastoma and, therefore, warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent for hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Wadhwani
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Hooper R. Markert
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Raoud Marayati
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Laura V Bownes
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Colin H. Quinn
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jamie M. Aye
- Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jerry E. Stewart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Karina J. Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.,Corresponding author: Elizabeth A. Beierle, MD, 1600 7th Ave. South, Lowder, Room 300, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA, Phone: (205) 638-9688, Fax: (205) 975-4972
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13
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Saltsman JA, Hammond WJ, Narayan NJC, Requena D, Gehart H, Lalazar G, LaQuaglia MP, Clevers H, Simon S. A Human Organoid Model of Aggressive Hepatoblastoma for Disease Modeling and Drug Testing. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2668. [PMID: 32962010 PMCID: PMC7563272 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma is the most common childhood liver cancer. Although survival has improved significantly over the past few decades, there remains a group of children with aggressive disease who do not respond to current treatment regimens. There is a critical need for novel models to study aggressive hepatoblastoma as research to find new treatments is hampered by the small number of laboratory models of the disease. Organoids have emerged as robust models for many diseases, including cancer. We have generated and characterized a novel organoid model of aggressive hepatoblastoma directly from freshly resected patient tumors as a proof of concept for this approach. Hepatoblastoma tumor organoids recapitulate the key elements of patient tumors, including tumor architecture, mutational profile, gene expression patterns, and features of Wnt/β-catenin signaling that are hallmarks of hepatoblastoma pathophysiology. Tumor organoids were successfully used alongside non-tumor liver organoids from the same patient to perform a drug screen using twelve candidate compounds. One drug, JQ1, demonstrated increased destruction of liver organoids from hepatoblastoma tumor tissue relative to organoids from the adjacent non-tumor liver. Our findings suggest that hepatoblastoma organoids could be used for a variety of applications and have the potential to improve treatment options for the subset of hepatoblastoma patients who do not respond to existing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A. Saltsman
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; (J.A.S.); (W.J.H.); (N.J.C.N.); (D.R.); (G.L.)
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - William J. Hammond
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; (J.A.S.); (W.J.H.); (N.J.C.N.); (D.R.); (G.L.)
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Nicole J. C. Narayan
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; (J.A.S.); (W.J.H.); (N.J.C.N.); (D.R.); (G.L.)
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - David Requena
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; (J.A.S.); (W.J.H.); (N.J.C.N.); (D.R.); (G.L.)
| | - Helmuth Gehart
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (H.G.); (H.C.)
| | - Gadi Lalazar
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; (J.A.S.); (W.J.H.); (N.J.C.N.); (D.R.); (G.L.)
| | - Michael P. LaQuaglia
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584CT Utrecht, The Netherlands; (H.G.); (H.C.)
- The Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, 3584CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sanford Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; (J.A.S.); (W.J.H.); (N.J.C.N.); (D.R.); (G.L.)
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14
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Whitlock RS, Yang T, Vasudevan SA, Woodfield SE. Animal Modeling of Pediatric Liver Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020273. [PMID: 31979130 PMCID: PMC7072332 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common pediatric liver malignancy. Management of HB requires multidisciplinary efforts. The 5-year overall survival of this disease is about 80% in developed countries. Despite advances in the care of these patients, survival in recurrent or treatment-refractory disease is lower than 50%. This is due to more complex tumor biology, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-like mutations and expression of aggressive gene signatures leading to chemoresistance, vascular invasion, and metastatic spread. The current treatment protocols for pediatric liver cancer do not incorporate targeted therapies, and the ability to test these therapies is limited due to the inaccessibility of cell lines and mouse models. In this review, we discuss the current status of preclinical animal modeling in pediatric liver cancer, primarily HB. Although HB is a rare cancer, the research community has worked together to develop a range of interesting and relevant mouse models for diverse preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard S. Whitlock
- Divisions of Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Research, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Pediatric Surgical Oncology Laboratory, Texas Children’s Surgical Oncology Program, Texas Children’s Liver Tumor Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.S.W.); (S.A.V.)
| | - Tianyou Yang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Sanjeev A. Vasudevan
- Divisions of Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Research, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Pediatric Surgical Oncology Laboratory, Texas Children’s Surgical Oncology Program, Texas Children’s Liver Tumor Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.S.W.); (S.A.V.)
| | - Sarah E. Woodfield
- Divisions of Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Research, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Pediatric Surgical Oncology Laboratory, Texas Children’s Surgical Oncology Program, Texas Children’s Liver Tumor Program, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.S.W.); (S.A.V.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-832-824-4591
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15
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Models for Understanding Resistance to Chemotherapy in Liver Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11111677. [PMID: 31671735 PMCID: PMC6896032 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11111677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of response to pharmacological treatment constitutes a substantial limitation in the handling of patients with primary liver cancers (PLCs). The existence of active mechanisms of chemoresistance (MOCs) in hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and hepatoblastoma hampers the usefulness of chemotherapy. A better understanding of MOCs is needed to develop strategies able to overcome drug refractoriness in PLCs. With this aim, several experimental models are commonly used. These include in vitro cell-free assays using subcellular systems; studies with primary cell cultures; cancer cell lines or heterologous expression systems; multicellular models, such as spheroids and organoids; and a variety of in vivo models in rodents, such as subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor xenografts or chemically or genetically induced liver carcinogenesis. Novel methods to perform programmed genomic edition and more efficient techniques to isolate circulating microvesicles offer new opportunities for establishing useful experimental tools for understanding the resistance to chemotherapy in PLCs. In the present review, using three criteria for information organization: (1) level of research; (2) type of MOC; and (3) type of PLC, we have summarized the advantages and limitations of the armamentarium available in the field of pharmacological investigation of PLC chemoresistance.
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16
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Naoe A, Tsuchiya T, Kondo Y, Uga N, Watanabe S, Yasui T, Hara F, Suzuki T. Arctigenin induces apoptosis in human hepatoblastoma cells. Pediatr Surg Int 2019; 35:723-728. [PMID: 30891641 DOI: 10.1007/s00383-019-04473-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Arctigenin has been shown to have anti-tumor effects in various types of cancers. This study was conducted to verify these effects in the human-derived hepatoblastoma cell line, HUH-6 clone 5 (hereinafter, HUH-6). METHODS Arctigenin was added to cultured HUH-6 cells, and cellular activity was evaluated by MTS assay. To determine the relationship between reduced cellular activity and apoptosis, we measured the activities of caspase 3/7, 8, and 9 and conducted flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. RESULTS The MTS assay revealed that cellular activity decreased after arctigenin treatment in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 = 4 µM). To investigate apoptosis induction, activity assays of caspase 3/7, 8, and 9 were performed. While caspase 3/7 and 8 exhibited high activity, caspase 9 showed no activity. Thus, apoptosis induction may have involved the action of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). Flow cytometry conducted with Annexin V/PI staining revealed the occurrence of early apoptosis. CONCLUSION We found that arctigenin has anti-tumor effects in HUH-6 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Arctigenin may have exerted its anti-tumor effect by inducing apoptosis via TNFR1, which recruits Complex IIa to activate caspase 8 and 3/7. These results may be useful for developing therapeutic agents for hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuki Naoe
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan.
| | - Tomonori Tsuchiya
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kondo
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Naoko Uga
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Watanabe
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Yasui
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Fujio Hara
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Suzuki
- Pediatric Surgery Department, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
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17
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Stafman LL, Williams AP, Marayati R, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. PP2A activation alone and in combination with cisplatin decreases cell growth and tumor formation in human HuH6 hepatoblastoma cells. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214469. [PMID: 30969990 PMCID: PMC6457532 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite an increase in incidence, treatments for hepatoblastoma remain virtually unchanged for the past 20 years, emphasizing the need for novel therapeutics. FTY720 (fingolimod) is an immunomodulator approved for use in multiple sclerosis in children that has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties in multiple cancer types. We have demonstrated that FTY720 activates PP2A in hepatoblastoma, but does not do so via inhibition of the endogenous inhibitors, CIP2A and I2PP2A, as previously observed in other cancers. PP2A activation in hepatoblastoma decreased cell viability, proliferation, and motility and induced apoptosis. In a subcutaneous xenograft model, FTY720 decreased tumor growth. FTY720 in combination with the standard chemotherapeutic, cisplatin, decreased proliferation in a synergistic manner. Finally, animals bearing subcutaneous hepatoblastoma xenografts treated with FTY720 and cisplatin in combination had significantly decreased tumor growth compared to those treated with either drug alone. These findings show that targeting PP2A with FTY70 shows promise in the treatment of hepatoblastoma and that combining FTY720 with cisplatin may be a novel and effective strategy to better treat this devastating pediatric liver tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L. Stafman
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Adele P. Williams
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Raoud Marayati
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Jamie M. Aye
- Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | - Jerry E. Stewart
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
| | | | - Elizabeth A. Beierle
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Stafman LL, Mruthyunjayappa S, Waters AM, Garner EF, Aye JM, Stewart JE, Yoon KJ, Whelan K, Mroczek-Musulman E, Beierle EA. Targeting PIM kinase as a therapeutic strategy in human hepatoblastoma. Oncotarget 2018; 9:22665-22679. [PMID: 29854306 PMCID: PMC5978256 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing incidence coupled with poor prognosis and treatments that are virtually unchanged over the past 20 years have made the need for the development of novel therapeutics for hepatoblastoma imperative. PIM kinases have been implicated as drivers of tumorigenesis in multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma. We hypothesized that PIM kinases, specifically PIM3, would play a role in hepatoblastoma tumorigenesis and that PIM kinase inhibition would affect hepatoblastoma in vitro and in vivo. Parameters including cell survival, proliferation, motility, and apoptosis were assessed in human hepatoblastoma cells following PIM3 knockdown with siRNA or treatment with the PIM inhibitor AZD1208. An in vivo model of human hepatoblastoma was utilized to study the effects of PIM inhibition alone and in combination with cisplatin. PIM kinases were found to be present in the human hepatoblastoma cell line, HuH6, and in a human hepatoblastoma patient-derived xenograft, COA67. PIM3 knockdown or inhibition with AZD1208 decreased cell survival, attachment independent growth, and motility. Additionally, inhibition of tumor growth was observed in a hepatoblastoma xenograft model in mice treated with AZD1208. Combination therapy with AZD1208 and cisplatin resulted in a significant increase in animal survival when compared to either treatment alone. The current studies showed that PIM kinase inhibition decreased human hepatoblastoma tumorigenicity both in vitro and in vivo, implying that PIM inhibitors may be useful as a novel therapeutic for children with hepatoblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura L Stafman
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Alicia M Waters
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Evan F Garner
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jamie M Aye
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jerry E Stewart
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Karina J Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kimberly Whelan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A Beierle
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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19
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Tracking cellular and molecular changes in a species-specific manner during experimental tumor progression in vivo. Oncotarget 2018; 9:16149-16162. [PMID: 29662633 PMCID: PMC5882324 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma (HBL) is a pediatric liver cancer with defined molecular alterations driving its progression. Here, we describe an animal model for HBL on the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), which recapitulates relevant features of HBL in patients. Expression of classic tumor-associated proteins such as β-catenin, EpCAM and CK19 was maintained in acini-like organized tumors on CAM, as was synthesis of AFP, a tumor marker used for monitoring patient response. RNA sequencing revealed an unexpected molecular evolution of HBL cells on the CAM, with significant deregulation of more than 6,000 genes including more than half of all HOX genes. Bioinformatic analysis distinguish between tumor cell-expressed genes and chick genes, thereby shedding new light on the complex interactions taking place during HBL progression. Importantly, human tumor suppressive ribosomal genes were downregulated after implantation, whereas mitochondrial genes encoding for anti-apoptotic peptides were strongly induced in vivo. Meprin-1α expression was increased during evolution of CAM tumors and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent for HBL, showed significant anti-tumoral effects. Our results broaden the understanding of the molecular adaptation process of human cancer cells to the microenvironment and might help to elaborate novel therapeutic concepts for the treatment of this pediatric liver tumor.
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Liu J, Li Y, Yang X, Dong Y, Wu J, Chen M. Effects of ginkgol C17:1 on cisplatin-induced autophagy and apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Oncol Lett 2017; 15:1021-1029. [PMID: 29399162 PMCID: PMC5772831 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that ginkgol C17:1 significantly inhibits human liver cancer cells and enhances the anticancer activity of cisplatin in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanism and biological function of ginkgol C17:1 on cells undergoing chemotherapy remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to determine the antitumor activity and mechanism of ginkgol C17:1 in combination with cisplatin in human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells. The green fluorescent protein (GFP)-light chain 3 (LC3) adenovirus was transfected into HepG2 cells and autophagic flux was determined using fluorescence microscopy. Western blot analysis was also conducted to measure the expression of proteins associated with apoptosis, autophagy and their associated signaling pathways. Compared with the control group, autophagic flux and nucleus aberration rates were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the expression of proteins associated with autophagy and apoptosis were increased in the groups treated with cisplatin or ginkgol C17:1, respectively. However, following co-treatment with ginkgol C17:1 and cisplatin, the autophagic flux and the expression of autophagy proteins decreased; however, the nucleus aberration rate and apoptosis protein expression significantly increased (P<0.05) compared with the group treated with cisplatin alone. Additionally, the signaling pathways of autophagy and apoptosis were also activated following treatment with cisplatin, alone and in combination with ginkgol C17:1. Taken together, these results indicate that ginkgol C17:1 inhibits cisplatin-induced autophagy via AMP-activated protein kinase/ULK1signaling and increases cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Yueying Li
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Medical Technology, Jingjiang College, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
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Lin G, Sun W, Yang Z, Guo J, Liu H, Liang J. Hypoxia induces the expression of TET enzymes in HepG2 cells. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:6457-6462. [PMID: 29163682 PMCID: PMC5686438 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia promotes tumor malignancy in solid tumors. One key mechanism by which this occurs is via epigenetic alteration. The present study demonstrates that hypoxia upregulates the expression of the ten-eleven-translocation 5-methylcytosine dioxygenase (TET) enzymes, which catalyze the conversion of 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC), thereby leading to elevated cellular 5-hmC levels in hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is the main transcription factor activated by hypoxia. A chemical inducer of HIF-1α, CoCl2, also increases the expression of TET enzymes. Knockdown of HIF-1α attenuates the hypoxia-induced expression of TET enzymes. These results indicate that hypoxia controls DNA methylation through HIF-1α-mediated TET enzyme regulation in HepG2 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guofu Lin
- Department of The First General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Wenyu Sun
- Department of The First General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Department of The First General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Jinshuai Guo
- Department of The First General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Haiyang Liu
- Department of The First General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
| | - Jian Liang
- Department of The First General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110032, P.R. China
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Abstract
There are few treatment options for patients with unresectable or refractory hepatoblastoma which has failed to respond to the standard treatment. The rarity of the disease and lack of experimental materials have hampered the development of new treatments. In this study, the collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the multikinase inhibitors sorafenib and sunitinib, and other drugs, in relapsed hepatoblastoma tumor tissues. Tumor samples from 6 patients with relapsed hepatoblastoma were tested for drug sensitivity by the collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test; evaluable results were obtained from 5 of them. All samples were judged to be sensitive to sorafenib with a 50% growth inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.5 to 3.1 μg/mL. Sunitinib did not achieve IC50 in 2 of 3 samples within the tested concentration range based on clinically observed serum concentrations. In the drug combination assay using a hepatoblastoma cell line, sorafenib showed synergistic effects with SN-38, an active metabolite of irinotecan. Our results provide the basic science background warranting future clinical trials of a combination of sorafenib and irinotecan for relapsed or refractory hepatoblastoma.
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