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Xu T, Yuan J, Song F, Zhang N, Gao C, Chen Z. Exploring the functional role of tRF-39-8HM2OSRNLNKSEKH9 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27153. [PMID: 38455567 PMCID: PMC10918225 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with high morbidity and mortality globally. tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) have emerged as potential targets for cancer treatment. However, the specific impact of tsRNAs on HCC remains undiscovered. In this study, we aimed to investigate the biological significance of tsRNAs in HCC. First, we screened the differentially expressed tsRNAs in HCC tissues and normal tissues adjacent to the tumor (NAT) using high-throughput sequencing and the results showed that tRF-39-8HM2OSRNLNKSEKH9 was more highly expressed in HCC tissues than NATs. Agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE), nuclear-cytoplasmic separation assays and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were employed to assess the characterization of tRF-39-8HM2OSRNLNKSEKH9. The relationship between the expression of tRF-39-8HM2OSRNLNKSEKH9 and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated and we found that it was positively associated with tumor size. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay, colony formation assay and EdU staining assay were employed to investigate the role of tRF-39-8HM2OSRNLNKSEKH9 in the proliferation of HCC cells. Additionally, transwell assays demonstrated that overexpression of tRF-39-8HM2OSRNLNKSEKH9 could accelerate cell migration capability. Taken together, tRF-39-8HM2OSRNLNKSEKH9 was highly expressed in HCC cells, serum and tissues, and it may play an oncogenic role in HCC cells through interacting with downstream mRNA targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianxin Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Fei Song
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Nannan Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Cheng Gao
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Hansen HH, Pors S, Andersen MW, Vyberg M, Nøhr-Meldgaard J, Nielsen MH, Oró D, Madsen MR, Lewinska M, Møllerhøj MB, Madsen AN, Feigh M. Semaglutide reduces tumor burden in the GAN diet-induced obese and biopsy-confirmed mouse model of NASH-HCC with advanced fibrosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23056. [PMID: 38155202 PMCID: PMC10754821 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50328-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is emerging as a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, it is not resolved if compounds in late-stage clinical development for NASH may have additional therapeutic benefits in NASH-driven HCC (NASH-HCC). Here, we profiled monotherapy with semaglutide (glucagon-like-receptor-1 receptor agonist) and lanifibranor (pan-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist) in a diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse model of NASH-HCC. Disease progression was characterized in male C57BL/6 J mice fed the GAN (Gubra Amylin NASH) diet high in fat, fructose and cholesterol for 12-72 weeks (n = 15 per group). Other GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice fed the GAN diet for 54 weeks and with biopsy-confirmed NASH (NAFLD Activity Score ≥ 5) and advanced fibrosis (stage F3) received vehicle (n = 16), semaglutide (30 nmol/kg, s.c., n = 15), or lanifibranor (30 mg/kg, p.o., n = 15) once daily for 14 weeks. GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice demonstrated progressive NASH, fibrosis and HCC burden. Tumors presented with histological and molecular signatures of poor prognostic HCC. Consistent with clinical trial outcomes in NASH patients, both lanifibranor and semaglutide improved NASH while only lanifibranor reduced fibrosis in GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice. Notably, only semaglutide reduced tumor burden in GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice. In conclusion, the GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mouse is a clinical translational model of NASH-HCC. Semaglutide improves both NASH and tumor burden in GAN DIO-NASH-HCC mice, highlighting the suitability of this preclinical model for profiling novel drug therapies targeting NASH-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susanne Pors
- Gubra, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | - Mogens Vyberg
- Center for RNA Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Denise Oró
- Gubra, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael Feigh
- Gubra, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
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Chen R, Zhao M, An Y, Liu D, Tang Q. GBAP1 functions as a tumor promotor in hepatocellular carcinoma via the PI3K/AKT pathway. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:628. [PMID: 37407932 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is common worldwide, and novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers are needed to improve outcomes. In this study, bioinformatics analyses combined with in vitro and in vivo assays were used to identify the potential therapeutic targets. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) in HCC were identified by the intersection between The Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium data. The DEGs were evaluated by a gene set enrichment analysis as well as Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. A protein interaction network, univariate Cox regression, and Lasso regression were used to screen out hub genes correlated with survival. Increased expression of the long noncoding RNA GBAP1 in HCC was confirmed in additional datasets and its biological function was evaluated in HCC cell lines and nude mice. Among 121 DEGs, GBAP1 and PRC1 were identified as hub genes with significant prognostic value. Overexpression of GBAP1 in HCC was confirmed in 21 paired clinical tissues and liver cancer or normal cell lines. The inhibition of GBAP1 expression reduced HCC cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis by inactivating the PI3K/AKT pathway in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, GBAP1 has a pro-oncogenic function in HCC and is a candidate prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Chen
- Department of Oncology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Meng Zhao
- Medical college, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 450001, Henan Province, China
| | - Yanli An
- Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qiusha Tang
- Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
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Liu Y, Wei X, Zhang X, Pang C, Xia M, Du Y. CT radiomics combined with clinical variables for predicting the overall survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after hepatectomy. Transl Oncol 2022; 26:101536. [PMID: 36115077 PMCID: PMC9483805 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To establish a model for assessing the overall survival (OS) of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatectomy based on the clinical and radiomics features. METHODS This study recruited a total of 267 patients with HCC, which were randomly divided into the training (N = 188) and validation (N = 79) cohorts. In the training cohort, radiomic features were selected with the intra-reader and inter-reader correlation coefficient (ICC), Spearman's correlation coefficient, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The radiomics signatures were built by COX regression analysis and compared the predictive potential in the different phases (arterial, portal, and double-phase) and regions of interest (tumor, peritumor 3 mm, peritumor 5 mm). A clinical-radiomics model (CR model) was established by combining the radiomics signatures and clinical risk factors. The validation cohort was used to validate the proposed models. RESULTS A total of 267 patients 86 (45.74%) and 37 (46.84%) patients died in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Among all the radiomics signatures, those based on the tumor and peritumor (5 mm) (AP-TP5-Signature) showed the best prognostic potential (training cohort 1-3 years AUC:0.774-0.837; validation cohort 1-3 years AUC:0.754-0.810). The CR model showed better discrimination, calibration, and clinical applicability as compared to the clinical model and radiomics features. In addition, the CR model could perform risk-stratification and also allowed for significant discrimination between the Kaplan-Meier curves in most of the subgroups. CONCLUSIONS The CR model could predict the OS of the HCC patients after hepatectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- School of Medical Imaging, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City 637000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xiaoqin Wei
- School of Medical Imaging, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City 637000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xinrui Zhang
- School of Medical Imaging, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City 637000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Caifeng Pang
- School of Medical Imaging, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City 637000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Mingkai Xia
- School of Medical Imaging, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City 637000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yong Du
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong City 637000, Sichuan Province, China.
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Xu F, Lin R, Liu J, Chen Z, Zhuo H, Liu X. Intravenous Immunoglobulin Inhibits Liver Cancer Progression by Promoting p38MAPK-Associated Apoptosis. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:1300989. [PMID: 35874633 PMCID: PMC9303155 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1300989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on the development of rat hepatocellular carcinoma and its possible molecular mechanism. METHODS Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, diethylnitrosamine(DEN) + normal saline(NS), and DEN + IVIG groups, with 20 rats in each group. The rats in the DEN + NS group and DEN + IVIG group were given DEN 0.2 g/kg intraperitoneal injection once on day 1 and then 0.05% DEN aqueous solution in drinking water to establish a rat liver cancer model. Immunoglobulin (IgG) was injected intraperitoneally into the DEN + IVIG group twice a week at the dose of 100 mg/kg, and saline was administered intraperitoneally into the control group at a 50 mg/kg dosage. The body weight of each group of rats was recorded twice a week. All treatments were maintained continuously for 12 weeks. After the intervention, the liver function indexes of rats were measured by a fully automated biochemical analysis instrument. The liver histopathology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect c-myc protein expression, and Western blotting was used to determine p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK protein expressions, as well as apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3. RESULTS Compared with the rats in the DEN + NS group, rats in the DEN + IVIG group showed substantially higher body mass (P < 0.05), higher survival rate (P < 0.05), and lower liver function indexes (P < 0.05). Few focal necrosis of cancer cells and few nuclear division were observed in the rats in the DEN + IVIG group. The rats in the DEN + NS group showed lamellar necrosis of cancer foci, destruction of normal liver lobular structure, and hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Immunohistochemical analysis results revealed that the expression of c-myc was reduced in the DEN + IVIG group (P < 0.05), and Western blotting confirmed that the Bcl-2 expression was decreased (P < 0.05), while Bax, p38 MAPK, p-p38 MAPK, and cleaved caspase-3 protein expressions were increased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION IVIG prophylactic injection can delay tumor development and induce apoptosis in primary hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. The mechanism is connected to the activation of the p38MAPK signaling pathway by upregulating the level of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax proteins while downregulating the level of Bcl-2 and c-myc proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengjie Xu
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Runzhui Lin
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Jianrui Liu
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Zeming Chen
- Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Hua Zhuo
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Xingmu Liu
- Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
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CANT1 serves as a potential prognostic factor for lung adenocarcinoma and promotes cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:117. [PMID: 35090419 PMCID: PMC8796366 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09175-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Calcium-activated nucleotidase 1 (CANT1), functions as a calcium-dependent nucleotidase with a preference for UDP. However, the potential clinical value of CANT1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LA) has not been fully clarified. Thus, we sought to identify its potential biological function and mechanism through bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments in LA. Methods In the present study, we comprehensively investigated the prognostic role of CANT1 in LA patients through bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were utilized to analyze the expression of CANT1 in LA patients and their clinical-prognostic value. The immunohistochemistry staining was obtained from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA). A Cox regression model was used to evaluate prognostic factors. Gene ontology (GO) and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the potential regulatory mechanism of CANT1 in the development of LA. Moreover, we also examined the relationship between CANT1 expression and DNA methylation. Finally, we did in vitro experiments to evaluate the biological behavior and role of CANT1 in LA cells (LACs). Results Our study showed that the CANT1 expression was significantly elevated in the LA tissues compared with the normal lung tissues. Increased CANT1 expression was significantly associated with the TN stage. A univariate Cox analysis indicated that high CANT1 expression levels were correlated with poor overall survival (OS) in LA. Besides, CANT1 expression was independently associated with OS in multivariate analysis. GO and GSEA analysis showed the enrichment of mitotic nuclear division, DNA methylation, and DNA damage. Then we found that the high expression of CANT1 is positively correlated with hypomethylation. The methylation level was associated with prognosis in LA patients. Finally, in vitro experiments indicated that knockdown of CANT1 resulted in decreased cell proliferation, invasion, and G1 phase cell-cycle arrest in LACs. Conclusion The present study suggested that CANT1 may serve as a potential prognosis biomarker in patients with LA. High CANT1 expression and promoter demethylation was associated with worse outcome. Finally, in vitro experiments verified the biological functions and behaviors of CANT1 in LA.
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a very deadly disease. HCC initiation and progression involve multiple genetic events, including the activation of proto-oncogenes and disruption of the function of specific tumor suppressor genes. Activation of oncogenes stimulates cell growth and survival, while loss-of-function mutations of tumor suppressor genes result in unrestrained cell growth. In this review, we summarize the new findings that identified novel proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressors in HCC over the past five years. These findings may inspire the development of novel therapeutic strategies to improve the outcome of HCC patients.
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Zheng Ms B, Wang Ms H, Wang Ms JX, Liu Ms ZH, Zhang Md P, Zhang Md D. The Clinical Significance of RMI2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2021; 20:15330338211045496. [PMID: 34634948 PMCID: PMC8516379 DOI: 10.1177/15330338211045496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the most common type of primary liver cancer, often presents at advanced stage with a dismal prognosis. Novel tumor biomarkers are needed to aid in HCC early detection and prognostication. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for RecQ-mediated genome instability protein 2 (RMI2) was performed in 330 surgically resected HCC specimens and 190 adjacent normal tissues. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were applied to identify prognostic indicators of HCC outcomes. Patient's survival was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: RMI2 in HCC tissue was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues, and was positively correlated with HCC histological grade and stage (P < .05) but negatively correlated with the survival period. RIM2 was identified to be an independent prognostic indicator for HCC. Conclusion: The abnormal expression of RMI2 may be related to the occurrence and development of HCC. RIM2 could potentially serve as a novel tumor-specific biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zheng Ms
- 74678Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, 70571Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, HangZhou, China
| | - Heng Wang Ms
- 74678Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Zheng-Hong Liu Ms
- The Second Clinical Medical College, 70571Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, HangZhou, China
| | - Pu Zhang Md
- 74678Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dahong Zhang Md
- 74678Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, 70571Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, HangZhou, China
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Zakir U, Siddiqui NN, Naqvi FUH, Khan R. Aberrant STAT1 methylation as a non-invasive biomarker in blood of HCV induced hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Biomark 2021; 34:95-103. [PMID: 34657877 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-210216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of cancer in the world and a reason behind different oncogenes activation and tumor suppressor genes inactivation. Hyper-methylation of tumor suppressor genes including RASSF1a, GSTP1, p16, and APC cause gene silencing as well as tumor cell invasion. STAT 1 gene is a part of signaling cascade of JAK/STAT and any dysregulation in signaling has been implicated in tumor formation. OBJECTIVE The current investigation focus on the methylation role of STAT1 gene as a non-invasive biomarker in the progression and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS STAT1 gene methylation status in 46 HCV induced hepatocellular carcinoma patients and 40 non-HCC controls were examined by methylation specific PCR. STAT1 gene expression was examined by real time PCR and further validated by various bioinformatics tools. RESULTS STAT1 methylation in HCV-induced HCC (67.4%) was significantly higher compared to the non-HCC controls (p< 0.01). However, mRNA expression of STAT1 gene in methylated groups was significantly lower compared to unmethylated groups (p< 0.05). Furthermore, insilco analysis of STAT1 validated our results and shown expression of STAT1 mRNA was lower in liver cancer with the median 24.3 (p= 0.085). CONCLUSION After using peripheral blood samples we observed that STAT1 silencing caused by aberrant methylation could be used as potential non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of HCV induced hepatocellular carcinoma. We conclude that blood as a sample source could be used instead of biopsy for early detection of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umaira Zakir
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Nadir Naveed Siddiqui
- The Karachi Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE), University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Rizma Khan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Dr. Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
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Guo C, Zhou J, Ma B, Wang R, Ge Y, Wang Z, Ji B, Wang W, Zhang J, Wang Z. A Somatic Mutation-Derived LncRNA Signature of Genomic Instability Predicts Prognosis for Patients With Liver Cancer. Front Surg 2021; 8:724792. [PMID: 34504866 PMCID: PMC8421795 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.724792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Genomic instability is considered as one of the hallmarks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and poses a significant challenge to the clinical treatment. The emerging evidence has revealed the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the maintenance of genomic instability. This study is aimed to develop a genomic instability-related lncRNA signature for determining HCC prognosis and the suitability of patients for immunotherapy. Methods: In this study, data related to transcriptome profiling, clinical features, and the somatic mutations of patients with HCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA). Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify and construct a somatic mutation-derived genomic instability-associated lncRNA signature (GILncSig). Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was applied to estimate the levels of immune cell infiltration. A nomogram was constructed, and calibration was performed to assess the effectiveness of the model. Results: In the study, seven genomic instability-related lncRNAs were identified and used to define a prognostic signature. Patients with HCC were stratified into high- and low-risk groups with significant differences in the survival (median survival time = 1.489, 1.748 year; p = 0.006) based on the optimal cutoff value (risk score = 1.010) of the risk score in the training group. In addition, GILncSig was demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for the patients with HCC when compared to the clinical parameters (p < 0.001). According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, nomogram, and calibration plot, the signature could predict the survival rate for the patients with HCC in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th years. Furthermore, ssGSEA revealed the potential of the signature in guiding decisions for administering clinical treatment. Conclusions: In this study, we developed a novel prognostic model based on the somatic mutation-derived lncRNAs and validated it using an internal dataset. The independence of the GILncSig was estimated using univariate and follow-up multivariate analyses. Immunologic analysis was used to evaluate the complex factors involved in the HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Boyu Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanli Ge
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Ji
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhirong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Qing X, Xu W, Zong J, Du X, Peng H, Zhang Y. Emerging treatment modalities for systemic therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biomark Res 2021; 9:64. [PMID: 34419152 PMCID: PMC8380325 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00319-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has long been a major global clinical problem as one of the most common malignant tumours with a high rate of recurrence and mortality. Although potentially curative therapies are available for the early and intermediate stages, the treatment of patients with advanced HCC remains to be resolved. Fortunately, the past few years have shown the emergence of successful systemic therapies to treat HCC. At the molecular level, HCC is a heterogeneous disease, and current research on the molecular characteristics of HCC has revealed numerous therapeutic targets. Targeted agents based on signalling molecules have been successfully supported in clinical trials, and molecular targeted therapy has already become a milestone for disease management in patients with HCC. Immunotherapy, a viable approach for the treatment of HCC, recognizes the antigens expressed by the tumour and treats the tumour using the immune system of the host, making it both selective and specific. In addition, the pipeline for HCC is evolving towards combination therapies with promising clinical outcomes. More drugs designed to focus on specific pathways and immune checkpoints are being developed in the clinic. It has been demonstrated that some drugs can improve the prognosis of patients with HCC in first- or second-line settings, and these drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or are nearing approval. This review describes targeting pathways and systemic treatment strategies in HCC and summarizes effective targeted and immune-based drugs for patients with HCC and the problems encountered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qing
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Wenjing Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jingjing Zong
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xuanlong Du
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Hao Peng
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yewei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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Liu X, Chen X, Xiao M, Zhu Y, Gong R, Liu J, Zeng Q, Xu C, Chen X, Wang F, Cao K. RANBP2 Activates O-GlcNAcylation through Inducing CEBPα-Dependent OGA Downregulation to Promote Hepatocellular Carcinoma Malignant Phenotypes. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3475. [PMID: 34298689 PMCID: PMC8304650 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
O-GlcNAcylation is an important post-translational modification (PTM) jointly controlled by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). Aberrant hyper-O-GlcNAcylation is reported to yield hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) malignancy, but the underlying mechanisms of the OGT/OGA imbalance responsible for HCC tumorigenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we report that RAN-binding protein 2 (RANBP2), one of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) E3 ligases, contributed to malignant phenotypes in HCC. RANBP2 was found to facilitate CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBPα) SUMOylation and degradation by direct interplay with CEBPα. As a transcriptional factor, CEBPα was verified to augment OGA transcription, and further experiments demonstrated that RANBP2 enhanced the O-GlcNAc level by downregulating OGA transcription while not affecting OGT expression. Importantly, we provided in vitro and in vivo evidence of HCC malignant phenotypes that RANBP2 triggered through an imbalance of OGT/OGA and subsequent higher O-GlcNAcylation events for oncogenic proteins such as peroxisome proliferative-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) in a CEBPα-dependent manner. Altogether, our results show a novel molecular mechanism whereby RANBP2 regulates its function through CEBPα-dependent OGA downregulation to induce a global change in the hyper-O-GlcNAcylation of genes, such as PGC1α, encouraging the further study of promising implications for HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Liu
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (M.X.); (Y.Z.)
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (R.G.); (C.X.); (X.C.); (F.W.)
| | - Xingyu Chen
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (M.X.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Mengqing Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (M.X.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yuxing Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (M.X.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Renjie Gong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (R.G.); (C.X.); (X.C.); (F.W.)
| | - Jianye Liu
- Department of Urology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China;
| | - Qinghai Zeng
- Department of Dermatology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China;
| | - Canxia Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (R.G.); (C.X.); (X.C.); (F.W.)
| | - Xiong Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (R.G.); (C.X.); (X.C.); (F.W.)
| | - Fen Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (R.G.); (C.X.); (X.C.); (F.W.)
| | - Ke Cao
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China; (X.L.); (X.C.); (M.X.); (Y.Z.)
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Wu M, Xia X, Hu J, Fowlkes NW, Li S. WSX1 act as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma by downregulating neoplastic PD-L1 expression. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3500. [PMID: 34108491 PMCID: PMC8190270 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23864-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
WSX1, a receptor subunit for IL-27, is widely expressed in immune cells and closely involved in immune response, but its function in nonimmune cells remains unknown. Here we report that WSX1 is highly expressed in human hepatocytes but downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Using NRAS/AKT-derived spontaneous HCC mouse models, we reveal an IL-27–independent tumor-suppressive effect of WSX1 that largely relies on CD8+ T-cell immune surveillance via reducing neoplastic PD-L1 expression and the associated CD8+ T-cell exhaustion. Mechanistically, WSX1 transcriptionally downregulates an isoform of PI3K—PI3Kδ and thereby inactivates AKT, reducing AKT-induced GSK3β inhibition. Activated GSK3β then boosts PD-L1 degradation, resulting in PD-L1 reduction. Overall, we demonstrate that WSX1 is a tumor suppressor that reinforces hepatic immune surveillance by blocking the PI3Kδ/AKT/GSK3β/PD-L1 pathway. Our results may yield insights into the host homeostatic control of immune response and benefit the development of cancer immunotherapies. The biological functions of WSX1, the alpha subunit of the interleukin-27 receptor, in non-immune cells are largely unknown. Here, the authors propose an IL-27-independent tumor suppressor role for WSX1 in hepatocytes, showing that WSX1 restricts tumor progression by down-regulating PD-L1 expression in tumour cells and maximizing T cell mediated antitumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Wu
- Liver Cancer Institute & Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.,Department of Pediatrics-Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xueqing Xia
- Department of Pediatrics-Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jiemiao Hu
- Department of Pediatrics-Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Natalie Wall Fowlkes
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shulin Li
- Department of Pediatrics-Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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14
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Huang JL, Wang XK, Liao XW, Han CY, Yu TD, Huang KT, Yang CK, Liu XG, Yu L, Zhu GZ, Su H, Qin W, Han QF, Liu ZQ, Zhou X, Liu JQ, Ye XP, Peng T. SOX4 as biomarker in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cancer 2021; 12:3486-3500. [PMID: 33995626 PMCID: PMC8120190 DOI: 10.7150/jca.46579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is associated with liver disease, including cancers. In this study, we assessed the power of sex-determining region Y (SRY)-related high-mobility group (HMG)-box 4(SOX4) gene to predict the clinical course of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: To evaluate the differential expression of SOX4 and its diagnostic and prognostic potential in HCC, we analyzed the GSE14520 dataset. Stratified analysis and joint-effect analysis were done using SOX4 and clinical factor. We then designed a nomogram for predicting the clinical course of HCC. Differential SOX4 expression and its correlation with tumor stage as well as its diagnostic and prognostic value were analyzed on the oncomine and GEPIA websites. Gene set enrichment analysis was explored as well as candidate gene ontology and metabolic pathways modulated by in SOX4 HCC. Results: Our analysis revealed that the level of SOX4 was significantly upregulated in tumor issue (P <0.001). This observation was validated through oncomine dataset and MERAV analysis (all P <0.05). Diagnostic receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of SOX4 suggested it has diagnostic potential in HCC (GSE14520 dataset: P <0.001, area under curve (AUC) = 0.782; Oncomine: (Wurmbach dataset) P = 0.002, AUC = 0.831 and (Mas dataset) P <0.001, AUC = 0.947). In addition, SOX4 exhibited high correlation with overall survival of HBV-associated HCC (adjusted P = 0.004, hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 2.055 (1.261-3.349) and recurrence-free survival (adjusted P = 0.008, HR (95% CI) = 1.721 (1.151-2.574). These observations which were verified by GEPIA analysis for overall survival (P = 0.007) and recurrence-free survival (P= 0.096). Gene enrichment analysis revealed that affected processes included lymphocyte differentiation, pancreatic endocrine pathways, and insulin signaling pathway. SOX4 prognostic value was evaluated using nomogram analysis for HCC 1, 3, and 5-year, survival. Conclusion: Differential SOX4 expression presents an avenue of diagnosing and predicting clinical course of HCC. In HCC, SOX4 may affect TP53 metabolic processes, lymphocyte differentiation and the insulin signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Lv Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Kun Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi-Wen Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuang-Ye Han
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting-Dong Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke-Tuan Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Kun Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Guang Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524001, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Long Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan Province, China
| | - Guang-Zhi Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Su
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Qin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Quan-Fa Han
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng-Qian Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Qi Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Ping Ye
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Peng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
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15
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Wu Y, Zhang Y, Qin X, Geng H, Zuo D, Zhao Q. PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-related long non-coding RNAs: roles and mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2020; 160:105195. [PMID: 32916254 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common tumors worldwide with high prevalence and lethality. The oncogenic phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway is a classic dysregulated pathway involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. However, the underlying mechanism for how PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway aberrantly activates HCC has not been entirely elucidated. The recognition of the functional roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis sheds light on a new dimension to our understanding of hepatocarcinogenesis. In this review, we comprehensively summarize 67 dysregulated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-related lncRNAs in HCC. Many studies have indicated that the 67 dysregulated lncRNAs show oncogenic or anti-oncogenic effects in HCC by regulation on epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and they play pivotal roles in the initiation of HCC in diverse biological processes like proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, radio-resistance, energy metabolism, autophagy and so on. Besides, many of these lncRNAs are associated with clinicopathological features and clinical prognosis in HCC, which may provide a potential future application in the diagnosis and therapy of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Wu
- Department of Life Science and Biochemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Yingshi Zhang
- Department of Life Science and Biochemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Xiaochun Qin
- Department of Life Science and Biochemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Haobin Geng
- Department of Life Science and Biochemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Daiying Zuo
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Qingchun Zhao
- Department of Life Science and Biochemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China; Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, 83 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110840, China.
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16
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Yuan W, Li F. Roles of microRNA-186 and vascular endothelial growth factor in hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with portal vein tumor thrombus. Exp Ther Med 2020; 20:3860-3867. [PMID: 32855736 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.9092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of microRNA (miR)-186 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with portal vein tumor thrombus. Blood samples from 29 HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombus were collected between January 2014 and September 2015 in Huai'an First People's Hospital, while blood from 36 HCC patients without vein tumor thrombus was also collected in the same period. In addition, tumor thrombus specimens were collected from the HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombus, and peritumoral tissues of the tumor thrombus were used as the control. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, ELISA and western blot analyses were applied to detect vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression at the mRNA and protein levels. Bioinformatics prediction was used to predict the target of miR-186, and then miR-186 expression was detected. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to validate whether miR-186 directly targeted VEGF. Following transfection with agomiR-186, the expression levels of miR-186 and VEGF were detected, while MTT assay was used to detect EA.hy926 cell proliferation subsequent to small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing. The results identified that VEGF was significantly increased in the tumor thrombus and blood samples of HCC patients with vein tumor thrombus at the mRNA and protein levels, while miR-186 expression was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Following silencing VEGF by siRNA transfection, the proliferation of EA.hy926 cells was inhibited. In addition, VEGF expression was significantly decreased and cell proliferation was reduced when upregulating miR-186. Dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-186 regulated VEGF expression through complementary binding to 3'-untranslated region. In conclusion, VEGF was significantly increased in tumor thrombus and blood samples from HCC patients with vein tumor thrombus, which may be associated with the downregulation of miR-186. Thus, miR-186 may promote the development and progression of vein tumor thrombus in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Yuan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Huai'an No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, Jiangsu 223300, P.R. China
| | - Fuguang Li
- The Second Ward of General Surgery Department, Ankang City Central Hospital, Ankang, Shaanxi 725000, P.R. China
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17
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Liu A, Wu Q, Peng D, Ares I, Anadón A, Lopez-Torres B, Martínez-Larrañaga MR, Wang X, Martínez MA. A novel strategy for the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma: DNA methylation. Med Res Rev 2020; 40:1973-2018. [PMID: 32525219 DOI: 10.1002/med.21696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The cancer mortality rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second highest in the world and the therapeutic options are limited. The incidence of this deadly cancer is rising at an alarming rate because of the high degree of resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, lack of proper, and adequate vaccination to hepatitis B, and lack of consciousness and knowledge about the disease itself and the lifestyle of the people. DNA methylation and DNA methylation-induced epigenetic alterations, due to their potential reversibility, open the access to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutics for HCC. The contribution to these epigenetic changes in HCC development still has not been thoroughly summarized. Thus, it is necessary to better understand the new molecular targets of HCC epigenetics in HCC diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. This review elaborates on recent key findings regarding molecular biomarkers for HCC early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Currently emerging epigenetic drugs for the treatment of HCC are summarized. In addition, combining epigenetic drugs with nonepigenetic drugs for HCC treatment is also mentioned. The molecular mechanisms of DNA methylation-mediated HCC resistance are reviewed, providing some insights into the difficulty of treating liver cancer and anticancer drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimei Liu
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China
| | - Qinghua Wu
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Dapeng Peng
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China
| | - Irma Ares
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Arturo Anadón
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Bernardo Lopez-Torres
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Rosa Martínez-Larrañaga
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Xu Wang
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Aránzazu Martínez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
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18
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Zhang Y, Liu X, Liu L, Li J, Hu Q, Sun R. Expression and Prognostic Significance of m6A-Related Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Med Sci Monit 2020; 26:e919644. [PMID: 32086933 PMCID: PMC7049251 DOI: 10.12659/msm.919644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of lung malignancy and is the leading cause of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent internal modification of mRNAs, plays crucial roles in regulating mRNA splicing, exportation, localization, translation, and stability. This study assessed the expression patterns and prognostic value of m6A-related genes in LUAD. Material/Methods The expression data of 509 LUAD samples and 20 normal samples were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to determine the mRNA expression levels of m6A-related genomic targets. mRNA expression of 6 LUAD datasets was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository. Subsequently, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and tissue microarray (TMA) cohort were used to verify the expression pattern of m6A-related genes at mRNA and protein level. The t test was used to analyze correlations between m6A-related genes and clinical features. Finally, survival analysis was performed to assess the prognostic value of m6A-related genes in LUAD patients. Results We found that KIAA1429, RBM15, METTL3, HNRNPC, HNRNPA2B1, YTHDF1, and YTHDF2 were upregulated in TCGA-LUAD databases. The analysis of 7 GEO databases was consistent with the TCGA. YTHDF1 was overexpressed in LUAD patients and YTHDF2 was overexpressed in the great majority of cases. METTL3, YTHDF1, and YTHDF2 were associated with better OS and RFS. Conclusions m6A-related genes were differentially expressed in LUAD compared to matched normal patients. The m6A-related genes METTL3, YTHDF1, and YTHDF2 could serve as novel biomarkers for the prognosis of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- Precision Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
| | - Xin Liu
- Precision Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
| | - Liwen Liu
- Precision Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
| | - Jianhao Li
- Precision Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
| | - Qiuyue Hu
- Precision Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
| | - Ranran Sun
- Precision Medicine Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland).,Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China (mainland)
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19
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Ni FB, Lin Z, Fan XH, Shi KQ, Ao JY, Wang XD, Chen RC. A novel genomic-clinicopathologic nomogram to improve prognosis prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Chim Acta 2020; 504:88-97. [PMID: 32032609 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There is a lack of precise and clinical accessible model to predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinic practice currently. Here, an inclusive nomogram was developed by integrating genomic markers and clinicopathologic factors for predicting the outcome of patients with HCC. A total of 365 samples of HCC were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The LASSO analysis was carried out to identify HCC-related mRNAs, and the multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to construct a genomic-clinicopathologic nomogram. As results, 9 mRNAs were finally identified as prognostic indicators, including RGCC, CDH15, XRN2, RAB3IL1, THEM4, PIF1, MANBA, FKTN and GABARAPL1, and used to establish a 9-mRNA classifier. Additionally, an inclusive nomogram was built up by combining the 9-mRNA classifier (P < 0.001) and clinicopathologic factors including age (P = 0.006) and metastasis (P < 0.001) to predict the mortality of HCC patients. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic, index of concordance and calibration analyses indicated favorable accuracy of the model. Decision curve analysis suggested that appropriate intervention according to the established nomogram will bring net benefit when threshold probability was above 25%. The genomic-clinicopathologic model could be a reliable tool for predicting the mortality, helping determining the individualized treatment and probably improving HCC survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Biao Ni
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Zhuo Lin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Liver Diseases, Hepatology Institute of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Xu-Hui Fan
- First School of Clinical Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ke-Qing Shi
- Precision Medical Center Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian-Yang Ao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Liver Diseases, Hepatology Institute of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
| | - Rui-Cong Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Liver Diseases, Hepatology Institute of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
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20
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Umetsu S, Mizukami H, Saito T, Uchida C, Igawa A, Kudo K, Itabashi C, Osonoi S, Danyang G, Sasaki T, Yagihashi S, Hakamada K. Diabetes, an independent poor prognostic factor of non-B non-C hepatocellular carcinoma, correlates with dihydropyrimidinase-like 3 promoter methylation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1156. [PMID: 31980687 PMCID: PMC6981134 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57883-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A concurrent increase in the prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with that of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity has been reported in the absence of hepatitis B virus surface antigen-negative/hepatitis C virus antibody-negative HCC (NBNC-HCC). However, the prognostic relevance of this association remains unclear. Promoter methylation (PM) of the dihydropyrimidinase-like 3 gene (DPYSL3) has been implicated in virus-related HCC. However, it remains unclear whether T2D influences PM in NBNC-HCC. We determined the influence of T2D on clinicopathological profile and PM of DPYSL3 and CDK2NA in patients with NBNC-HCC who were divided into two groups: non-diabetes (non-DM; n = 46) and diabetes (DM; n = 47). DM was associated with a higher Union for International Cancer Control grade, marginal vascular invasion and tumour cell proliferation irrespective of the duration of T2D as well as higher rates of PM of DPYSL3 than non-DM; however, PM of CDK2NA was similar between both groups. PM of DPYSL3 reduced its expression which inversely correlated with reduced patient survival. In conclusion, T2D is associated with poor prognosis of NBNC-HCC in which a high frequency of PM of DPYSL3 may play a pivotal role in its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoko Umetsu
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Hiroki Mizukami
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Saito
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Chiaki Uchida
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Akiko Igawa
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan.,Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Kudo
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Chieko Itabashi
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Sho Osonoi
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Guo Danyang
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Takanori Sasaki
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Soroku Yagihashi
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Kenichi Hakamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
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21
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Liu D, Zhou G, Shi H, Chen B, Sun X, Zhang X. Downregulation of Transmembrane protein 40 by miR-138-5p Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Mobility in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 18:e2270. [PMID: 32884956 PMCID: PMC7461706 DOI: 10.30498/ijb.2019.85193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) represents approximately 70% of RCC,as the most frequent histological subtype of RCC. MiR-138-5p, a tumor-related microRNA (miRNA), has been reported to be implicated in the diverse types of human malignancies, but its role in ccRCCremains unclear. Objective The study was designed to investigate the functional behaviors and regulatory mechanisms of miR-138-5p in ccRCC. Materials and Methods Quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting analyses were performed to determine the expression of miR-138-5p and TMEM40 in ccRCC tissues. Pearson's correlation coefficient was utilized to evaluate the correlation between miR-138-5p and TMEM40 expression. The function of miR-138-5p and TMEM40 in the cell proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells (786-O and ACHN) was assessed by CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing and transwell assay, respectively. A luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the direct binding of miR-138-5p to the target gene TMEM40. Results We found the expression of miR-138-5p was significantly down-regulated, while TMEM40 was remarkably up-regulated in ccRCC tissues. TMEM40 expression was discovered to be inversely correlated with miR-138-5p expression in ccRCC tissues. Functional studies demonstrated that miR-138-5p overexpression or TMEM40 knockdown significantly suppressed ccRCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Notably, we experimentally confirmed that miR-138-5p directly recognizes the 3'-UTR of the TMEM40 transcript and down-regulated its expression in ccRCC cells. Conclusions Taken together, our findings provide the first clues regarding the role of miR-138-5p as a tumor suppressor in ccRCC by directly targeting of TMEM40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongcao Liu
- Department of Urology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China
| | - Guang Zhou
- Department of Urology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China
| | - Hongbo Shi
- Department of Urology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Urology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China
| | - Xiaosong Sun
- Department of Urology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China
| | - Xuejun Zhang
- Department of Urology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, China
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22
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Wang Y, Sun M, Liu J, Liu Y, Jiang C, Zhu H, Wang W, Wang Y. FIBCD1 overexpression predicts poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2019; 19:795-804. [PMID: 31897196 PMCID: PMC6924150 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.11183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrinogen C domain-containing 1 (FIBCD1) is an acetyl-recognition receptor that affects the occurrence and development of certain tumors. However, the prognostic significance of FIBCD1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore FIBCD1 expression in HCC and to determine the prognostic value of FIBCD1 in patients with HCC. A total of 1,058 liver tissue samples with detailed and complete clinical information were collected, including 495 HCC samples. Tissue microarray immunohistochemistry analysis was used to evaluate FIBCD1 protein expression in the collected tissues. The Kaplan-Meier plotter online tool was used to investigate the association between FIBCD1 expression and prognosis of patients with HCC. Oncomine and the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database were used for bioinformatics analysis of FIBCD1. Results showed that FIBCD1 expression was higher in HCC and was associated with tumor diameter (P=0.002), tumor number (P=0.001), tumor node metastasis stage (P<0.001), primary tumor (T; P<0.001), lymph node metastases (N; P=0.002), distant metastases (M; P=0.023), differentiation degree (P=0.003), vascular invasion (P<0.001) and liver cirrhosis (P=0.011). Patients with HCC and high FIBCD1 expression had worse overall survival than those with low FIBCD1 expression. High FIBCD1 expression (P<0.001), TNM stage (P=0.003), T (P<0.001), N (P=0.014), and vascular invasion (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors in HCC. Hence, FIBCD1 may be a novel biomarker for prognosis evaluation of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Mengjing Sun
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Jibin Liu
- Department of Tumor Biobank, Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, Jiangsu 226361, P.R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Chunyi Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Huijun Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
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23
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Laube B, Michaelsen S, Meischner V, Hartwig A, Epe B, Schwarz M. Classification or non-classification of substances with positive tumor findings in animal studies: Guidance by the German MAK commission. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2019; 108:104444. [PMID: 31433998 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.104444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
One of the important tasks of the German Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area (known as the MAK Commission) is in the evaluation of a potential for carcinogenicity of hazardous substances at the workplace. Often, this evaluation is critically based on data on carcinogenic responses seen in animal studies and, if positive tumor responses have been observed, this will mostly lead to a classification of the substance under investigation into one of the classes for carcinogens. However, there are cases where it can be demonstrated with a very high degree of confidence that the tumor findings in the experimental animals are not relevant for humans at the workplace and, therefore, the MAK Commission will not classify the respective substance into one of the classes for carcinogens. This paper will summarize the general criteria used by the MAK Commission for the categorization into "carcinogen" and "non-carcinogen" and compare this procedure with those used by other national and international organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Laube
- Scientific Secretariat of the Senate Commission on the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area (MAK Commission), Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sandra Michaelsen
- Scientific Secretariat of the Senate Commission on the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area (MAK Commission), Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Veronika Meischner
- Scientific Secretariat of the Senate Commission on the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area (MAK Commission), Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Andrea Hartwig
- Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Institute of Applied Bioscience, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Bernd Epe
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, D-55099, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Schwarz
- Dept. of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dept. Toxicology, Eberhard Karls University, Wilhelmstr. 56, 72074, Tübingen, Germany.
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24
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Umeda S, Kanda M, Kodera Y. Recent advances in molecular biomarkers for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2019; 19:725-738. [PMID: 31248309 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2019.1638254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide and recurrence rate after curative resection remains high. To improve HCC prognosis, novel sensitive biomarkers and targeted molecular therapies are needed. Accumulation of multiple genetic aberrations caused by pathologically derived liver damage results in HCC carcinogenesis. Elucidating the genes associated with tumorigenesis and progression of HCC may lead to the development of early detection and prognosis markers and to the identification of therapeutic targets. Areas covered: We review recently reported (January 2017-March 2019) HCC-associated molecules, including protein-coding genes, microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and methylated gene promoters. Expert opinion: The molecules reviewed have the potential to be clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC. The accumulation and understanding of genetic and epigenetic data are essential to improve the management of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Umeda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine , Nagoya , Japan
| | - Mitsuro Kanda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine , Nagoya , Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kodera
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine , Nagoya , Japan
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25
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Tang W, Yang L, Yang T, Liu M, Zhou Y, Lin J, Wang K, Ding C. INPP4B inhibits cell proliferation, invasion and chemoresistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Onco Targets Ther 2019; 12:3491-3507. [PMID: 31123408 PMCID: PMC6511246 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s196832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Inositol polyphosphate 4-phosphatase type II (INPP4B) has been identified as a negative regulator of phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling in human several cancers. However, the expression, clinical significance and biological function of INPP4B in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) clinical tissues and cell lines are little known. Materials and methods: We evaluated the expression of INPP4B in 86 cases of paired human HCC samples by immunohistochemistry, and the clinical significance of INPP4B expression was analyzed. The expression of INPP4B in five HCC cell lines was detected through using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analyses. The role of INPP4B gene on HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion as well as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and chemoresistance was examined via INPP4B mammalian expression vector and small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection in vitro. Western blot analysis was used to explore the downstream molecules modulated by INPP4B. Results: Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that INPP4B was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues compared with the corresponding normal tissues. The rate of INPP4B-positive staining was markedly lower in metastatic samples than in those of non-metastatic samples. Univariate analysis showed that INPP4B expression was indicated to have a marked association with histological grades, tumor size and tumor metastasis. Moreover, INPP4B overexpression suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, but induced cell apoptosis and chemosensitivity in human HCC cell lines. In contrast, INPP4B knockdown had the opposite effects on the biological behaviors of HCC cells. Furthermore, INPP4B was found to inhibit the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling in HCC cells. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that INPP4B is a tumor suppressing gene in human HCC, and might act as a novel therapeutic target for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendong Tang
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Jiangyin People's Hospital of Southeast University Medical College, Jiangyin, People's Republic of China
| | - Liwen Yang
- Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Taoyu Yang
- Department of Invasive Technology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Health, Yancheng Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Yancheng, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanjie Zhou
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Jiangyin People's Hospital of Southeast University Medical College, Jiangyin, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiang Lin
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Jiangyin People's Hospital of Southeast University Medical College, Jiangyin, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Wang
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Jiangyin People's Hospital of Southeast University Medical College, Jiangyin, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenbo Ding
- Department of Clinical Medical Laboratory, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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26
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LncRNA CASC11 promotes cancer cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting miRNA-188-5p. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20190251. [PMID: 30910841 PMCID: PMC6488862 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20190251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that lncRNA CASC11 promotes the development of gastric cancer. Our study was carried out to investigate the possible involvement of ncRNA CASC11 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we found that CASC11 was up-regulated, while miR-188-5p was down-regulated in tumor tissues of HCC patients. CASC11 and miR-188-5p were not affected by HBV and HCV infections. Follow-up study showed that high levels of CASC11 were significantly correlated with poor survival. Expression levels of CASC11 and miR-188-5p were inversely correlated in tumor tissues. CASC11 overexpression mediated the down-regulation of miR-188-5p, while miR-188-5p overexpression failed to affect CASC11 expression. CASC11 overexpression led to promoted, while miR-188-5p overexpression led to inhibited proliferation of cells of HCC cell lines. CASC11 overexpression showed no significant effects on cancer cell migration and invasion. In addition, miR-188-5p overexpression attenuated the enhancing effects of CASC11 overexpression on cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, LncRNA CASC11 promoted cancer cell proliferation in HCC possibly by inhibiting miR-188-5p.
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27
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Li BH, Wang Y, Wang CY, Zhao MJ, Deng T, Ren XQ. Up-Regulation of Phosphatase in Regenerating Liver-3 (PRL-3) Contributes to Malignant Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Activating Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog Deleted on Chromosome Ten (PTEN)/Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K)/AKT Signaling Pathway. Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:8105-8114. [PMID: 30418964 PMCID: PMC6243833 DOI: 10.12659/msm.913307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to investigate the functional roles of phosphatase in regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as the related molecular mechanisms. MATERIAL AND METHODS HCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 124 HCC patients. The mRNA and protein levels of PRL-3 were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot assays, respectively. The relationship between PRL-3 expression and clinical characteristics of HCC patients was evaluated by chi-square test. MTT and Transwell assays were performed to estimate cell proliferation and motility, respectively. RESULTS The expression of PRL-3 was significantly increased in HCC tissues and cells at both protein and mRNA levels (P<0.01 for all). Furthermore, the up-regulation of PRL-3 was positively correlated with hepatic vascular invasion (P=0.019), lymph node metastasis (P=0.012), and TNM stage (P=0.001). The knockdown of PRL-3 suppressed HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and PR3K/AKT pathway activity was also obviously inhibited in HCC cells with PRL-3 deficiency. The levels of PTEN were negatively associated with PRL-3 expression. PRL-3 might inhibit the protein level of PTEN through enhancing its phosphorylation level. The transfection of si-PTEN can reverse the anti-tumor action caused by PRL-3 knockdown in HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS Up-regulation of PRL-3 may activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and enhance malignant progression of HCC through targeting PTEN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Hui Li
- Department of General Surgery, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, P.R. China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, P.R. China
| | - Chao-Yang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, P.R. China
| | - Ming-Juan Zhao
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, P.R. China
| | - Tong Deng
- Department of General Surgery, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Qun Ren
- Department of General Surgery, Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, P.R. China
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28
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Liu Z, Yang J, Ge C, Zhao F, Li H, Yao M, Li J, Tian H. Inhibitor of binding/differentiation 2 (Id2) is regulated by CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα) and promotes the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:2254-2266. [PMID: 30555742 PMCID: PMC6291656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitor of DNA binding/differentiation (Id2) is an important regulator involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. However, the function and mechanism of the regulation of Id2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was unclear. In the present study, we found that the overexpression of Id2 increased HCC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of Id2 inhibited HCC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, knockdown of Id2 enhanced sorafenib-induced apoptosis in HCC. Conversely, overexpression of Id2 weakened sorafenib-induced apoptosis in HCC. In addition, the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) bound to the Id2 promoter and decreased its expression in HCC cells. Therefore, all results suggest that Id2 promotes the proliferation of HCC cells by inhibiting cell apoptosis. Id2 may serve as a potential target in HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Liu
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai 200032, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Jing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Chao Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Fangyu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Hong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Ming Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Jinjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Hua Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai 200032, PR China
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Chan CH, Chen CM, Lee YHW, You LR. DNA Damage, Liver Injury, and Tumorigenesis: Consequences of DDX3X Loss. Mol Cancer Res 2018; 17:555-566. [PMID: 30297359 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-18-0551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 09/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The pleiotropic roles of DEAD-box helicase 3, X-linked (DDX3X), including its functions in transcriptional and translational regulation, chromosome segregation, DNA damage, and cell growth control, have highlighted the association between DDX3X and tumorigenesis. However, mRNA transcripts and protein levels of DDX3X in patient specimens have shown the controversial correlations of DDX3X with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prevalence. In this study, generation of hepatocyte-specific Ddx3x-knockout mice revealed that loss of Ddx3x facilitates liver tumorigenesis. Loss of Ddx3x led to profound ductular reactions, cell apoptosis, and compensatory proliferation in female mutants at 6 weeks of age. The sustained phosphorylation of histone H2AX (γH2AX) and significant accumulation of DNA single-strand breaks and double-strand breaks in liver indicated that the replicative stress occurred in female mutants. Further chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrated that DDX3X bound to promoter regions and regulated the expression of DNA repair factors, DDB2 and XPA, to maintain genome stability. Loss of Ddx3x led to decreased levels of DNA repair factors, which contributed to an accumulation of unrepaired DNA damage, replication stress, and eventually, spontaneous liver tumors and DEN-induced HCCs in Alb-Cre/+;Ddx3xflox/flox mice. IMPLICATIONS: These data identify an important role of DDX3X in the regulation of DNA damage repair to protect against replication stress in liver and HCC development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieh-Hsiang Chan
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ming Chen
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Cancer Progression Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Hwa Wu Lee
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. .,Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-devices (IDSB), National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Li-Ru You
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Cancer Progression Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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30
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Peng L, Yuan XQ, Zhang CY, Peng JY, Zhang YQ, Pan X, Li GC. The emergence of long non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: an update. J Cancer 2018; 9:2549-2558. [PMID: 30026854 PMCID: PMC6036883 DOI: 10.7150/jca.24560] [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: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounting for roughly 90% of all primary liver neoplasms is the sixth most frequent neoplasm and the second prominent reason of tumor fatality worldwide. As regulators of diverse biological processes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in onset and development of neoplasms. With the continuous booming of well-featured lncRNAs in HCC from 2016 to now, we reviewed the newly-presented comprehension about the relationship between lncRNAs and HCC in this study. To be specific, we summarized the overview function and study tools of lncRNAs, elaborated the roles of lncRNAs in HCC, and sketched the molecule mechanisms of lncRNAs in HCC. In addition, the application of lncRNAs serving as biomarkers in early diagnosis and outcome prediction of HCC patients was highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Peng
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China; Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Research Center of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Qing Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Breast Tumor Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, China
| | - Chao-Yang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China; Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China
| | - Jiang-Yun Peng
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Research Center of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, P.R. China
| | - Ya-Qin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China; Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China
| | - Xi Pan
- Department of Oncology, the third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, P.R. China
| | - Guan-Cheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China; Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410078, P.R. China
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Wang J, Wu S, Huang T. Expression and role of VEGFA and miR-381 in portal vein tumor thrombi in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Exp Ther Med 2018; 15:5450-5456. [PMID: 29904424 PMCID: PMC5996705 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the expression and role of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and microRNA (miRNA or miR)-381 in tumor thrombi from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Tumor thrombi and adjacent paired tissues were collected from 39 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with PVTT. VEGFA expression levels were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. miRNAs that may regulate VEGFA expression were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and confirmed via a dual luciferase reporter assay. The effects of VEGFA and its upstream miRNA on proliferation of the proliferation of EAhy926 human venous endothelial cells were analyzed using an MTT assay. Compared with the paired adjacent tissues, VEGFA was significantly upregulated at both the mRNA and protein level in tumor thrombi (P<0.05). VEGFA was predicted to be a target of miR-381 and this was confirmed experimentally. miR-381 expression was significantly downregulated in tumor thrombi from patients with PVTT compared with paired adjacent tissues (P<0.05). In addition, transfection with antagomirs against miR-381 or short interfering RNA against VEGFA significantly inhibited EAhy926 cell proliferation (P<0.05). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that VEGFA is upregulated in tumor thrombi whereas miR-381 is downregulated. VEGFA is regulated by miR-381 and both may be associated with the development of PVTT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Experimental Department, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 530021, P.R. China
| | - Shuzhi Wu
- Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Tianren Huang
- Experimental Department, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 530021, P.R. China
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Amicone L, Marchetti A. Microenvironment and tumor cells: two targets for new molecular therapies of hepatocellular carcinoma. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 3:24. [PMID: 29971255 DOI: 10.21037/tgh.2018.04.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is one of the most frequent human cancer and is characterized by a high mortality rate. The aggressiveness appears strictly related to the liver pathological background on which cancer develops. Inflammation and the consequent fibro/cirrhosis, derived from chronic injuries of several origins (viral, toxic and metabolic) and observable in almost all oncological patients, represents the most powerful risk factor for HCC and, at the same time, an important obstacle to the efficacy of systemic therapy. Multiple microenvironmental cues, indeed, play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis, evolution and recurrence of HCC as well as in the resistance to standard therapies observed in most of patients. The identification of altered pathways in cancer cells and of microenvironmental changes, strictly connected in pathogenic feedback loop, may permit to plan new therapeutic approaches targeting tumor cells and their permissive microenvironment, simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Amicone
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marchetti
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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33
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Jia YY, Zhao JY, Li BL, Gao K, Song Y, Liu MY, Yang XJ, Xue Y, Wen AD, Shi L. miR-592/WSB1/HIF-1α axis inhibits glycolytic metabolism to decrease hepatocellular carcinoma growth. Oncotarget 2018; 7:35257-69. [PMID: 27153552 PMCID: PMC5085226 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells rapidly switch their energy source from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolytic metabolism in order to efficiently proliferate. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this switch remain unclear. In this study, we found that miR-592 was frequently downregulated in human HCC tissues and cell lines, and its downregulation was closely correlated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of HCC patients. Overexpression of miR-592 inhibited aerobic glycolysis and proliferation in HCC cells in vitro. Conversely, knockdown of miR-592 promoted HCC growth in both subcutaneous injection and orthotopic liver tumor implantation models in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-592 downregulation in human HCCs was correlated with an upregulation of WD repeat and SOCS box containing 1 (WSB1). We further showed that miR-592 directly binds to the 3'-UTR of the WSB1 gene, thus disrupting hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) protein stabilization. In turn, overexpression of WSB1 in HCC cells rescued decreased HIF-1α expression, glucose uptake, and HCC growth induced by miR-592. Collectively, our clinical data and functional studies suggest that miR-592 is a new robust inhibitor of the Warburg effect and a promising therapeutic target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Yan Jia
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of People's Liberation Army, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China.,Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Jin-Yi Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Bing-Ling Li
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of People's Liberation Army, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Kai Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Ying Song
- Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Mei-You Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Juan Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Yan Xue
- Department of Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Ai-Dong Wen
- Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of People's Liberation Army, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P. R. China
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Wu B, Liang X, Jing H, Han X, Sun Y, Guo C, Liu Y, Cheng W. Effect of NET-1 siRNA conjugated sub-micron bubble complex combined with low-frequency ultrasound exposure in gene transfection. Oncotarget 2018; 9:4150-4160. [PMID: 29423111 PMCID: PMC5790528 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study evaluated the effect of NET-1 siRNA-conjugated sub-micron bubble (SMB) complexes combined with low-frequency ultrasound exposure in gene transfection. The NET-1 gene was highly expressed level in SMMC-7721 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. The cells were divided into seven groups and treated with different conditions. The groups with or without low-frequency ultrasound exposure, groups of adherent cells, and suspension cells were separated. The NET-1 siRNA-conjugated SMB complexes were made in the laboratory and tested by Zetasizer Nano ZS90 analyzer. Flow cytometry was used to estimate the transfection efficiency and cellular apoptosis. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used for the estimation of the protein and mRNA expressions, respectively. Transwell analysis determined the migration and invasion capacities of the tumor cells. The results did not show any difference in the transfection efficiency between adherent and suspension cells. However, the NET-1 siRNA-SMB complexes combined with low-frequency ultrasound exposure could enhance the gene transfection effectively. In summary, the NET-1 siRNA-SMB complexes appeared to be promising gene vehicle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolin Wu
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Xitian Liang
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Hui Jing
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Xue Han
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Yixin Sun
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Cunli Guo
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Wen Cheng
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nangang, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China
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Tang Q, Wang Q, Zhang Q, Lin SY, Zhu Y, Yang X, Guo AY. Gene expression, regulation of DEN and HBx induced HCC mice models and comparisons of tumor, para-tumor and normal tissues. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:862. [PMID: 29254483 PMCID: PMC5735680 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3860-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality. Chemical and virus induction are two major risk factors, however, the potential molecular mechanisms of their differences remain elusive. In this study, to identify the similarities and differences between chemical and virus induced HCC models, we compared the gene expression profiles between DEN and HBx mice models, as well as the differences among tumor, para-tumor and normal tissues. METHODS We sequenced both gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression for HCC tumor tissues, para-tumor and normal liver tissues from DEN model mice (30-week-old) and downloaded the corresponding microarray expression data of HBx model from GEO database. Then differentially expressed genes (DEGs), miRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) were detected by R packages and performed functional enrichment analysis. To explore the gene regulatory network in HCC models, miRNA and TF regulatory networks were constructed by target prediction. RESULTS For model comparison, although DEGs between tumor and normal tissues in DEN and HBx models only had a small part of overlapping, they shared common pathways including lipid metabolism, oxidation-reduction process and immune process. For tissue comparisons in each model, genes in oxidation-reduction process were down-regulated in tumor tissues and genes in inflammatory response showed the highest expression level in para-tumor tissues. Genes highly expressed in both tumor and para-tumor tissues in two models mainly participated in immune and inflammatory response. Genes expressed in HBx model were also involved in cell proliferation and cell migration etc. Network analysis revealed that several miRNAs such as miR-381-3p, miR-142a-3p, miR-214-3p and TFs such as Egr1, Atf3 and Klf4 were the core regulators in HCC. CONCLUSIONS Through the comparative analyses, we found that para-tumor tissue is a highly inflammatory tissue while the tumor tissue is specific with both inflammatory and cancer signaling pathways. The DEN and HBx mice models have different gene expression pattern but shared pathways. This work will help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying different HCC models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Tang
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Qi Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Sheng-Yan Lin
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yanhong Zhu
- National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xiangliang Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - An-Yuan Guo
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Luoyu Road 1037, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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36
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Kanda M, Shimizu D, Tanaka H, Shibata M, Iwata N, Hayashi M, Kobayashi D, Tanaka C, Yamada S, Fujii T, Nakayama G, Sugimoto H, Koike M, Fujiwara M, Kodera Y. Metastatic pathway-specific transcriptome analysis identifies MFSD4 as a putative tumor suppressor and biomarker for hepatic metastasis in patients with gastric cancer. Oncotarget 2017; 7:13667-79. [PMID: 26872374 PMCID: PMC4924669 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/1969] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) with hepatic metastasis remains a fatal disease. Global expression profiling was conducted using tissues from patients who had GC with synchronous hepatic metastasis, and major facilitator superfamily domain containing 4 (MFSD4) was identified as a candidate biomarker for hepatic metastasis in GC. Functional and expression analyses of this molecule in GC cell lines and clinical samples were conducted. We analyzed MFSD4 expression, DNA methylation, and copy number. RNA interference experiments evaluated the effects of MFSD4 expression on cell phenotype and apoptosis. We analyzed tissues of 200 patients with GC to assess the diagnostic performance of MFSD4 levels for predicting hepatic recurrence, metastasis, or both. Differential expression of MFSD4 mRNA by GC cell lines correlated positively with the levels of NUDT13 and OCLN mRNAs and inversely with those of BMP2. Hypermethylation of the MFSD4 promoter was detected in cells with lower levels of MFSD4 mRNA. Inhibition of MFSD4 expression significantly increased the invasiveness and motility of GC cells but did not influence cell proliferation or apoptosis. MFSD4 mRNA levels in primary GC tissues were reduced in patients with concomitant hepatic metastasis or recurrence compared with those without. Low levels of MFSD4 mRNA in primary GC tissues were an independent risk factor of hepatic recurrence and metastasis. MFSD4 expression in gastric tissues may represent a useful biomarker for identification of patients at high risk for hepatic recurrence, metastasis, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuro Kanda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Dai Shimizu
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Haruyoshi Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahiro Shibata
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Naoki Iwata
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masamichi Hayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kobayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Chie Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Suguru Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Fujii
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Goro Nakayama
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sugimoto
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahiko Koike
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Michitaka Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kodera
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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Ye Z, Chen X, Chen X. ARK5 promotes invasion and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Oncol Lett 2017; 15:1511-1516. [PMID: 29434843 PMCID: PMC5774381 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.7453] [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: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. The highly invasive nature of HCC leads to poor prognosis in patients with malignant HCC. AMPK-related protein kinase 5 (ARK5) is a key mediator of migratory activity in human cancer cells. However, the role of ARK5 in invasion and metastasis of HCC cells remains unclear. The present study attempted to determine whether ARK5 is involved in invasion and migration via regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Wound healing and Transwell Matrigel invasion assays were utilized to detect the ability of the epithelial Huh7 and mesenchymal SNU387 HCC cells to migrate and invade. Next, the expression of ARK5 and EMT markers, E-cadherin and vimentin, were examined by western blot analysis. Inhibition of ARK5 was able to significantly reduce the ability HCC cells to invade and metastasize. Furthermore, the knockdown of ARK5 was able to reverse the process of EMT in HCC cells. These data suggested that ARK5 may serve an important role in regulating EMT in HCC cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that ARK5 is a potential molecular target for the development of novel HCC therapeutics, which focus on cell invasion and EMT regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyu Ye
- Department of Hernia and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, P.R. China
| | - Xudong Chen
- Department of Hernia and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaogang Chen
- Department of Hernia and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315000, P.R. China
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Niu L, Liu L, Yang S, Ren J, Lai PBS, Chen GG. New insights into sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma: Responsible mechanisms and promising strategies. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2017; 1868:564-570. [PMID: 29054475 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It is disappointing that only a few patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) obtain a significant survival benefit from the sorafenib treatment, which is currently regarded as a first-line chemotherapeutic therapy in patients with advanced HCC. Most patients are highly refractory to this therapy. Therefore, it is necessary to identify resistant factors and explore potential protocols that can be used to overcome the resistance or substitute sorafenib once the resistance is formed. In fact, a growing body of studies has been focusing on the resistance mechanisms or the method to overcome it. The limitation of sorafenib efficacy has been partially but not fully elucidated. Moreover, some protocols have shown encouraging outcomes but still need to be further verified in clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the recent findings on the potential mechanisms that contribute to sorafenib resistance and discuss strategies that can be used to improve the treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Niu
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Liping Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shengli Yang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jianwei Ren
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Paul B S Lai
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, China.
| | - George G Chen
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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Umeda S, Kanda M, Sugimoto H, Tanaka H, Hayashi M, Yamada S, Fujii T, Takami H, Niwa Y, Iwata N, Tanaka C, Kobayashi D, Fujiwara M, Kodera Y. Downregulation of GPR155 as a prognostic factor after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:610. [PMID: 28863781 PMCID: PMC5580443 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3629-2] [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: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Molecular biomarkers capable of predicting recurrence patterns and prognosis are helpful for risk stratification and providing appropriate treatment to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we focused on G protein-coupled receptor 155 (GPR155), a cell surface signaling protein, as a candidate biomarker. Methods We analyzed GPR155 expression, DNA methylation, and copy number in HCC cell lines. The clinical significance of GPR155 expression was evaluated using 144 pairs of surgically resected liver and normal tissues with subgroup analysis based on hepatitis virus infection. Results GPR155 mRNA expression levels were differential and were decreased in 89% of HCC cell lines. No DNA methylation was detected, whereas copy number alterations were present in five (56%) HCC cell lines. GPR155 mRNA expression level was independent of background liver status and significantly lower in HCC tissues than corresponding normal liver tissues. The expression patterns of GPR155 protein by immunohistochemical staining were significantly associated with those of GPR155 mRNA. Downregulation of GPR155 was significantly associated with more aggressive HCC phenotypes including high preoperative α-fetoprotein, poor differentiation, serosal infiltration, vascular invasion, and advanced disease stage. Patients with downregulation of GPR155 were more likely to have worse prognosis after curative resection irrespective of hepatitis virus infection. Patients who experienced extrahepatic (distant) recurrences had significantly lower GPR155 expression than those with intrahepatic (liver confined) recurrences. Conclusions Downregulation of GPR155 may serve as a prognosticator that also predicts initial recurrence sites independent of hepatitis virus infection. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-017-3629-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Umeda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Mitsuro Kanda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Sugimoto
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Haruyoshi Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Masamichi Hayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Suguru Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Fujii
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Hideki Takami
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yukiko Niwa
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Naoki Iwata
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Chie Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kobayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Michitaka Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kodera
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
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An integrated multigene expression panel to predict long-term survival after curative hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:71070-71079. [PMID: 29050343 PMCID: PMC5642618 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently recurs even after curative hepatectomy. To develop an integrated multigene expression panel, 144 patients were randomly assigned to either discovery or validation set in a 1:2 ratio. Using surgically resected HCC specimens, expression levels of 12 candidate molecular markers were determined using quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR. In the discovery set, an expression panel was developed according to the concordance index (C-index) values for overall survival from all 4095 combinations of the 12 candidate molecular markers. Expression scores was determined with weighting according to the coefficient in a Cox regression, and patients were classified into grade 1, 2 and 3. Reproducibility was then tested in the validation set. A panel consisting of four markers, PRMT5, MAGED4, DPYSL3 and AJAP1 was selected as the optimal and most well-balanced set with a C-index value of 0.707. Patient prognosis was clearly stratified by the expression grade using this panel. In the validation set, both overall and disease-free survival rates decreased incrementally with as the grade increased. Higher grades were significantly associated with tumor multiplicity and vessel invasion. The prevalence of extrahepatic recurrences was increased in grade 3 patients. The integrated multigene expression panel clearly stratified HCC patients into low, intermediate and high risk.
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Liang Y, Li Q, Chen K, Ni W, Zhan Z, Ye F, Li Y, Fang Y, Zhang F, Chen L, Ding Y. Zinc finger protein 307 functions as a tumor‑suppressor and inhibits cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Rep 2017; 38:2229-2236. [PMID: 28765950 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc finger protein 307 (ZNF307) is a new Krüppel-associated box zinc-finger protein gene and a member of the zinc-finger family of transcriptional factors. Notably, the role of ZNF307 and its underlying mechanisms involved in hepatocarcinogenesis are poorly investigated. In the present study, we found that the expression of ZNF307 was significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues, compared with that in adjacent non-tumor tissues. In vitro studies further demonstrated that ectopic expression of ZNF307 in HCC cell lines Bel7402 and HCCLM3 significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasive ability. Concordantly, knockdown of ZNF307 increased cell proliferation, migration and invasive ability of HCC cell lines MHCC97L and QGY7701. In vivo functional studies showed that upregulation of ZNF307 expression in Bel7402 cells led to a suppression of tumorigenicity in mice, while knockdown of ZNF307 in MHCC97L cells resulted in reverse. effects. Importantly, flow cytometric analysis showed that ZNF307 overexpression increased the incidence of apoptosis, while ZNF307 knockdown decreased the incidence of apoptosis. Consistently, key regulators in apoptosis, such as caspase-3, BAX and BCL-2 were also regulated by ZNF307. Therefore, our results indicate that ZNF307 may serve as a tumor suppressor and inhibits cell proliferation of HCC via inducing apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghao Liang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Qisheng Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Keli Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Wen Ni
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Zetao Zhan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Feng Ye
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Yiyi Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Fengjiao Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Longhua Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, P.R. China
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Li H, Chen H, Wang H, Dong Y, Yin M, Zhang L, Wei J. MicroRNA-374a Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Proliferation by Targeting Mitogen-Inducible Gene 6 (MIG-6). Oncol Res 2017; 26:557-563. [PMID: 28734040 PMCID: PMC7844684 DOI: 10.3727/096504017x15000784459799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a disease with poor prognosis rates and ineffective therapeutic options. Previous studies have reported the involvement of mitogen-inducible gene 6 (MIG-6) as a negative regulator in tumor formation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in the development of different types of cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms of miRNAs in HCC are poorly understood. This study was aimed to investigate the role of miR-374a in HCC and its role in the regulation of expression of MIG-6. The results showed that MIG-6 overexpression significantly inhibited cell viability of HepG2 cells after 4 days posttransfection. Moreover, MIG-6 was a direct target of miR-374a, and the expression of MIG-6 was remarkably downregulated by the overexpression of miR-374a in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of miR-374a promoted cell viability; however, the protective effect was abolished by MIG-6 overexpression. In addition, overexpression of miR-374a activated the EGFR and AKT/ERK signaling pathways by regulation of MIG-6. Our findings suggest that miR-374a could promote cell viability by targeting MIG-6 and activating the EGFR and AKT/ERK signaling pathways. These data provide a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Department of Liver and Infectious Diseases, Liver Disease Research Center, The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Huicheng Chen
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Haibin Wang
- The Second Department of Liver Diseases, The Third People's Hospital of Kunming City, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Yilong Dong
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Min Yin
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Liver Disease Research Center, The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, P.R. China
| | - Jia Wei
- Department of Liver and Infectious Diseases, Liver Disease Research Center, The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, P.R. China
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43
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Pu M, Wang J, Huang Q, Zhao G, Xia C, Shang R, Zhang Z, Bian Z, Yang X, Tao K. High MRPS23 expression contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation and indicates poor survival outcomes. Tumour Biol 2017; 39:1010428317709127. [PMID: 28714366 DOI: 10.1177/1010428317709127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most prevalent neoplasms and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 is encoded by a nuclear gene and participates in mitochondrial protein translation. Mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 overexpression has been found in many types of cancer. In this study, we explored mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression in primary hepatocellular carcinoma tissues compared with matched adjacent non-tumoral liver tissues using mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 messenger RNA and protein levels collected from public databases and clinical samples. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the relationship between mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 and various clinicopathological features. The results indicated that mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 was significantly overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma. High mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression was correlated with the tumor size and tumor–metastasis–node stage. Moreover, patients with high mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression levels presented poorer survival rates. Mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 was an independent prognostic factor for survival, especially at the early stage of hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, the downregulation of mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 decreased the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, we verified for the first time that mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression was upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma. High mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 levels can predict poor clinical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma, and this protein plays a key role in tumor proliferation. Therefore, mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 may be a potential therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Pu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jianlin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qike Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ge Zhao
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Vascular Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Congcong Xia
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Runze Shang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhuochao Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhenyuan Bian
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xishegn Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Kaishan Tao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
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Huang XY, Huang ZL, Xu YH, Zheng Q, Chen Z, Song W, Zhou J, Tang ZY, Huang XY. Comprehensive circular RNA profiling reveals the regulatory role of the circRNA-100338/miR-141-3p pathway in hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5428. [PMID: 28710406 PMCID: PMC5511135 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05432-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a class of endogenous noncoding RNAs that have recently been recognized as important regulators of gene expression and pathological networks. However, their transcriptional activities and functional mechanisms in cancer remain largely unknown. Here, we present results from a global circRNA expression and functional analysis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using a circRNA microarray, we identified 226 differentially expressed circRNAs, of which 189 were significantly upregulated and 37 were downregulated. High expression of circRNA_100338, one of the upregulated circRNAs in HCC, is closely correlated with a low cumulative survival rate and metastatic progression in HCC patients with hepatitis B. Furthermore, our in silico and experimental analyses identified miR-141-3p as a direct target of circRNA_100338. Thus, circRNA_100338 functions as an endogenous sponge for miR-141-3p in HCC. In addition, we identified the crucial antagonistic roles of circRNA_100338 and miR-141-3p in the regulation of invasive potential in liver cancer cells. Overall, the differential expression of multiple circRNAs in HCC tissues and their clinical significance in hepatitis B-related HCC patients as revealed by our study suggests that circRNA_100338 is a potentially valuable biomarker for HCC diagnosis and target for HCC therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Yan Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, P.R. China.
| | - Zi-Li Huang
- Department of Radiology, Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, 200031, P.R. China
| | - Yong-Hua Xu
- Department of Radiology, Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, 200031, P.R. China
| | - Qi Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, P.R. China
| | - Zi Chen
- Thayer School of Engineering, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Wei Song
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jian Zhou
- Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Zhao-You Tang
- Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Yu Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, P.R. China.
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45
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Chen F, Bai G, Li Y, Feng Y, Wang L. A positive feedback loop of long noncoding RNA CCAT2 and FOXM1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth. Am J Cancer Res 2017; 7:1423-1434. [PMID: 28744394 PMCID: PMC5523025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies around the world. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are greater than 200 nucleotides without protein-coding potential and play critical roles in tumorigenesis, cell differentiation, and cancer metastasis. Colon cancer-associated transcript 2 (CCAT2), a newly identified lncRNA, was shown to be dysregulated in cancers. However, the functional role of CCAT2 in HCC remains questionable. In the present study, we found a significant upregulation of CCAT2 in HCC tissues as compared to non-tumor tissues. Functional assays showed that CCAT2 promotes cell growth in vivo and in vitro. In addition, we found a positive feedback loop between CCAT2 and FOXM1. CCAT2 upregulates FOXM1 expression through interaction with, and suppression of, miR-34a, and FOXM1 activates CCAT2 transcription. We evaluated the therapeutic potential of ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD)-mediated siRNA delivery to specifically target CCAT2. UTMD-mediated siCCAT2 delivery significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Thus, CCAT2-FOXM1 may be a novel target for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical UniversityJinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Guang Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical UniversityJinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yuhong Li
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical UniversityJinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yanhong Feng
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical UniversityJinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical UniversityJinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
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46
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Zhang JH, Jiao LY, Li TJ, Zhu YY, Zhou JW, Tian J. GSK-3β suppresses HCC cell dissociation in vitro by upregulating epithelial junction proteins and inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. J Cancer 2017; 8:1598-1608. [PMID: 28775779 PMCID: PMC5535715 DOI: 10.7150/jca.18744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is required in the expression of epithelial junction proteins. It was found downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of GSK-3β in modulating the metastatic behaviors of human HCC cell lines in vitro. In this study, the expression level of GSK-3β was measured in 4 human HCC cell lines, and the small interfering RNA (siRNA) vectors against or plasmids encoding GSK-3β were used to evaluate the responses of target cells to the knockdown or overexpression of this kinase, respectively. Our results showed that GSK-3β expression was significantly lower in human HCC cell lines with high metastatic potential than that in HCC cell lines without metastatic characteristics or in a normal human liver cell line. The knockdown of GSK-3β by siRNA led to a decreased expression of the epithelial junction molecules (ZO-1, E-cadherin) and an increase in the expression of a mesenchymal cell marker (α-SMA) and a gene transcription factor (β-catenin), resulting in enhanced tumor cell dissemination. In contrast, gain-of-function studies revealed that ectopic expression of GSK-3β reduced invasive and migratory abilities of HCC cells accompanied by decreased HCC cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. More importantly, downregulation of GSK-3β led to an increase in the expression and accumulation of β-catenin in the nuclei, promoting gene transcription. In conclusion, GSK-3β might play a vital role in suppressing HCC dissociation by preventing the disassembly of cancer cell epithelial junctional complex via the GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Hua Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Tangshan People's Hospital/Tangshan Cancer Hospital, Tangshan 063001, China
| | - Li-Yan Jiao
- School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Tie-Jun Li
- Small RNA Technology and Application Institute, Nantong University, Nantong 226016, China.,Biomics Biotechnologies Co., Ltd., Nantong 226016, China
| | - York Yuanyuan Zhu
- Small RNA Technology and Application Institute, Nantong University, Nantong 226016, China.,Biomics Biotechnologies Co., Ltd., Nantong 226016, China
| | - Jian-Wei Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Henan People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 45003, China
| | - Jian Tian
- Small RNA Technology and Application Institute, Nantong University, Nantong 226016, China.,Department of Oncology, Henan People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 45003, China.,Cancer Institute, Tangshan People's Hospital/Tangshan Cancer Hospital, Tangshan 063001, China
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47
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Liu X, Hu X, Kuang Y, Yan P, Li L, Li C, Tao Q, Cai X. BCLB, methylated in hepatocellular carcinoma, is a starvation stress sensor that induces apoptosis and autophagy through the AMPK-mTOR signaling cascade. Cancer Lett 2017; 395:63-71. [PMID: 28259820 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic disruption of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs), particularly DNA methylation, plays a key role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis. Through methylome study, we identified BCLB as a methylated gene in HCC. BCLB was methylated in all tumor cell lines with silenced or reduced expression. BCLB was further found to be silenced in 55.2% (58/105) of HCC samples, while 91.4% (96/105) of paired non-tumor tissues showed high BCLB expression. BCLB protein expression was significantly correlated with HBV status (p = 0.036), AFP (p = 0.048), tumor size (p = 0.006), and TNM stage (p = 0.022). The overall survival and disease-free survival rate of HCC patients with positive BCLB expression were both significantly higher than those with negative BCLB expression (p = 0.032 and 0.027, respectively). Ectopic expression of BCLB in HCC cells inhibited cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic study showed that BCLB expression was a starvation stress sensor inducing apoptosis and autophagy simultaneously in HCC cells through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase AMPK-mTOR signaling cascade. Thus, epigenetic suppression of BCLB expression is involved in HCC development, which might have therapeutic implications for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaotong Hu
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yeye Kuang
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peijian Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lili Li
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sir YK Pao Center for Cancer and Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Chen Li
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sir YK Pao Center for Cancer and Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Qian Tao
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sir YK Pao Center for Cancer and Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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48
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Choiniere J, Wu J, Wang L. Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 4 Deficiency Results in Expedited Cellular Proliferation through E2F1-Mediated Increase of Cyclins. Mol Pharmacol 2017; 91:189-196. [PMID: 28003426 PMCID: PMC5325080 DOI: 10.1124/mol.116.106757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of cancer with prevalence worldwide. There are many factors that lead to the development and progression of HCC. This study aimed to identify potential new tumor suppressors, examine their function as cell cycle modulators, and investigate their impact on the cyclin family of proteins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). In this study, the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK)4 gene was shown to have potential tumor suppressor characteristics. PDK4 expression was significantly downregulated in human HCC. Pdk4-/- mouse liver exhibited a consistent increase in cell cycle regulator proteins, including cyclin D1, cyclin E1, cyclin A2, some associated CDKs, and transcription factor E2F1. PDK4-knockdown HCC cells also progressed faster through the cell cycle, which concurrently expressed high levels of cyclins and E2F1 as seen in the Pdk4-/- mice. Interestingly, the induced cyclin E1 and cyclin A2 caused by Pdk4 deficiency was repressed by arsenic treatment in mouse liver and in HCC cells. E2f1 deficiency in E2f1-/- mouse liver or knockdown E2F1 using small hairpin RNAs in HCC cells significantly decreased cyclin E1, cyclin A2, and E2F1 proteins. In contrast, inhibition of PDK4 activity in HCC cells increased cyclin E1, cyclin A2, and E2F1 proteins. These findings demonstrate that PDK4 is a critical regulator of hepatocyte proliferation via E2F1-mediated regulation of cyclins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Choiniere
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (J.C., J.W., L.W.); Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut (L.W.); Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (L.W.); and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China (L.W.)
| | - Jianguo Wu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (J.C., J.W., L.W.); Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut (L.W.); Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (L.W.); and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China (L.W.)
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (J.C., J.W., L.W.); Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut (L.W.); Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (L.W.); and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China (L.W.)
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49
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López-Álvarez GS, Wojdacz TK, García-Cuellar CM, Monroy-Ramírez HC, Rodríguez-Segura MA, Pacheco-Rivera RA, Valencia-Antúnez CA, Cervantes-Anaya N, Soto-Reyes E, Vásquez-Garzón VR, Sánchez-Pérez Y, Villa-Treviño S. Gene silencing of Nox4 by CpG island methylation during hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. Biol Open 2017; 6:59-70. [PMID: 27895046 PMCID: PMC5278421 DOI: 10.1242/bio.020370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between the downregulation of genes and DNA methylation in their CpG islands has been extensively studied as a mechanism that favors carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to analyze the methylation of a set of genes selected based on their microarray expression profiles during the process of hepatocarcinogenesis. Rats were euthanized at: 24 h, 7, 11, 16 and 30 days and 5, 9, 12 and 18 months post-treatment. We evaluated the methylation status in the CpG islands of four deregulated genes (Casp3, Cldn1, Pex11a and Nox4) using methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting technology for the samples obtained from different stages of hepatocarcinogenesis. We did not observe methylation in Casp3, Cldn1 or Pex11a. However, Nox4 exhibited altered methylation patterns, reaching a maximum of 10%, even during the early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis. We observed downregulation of mRNA and protein of Nox4 (97.5% and 40%, respectively) after the first carcinogenic stimulus relative to the untreated samples. Our results suggest that Nox4 downregulation is associated with DNA methylation of the CpG island in its promoter. We propose that methylation is a mechanism that can silence the expression of Nox4, which could contribute to the acquisition of neoplastic characteristics during hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. Summary: Many genes downregulated by DNA methylation are tumor suppressor genes. In the present study, DNA methylation of Nox4 is observed, with implications for Nox4 as a potential therapeutic target for liver or other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe S López-Álvarez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CDMX CP 07360, México
| | - Tomasz K Wojdacz
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and Department of Biomedicine, Bartholins Allé 6 Building, 1242, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Claudia M García-Cuellar
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Subdirección de Investigación Básica, San Fernando No. 22, Tlalpan, CDMX CP 14080, México
| | - Hugo C Monroy-Ramírez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CDMX CP 07360, México
| | - Miguel A Rodríguez-Segura
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CDMX CP 07360, México
| | - Ruth A Pacheco-Rivera
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas-IPN, Carpio y Plan de Ayala S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomas, CDMX CP 11340, México
| | - Carlos A Valencia-Antúnez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CDMX CP 07360, México
| | - Nancy Cervantes-Anaya
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CDMX CP 07360, México
| | - Ernesto Soto-Reyes
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Subdirección de Investigación Básica, San Fernando No. 22, Tlalpan, CDMX CP 14080, México
| | - Verónica R Vásquez-Garzón
- CONACYT, Facultad de Medicina y Cirugía, Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca, Ex-Hacienda de Aguilera S/N Carretera a San Felipe del Agua, Oaxaca, Oax., CP 68020, México
| | - Yesennia Sánchez-Pérez
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Subdirección de Investigación Básica, San Fernando No. 22, Tlalpan, CDMX CP 14080, México
| | - Saúl Villa-Treviño
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CDMX CP 07360, México
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Panera N, Crudele A, Romito I, Gnani D, Alisi A. Focal Adhesion Kinase: Insight into Molecular Roles and Functions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18010099. [PMID: 28067792 PMCID: PMC5297733 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Due to the high incidence of post-operative recurrence after current treatments, the identification of new and more effective drugs is required. In previous years, new targetable genes/pathways involved in HCC pathogenesis have been discovered through the help of high-throughput sequencing technologies. Mutations in TP53 and β-catenin genes are the most frequent aberrations in HCC. However, approaches able to reverse the effect of these mutations might be unpredictable. In fact, if the reactivation of proteins, such as p53 in tumours, holds great promise as anticancer therapy, there are studies arguing that chronic activation of these types of molecules may be deleterious. Thus, recently the efforts on potential targets have focused on actionable mutations, such as those occurring in the gene encoding for focal adhesion kinase (FAK). This tyrosine kinase, localized to cellular focal contacts, is over-expressed in a variety of human tumours, including HCC. Moreover, several lines of evidence demonstrated that FAK depletion or inhibition impair in vitro and in vivo HCC growth and metastasis. Here, we provide an overview of FAK expression and activity in the context of tumour biology, discussing the current evidence of its connection with HCC development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Panera
- Liver Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Via S. Paolo, 15, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Annalisa Crudele
- Liver Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Via S. Paolo, 15, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Romito
- Liver Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Via S. Paolo, 15, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Daniela Gnani
- Liver Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Via S. Paolo, 15, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Anna Alisi
- Liver Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Via S. Paolo, 15, 00146 Rome, Italy.
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