Sorafenib induced alteration of protein glycosylation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

The regulatory effects of pomiferin dietary on nickel-induced hepatic injury in Sprague-Dawley rats; action mechanisms and signaling pathways

The new technological applications of nickel (Ni) raise concerns over its harmful effects on the environment and human health. Pomiferin isolated from Osage orange is evaluated in in vitro and in vivo laboratory bioassays. This study focused the effects of pomiferin on Ni-caused hepatic injury and its underlying mechanisms. With this aim, Sprague-Dawley rats received 10 mg/kg nickel chloride (NiCl2) for 7 d by intraperitoneal injections. Pomiferin was given orally once a day at different doses (75, 150, and 300 mg/kg) for 20 d after exposure to NiCl2. Animals were anesthetized and livers were carefully collected to evaluate oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular injury, and hepatic function. Also, immunofluorescence analysis of apoptosis and DNA damage was performed on rat hepatic tissues. NiCl2 increased MDA production while reducing SOD, CAT, and GPx activity. NiCl2 induced the production of inflammatory cytokines and also platelet activation in hepatic tissue. Moreover, there were significant increases in AST, ALT, and LDH levels. NiCl2 also caused significant pathological changes in hepatic. Additionally, it remarkably induced up-regulations of apoptotic marker and 8-OHdG expressions by immunofluorescence labeling in liver cells. Whereas, pomiferin significantly attenuated lipid peroxidation and increased antioxidant defense system in liver. Also, the use of pomiferin prevented deregulated inflammatory process by signaling pathways nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB)/COX-2/TNF-α/IL-1β/IL-6. In addition, pomiferin diminished histopathologic evidence of hepatic toxicity and significantly lower expressions of caspase 3 and 8-OHdG were observed in liver cells. Pomiferin seems to counteract the deleterious effects of NiCl2 on hepatic tissue through different cellular and signaling mechanisms.

Discovery of a haptoglobin glycopeptides biomarker panel for early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

There is a need for new serum biomarkers for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Haptoglobin (Hp) N-glycosylation is altered in HCC, but the diagnostic value of site-specific Hp glycobiomarkers is rarely reported. We aimed to determine the site-specific glycosylation profile of Hp for early-stage HCC diagnosis.

Method

Hp glycosylation was analyzed in the plasma of patients with liver diseases (n=57; controls), early-stage HCC (n=50) and late-stage HCC (n=32). Hp phenotype was determined by immunoblotting. Hp was immunoisolated and digested into peptides. N-glycopeptides were identified and quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Cohort samples were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney U) tests. Diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under curve (AUC).

Results

Significantly higher fucosylation, branching and sialylation of Hp glycans, and expression of high-mannose glycans, was observed as disease progressed from cirrhosis to early- and late-stage HCC. Several glycopeptides demonstrated high values for early diagnosis of HCC, with an AUC of 93% (n=1), >80% (n=3), >75% (n=13) and >70% (n=11), compared with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP; AUC of 79%). The diagnostic performance of the identified biomarkers was only slightly affected by Hp phenotype.

Conclusion

We identified a panel of Hp glycopeptides that are significantly differentially regulated in early- and late-stage HCC. Some glycobiomarkers exceeded the diagnostic value of AFP (the most commonly used biomarker for HCC diagnosis). Our findings provide evidence that glycobiomarkers can be effective in the diagnosis of early HCC - individually, as a panel of glycopeptides or combined with conventional serological biomarkers.

Post-translational modifications and immune responses in liver cancer

Post-translational modification (PTM) refers to the covalent attachment of functional groups to protein substrates, resulting in structural and functional changes. PTMs not only regulate the development and progression of liver cancer, but also play a crucial role in the immune response against cancer. Cancer immunity encompasses the combined efforts of innate and adaptive immune surveillance against tumor antigens, tumor cells, and tumorigenic microenvironments. Increasing evidence suggests that immunotherapies, which harness the immune system's potential to combat cancer, can effectively improve cancer patient prognosis and prolong the survival. This review presents a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of key PTMs such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, and glycosylation in the context of immune cancer surveillance against liver cancer. Additionally, it highlights potential targets associated with these modifications to enhance the response to immunotherapies in the treatment of liver cancer.

Exploring the tumor immune microenvironment in ovarian cancer: a way-out to the therapeutic roadmap

INTRODUCTION

Despite cancer treatment strides, mortality due to ovarian cancer remains high globally. While immunotherapy has proven effective in treating cancers with low cure rates, it has limitations. Growing evidence suggests that both tumoral and non-tumoral components of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) play a significant role in cancer growth. Therefore, developing novel and focused therapy for ovarian cancer is critical. Studies indicate that TIME is involved in developing ovarian cancer, particularly genome-, transcriptome-, and proteome-wide studies. As a result, TIME may present a prospective therapeutic target for ovarian cancer patients.

AREAS COVERED

We examined several TIME-targeting medicines and the connection between TIME and ovarian cancer. The key protagonists and events in the TIME and therapeutic strategies that explicitly target these events in ovarian cancer are discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

We highlighted various targeted therapies against TIME in ovarian cancer, including anti-angiogenesis therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. While these therapies are in their infancy, they have shown promise in controlling ovarian cancer progression. The use of 'omics' technology is helping in better understanding of TIME in ovarian cancer and potentially identifying new therapeutic targets. TIME-targeted strategies could account for an additional treatment strategy when treating ovarian cancer.

Protein glycosylation alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma: function and clinical implications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Understanding the cancer mechanisms provides novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic markers for the management of HCC disease. In addition to genomic and epigenomic regulation, post-translational modification exerts a profound influence on protein functions and plays a critical role in regulating various biological processes. Protein glycosylation is one of the most common and complex post-translational modifications of newly synthesized proteins and acts as an important regulatory mechanism that is implicated in fundamental molecular and cell biology processes. Recent studies in glycobiology suggest that aberrant protein glycosylation in hepatocytes contributes to the malignant transformation to HCC by modulating a wide range of pro-tumorigenic signaling pathways. The dysregulated protein glycosylation regulates cancer growth, metastasis, stemness, immune evasion, and therapy resistance, and is regarded as a hallmark of HCC. Changes in protein glycosylation could serve as potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic factors in HCC. In this review, we summarize the functional importance, molecular mechanism, and clinical application of protein glycosylation alterations in HCC.

Cancer glycomics offers potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the framework of 3P medicine

Glycosylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications (PTMs) in a protein, and is the most abundant and diverse biopolymer in nature. Glycans are involved in multiple biological processes of cancer initiation and progression, including cell-cell interactions, cell-extracellular matrix interactions, tumor invasion and metastasis, tumor angiogenesis, and immune regulation. As an important biomarker, tumor-associated glycosylation changes have been extensively studied. This article reviews recent advances in glycosylation-based biomarker research, which is useful for cancer diagnosis and prognostic assessment. Truncated O-glycans, sialylation, fucosylation, and complex branched structures have been found to be the most common structural patterns in malignant tumors. In recent years, immunochemical methods, lectin recognition-based methods, mass spectrometry (MS)-related methods, and fluorescence imaging-based in situ methods have greatly promoted the discovery and application potentials of glycomic and glycoprotein biomarkers in various cancers. In particular, MS-based proteomics has significantly facilitated the comprehensive research of extracellular glycoproteins, increasing our understanding of their critical roles in regulating cellular activities. Predictive, preventive and personalized medicine (PPPM; 3P medicine) is an effective approach of early prediction, prevention and personalized treatment for different patients, and it is known as the new direction of medical development in the 21st century and represents the ultimate goal and highest stage of medical development. Glycosylation has been revealed to have new diagnostic, prognostic, and even therapeutic potentials. The purpose of glycosylation analysis and utilization of biology is to make a fundamental change in health care and medical practice, so as to lead medical research and practice into a new era of 3P medicine.

Glycan signatures for the identification of cisplatin‐resistant testicular cancer cell lines: Specific glycoprofiling of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)

Background

Testicular cancer (TC) is the most frequent type of cancer among young men aged between 15 and 34 years. TC is treated using cisplatin, but 3%–5% of TC patients fail to respond to cisplatin, with a very bad to fatal prognosis. Accordingly, it is most important to quickly and readily identify those TC patients who are resistant to cisplatin treatment.

Methods

This study seeks to investigate changes in the glycosylation associated with cisplatin resistance to TC cell lines.

Results

A specific glycoprofiling of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was analysed in three TC cell lines and one cell line of female origin. A typical calibration curve for hCG glycoprofiling showed a dynamic range up to 50 ng/ml, with a limit of detection of 0.3 ng/ml and assay reproducibility represented by relative standard deviation of 3.0%. Changes in the glycan signatures on hCG were analysed in cisplatin‐sensitive cell lines and in their cisplatin‐resistant sub‐lines using an enzyme‐linked lectin assay (ELLA) protocol. An immobilised antibody was applied to a selective capture of hCG from a cytoplasmic fraction of cell lysates with final incubation using a lectin from a panel of 17 lectins.

Conclusion

The results suggest that one particular lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) can selectively discriminate sensitive TC cell lines from resistant TC cell lines. Moreover, there are additional lectins which can provide useful information about the strength of cisplatin resistance.

Liver Cancer: Therapeutic Challenges and the Importance of Experimental Models

Liver cancer is one of the main causes of death related to cancer worldwide; its etiology is related with infections by C or B hepatitis virus, alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, and iron overload, among other causes. Several kinds of primary liver cancer occur, but we will focus on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Numerous cellular signaling pathways are implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis, including YAP-HIPPO, Wnt-β-catenin, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); these in turn are considered novel therapeutic targets. In this review, the role of lipid metabolism regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in the development of HCC will also be discussed. Moreover, recent evidence has been obtained regarding the participation of epigenetic changes such as acetylation and methylation of histones and DNA methylation in the development of HCC. In this review, we provide detailed and current information about these topics. Experimental models represent useful tools for studying the different stages of liver cancer and help to develop new pharmacologic treatments. Each model in vivo and in vitro has several characteristics and advantages to offer for the study of this disease. Finally, the main therapies approved for the treatment of HCC patients, first- and second-line therapies, are described in this review. We also describe a novel option, pirfenidone, which due to its pharmacological properties could be considered in the future as a therapeutic option for HCC treatment.

Silencing KIF14 reverses acquired resistance to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma

For nearly a decade, sorafenib has served as a first-line chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but it displays only limited efficacy against advanced drug-resistant HCC. Regorafenib, the first second-line drug approved for treatment after sorafenib failure, can reverse resistance to sorafenib. We used bioinformatics methods to identify genes whose expression was differentially induced by sorafenib and regorafenib in HCC. We identified KIF14 as an oncogene involved in the acquired resistance to sorafenib in HCC and investigated its potential as a target for reversing this resistance. Sustained exposure of resistant HCC cells to sorafenib activated the AKT pathway, which in turn upregulated KIF14 expression by increasing expression of the transcription factor ETS1. Silencing KIF14 reversed the acquired resistance to sorafenib by inhibiting AKT activation and downregulating ETS1 expression by blocking the AKT-ETS1-KIF14 positive feedback loop. Moreover, injection of siKIF14 with sorafenib suppressed growth of sorafenib-resistant HCC tumors in mice. These results demonstrate that targeting KIF14 could be an effective means of reversing sorafenib failure or strengthening sorafenib's antitumor effects.

Lectin microarrays for glycoproteomics: an overview of their use and potential

Introduction: Glycoproteomics is an important subdiscipline of proteomics, focusing on the role of protein glycosylation in various biological processes. Protein glycosylation is the enzymatic addition of sugars or oligosaccharides to proteins. Altered glycosylation often occurs in the early stages of disease development, for example, certain tumor-associated glycans have been shown to be expressed in precursor lesions of different types of cancer, making them powerful early diagnostic markers. Lectin microarrays have become a powerful tool for both the study of glycosylation and the diagnosis of various diseases including cancer.Areas covered: This review will discuss the most useful features of lectin microarrays, such as their technological advances, their capability for parallel/high-throughput analysis for the important glycopatterns of glycoprotein, and an overview of their use for glycosylation analysis of various complex protein samples, as well as their diagnostic potential in various diseases.Expert opinion: Lectin microarrays have proved to be useful in studying multiple lectin-glycan interactions in a single experiment and, with the advances made in the field, hold a promise of enabling glycopatterns of diseases in a fast and efficient manner. Lectin microarrays will become increasingly powerful early diagnostic tool for a variety of conditions.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Etiology and Current and Future Drugs

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is swiftly increasing in prevalence globally with a high mortality rate. The progression of HCC in patients is induced with advanced fibrosis, mainly cirrhosis, and hepatitis. The absence of proper preventive or curative treatment methods encouraged extensive research against HCC to develop new therapeutic strategies. The Food and Drug Administration-approved Nexavar (sorafenib) is used in the treatment of patients with unresectable HCC. In 2017, Stivarga (regorafenib) and Opdivo (nivolumab) got approved for patients with HCC after being treated with sorafenib, and in 2018, Lenvima (lenvatinib) got approved for patients with unresectable HCC. But, owing to the rapid drug resistance development and toxicities, these treatment options are not completely satisfactory. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new systemic combination therapies that target different signaling mechanisms, thereby decreasing the prospect of cancer cells developing resistance to treatment. In this review, HCC etiology and new therapeutic strategies that include currently approved drugs and other potential candidates of HCC such as Milciclib, palbociclib, galunisertib, ipafricept, and ramucirumab are evaluated.