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Xue Y, Ruan Y, Wang Y, Xiao P, Xu J. Signaling pathways in liver cancer: pathogenesis and targeted therapy. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2024; 5:20. [PMID: 38816668 PMCID: PMC11139849 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-024-00184-0] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide with high incidence and mortality rates. Due to its subtle onset, liver cancer is commonly diagnosed at a late stage when surgical interventions are no longer feasible. This situation highlights the critical role of systemic treatments, including targeted therapies, in bettering patient outcomes. Despite numerous studies on the mechanisms underlying liver cancer, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the only widely used clinical inhibitors, represented by sorafenib, whose clinical application is greatly limited by the phenomenon of drug resistance. Here we show an in-depth discussion of the signaling pathways frequently implicated in liver cancer pathogenesis and the inhibitors targeting these pathways under investigation or already in use in the management of advanced liver cancer. We elucidate the oncogenic roles of these pathways in liver cancer especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as the current state of research on inhibitors respectively. Given that TKIs represent the sole class of targeted therapeutics for liver cancer employed in clinical practice, we have particularly focused on TKIs and the mechanisms of the commonly encountered phenomena of its resistance during HCC treatment. This necessitates the imperative development of innovative targeted strategies and the urgency of overcoming the existing limitations. This review endeavors to shed light on the utilization of targeted therapy in advanced liver cancer, with a vision to improve the unsatisfactory prognostic outlook for those patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangtao Xue
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yeling Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Peng Xiao
- Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
| | - Junjie Xu
- Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology of Zhejiang Province, Department of General Surgery, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- Zhejiang Minimal Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment Technology Research Center of Severe Hepatobiliary Disease, Zhejiang Research and Development Engineering Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Technology and Equipment, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
- Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
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2
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Zhao Z, Cui T, Wei F, Zhou Z, Sun Y, Gao C, Xu X, Zhang H. Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma: pathogenic role and therapeutic target. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1367364. [PMID: 38634048 PMCID: PMC11022604 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1367364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant liver tumor and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway involved in several biological processes, including the improper regulation that leads to the tumorigenesis and progression of cancer. New studies have found that abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway is a major cause of HCC tumorigenesis, progression, and resistance to therapy. New perspectives and approaches to treating HCC will arise from understanding this pathway. This article offers a thorough analysis of the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway's function and its therapeutic implications in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zekun Zhao
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Second General Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Tenglu Cui
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Radiotherapy Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Fengxian Wei
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Second General Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhiming Zhou
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Second General Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuan Sun
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Second General Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chaofeng Gao
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Second General Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Xu
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Second General Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huihan Zhang
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The Second General Surgery Department, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Farouk F, Ibrahim IM, Sherif S, Abdelhamed HG, Sharaky M, Al-Karmalawy AA. Investigating the effect of polymerase inhibitors on cellular proliferation: Computational studies, cytotoxicity, CDK1 inhibitory potential, and LC-MS/MS cancer cell entrapment assays. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14500. [PMID: 38467555 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Directly acting antivirals (DAAs) are a breakthrough in the treatment of HCV. There are controversial reports on their tendency to induce hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in HCV patients. Numerous reports have concluded that the HCC is attributed to patient-related factors while others are inclined to attribute this as a DAA side-effect. This study aims to investigate the effect of polymerase inhibitor DAAs, especially daclatasivir (DLT) on cellular proliferation as compared to ribavirin (RBV). The interaction of DAAs with variable cell-cycle proteins was studied in silico. The binding affinities to multiple cellular targets were investigated and the molecular dynamics were assessed. The in vitro effect of the selected candidate DLT on cancer cell proliferation was determined and the CDK1 inhibitory potential in was evaluated. Finally, the cellular entrapment of the selected candidates was assessed by an in-house developed and validated LC-MS/MS method. The results indicated that polymerase inhibitor antiviral agents, especially DLT, may exert an anti-proliferative potential against variable cancer cell lines. The results showed that the effect may be achieved via potential interaction with the multiple cellular targets, including the CDK1, resulting in halting of the cellular proliferation. DLT exhibited a remarkable cell permeability in the liver cancer cell line which permits adequate interaction with the cellular targets. In conclusion, the results reveal that the polymerase inhibitor (DLT) may have an anti-proliferative potential against liver cancer cells. These results may pose DLT as a therapeutic choice for patients suffering from HCV and are liable to HCC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faten Farouk
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Salma Sherif
- Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Marwa Sharaky
- Pharmacology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A Al-Karmalawy
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, Giza, Egypt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University-Egypt, New Damietta, Egypt
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4
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Minamiguchi K, Irizato M, Uchiyama T, Taiji R, Nishiofuku H, Marugami N, Tanaka T. Hepatobiliary-phase gadolinium ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid MRI for pretreatment prediction of efficacy-to-standard-therapies based on Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer algorithm: an up-to-date review. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:8764-8775. [PMID: 37470828 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09950-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in systemic therapy have had major impacts on treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The 2022 Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) guidelines incorporate a new section on clinical decision-making for personalized medicine, although the first treatment suggested by the BCLC guidelines is based on solid scientific evidence. More than ever before, the appropriate treatment strategy must be selected prior to the initiation of therapy for HCC. Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI) is essential for liver imaging and the hepatobiliary phase (HBP) of EOB-MRI reflects the expression of organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) transporters. Molecules associated with OATP expression are relevant in the molecular classification of HCC subclasses, and EOB-MRI is becoming increasingly important with advances in the molecular and genetic understanding of HCC. In this review, we describe imaging findings for the pretreatment prediction of response to standard therapies for HCC based on the BCLC algorithm using the HBP of EOB-MRI, with specific attention to the molecular background of OATPs. A more complete understanding of these findings will help radiologists suggest appropriate treatments and clinical follow-ups and could lead to the development of more personalized treatment strategies in the future. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: In the coming era of personalized medicine, HBP of EOB-MRI reflecting molecular and pathological factors could play a predictive role in the therapeutic efficacy of HCC and contribute to treatment selection. KEY POINTS: • Imaging features of hepatobiliary phase predict treatment efficacy prior to therapy and contribute to treatment choice. • Wnt/β-catenin activation associated with organic anion transporting polypeptide expression is involved in the tumor immune microenvironment and chemo-responsiveness. • Peritumoral hypointensity of hepatobiliary phase reflecting microvascular invasion affects the therapeutic efficacy of locoregional to systemic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoyuki Minamiguchi
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nara Medical University, Shijyocho 840, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan.
| | - Mariko Irizato
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nara Medical University, Shijyocho 840, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Tomoko Uchiyama
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Taiji
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nara Medical University, Shijyocho 840, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Nishiofuku
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nara Medical University, Shijyocho 840, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Nagaaki Marugami
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nara Medical University, Shijyocho 840, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Tanaka
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nara Medical University, Shijyocho 840, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
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5
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Azbazdar Y, Demirci Y, Heger G, Ipekgil D, Karabicici M, Ozhan G. Comparative membrane lipidomics of hepatocellular carcinoma cells reveals diacylglycerol and ceramide as key regulators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and tumor growth. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:2314-2336. [PMID: 37699867 PMCID: PMC10620124 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is largely associated with aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Nevertheless, how membrane lipid composition is altered in HCC cells with abnormal Wnt signaling remains elusive. Here, by exploiting comprehensive lipidome profiling, we unravel the membrane lipid composition of six different HCC cell lines with mutations in components of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, leading to differences in their endogenous signaling activity. Among the differentially regulated lipids are diacylglycerol (DAG) and ceramide, which were downregulated at the membrane of HCC cells after Wnt3a treatment. DAG and ceramide enhanced Wnt/β-catenin signaling by inducing caveolin-mediated endocytosis of the canonical Wnt-receptor complex, while their depletion suppressed the signaling activity along with a reduction of caveolin-mediated endocytosis in SNU475 and HepG2 cells. Moreover, depletion of DAG and ceramide significantly impeded the proliferation, tumor growth, and in vivo migration capacity of SNU475 and HepG2 cells. This study, by pioneering plasma membrane lipidome profiling in HCC cells, exhibits the remarkable potential of lipids to correct dysregulated signaling pathways in cancer and stop abnormal tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagmur Azbazdar
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG)Dokuz Eylul University Health CampusIzmirTurkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute (IBG‐Izmir)Dokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTurkey
- Present address:
Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of California Los AngelesCAUSA
| | - Yeliz Demirci
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG)Dokuz Eylul University Health CampusIzmirTurkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute (IBG‐Izmir)Dokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTurkey
- Present address:
Wellcome Sanger InstituteCambridgeUK
| | | | - Dogac Ipekgil
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG)Dokuz Eylul University Health CampusIzmirTurkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute (IBG‐Izmir)Dokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTurkey
| | - Mustafa Karabicici
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG)Dokuz Eylul University Health CampusIzmirTurkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute (IBG‐Izmir)Dokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTurkey
- Present address:
Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine InstituteCedars‐Sinai Medical CenterLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Gunes Ozhan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG)Dokuz Eylul University Health CampusIzmirTurkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute (IBG‐Izmir)Dokuz Eylul UniversityIzmirTurkey
- Present address:
Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsIzmir Institute of TechnologyTurkey
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6
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Azbazdar Y, Tejeda-Munoz N, Monka JC, Dayrit A, Binder G, Ozhan G, De Robertis EM. Addition of exogenous diacylglycerol enhances Wnt/β-catenin signaling through stimulation of macropinocytosis. iScience 2023; 26:108075. [PMID: 37860772 PMCID: PMC10582480 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of Wnt signaling triggers macropinocytosis and drives many tumors. We now report that the exogenous addition of the second messenger lipid sn-1,2 DAG to the culture medium rapidly induces macropinocytosis. This is accompanied by potentiation of the effects of added Wnt3a recombinant protein or the glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitor lithium chloride (LiCl, which mimics Wnt signaling) in luciferase transcriptional reporter assays. In a colorectal carcinoma cell line in which mutation of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) causes constitutive Wnt signaling, DAG addition increased levels of nuclear β-catenin, and this increase was partially inhibited by an inhibitor of macropinocytosis. DAG also expanded multivesicular bodies marked by the tetraspan protein CD63. In an in vivo situation, microinjection of DAG induced Wnt-like twinned body axes when co-injected with small amounts of LiCl into Xenopus embryos. These results suggest that the DAG second messenger plays a role in Wnt-driven cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yagmur Azbazdar
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Nydia Tejeda-Munoz
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Julia C. Monka
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Alex Dayrit
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Grace Binder
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
| | - Gunes Ozhan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Türkiye
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Dokuz Eylul University Health Campus, Inciralti-Balcova, Izmir 35340, Türkiye
| | - Edward M. De Robertis
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1662, USA
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Dhanasekaran R, Suzuki H, Lemaitre L, Kubota N, Hoshida Y. Molecular and immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma to guide therapeutic decision-making. Hepatology 2023:01515467-990000000-00480. [PMID: 37300379 PMCID: PMC10713867 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Liver cancer, primarily HCC, exhibits highly heterogeneous histological and molecular aberrations across tumors and within individual tumor nodules. Such intertumor and intratumor heterogeneities may lead to diversity in the natural history of disease progression and various clinical disparities across the patients. Recently developed multimodality, single-cell, and spatial omics profiling technologies have enabled interrogation of the intertumor/intratumor heterogeneity in the cancer cells and the tumor immune microenvironment. These features may influence the natural history and efficacy of emerging therapies targeting novel molecular and immune pathways, some of which had been deemed undruggable. Thus, comprehensive characterization of the heterogeneities at various levels may facilitate the discovery of biomarkers that enable personalized and rational treatment decisions, and optimize treatment efficacy while minimizing the risk of adverse effects. Such companion biomarkers will also refine HCC treatment algorithms across disease stages for cost-effective patient management by optimizing the allocation of limited medical resources. Despite this promise, the complexity of the intertumor/intratumor heterogeneity and ever-expanding inventory of therapeutic agents and regimens have made clinical evaluation and translation of biomarkers increasingly challenging. To address this issue, novel clinical trial designs have been proposed and incorporated into recent studies. In this review, we discuss the latest findings in the molecular and immune landscape of HCC for their potential and utility as biomarkers, the framework of evaluation and clinical application of predictive/prognostic biomarkers, and ongoing biomarker-guided therapeutic clinical trials. These new developments may revolutionize patient care and substantially impact the still dismal HCC mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka
| | - Lea Lemaitre
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Naoto Kubota
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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8
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Chen G, Liu ZP. Inferring causal gene regulatory network via GreyNet: From dynamic grey association to causation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:954610. [PMID: 36237217 PMCID: PMC9551017 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.954610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory network (GRN) provides abundant information on gene interactions, which contributes to demonstrating pathology, predicting clinical outcomes, and identifying drug targets. Existing high-throughput experiments provide rich time-series gene expression data to reconstruct the GRN to further gain insights into the mechanism of organisms responding to external stimuli. Numerous machine-learning methods have been proposed to infer gene regulatory networks. Nevertheless, machine learning, especially deep learning, is generally a “black box,” which lacks interpretability. The causality has not been well recognized in GRN inference procedures. In this article, we introduce grey theory integrated with the adaptive sliding window technique to flexibly capture instant gene–gene interactions in the uncertain regulatory system. Then, we incorporate generalized multivariate Granger causality regression methods to transform the dynamic grey association into causation to generate directional regulatory links. We evaluate our model on the DREAM4 in silico benchmark dataset and real-world hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) time-series data. We achieved competitive results on the DREAM4 compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms and gained meaningful GRN structure on HCC data respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyi Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhi-Ping Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Center for Intelligent Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- *Correspondence: Zhi-Ping Liu,
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Ambrozkiewicz F, Trailin A, Červenková L, Vaclavikova R, Hanicinec V, Allah MAO, Palek R, Třeška V, Daum O, Tonar Z, Liška V, Hemminki K. CTNNB1 mutations, TERT polymorphism and CD8+ cell densities in resected hepatocellular carcinoma are associated with longer time to recurrence. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:884. [PMID: 35962322 PMCID: PMC9375422 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09989-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal disease characterized by early genetic alterations in telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp) and β-catenin (CTNNB1) genes and immune cell activation in the tumor microenvironment. As a novel approach, we wanted to assess patient survival influenced by combined presence of mutations and densities of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. Methods Tissue samples were obtained from 67 HCC patients who had undergone resection. We analysed CD8+ T cells density, TERTp mutations, rs2853669 polymorphism, and CTNNB1 mutations. These variables were evaluated for time to recurrence (TTR) and disease free survival (DFS). Results TERTp mutations were found in 75.8% and CTNNB1 mutations in 35.6% of the patients. TERTp mutations were not associated with survival but polymorphism rs2853669 in TERTp was associated with improved TTR and DFS. CTNNB1 mutations were associated with improving TTR. High density of CD8+ T-lymphocytes in tumor center and invasive margin correlated with longer TTR and DFS. Combined genetic and immune factors further improved survival showing higher predictive values. E.g., combining CTNNB1 mutations and high density of CD8+ T-lymphocytes in tumor center yielded HRs of 0.12 (0.03–0.52), p = 0.005 for TTR and 0.25 (0.09–0.74), p = 0.01 for DFS. Conclusion The results outline a novel integrative approach for prognostication through combining independent predictive factors from genetic and immune cell profiles. However, larger studies are needed to explore multiple cell types in the tumor microenvironment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09989-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Ambrozkiewicz
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center,Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 323 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic.
| | - Andriy Trailin
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center,Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 323 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Červenková
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Pathology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00, Prague, 10, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Vaclavikova
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic.,Toxicogenomics Unit, National Institute of Public Health in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Hanicinec
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Mohammad Al Obeed Allah
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Palek
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej 16 Svobody 80, 323 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Vladislav Třeška
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej 16 Svobody 80, 323 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Daum
- Sikl's Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Teaching Hospital in Plzen, Charles University, Plzen, Czech Republic.,Bioptická laboratoř s.r.o., Mikulášské nám, 4, 326 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Tonar
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Karlovarska 48, 301 66, Pilsen, Czech Republic.,Laboratory of Quantitative Histology, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 323 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Liška
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej 16 Svobody 80, 323 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Kari Hemminki
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center,Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 323 00, Pilsen, Czech Republic.,Department of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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10
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Liang W, Shi C, Hong W, Li P, Zhou X, Fu W, Lin L, Zhang J. Super-enhancer-driven lncRNA-DAW promotes liver cancer cell proliferation through activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 26:1351-1363. [PMID: 34853732 PMCID: PMC8608597 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been reported in multiple cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms mediated by super-enhancers remain elusive. Here we sought to define the role of a novel lncRNA termed lncRNA-DAW in tumorigenesis. Our results revealed that lncRNA-DAW was driven by a liver-specific super-enhancer and transcriptionally activated by HNF4G, leading to frequent elevation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) specimens. Ectopic expression of lncRNA-DAW promoted both in vivo and in vitro tumor growth. By using RNA sequencing, Wnt2 was screened out as a downstream effector of lncRNA-DAW. We next found that lncRNA-DAW physically interacted with EZH2, a negative regulator of Wnt2. This interplay subsequently potentiated CDK1-EZH2 interaction, leading to the phosphorylation and ubiquitination of EZH2. The lncRNA-DAW-mediated EZH2 degradation facilitated the de-repression of Wnt2 transcription, which eventually activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Furthermore, we verified that Wnt2 potentiated in vitro and in vivo cancer cell growth by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Finally, Wnt2 amplification was confirmed as a common event in liver cancer, and the expression of lncRNA-DAW was positively correlated with Wnt2 in HCC specimens. Collectively, we are the first to identify lncRNA-DAW as a novel candidate oncogene in liver cancer, and this lncRNA may serve as a novel clinical diagnosis biomarker for liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weicheng Liang
- Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, P.R. China.,Biotherapy Centre, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Chuanjian Shi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Weilong Hong
- Department of Emergency, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Panlong Li
- Biotherapy Centre, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xue Zhou
- Department of Ultrasonic Medicine, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Weiming Fu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Lizhu Lin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jinfang Zhang
- Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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11
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Zhou Y, Liu X, Gao Y, Tan R, Wu Z, Zhong Q, Zeng F. Paeoniflorin Affects Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Inhibiting Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway through Downregulation of 5-HT1D. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2021; 22:1246-1253. [PMID: 33038910 DOI: 10.2174/1389201021666201009153808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer with high mortality. Paeoniflorin is a pinane monoterpene picroside with anti-tumor effect isolated from Chinese peony root and white peony root. OBJECTIVE The study was conducted to investigate the underlying mechanism of Paeoniflorin (PF) regulating Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) progression via 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1D (5-HT1D). METHODS HepG2 and SMMC-7721 hepatoma cells were treated with different concentrations of PF (0, 5, 10, 20 μM). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were examined by CCK-8 and colony formation assays, flow cytometry, wound healing assay, and transwell assay, respectively. RTqPCR assay was used to detect the expression level of 5-HT1D, and Western blot assay was used to detect the expressions of 5-HT1D and Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins. RESULTS With the increase in PF concentration, the mRNA levels of 5-HT1D in HepG2 and SMMC- 7721 hepatoma cells were decreased in a dose-dependent manner, and the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion ability of cells were gradually weakened, while the apoptosis rate was gradually increased. Overexpression of 5-HT1D significantly promoted the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells, and increased the expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins, β -actenin, survivin, C-myc, and Cyclin D1. Furthermore, 5-HT1D overexpression could reverse the effect of PF on hepatoma cells and inhibit the expressions of Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins. CONCLUSION PF may inhibit the progression of HCC by blocking Wnt/β-catenin pathway expression through downregulating 5-HT1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou 215009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xun Liu
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou 215009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yahan Gao
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou 215009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rulan Tan
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou 215009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wu
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou 215009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qixin Zhong
- Department of Cardiovascular, Shenzhen Hospital of GuangZhou University of Chinese Medicine, No. 6001 Beihuan Avenue, Futian District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong 518034, China
| | - Feng Zeng
- Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, No. 12 Airport Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510405, China
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12
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Li J, Zhang H, Bei S, Zhang X, Li H, Ye L, Feng L. Disruption of Wnt/β-catenin Pathway Elevates the Sensitivity of Gastric Cancer Cells to PD-1 Antibody. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2021; 15:557-569. [PMID: 34139974 DOI: 10.2174/1874467214666210617163821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common malignancy tumor and the third cause of cancer-related death around the world. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibodies play an active role in tumor therapy. A recent study reveals that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is negatively correlated with T-cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby influencing the therapeutic efficacy of the PD-1 antibody. OBJECTIVE In this study, we aimed to uncover the relationship of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to CD8+ T cell activity as well as its effect on anti-PD-1 therapeutic efficacy in GC. METHODS We first collected clinical samples and went through an immunohistochemical analysis and found that a high β-catenin expression in GC tissues was often associated with a significant absence of CD8+ T-cell infiltration. RESULTS In addition, our data further indicated that disruption of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in GC cells inhibited their migratory and invasive ability. Meanwhile, enhanced sensitivity of GC cells to PD-1 blockade therapy was evident by decreased Jurkat cell apoptosis rate and increased GC cell apoptosis rate in a tumor and Jurkat cells co-culture system with the presence of Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibition. CONCLUSION Collectively, these findings indicated that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway might play a significant role in modulating the activity of Jurkat cells, and downregulation of Wnt/β-catenin may enhance the sensitivity of GC cells to PD-1 antibody in vitro. This result further indicated that β-catenin and PD-1 targeted inhibition might become a potential and effective therapy for GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Endoscopy center, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Biological Medicines & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immuno Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Songhua Bei
- Endoscopy center, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- Endoscopy center, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China
| | - Huanqing Li
- Endoscopy center, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China
| | - Li Ye
- Department of Biological Medicines & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immuno Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Li Feng
- Endoscopy center, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China
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13
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Lim Y, Ku NO. Revealing the Roles of Keratin 8/18-Associated Signaling Proteins Involved in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6401. [PMID: 34203895 PMCID: PMC8232640 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is developed with various etiologies, protection of hepatocytes seems basically essential to prevent the incidence of HCC. Keratin 8 and keratin 18 (K8/K18) are cytoskeletal intermediate filament proteins that are expressed in hepatocytes. They maintain the cell shape and protect cells under stress conditions. Their protective roles in liver damage have been described in studies of mouse models, and K8/K18 mutation frequency in liver patients. Interestingly, K8/K18 bind to signaling proteins such as transcription factors and protein kinases involved in HCC development. Since K8/K18 are abundant cytoskeletal proteins, K8/K18 binding with the signaling factors can alter the availability of the factors. Herein, we discuss the potential roles of K8/K18 in HCC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younglan Lim
- Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated OMICS for Biomedical Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea;
| | - Nam-On Ku
- Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated OMICS for Biomedical Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea;
- Department of Bio-Convergence ISED, Underwood International College, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
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14
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Zhang H, Bi Y, Wei Y, Liu J, Kuerban K, Ye L. Blocking Wnt/β-catenin Signal Amplifies Anti-PD-1 Therapeutic Efficacy by Inhibiting Tumor Growth, Migration, and Promoting Immune Infiltration in Glioblastomas. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:1305-1315. [PMID: 34001635 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM), as the immunologically cold tumor, respond poorly to programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitors because of insufficient immune infiltration. Herein, through the analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas data and clinical glioma samples, we found Wnt/β-catenin signal was activated in GBM and inversely related to the degree of immune cell (CD8+) infiltration and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Blockade of Wnt/β-catenin signal could inhibit GBM U118 cells' growth and migration, and upregulate their PD-L1 expression which indicated the possible better response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Besides, in a co-culture system comprising U118 cells and Jurkat cells, Wnt inhibition alleviated Jurkat cell's apoptosis and enhanced its cytotoxic function as evidenced by obviously increased effector cytokine IFNγ secretion and lactate dehydrogenase release. Moreover, the enhanced anti-GBM effect of PD-1 antibody triggered by Wnt inhibition was observed in GL261 homograft mouse model, and the upregulation of immune cell (CD4+/CD8+) infiltration and IFNγ secretion in tumor tissues suggested that Wnt/β-catenin inhibition could inflame cold tumor and then sensitize GBM to PD-1 blockade therapy. Taken together, our study verified the blockade of Wnt/β-catenin signal could augment the efficacy of PD-1 blockade therapy on GBM through directly inhibiting tumor proliferation and migration, as well as facilitating T-cell infiltration and PD-L1 expression in tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery at Minhang Hospital and Department of Biological Medicines at School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yongyan Bi
- Department of Neurosurgery at Minhang Hospital and Department of Biological Medicines at School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yuxi Wei
- Department of Neurosurgery at Minhang Hospital and Department of Biological Medicines at School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Jiayang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery at Minhang Hospital and Department of Biological Medicines at School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Kudelaidi Kuerban
- Department of Neurosurgery at Minhang Hospital and Department of Biological Medicines at School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Li Ye
- Department of Neurosurgery at Minhang Hospital and Department of Biological Medicines at School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China. .,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
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15
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Nia A, Dhanasekaran R. Genomic Landscape of HCC. CURRENT HEPATOLOGY REPORTS 2020; 19:448-461. [PMID: 33816052 PMCID: PMC8015384 DOI: 10.1007/s11901-020-00553-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer related mortality in the world and it has limited treatment options. Understanding the molecular drivers of HCC is important to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutics. PURPOSE OF REVIEW HCC arises in a complex background of chronic hepatitis, fibrosis and liver regeneration which lead to genomic changes. Here, we summarize studies that have expanded our understanding of the molecular landscape of HCC. RECENT FINDINGS Recent technological advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) have elucidated specific genetic and molecular programs involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. We summarize the major somatic mutations and epigenetic changes have been identified in NGS-based studies. We also describe promising molecular therapies and immunotherapies which target specific genetic and epigenetic molecular events. SUMMARY The genomic landscape of HCC is incredibly complex and heterogeneous. Promising new developments are helping us decipher the molecular drivers of HCC and leading to new therapies.
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16
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Najafi SMA. The Canonical Wnt Signaling (Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway): A Potential Target for Cancer Prevention and Therapy. IRANIAN BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL 2020; 24:269-80. [PMID: 32429632 PMCID: PMC7392137 DOI: 10.29252/ibj.24.5.264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Precise regulation of signal transduction pathways is crucial for normal animal development and for maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis in adults. The Wnt/Frizzled-mediated signaling includes canonical and non-canonical signal transduction pathways. Upregulation or downregulation of the canonical Wnt signaling (or the Wnt/β-Catenin signal transduction) leads to a variety of human diseases, including cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, skin and bone diseases, and heart deficiencies. Therefore, Wnt/β-Catenin signal transduction is a potential clinical target for the treatment of not only human cancers but also some other human chronic diseases. Here, some recent results including those from my laboratory highlighting the role of Wnt/β-Catenin signal transduction in human cancers will be reviewed. After a brief overview on canonical Wnt signaling and introducing some critical β-Catenin/T-cell factor-target genes, the interaction of canonical Wnt signaling with some common human cancers will be discussed. In the end, the different segments of the aforesaid signaling pathway, which have been considered as targets for clinical purposes, will be scrutinized.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mahmoud A Najafi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran
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17
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Abdou AG, Holah NS, Elazab DS, El-Gendy WG, Badr MT, Al-Sharaky DR. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Score and Subclassification Into Aggressive Subtypes Using Immunohistochemical Expression of p53, β-Catenin, CD133, and Ki-67. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2020; 29:20-33. [PMID: 32287076 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000000840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary hepatic malignancy in adults. Several studies have classified HCC into molecular subtypes aiming at detecting aggressive subtypes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of p53, β-catenin, CD133, and Ki-67 in subclassification of HCC into different aggressive subtypes and the correlation between those markers and the clinicopathologic characteristics of HCC patients. This retrospective study was conducted on paraffin-embedded blocks of 114 HCC specimens. Tissue microarray was constructed and immunostaining for p53, β-catenin, CD133, and Ki-67 was performed and HCC score was formulated. P53 expression was associated with old age (P=0.028), large tumor size (P=0.019), poorly differentiated HCC (P=0.012), hepatitis B virus (HBV) positivity (P=0.032), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) negativity (P =0.046). β-catenin expression was associated with small sized tumors (P=0.005), HBV negativity (P=0.027), early-staged tumors (P=0.029), and prolonged recurrence-free survival (P=0.045). High percentage of CD133 expression was associated with old patients (P=0.035) and HBV positivity (P= 0.045). Ki-67 expression was associated with large tumor size (P= 0.049), vascular invasion (P= 0.05), old age (P=0.035), and previous treatment of HCV by direct acting antiviral agents (P=0.005). Cases with high HCC score showed significant association with old patients (P=0.002), previous treatment of HCV by direct acting antiviral agents (P<0.001), large tumor size (P<0.001), and poorly differentiated tumors (P= 0.009). The proposed HCC score can divide HCC patients into subtypes necessitating tailoring of treatment strategy according to this proposed score to target and optimally treat the aggressive subtypes. This score needs to be further validated on large number of patients with longer follow-up period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dina S Elazab
- National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebein Elkom, Egypt
| | - Walaa G El-Gendy
- National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebein Elkom, Egypt
| | - Mohammed T Badr
- National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebein Elkom, Egypt
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18
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Lei C, Wang Q, Tang N, Wang K. GSTZ1-1 downregulates Wnt/β-catenin signalling in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. FEBS Open Bio 2020; 10:6-17. [PMID: 31782257 PMCID: PMC6943223 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutathione S-transferase Zeta 1-1 (GSTZ1-1), an enzyme involved in the catabolism of phenylalanine and the detoxification of xenobiotics, plays a tumour suppressor role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we further explored the function of GSTZ1-1 in HCC through transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing. The analysis revealed that 223 genes were upregulated and 290 genes were downregulated in GSTZ1-1-overexpressing Huh7 cells. Gene Ontology analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were highly enriched for protein phosphorylation, cell cycle arrest and metabolic processes. Pathway analysis revealed that metabolic pathways were the predominant enriched pathways among the upregulated genes, while the TGF-β and Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathways were prominent in the downregulated clusters. Pathway interaction networks also showed that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was located in the centre of the cluster. The expression levels of selected DEGs were validated by qRT-PCR, and Wnt/β-catenin involvement was validated by luciferase assays, western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis in vitro and in vivo. These results provide a comprehensive overview of the transcriptome in GSTZ1-1-overexpressing Huh7 cells and indicate that GSTZ1-1 may play a tumour suppressor role by inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Lei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Department of Infectious DiseasesInstitute for Viral HepatitisThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChina
| | - Qiujie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Department of Infectious DiseasesInstitute for Viral HepatitisThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChina
| | - Ni Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Department of Infectious DiseasesInstitute for Viral HepatitisThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChina
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Department of Infectious DiseasesInstitute for Viral HepatitisThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChina
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19
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Kronschnabl P, Grünweller A, Hartmann RK, Aigner A, Weirauch U. Inhibition of PIM2 in liver cancer decreases tumor cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo primarily through the modulation of cell cycle progression. Int J Oncol 2019; 56:448-459. [PMID: 31894300 PMCID: PMC6959465 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide with limited therapeutic options. Thus, novel treatment strategies are urgently required. While the oncogenic kinase, proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 2 (PIM2), has been shown to be overexpressed in liver cancer, little is known about the role of PIM2 in this tumor entity. In this study, we explored the functional relevance and therapeutic potential of PIM2 in liver cancer. Using PIM2-specific siRNAs, we examined the effects of PIM2 knockdown on proliferation (WST-1 assays and spheroid assays), 3D-colony formation and colony spread, apoptosis (flow cytometry and caspase 3/caspase 7 activity), as well as cell cycle progression (flow cytometry, RT-qPCR and western blot analysis) in the two liver cancer cell lines, HepG2 and Huh-7. In subcutaneous liver cancer xenografts, we assessed the effects of PIM2 knockdown on tumor growth via the systemic delivery of polyethylenimine (PEI)-complexed siRNA. The knockdown of PIM2 resulted in potent anti-proliferative effects in cells grown on plastic dishes, as well as in spheroids. This was due to G0/G1 cell cycle blockade and the subsequent downregulation of genes related to the S phase as well as the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, whereas the apoptotic rates remained unaltered. Furthermore, colony formation and colony spread were markedly inhibited by PIM2 knockdown. Notably, we found that HepG2 cells were more sensitive to PIM2 knockdown than the Huh-7 cells. In vivo, the therapeutic nanoparticle-mediated delivery of PIM2 siRNA led to profound anti-tumor effects in a liver cancer xenograft mouse model. On the whole, the findings of this study underscore the oncogenic role of PIM2 and emphasize the potential of targeted therapies based on the specific inhibition of PIM2 in liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kronschnabl
- Rudolf‑Boehm‑Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, D‑04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arnold Grünweller
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps‑University Marburg, D‑35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Roland K Hartmann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps‑University Marburg, D‑35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Achim Aigner
- Rudolf‑Boehm‑Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, D‑04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Weirauch
- Rudolf‑Boehm‑Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig, D‑04107 Leipzig, Germany
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20
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The Regulatory Role of MicroRNA in Hepatitis-B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HBV-HCC) Pathogenesis. Cells 2019; 8:cells8121504. [PMID: 31771261 PMCID: PMC6953055 DOI: 10.3390/cells8121504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence and mortality of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) is an intractable public health problem in developing countries that is compounded by limited early detection and therapeutic options. Despite the early promise of utilizing the regulatory role of miRNA in liver cancer, this field remains largely in the work-in-progress phase. This exploratory review paper adopts a broad focus in order to collate evidence of the regulatory role of miRNA in each stage of the HBV-HCC continuum. This includes the regulatory role of miRNA in early HBV infection, chronic inflammation, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and the onset of HCC. The paper specifically investigates HBV dysregulated miRNA that influence the expression of the host/HBV genome in HBV-HCC pathogenesis and fully acknowledges that this does not cover the full spectrum of dysregulated miRNA. The sheer number of dysregulated miRNA in each phase support a hypothesis that future therapeutic interventions will need to consider incorporating multiple miRNA panels.
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21
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Fezza M, Moussa M, Aoun R, Haber R, Hilal G. DKK1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma inflammation, migration and invasion: Implication of TGF-β1. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223252. [PMID: 31568519 PMCID: PMC6768474 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), an inhibitor of the most frequently impaired signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, seems to fulfill contradictory functions in the process of tumorigenesis, acting either as an oncogenic promoter of metastasis or as a tumor suppressor. Elevated serum levels of DKK1 have been reported in HCC; however, little is known about its functional significance. In the current study, we treated HepG2/C3A and PLC/PRF/5 with the recombinant protein DKK1. Cytotoxicity was first determined by the WST-8 assay. AFP expression was measured at both the mRNA and protein levels. Expression of the oncogenes MYC, CCND1, hTERT, and MDM2 and the tumor suppressor genes TP53, P21 and RB was assessed. Western blot analysis of non-phosphorylated ẞ-catenin and Sanger sequencing were performed to explain the functional differences between the two cell lines. Subsequently, inflammation, migration and invasion were evaluated by qPCR, ELISA, the Boyden chamber assay, zymography, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 western blot analysis. Knockdown of DKK1 and TGF-β1 were also performed. Our results suggest that DKK1 exerts an oncogenic effect on HepG2/C3A cell line by upregulating the expression of oncogenes and downregulating that of tumor suppressor genes, whereas the opposite effect was demonstrated in PLC/PRF/5 cells. This differential impact of DKK1 can be explained by the mutations that affect the canonical Wnt pathway that were detected in exon 3 of the CTNNB1 gene in the HepG2 cell line. We further confirmed that DKK1 promotes inflammation, tumor invasion and migration in both cell types. The canonical pathway was not responsible for the DKK1 proinvasive effect, as indicated by the active ẞ-catenin levels in the two cell lines upon DKK1 treatment. Interestingly, knockdown of TGF-β1 negatively affected the DKK1 proinvasive effect. Taken together, DKK1 appears to facilitate tumor invasion and migration through TGF- β1 by remodeling the tumor microenvironment and inducing inflammation. This finding endorses the relevance of TGF-β1 as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Fezza
- Cancer and Metabolism Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mayssam Moussa
- Cancer and Metabolism Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rita Aoun
- Cancer and Metabolism Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rita Haber
- Cancer and Metabolism Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - George Hilal
- Cancer and Metabolism Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
- * E-mail:
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Khalaf AM, Fuentes D, Morshid A, Kaseb AO, Hassan M, Hazle JD, Elsayes KM. Hepatocellular carcinoma response to transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation using automatically generated pre-therapeutic tumour volumes by a random forest-based segmentation protocol. Clin Radiol 2019; 74:974.e13-974.e20. [PMID: 31521326 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2019.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
AIM To demonstrate the feasibility of correlating pre-therapeutic volumes and residual liver volume (RLV) with clinical outcomes: time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE). MATERIALS AND METHODS TTP was calculated from a database of 105 patients, receiving first-line treatment with TACE. TTP cut-off for stratifying patients into responders and non-responders was 28 weeks. Pre-treatment tumour and liver volumes were correlated with the TTP and OS following treatment. Univariate cox-regression model was used to assess whether these volumes could predict TTP and/or OS. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used to compare the TTP between high and low volume groups for viable, necrotic, and total tumour. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed comparing the OS of 10 patients with the longest TTP (mean=122 weeks) in the responder group and 10 patients with the shortest TTP (mean=7 weeks) in the non-responder group. RESULTS HCC in high tumour volume groups had a shorter TTP than lesions in low tumour volume groups (p=0.05, p=0.04, p=0.02, for enhancing, non-enhancing, total tumour groups, respectively). A negative (correlation coefficient [CC] 0.3) linear correlation between TTP and tumour volumes, and a positive linear correlation between TTP and residual liver volumes were also demonstrated (CC 0.3). Patients with the longest TTP had a higher OS than with the shortest TTP (p=0.03). CONCLUSION This demonstrates the feasibility of predicting treatment response of HCC to TACE using volumetric measurements of pre-treatment lesion and the feasibility of correlating RLV with TACE outcome data in HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Khalaf
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - D Fuentes
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - A Morshid
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - A O Kaseb
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - M Hassan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - J D Hazle
- Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - K M Elsayes
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Morshid A, Elsayes KM, Khalaf AM, Elmohr MM, Yu J, Kaseb AO, Hassan M, Mahvash A, Wang Z, Hazle JD, Fuentes D. A machine learning model to predict hepatocellular carcinoma response to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Radiol Artif Intell 2019; 1:e180021. [PMID: 31858078 PMCID: PMC6920060 DOI: 10.1148/ryai.2019180021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Some patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are more likely to experience disease progression despite transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment, and thus would benefit from early switching to other therapeutic regimens. We sought to evaluate a fully automated machine learning algorithm that uses pre-therapeutic quantitative computed tomography (CT) image features and clinical factors to predict HCC response to TACE. MATERIALS AND METHODS Outcome information from 105 patients receiving first-line treatment with TACE was evaluated retrospectively. The primary clinical endpoint was time to progression (TTP) based on follow-up CT radiological criteria (mRECIST). A 14-week cutoff was used to classify patients as TACE-susceptible (TTP ≥14 weeks) or TACE-refractory (TTP <14 weeks). Response to TACE was predicted using a random forest classifier with the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage and quantitative image features as input as well as the BCLC stage alone as a control. RESULTS The model's response prediction accuracy rate was 74.2% (95% CI=64%-82%) using a combination of the BCLC stage plus quantitative image features versus 62.9% (95% CI= 52%-72%) using the BCLC stage alone. Shape image features of the tumor and background liver were the dominant features correlated to the TTP as selected by the Boruta method and were used to predict the outcome. CONCLUSION This preliminary study demonstrates that quantitative image features obtained prior to therapy can improve the accuracy of predicting response of HCC to TACE. This approach is likely to provide useful information for aiding HCC patient selection for TACE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Morshid
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Khaled M. Elsayes
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Ahmed M. Khalaf
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Mohab M. Elmohr
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Justin Yu
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Ahmed O. Kaseb
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Manal Hassan
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Armeen Mahvash
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - Zhihui Wang
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - John D. Hazle
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
| | - David Fuentes
- From the Departments of Imaging Physics (A. Morshid, A.M.K., M.M.E., J.Y., J.D.H., D.F.), Diagnostic Radiology (K.M.E.), Gastrointestinal Oncology (A.O.K., M.H.), and Interventional Radiology (A. Mahvash), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030; and Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Tex (Z.W.)
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WDR34 Activates Wnt/Beta-Catenin Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Dig Dis Sci 2019; 64:2591-2599. [PMID: 30877610 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-019-05583-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wnt ligand binding initiates the interaction between Frizzled and Dvl proteins. However, the regulation of Frizzled-Dvl proteins interaction remains largely unknown. AIMS The present study aims to elucidate the regulation of Frizzled-Dvl interaction by WDR34. METHODS The protein levels of WDR34 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues were examined by western blot and immunohistochemistry. The effects of WDR34 on the growth and migration of HCC cells were examined using MTT assay and Boyden chamber assay. The interaction between Frizzled and Dvl was evaluated by immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assay. RESULTS In this study, we have shown that WDR34, the binding protein of Frizzled (Fz) activated beta-catenin/TCF signaling by enhancing the interaction between Fz and Dvl2. WDR34 was found to up-regulate in HCC tissues, and its expression was negatively correlated with the survival of HCC patients. WDR34 promoted the growth, colony formation and migration of HCC cells. However, knocking down the expression of WDR34 inhibited the growth, colony formation and migration of HCC cells. CONCLUSION Taken together, this study demonstrated the oncogenic roles of WDR34 in the progression of HCC and suggested that WDR34 might be a therapeutic target for HCC.
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Su ZL, Su CW, Huang YL, Yang WY, Sampurna BP, Ouchi T, Lee KL, Wu CS, Wang HD, Yuh CH. A Novel AURKA Mutant-Induced Early-Onset Severe Hepatocarcinogenesis Greater than Wild-Type via Activating Different Pathways in Zebrafish. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11070927. [PMID: 31269749 PMCID: PMC6678475 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11070927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aurora A kinase (AURKA) is an important regulator in mitotic progression and is overexpressed frequently in human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Many AURKA mutations were identified in cancer patients. Overexpressing wild-type Aurka developed a low incidence of hepatic tumors after long latency in mice. However, none of the AURKA mutant animal models have ever been described. The mechanism of mutant AURKA-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis is still unclear. A novel AURKA mutation with a.a.352 Valine to Isoleucine (V352I) was identified from clinical specimens. By using liver-specific transgenic fish overexpressing both the mutant and wild-type AURKA, the AURKA(V352I)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis was earlier and much more severe than wild-type AURKA. Although an increase of the expression of lipogenic enzyme and lipogenic factor was observed in both AURKA(V352I) and AURKA(WT) transgenic fish, AURKA(V352I) has a greater probability to promote fibrosis at 3 months compared to AURKA(WT). Furthermore, the expression levels of cell cycle/proliferation markers were higher in the AURKA(V352I) mutant than AURKA(WT) in transgenic fish, implying that the AURKA(V352I) mutant may accelerate HCC progression. Moreover, we found that the AURKA(V352I) mutant activates AKT signaling and increases nuclear β-catenin, but AURKA(WT) only activates membrane form β-catenin, which may account for the differences. In this study, we provide a new insight, that the AURKA(V352I) mutation contributes to early onset hepatocarcinogenesis, possibly through activation of different pathways than AURKA(WT). This transgenic fish may serve as a drug-screening platform for potential precision medicine therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Liang Su
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Wei Su
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Luen Huang
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Yu Yang
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan
| | - Bonifasius Putera Sampurna
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan
| | - Toru Ouchi
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Kuan-Lin Lee
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Sheng Wu
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Horng-Dar Wang
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
| | - Chiou-Hwa Yuh
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan.
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan.
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
- Ph.D. Program in Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
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Insufficient radiofrequency ablation promotes the metastasis of residual hepatocellular carcinoma cells via upregulating flotillin proteins. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2019; 145:895-907. [PMID: 30820716 PMCID: PMC6435628 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-019-02852-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy has proven to be effective and feasible for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, rapid progression of residual tumor cells after RFA has been confirmed, but the molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon are poorly understood. This study evaluated the effect of the lipid raft proteins known as flotillins on the invasive and metastatic potential of residual HCC. Methods The human HCC cell line HCCLM3 was used to establish insufficient RFA models in vivo and in vitro. Changes in cellular morphology, soft agar colony formation, motility, metastasis, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers after insufficient RFA intervention in vitro and in vivo were detected by real-time PCR, western blotting, immunohistochemistry and transwell assays. Results The results showed that flotillin-1 and flotillin-2 expression were upregulated in HCCLM3 cells following 45 °C heat treatment and in residual HCCLM3 xenografts cells after insufficient RFA. Knocking down flotillin-1 or flotillin-2 in HCCLM3 cells by shRNA significantly lowered insufficient RFA-induced tumor growth, EMT changes, and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, mechanism studies indicated that flotillins altered the EMT status and metastatic potential of heat-treated HCCLM3 cells by activating the Akt/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusions Our findings present new evidence that flotillins play a key role in the aggressive behaviors of residual cancer cells after insufficient RFA and provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00432-019-02852-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Abstract
The canonical Wnt-β-catenin pathway is a complex, evolutionarily conserved signalling mechanism that regulates fundamental physiological and pathological processes. Wnt-β-catenin signalling tightly controls embryogenesis, including hepatobiliary development, maturation and zonation. In the mature healthy liver, the Wnt-β-catenin pathway is mostly inactive but can become re-activated during cell renewal and/or regenerative processes, as well as in certain pathological conditions, diseases, pre-malignant conditions and cancer. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the two most prevalent primary liver tumours in adults, Wnt-β-catenin signalling is frequently hyperactivated and promotes tumour growth and dissemination. A substantial proportion of liver tumours (mainly HCC and, to a lesser extent, CCA) have mutations in genes encoding key components of the Wnt-β-catenin signalling pathway. Likewise, hepatoblastoma, the most common paediatric liver cancer, is characterized by Wnt-β-catenin activation, mostly as a result of β-catenin mutations. In this Review, we discuss the most relevant molecular mechanisms of action and regulation of Wnt-β-catenin signalling in liver development and pathophysiology. Moreover, we highlight important preclinical and clinical studies and future directions in basic and clinical research.
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Manka P, Coombes JD, Boosman R, Gauthier K, Papa S, Syn WK. Thyroid hormone in the regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma and its microenvironment. Cancer Lett 2019; 419:175-186. [PMID: 29414304 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.01.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly arises from a liver damaged by extensive inflammation and fibrosis. Various factors including cytokines, morphogens, and growth factors are involved in the crosstalk between HCC cells and the stromal microenvironment. Increasing our understanding of how stromal components interact with HCC and the signaling pathways involved could help identify new therapeutic and/or chemopreventive targets. It has become increasingly clear that the cross-talk between tumor cells and host stroma plays a key role in modulating tumor growth. Emerging reports suggest a relationship between HCC and thyroid hormone signaling (dysfunction), raising the possibility that perturbed thyroid hormone (TH) regulation influences the cancer microenvironment and cancer phenotype. This review provides an overview of the role of thyroid hormone and its related pathways in HCC and, specifically, its role in regulating the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Manka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston (SC), USA.
| | - J D Coombes
- Regeneration and Repair, Institute of Hepatology, Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - R Boosman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - K Gauthier
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - S Papa
- Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - W K Syn
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston (SC), USA; Section of Gastroenterology, Ralph H Johnson Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Charleston (SC), USA.
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Gionfra F, De Vito P, Pallottini V, Lin HY, Davis PJ, Pedersen JZ, Incerpi S. The Role of Thyroid Hormones in Hepatocyte Proliferation and Liver Cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:532. [PMID: 31543862 PMCID: PMC6730500 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid hormones T3 and T4 (thyroxine) control a wide variety of effects related to development, differentiation, growth and metabolism, through their interaction with nuclear receptors. But thyroid hormones also produce non-genomic effects that typically start at the plasma membrane and are mediated mainly by integrin αvβ3, although other receptors such as TRα and TRβ are also able to elicit non-genomic responses. In the liver, the effects of thyroid hormones appear to be particularly important. The liver is able to regenerate, but it is subject to pathologies that may lead to cancer, such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In addition, cancer cells undergo a reprogramming of their metabolism, resulting in drastic changes such as aerobic glycolysis instead of oxidative phosphorylation. As a consequence, the pyruvate kinase isoform M2, the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, is dysregulated, and this is considered an important factor in tumorigenesis. Redox equilibrium is also important, in fact cancer cells give rise to the production of more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than normal cells. This increase may favor the survival and propagation of cancer cells. We evaluate the possible mechanisms involving the plasma membrane receptor integrin αvβ3 that may lead to cancer progression. Studying diseases that affect the liver and their experimental models may help to unravel the cellular pathways mediated by integrin αvβ3 that can lead to liver cancer. Inhibitors of integrin αvβ3 might represent a future therapeutic tool against liver cancer. We also include information on the possible role of exosomes in liver cancer, as well as on recent strategies such as organoids and spheroids, which may provide a new tool for research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Gionfra
- Department of Sciences, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo De Vito
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Hung-Yun Lin
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taipei Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Rensselaer, NY, United States
- Traditional Herbal Medicine Research Center of Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Paul J. Davis
- Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Rensselaer, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, United States
| | - Jens Z. Pedersen
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandra Incerpi
- Department of Sciences, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Sandra Incerpi
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STIP1 is over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes the growth and migration of cancer cells. Gene 2018; 662:110-117. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.03.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Khalaf AM, Fuentes D, Morshid AI, Burke MR, Kaseb AO, Hassan M, Hazle JD, Elsayes KM. Role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma, pathogenesis, and clinical significance. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2018; 5:61-73. [PMID: 29984212 PMCID: PMC6027703 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s156701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common primary hepatic malignancies and one of the fastest-growing causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States. The molecular basis of HCC carcinogenesis has not been clearly identified. Among the molecular signaling pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of HCC, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is one of the most frequently activated. A great effort is under way to clearly understand the role of this pathway in the pathogenesis of HCC and its role in the transition from chronic liver diseases, including viral hepatitis, to hepatocellular adenomas (HCAs) and HCCs and its targetability in novel therapies. In this article, we review the role of the β-catenin pathway in hepatocarcinogenesis and progression from chronic inflammation to HCC, the novel potential treatments targeting the pathway and its prognostic role in HCC patients, as well as the imaging features of HCC and their association with aberrant activation of the pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Khalaf
- Department of Imaging Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David Fuentes
- Department of Imaging Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ali I Morshid
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA,
| | - Mata R Burke
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Ahmed O Kaseb
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Manal Hassan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John D Hazle
- Department of Imaging Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Khaled M Elsayes
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA,
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Li C, Dinu V. miR2Pathway: A novel analytical method to discover MicroRNA-mediated dysregulated pathways involved in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Biomed Inform 2018; 81:31-40. [PMID: 29578099 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2017] [Revised: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs involved in the regulation of gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. Recent studies have shown miRNAs as key regulators of a variety of biological processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, metabolism, etc. Aberrantly expressed miRNAs influence individual gene expression level, but rewired miRNA-mRNA connections can influence the activity of biological pathways. Here, we define rewired miRNA-mRNA connections as the differential (rewiring) effects on the activity of biological pathways between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and normal phenotypes. Our work presented here uses a PageRank-based approach to measure the degree of miRNA-mediated dysregulation of biological pathways between HCC and normal samples based on rewired miRNA-mRNA connections. In our study, we regard the degree of miRNA-mediated dysregulation of biological pathways as disease risk of biological pathways. Therefore, we propose a new method, miR2Pathway, to measure and rank the degree of miRNA-mediated dysregulation of biological pathways by measuring the total differential influence of miRNAs on the activity of pathways between HCC and normal states. miR2Pathway proposed here systematically shows the first evidence for a mechanism of biological pathways being dysregulated by rewired miRNA-mRNA connections, and provides new insight into exploring mechanisms behind HCC. Thus, miR2Pathway is a novel method to identify and rank miRNA-dysregulated pathways in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoxing Li
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - Valentin Dinu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, USA.
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Kempinska K, Malik B, Borkin D, Klossowski S, Shukla S, Miao H, Wang J, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Pharmacologic Inhibition of the Menin-MLL Interaction Leads to Transcriptional Repression of PEG10 and Blocks Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2017; 17:26-38. [PMID: 29142068 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-17-0580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 85% of malignant liver tumors and results in 600,000 deaths each year, emphasizing the need for new therapies. Upregulation of menin was reported in HCC patients and high levels of menin correlate with poor patient prognosis. The protein-protein interaction between menin and histone methyltransferase mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) plays an important role in the development of HCC, implying that pharmacologic inhibition of this interaction could lead to new therapeutic strategy for the HCC patients. Here, we demonstrate that the menin-MLL inhibitor MI-503 shows antitumor activity in in vitro and in vivo models of HCC and reveals the potential mechanism of menin contribution to HCC. Treatment with MI-503 selectively kills various HCC cell lines and this effect is significantly enhanced by a combination of MI-503 with sorafenib, the standard-of-care therapy for HCC. Furthermore, MI-503 reduces sphere formation and cell migration in in vitro HCC models. When applied in vivo, MI-503 gives a strong antitumor effect both as a single agent and in combination with sorafenib in mice xenograft models of HCC. Mechanistically, treatment with MI-503 downregulates expression of several genes known to play a critical role in proliferation and migration of HCC cells, including PEG10, and displaces the menin-MLL1 complex from the PEG10 promoter, resulting in reduced H3K4 methylation and transcriptional repression. Overall, our studies reveal a mechanistic link between menin and genes involved in HCC and demonstrate that pharmacologic inhibition of the menin-MLL interaction might represent a promising therapeutic approach for HCC. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(1); 26-38. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bhavna Malik
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Dmitry Borkin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Szymon Klossowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Shirish Shukla
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jingya Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Crosstalk between liver-related microRNAs and Wnt/β-catenin pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Arab J Gastroenterol 2017; 18:144-150. [PMID: 28958640 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajg.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide with highest incidence in Asia and Africa. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding single stranded RNA, which not only post transcriptionally regulate gene expression but also respond to signaling molecules to affect cell functions such as Wnt/β-catenin signaling specifically in HCC. The goal of this study is to investigate the crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin signaling proteins and microRNAs expression in HCC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fresh tissue samples of 30 primary HCC patients and 10 control subjects were included. Expression level of 13 different miRNAs (miR-10a- miR-106b- miR-99a- miR-148a- miR-125b- miR-30e- miR-183- miR-155- miR-199a- miR-199a3p- miR-24- miR-122 and miR-215) were examined using real-time PCR assay. Five proteins involved in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway (β-catenin, APC, c-myc, survivin and cyclin D1) were analysed by immunohistochemistry technique. The correlation between miRNAs expression levels with protein expressions was assessed. RESULTS Up-regulation of miR-155 and miR-183 was reported in HCC patients compared to normal controls and this up-regulation was significantly correlated with liver cirrhosis in the case of miR-155 (p<0.05) referring to their oncogenic activity. Down-regulation was observed for 11 miRNAs in HCC indicating their tumour suppression activity. MiRNA-10a, miR-30e, miR-215, miR-125b and miR-148a were significantly correlated with the expression of important players in Wnt/β-catenin pathway including β-catenin, APC and c-myc (p<0.05). Detailed analysis revealed that miR-215 is associated with the grade of the disease and miR-125b is associated with HCV infection. CONCLUSION Collectively, our data showed potential role of miR-10a, miR-30e, miR-215, miR-125b and miR-148a as important mediators in HCC progression. Furthermore, their association with Wnt/β-catenin cascade proteins could be exploited to develop new therapeutic target strategies in HCC.
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TRAIL, Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, TGFβ, and miRNA Signalings Are Potential Targets for Oral Cancer Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18071523. [PMID: 28708091 PMCID: PMC5536013 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18071523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical studies and cancer cell models emphasize the importance of targeting therapies for oral cancer. The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is highly expressed in cancer, and is a selective killing ligand for oral cancer. Signaling proteins in the wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family (Wnt), Sonic hedgehog (SHH), and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathways may regulate cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Accordingly, the genes encoding these signaling proteins are potential targets for oral cancer therapy. In this review, we focus on recent advances in targeting therapies for oral cancer and discuss the gene targets within TRAIL, Wnt, SHH, and TGFβ signaling for oral cancer therapies. Oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) and tumor suppressor miRNAs targeting the genes encoding these signaling proteins are summarized, and the interactions between Wnt, SHH, TGFβ, and miRNAs are interpreted. With suitable combination treatments, synergistic effects are expected to improve targeting therapies for oral cancer.
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Abstract
Wnt signals regulate cell proliferation, migration and differentiation during development, as well as synaptic transmission and plasticity in the adult brain. Abnormal Wnt signaling is central to a number of brain pathologies. We review here, the significance of this pathway focused in the contribution of the most frequent alterations in receptors, secretable modulators and downstream targets in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Glioblastoma (GBM). β-catenin and GSK3 levels are pivotal in the neurodegeneration associated to AD contributing to memory deficits, tau phosphorylation, increased β-amyloid production and modulation of Apolipoprotein E in the brain. In consequence, β-catenin and GSK3 are targets for potential treatments in AD. Also, Wnt pathway components and secreted molecules interfering with this signaling contribute to the progression of tumoral cells. Wnt pathway activation is a bad prognosis in brain cancer; however, mutations in WNT or Frizzled (FZD) genes do not account for the cases of GBM. Instead, recent studies indicate that epigenetic modifications contribute to the development of GBMs opening novel strategies to study GBM progression.
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Tunissiolli NM, Castanhole-Nunes MMU, Biselli-Chicote PM, Pavarino ÉC, da Silva RF, da Silva RDCMA, Goloni-Bertollo EM. Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Comprehensive Review of
Biomarkers, Clinical Aspects, and Therapy. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2017; 18:863-872. [PMID: 28545181 PMCID: PMC5494234 DOI: 10.22034/apjcp.2017.18.4.863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cause of several deaths related to cancer worldwidely. In early stage, curative treatments such as surgical resection, liver transplant and local ablation can improve the patient ´s survival. However, the disease is detected in advanced stage; moreover some available therapies are restricted to palliative care and local treatment. Early detections of HCC and adequate therapy are crucial to increase survival as well as to improve the patient´s quality of life. Therefore, researchers have been investigating molecular biomarkers with high sensibility and reliability as Golgi 73 protein (GP73), Glypican-3 (GPC3), Osteopontin (OPN), microRNAs and others. MicroRNAs can regulate important pathways on carcinogenesis, as tumor angiogenesis and progression. So, they can be considered as possible markers of prognosis in HCC, and therapeutic target for this tumor type. In this review, we discuss the recent advances related to the cause (highlighting the main risk factors), treatment, biomarkers, clinic aspects, and outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Martines Tunissiolli
- Research Unit of Genetics and Molecular Biology (UPGEM), São José do Rio Preto Medical School (FAMERP), São José do Rio Preto- SP, Brazil
- Liver Tumors Study Group (GETF),São Jose do Rio Preto Medical
School (FAMERP), Sao Jose do Rio Preto- SP, Brazil.
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