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Zhang S, Yuan L, Danilova L, Mo G, Zhu Q, Deshpande A, Bell ATF, Elisseeff J, Popel AS, Anders RA, Jaffee EM, Yarchoan M, Fertig EJ, Kagohara LT. Spatial transcriptomics analysis of neoadjuvant cabozantinib and nivolumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma identifies independent mechanisms of resistance and recurrence. Genome Med 2023; 15:72. [PMID: 37723590 PMCID: PMC10506285 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01218-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel immunotherapy combination therapies have improved outcomes for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but responses are limited to a subset of patients. Little is known about the inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity in cellular signaling networks within the HCC tumor microenvironment (TME) that underlie responses to modern systemic therapy. METHODS We applied spatial transcriptomics (ST) profiling to characterize the tumor microenvironment in HCC resection specimens from a prospective clinical trial of neoadjuvant cabozantinib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that primarily blocks VEGF, and nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor in which 5 out of 15 patients were found to have a pathologic response at the time of resection. RESULTS ST profiling demonstrated that the TME of responding tumors was enriched for immune cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) with pro-inflammatory signaling relative to the non-responders. The enriched cancer-immune interactions in responding tumors are characterized by activation of the PAX5 module, a known regulator of B cell maturation, which colocalized with spots with increased B cell marker expression suggesting strong activity of these cells. HCC-CAF interactions were also enriched in the responding tumors and were associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling as there was high activation of FOS and JUN in CAFs adjacent to the tumor. The ECM remodeling is consistent with proliferative fibrosis in association with immune-mediated tumor regression. Among the patients with major pathologic responses, a single patient experienced early HCC recurrence. ST analysis of this clinical outlier demonstrated marked tumor heterogeneity, with a distinctive immune-poor tumor region that resembles the non-responding TME across patients and was characterized by HCC-CAF interactions and expression of cancer stem cell markers, potentially mediating early tumor immune escape and recurrence in this patient. CONCLUSIONS These data show that responses to modern systemic therapy in HCC are associated with distinctive molecular and cellular landscapes and provide new targets to enhance and prolong responses to systemic therapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuming Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Long Yuan
- Department of Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ludmila Danilova
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Guanglan Mo
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qingfeng Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Atul Deshpande
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexander T F Bell
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Elisseeff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aleksander S Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert A Anders
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jaffee
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elana J Fertig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Luciane T Kagohara
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Zhang S, Yuan L, Danilova L, Mo G, Zhu Q, Deshpande A, Bell AT, Elisseeff J, Popel AS, Anders RA, Jaffee EM, Yarchoan M, Fertig EJ, Kagohara LT. Spatial transcriptomics analysis of neoadjuvant cabozantinib and nivolumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma identifies independent mechanisms of resistance and recurrence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.10.523481. [PMID: 36712023 PMCID: PMC9882076 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.10.523481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Novel immunotherapy combination therapies have improved outcomes for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but responses are limited to a subset of patients and recurrence can also occur. Little is known about the inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity in cellular signaling networks within the HCC tumor microenvironment (TME) that underlie responses to modern systemic therapy. We applied spatial transcriptomics (ST) profiling to characterize the tumor microenvironment in HCC resection specimens from a clinical trial of neoadjuvant cabozantinib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that primarily blocks VEGF, and nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor in which 5 out of 15 patients were found to have a pathologic response. ST profiling demonstrated that the TME of responding tumors was enriched for immune cells and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF) with pro-inflammatory signaling relative to the non-responders. The enriched cancer-immune interactions in responding tumors are characterized by activation of the PAX5 module, a known regulator of B cell maturation, which colocalized with spots with increased B cell markers expression suggesting strong activity of these cells. Cancer-CAF interactions were also enriched in the responding tumors and were associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling as there was high activation of FOS and JUN in CAFs adjacent to tumor. The ECM remodeling is consistent with proliferative fibrosis in association with immune-mediated tumor regression. Among the patients with major pathologic response, a single patient experienced early HCC recurrence. ST analysis of this clinical outlier demonstrated marked tumor heterogeneity, with a distinctive immune-poor tumor region that resembles the non-responding TME across patients and was characterized by cancer-CAF interactions and expression of cancer stem cell markers, potentially mediating early tumor immune escape and recurrence in this patient. These data show that responses to modern systemic therapy in HCC are associated with distinctive molecular and cellular landscapes and provide new targets to enhance and prolong responses to systemic therapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuming Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Long Yuan
- Department of Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ludmila Danilova
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Guanglan Mo
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qingfeng Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Atul Deshpande
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexander T.F. Bell
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Elisseeff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aleksander S. Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert A. Anders
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Jaffee
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elana J. Fertig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luciane T. Kagohara
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Immunotherapy Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Aptamer-mediated doxorubicin delivery reduces HCC burden in 3D organoids model. J Control Release 2021; 341:341-350. [PMID: 34848243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.11.036] [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: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a surface marker which is frequently overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but minimally expressed on mature hepatocytes. We developed a specific aptamer against EpCAM (EpCAM-apt) and tested its potential as a drug delivery agent for HCC. The targeting ability of EpCAM-apt was confirmed in vitro and in vivo after which the complex was conjugated with doxorubicin (Dox) to form EpCAM-apt-Dox. The targeting efficacy of the drug-loaded complex against liver cancer stem-like cells (LCSCs) and therapeutic effects in HCC were evaluated. EpCAM-expressing (EpCAM+) HCC cells showed characteristics of stem like cells including greater proliferative capacity and tumour sphere formation. EpCAM-apt-Dox selectively delivered Dox to EpCAM+ HCC cells with high drug retention and accumulation versus control. EpCAM-apt-Dox reduced the self-renewal capacity and stem-like cell frequency in vitro. Elimination of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) with EpCAM-apt-Dox significantly inhibited the growth of HCC cells and patient-derived HCC organoids but exerted minimal cytotoxicity to normal liver organoids. Moreover, EpCAM-apt-Dox suppressed the growth of xenograft tumours derived from HCC organoids in vivo and prolonged mouse survival without inducing adverse effects to major organs. Thus, aptamer-based drug delivery to the stem-like cell population is a promising strategy for HCC treatment.
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Gheytanchi E, Naseri M, Karimi-Busheri F, Atyabi F, Mirsharif ES, Bozorgmehr M, Ghods R, Madjd Z. Morphological and molecular characteristics of spheroid formation in HT-29 and Caco-2 colorectal cancer cell lines. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:204. [PMID: 33849536 PMCID: PMC8042991 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01898-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Relapse and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC) are often attributed to cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), as small sub-population of tumor cells with ability of drug resistance. Accordingly, development of appropriate models to investigate CSCs biology and establishment of effective therapeutic strategies is warranted. Hence, we aimed to assess the capability of two widely used and important colorectal cancer cell lines, HT-29 and Caco-2, in generating spheroids and their detailed morphological and molecular characteristics. Methods CRC spheroids were developed using hanging drop and forced floating in serum-free and non-attachment conditions and their morphological features were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, the potential of CSCs enrichment in spheroids was compared to their adherent counterparts by analysis of serial sphere formation capacity, real-time PCR of key stemness genes (KLF4, OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, C-MYC) and the expression of potential CRC-CSCs surface markers (CD166, CD44, and CD133) by flow cytometry. Finally, the expression level of some EMT-related (Vimentin, SNAIL1, TWIST1, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, ZEB1) and multi-drug resistant (ABCB1, ABCC1, ABCG2) genes was evaluated. Results Although with different morphological features, both cell lines were formed CSCs-enriched spheroids, indicated by ability to serial sphere formation, significant up-regulation of stemness genes, SOX2, C-MYC, NANOG and OCT4 in HT-29 and SOX2, C-MYC and KLF4 in Caco-2 spheroids (p-value < 0.05) and increased expression of CRC-CSC markers compared to parental cells (p-value < 0.05). Additionally, HT-29 spheroids exhibited a significant higher expression of both ABCB1 and ABCG2 (p-value = 0.02). The significant up-regulation of promoting EMT genes, ZEB1, TWIST1, E-cadherin and SNAIL1 in HT-29 spheroids (p-value = 0.03), SNAIL1 and Vimentin in Caco-2 spheroids (p-value < 0.05) and N-cadherin down-regulation in both spheroids were observed. Conclusion Enrichment of CSC-related features in HT-29 and Caco-2 (for the first time without applying special scaffold/biochemical) spheroids, suggests spheroid culture as robust, reproducible, simple and cost-effective model to imitate the complexity of in vivo tumors including self-renewal, drug resistance and invasion for in vitro research of CRC-CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmira Gheytanchi
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Naseri
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Atyabi
- Nanotechnology Research Centre, Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mahmood Bozorgmehr
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roya Ghods
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Transferrin receptor regulates malignancies and the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma-derived cancer stem-like cells by affecting iron accumulation. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243812. [PMID: 33351833 PMCID: PMC7755206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Iron metabolism is essential because it plays regulatory roles in various physiological and pathological processes. Disorders of iron metabolism balance are related to various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) exert critical effects on chemotherapy failure, cancer metastasis, and subsequent disease recurrence and relapse. However, little is known about how iron metabolism affects liver CSCs. Here, we investigated the expression of transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) and ferroportin (FPN), two iron importers, and an upstream regulator, iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2), in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and related CSCs. METHODS The expression levels of TFR1, FPN and IRP2 were analysed using the GEPIA database. CSCs were derived from parental LIHC cells cultured in serum-free medium. After TFR1 knockdown, ROS accumulation and malignant behaviours were measured. The CCK-8 assay was performed to detect cell viability after TFR1 knockdown and erastin treatment. RESULTS TFR1 expression was upregulated in LIHC tissue and CSCs derived from LIHC cell lines, prompting us to investigate the roles of TFR1 in regulating CSCs. Knockdown of TFR1 expression decreased iron accumulation and inhibited malignant behaviour. Knockdown of TFR1 expression decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation induced by erastin treatment and maintained mitochondrial function, indicating that TFR1 is critical in regulating erastin-induced cell death in CSCs. Additionally, knockdown of TFR1 expression decreased sphere formation by decreasing iron accumulation in CSCs, indicating a potential role for TFR1 in maintaining stemness. CONCLUSION These findings, which revealed TFR1 as a critical regulator of LIHC CSCs in malignant behaviour and stemness that functions by regulating iron accumulation, may have implications to improve therapeutic approaches.
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Pandit H, Li Y, Zheng Q, Guo W, Yu Y, Li S, Martin RCG. Carcinogenetic initiation contributed by EpCAM+ cancer cells in orthotopic HCC models of immunocompetent and athymic mice. Oncotarget 2020; 11:2047-2060. [PMID: 32547703 PMCID: PMC7275786 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Overexpression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) correlates with poor prognosis, therapeutic failure and early tumor recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The tumor microenvironment dictates the fate of tumor-initiating cancer stem cells (CSCs); however, very limited studies were attempted to evaluate CSC tumorigenesis in the liver microenvironment. Here, we have systemically investigated the role of EpCAM+ cancer cells in tumor initiation in orthotopic HCC models. RESULTS Control mice and the mice with bland steatosis failed to develop tumors. In the mice with steatohepatitis, EpCAM+ CSCs have shown significantly increased ability in terms of tumor initiation and growth, compared to that with EpCAM- non-CSCs inoculation (p < 0.005). For Hep3B inoculation, EpCAM-High group has shown significantly higher tumor growth compared with EpCAM-Low (p < 0.005). For HepG2 inoculation, both EpCAM-High and EpCAM-Low groups confirmed similar tumor incidence and growth. METHODS Diet-induced compromised microenvironments were established to mimic clinical fatty liver and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients and the tumorigenic capabilities of Hepa1-6 cells were evaluated. CSCs were enriched by spheroid culture and labeled with copGFP for EpCAM+ CSCs and with mCherry for non-CSCs. FACS-sorted cells were inoculated into left liver lobes, and tumor growth was monitored by high-frequency ultrasound. The subpopulations of Hep3B and HepG2 cells in terms of EpCAM-Low and EpCAM-High were evaluated in the orthotopic model of athymic mice. CONCLUSIONS NASH microenvironment promotes the EpCAM+ CSCs initiated tumorigenesis in immunocompetent mouse model. Differential EpCAM expression demonstrates distinct tumor biology in athymic mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshul Pandit
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Yan Li
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Qianqian Zheng
- Department of Pathophysiology, Basic Medicine College, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Hematology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Youxi Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Suping Li
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Robert C G Martin
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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Cao D, Di M, Liang J, Shi S, Tan Q, Wang Z. MicroRNA-183 in Cancer Progression. J Cancer 2020; 11:1315-1324. [PMID: 32047538 PMCID: PMC6995398 DOI: 10.7150/jca.39044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA-183(miR-183) is abnormally expressed in many kinds of tumors. It participates in the initiation and development of tumors. There are many pathways regulate the expression of miR-183. The action mechanism of miR-183 in cancer is very extensive, and contradictory conclusions are often drawn. It was upregulated in 18 kinds of cancer, downregulated in 6 kinds of cancer. In addition, there are seven types of cancer, both upregulated and downregulated reports can be found. Evidence showed that miR-183 can not only directly play the role of oncogene or antioncogene, but also regulate the expression of other oncogene or antioncogene in different cancer types. In this review, we discuss the regulator of miR-183 and summarized the expression of miR-183 in different cancers. We also counted the target genes of miR-183 and the functional roles they play. Furthermore, we focused on the roles of miR-183 in cell migration, cell invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and microangiogenesis, which play the most important roles in cancer processes. It sheds light on the likely reasons why miR-183 plays different roles in various cancers. In addition, miR-183 and its downstream effectors have the potential to be promising prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingren Cao
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Min Di
- Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Jingjie Liang
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Shi
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Tan
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Zhengguang Wang
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
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Dysregulation of liver developmental microRNA contribute to hepatic carcinogenesis. J Formos Med Assoc 2019; 119:1041-1051. [PMID: 31627983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2019.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE To investigate the role of microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in liver cancer by assessing the miRNA profiles of human hepatic stem cells (HpSCs), marker-carrying human hepatoblastoma (HB) cells, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells vs. those of fetal hepatocytes. METHODS We subjected human HCC and HB tumor specimens to immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for markers of HpSCs. We analyzed the miRNA patterns of HpSCs, HCC cells, HB cells, and fetal hepatocytes using microarray analysis, with confirmation via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The roles of the miRNAs in liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) were also elucidated. RESULTS The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) was the most prevalent HpSCs marker in human HB and HCC tumor cells and hepatoma cells. EpCAM-positive HB and HCC cells exhibited greater self-renewal and tumorigenicity than their EpCAM-negative counterparts or EpCAM-positive fetal hepatocytes. In EpCAM-positive fetal hepatocytes, miR-126 expression level increased with gestational age. The EpCAM-positive HB cells exhibited downregulation of miR-126 in comparison to EpCAM-positive fetal hepatocytes. An miR-126 mimic reduced sphere and colony formation in, and induced apoptosis of, HB cells. In comparison to EpCAM-positive fetal hepatocytes, EpCAM-positive HCC cells exhibited downregulation of miR-126, miR-144, and miR-451. Transfection of miR-126, miR-144, and miR-451 induced apoptosis of, and reduced sphere and colony formation in, HCC cells. CONCLUSION Dysregulation of liver developmental miRNAs, which exert a tumor suppressant effect, in EpCAM-positive HpSCs may contribute to liver carcinogenesis by promoting the transformation of HpSCs to CSCs of HB and HCC.
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Ogunwobi OO, Harricharran T, Huaman J, Galuza A, Odumuwagun O, Tan Y, Ma GX, Nguyen MT. Mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma progression. World J Gastroenterol 2019; 25:2279-2293. [PMID: 31148900 PMCID: PMC6529884 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i19.2279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with a very poor prognosis. In the United States, there has been only minimal improvement in the prognosis for HCC patients over the past 15 years. Details of the molecular mechanisms and other mechanisms of HCC progression remain unclear. Consequently, there is an urgent need for better understanding of these mechanisms. HCC is often diagnosed at advanced stages, and most patients will therefore need systemic therapy, with sorafenib being the most common at the present time. However, sorafenib therapy only minimally enhances patient survival. This review provides a summary of some of the known mechanisms that either cause HCC or contribute to its progression. Included in this review are the roles of viral hepatitis, non-viral hepatitis, chronic alcohol intake, genetic predisposition and congenital abnormalities, toxic exposures, and autoimmune diseases of the liver. Well-established molecular mechanisms of HCC progression such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor-stromal interactions and the tumor microenvironment, cancer stem cells, and senescence bypass are also discussed. Additionally, we discuss the roles of circulating tumor cells, immunomodulation, and neural regulation as potential new mechanisms of HCC progression. A better understanding of these mechanisms could have implications for the development of novel and more effective therapeutic and prognostic strategies, which are critically needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olorunseun O Ogunwobi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, United States
- The Graduate Center Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, United States
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, United States
- Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR), New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Trisheena Harricharran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, United States
- The Graduate Center Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, United States
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, United States
- Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR), New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Jeannette Huaman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, United States
- The Graduate Center Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, United States
- Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR), New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Anna Galuza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, United States
- Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR), New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Oluwatoyin Odumuwagun
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, United States
- Hunter College Center for Cancer Health Disparities Research (CCHDR), New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Yin Tan
- Center for Asian Health, School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, United States
| | - Grace X Ma
- Center for Asian Health, School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, United States
| | - Minhhuyen T Nguyen
- Department of Medicine, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, United States
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10
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Liu HM, Wu Q, Cao JQ, Wang X, Song Y, Mei WJ, Wang XC. A phenanthroline derivative enhances radiosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 843:285-291. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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11
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Pandit H, Li Y, Li X, Zhang W, Li S, Martin RCG. Enrichment of cancer stem cells via β-catenin contributing to the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:783. [PMID: 30075764 PMCID: PMC6091111 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4683-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the deadliest cancers due to its heterogeneity, contributing to chemoresistance and recurrence. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are suggested to play an important role in HCC tumorigenesis. This study investigates the role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in CSC enrichment and the capabilities of these CSCs in tumor initiation in orthotopic immunocompetent mouse model. Methods HCC-CSCs were enriched using established serum-free culture method. Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation and its components were analyzed by western blot and qRT-PCR. The role of β-catenin in enrichment of CSC spheroids was confirmed using siRNA interference. Tumorigenic capabilities were confirmed using orthotopic immunocompetent mouse model by injecting 2 × 106 Hepa1–6 CSC spheroids or control cells in upper left liver lobe. Results The serum-free cultured Hepa1–6 cells demonstrated self-renewal, spheroid formation, higher EpCAM expression, increased Hoechst-33342 efflux, and upregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Wnt/β-catenin pathway upregulation was implicated with the downstream targets, i.e., c-MYC, Cyclin-D1, and LEF1. Also, we found that GSK-3β serine-9 phosphorylation increased in Hepa1–6 spheroids. Silencing β-catenin by siRNA reversed spheroid formation phenotype. Mice injected with Hepa1–6 CSC spheroids showed aggressive tumor initiation and growth compared with mice injected with control cells. Conclusions Successfully induced Hepa1–6 spheroids were identified with CSC-like properties. Aberrant β-catenin upregulation mediated by GSK-3β was observed in the Hepa1–6 spheroids. The β-catenin mediated CSC enrichment in the induced spheroids possesses the capability of tumor initiation in immunocompetent mice. Our study suggests plausible cell dedifferentiation mediated by β-catenin contributes to CSC-initiated HCC tumor growth in vivo. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4683-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshul Pandit
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S Floyd ST MDR Bldg Rm326A, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Yan Li
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S Floyd ST MDR Bldg Rm326A, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
| | - Xuanyi Li
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S Floyd ST MDR Bldg Rm326A, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Weizhong Zhang
- Department of Hand Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, China
| | - Suping Li
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S Floyd ST MDR Bldg Rm326A, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Robert C G Martin
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Hiram C. Polk Jr. M.D. Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 511 S Floyd ST MDR Bldg Rm326A, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA. .,Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 315 E. Broadway - #312, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
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12
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Suhail M, Sohrab SS, Qureshi A, Tarique M, Abdel-Hafiz H, Al-Ghamdi K, Qadri I. Association of HCV mutated proteins and host SNPs in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2018; 60:160-172. [PMID: 29501636 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus plays a significant role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) globally. The pathogenic mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma with HCV infection are generally linked with inflammation, cytokines, fibrosis, cellular signaling pathways, and liver cell proliferation modulating pathways. HCV encoded proteins (Core, NS3, NS4, NS5A) interact with a broad range of hepatocytes derived factors to modulate an array of activities such as cell signaling, DNA repair, transcription and translational regulation, cell propagation, apoptosis, membrane topology. These four viral proteins are also implicated to show a strong conversion potential in tissue culture. Furthermore, Core and NS5A also trigger the accretion of the β-catenin pathway as a common target to contribute viral induced transformation. There is a strong association between HCV variants within Core, NS4, and NS5A and host single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the HCC pathogenesis. Identification of such viral mutants and host SNPs is very critical to determine the risk of HCC and response to antiviral therapy. In this review, we highlight the association of key variants, mutated proteins, and host SNPs in development of HCV induced HCC. How such viral mutants may modulate the interaction with cellular host machinery is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Suhail
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sayed Sartaj Sohrab
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abid Qureshi
- Biomedical Informatics Centre, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, J&K, India
| | - Mohd Tarique
- Department of Surgery, Sylvester Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States
| | - Hany Abdel-Hafiz
- Dept of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
| | - Khalid Al-Ghamdi
- Department of Biological Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ishtiaq Qadri
- Department of Biological Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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13
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Chen JJ, Cai N, Chen GZ, Jia CC, Qiu DB, Du C, Liu W, Yang Y, Long ZJ, Zhang Q. The neuroleptic drug pimozide inhibits stem-like cell maintenance and tumorigenicity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:17593-17609. [PMID: 26061710 PMCID: PMC5392272 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug repurposing is currently an important approach for accelerating drug discovery and development for clinical use. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents drug resistance to chemotherapy, and the prognosis is poor due to the existence of liver cancer stem-like cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of the neuroleptic agent pimozide to inhibit stem-like cell maintenance and tumorigenicity in HCC. Our results showed that pimozide functioned as an anti-cancer drug in HCC cells or stem-like cells. Pimozide inhibited cell proliferation and sphere formation capacities in HCC cells by inducing G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, as well as inhibited HCC cell migration. Surprisingly, pimozide inhibited the maintenance and tumorigenicity of HCC stem-like cells, particularly the side population (SP) or CD133-positive cells, as evaluated by colony formation, sphere formation and transwell migration assays. Furthermore, pimozide was found to suppress STAT3 activity in HCC cells by attenuating STAT3-dependent luciferase activity and down-regulating the transcription levels of downstream genes of STAT3 signaling. Moreover, pimozide reversed the stem-like cell tumorigenic phenotypes induced by IL-6 treatment in HCC cells. Further, the antitumor effect of pimozide was also proved in the nude mice HCC xenograft model. In short, the anti-psychotic agent pimozide may act as a novel potential anti-tumor agent in treating advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Jie Chen
- Organ Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Vaccine Research Institute of Sun Yat-Sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Cai
- Organ Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Vaccine Research Institute of Sun Yat-Sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Guan-Zhong Chen
- Organ Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang-Chang Jia
- Organ Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Vaccine Research Institute of Sun Yat-Sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong-Bo Qiu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Vaccine Research Institute of Sun Yat-Sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Cong Du
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Vaccine Research Institute of Sun Yat-Sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Liu
- Organ Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Yang
- Organ Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi-Jie Long
- Department of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Organ Transplantation Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Vaccine Research Institute of Sun Yat-Sen University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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14
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Liu B, Sun T, Wu G, Shang-Guan H, Jiang ZJ, Zhang JR, Zheng YF. MiR-15a suppresses hepatocarcinoma cell migration and invasion by directly targeting cMyb. Am J Transl Res 2017; 9:520-532. [PMID: 28337280 PMCID: PMC5340687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to determine the function of miR-15a in HCC, and identify cMyb as a target of miR-15a. METHODS RNA expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effects of miR-15a or cMyb on HCC cells were evaluated by transwell migration assay and western blot analysis. CMyb, the predicted target, has been frequently verified by luciferase assay. RESULTS MiR-15a was markedly downregulated in sphere culture HCC cells by qRT-PCR. CMyb was predicted to be a potential target of miR-15a using bioinformatics analysis. This prediction has been frequently verified by luciferase assay and western blot. A positive correlation between cMyb and the migration ability of HCC cells was demonstrated by transwell assays. MiR-15a mimic suppressed cMyb expression to weaken HCC cell migration ability. On the other hand, miR-15a inhibitor upregulated cMyb and induced HCC cell migration. CONCLUSION MiR-15a could suppress HCC progression through the repression of cMyb, making miR-15a a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Oncology Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Ting Sun
- Oncology Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Gang Wu
- Oncology Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Hui Shang-Guan
- Department of Oncology, Foshan Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityFoshan 528000, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhao-Jin Jiang
- Oncology Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Ji-Ren Zhang
- Oncology Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Fang Zheng
- Oncology Center, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
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15
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Matthai SM, Ramakrishna B. Cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma--an immunohistochemical study with histopathological association. Indian J Med Res 2016; 142:391-8. [PMID: 26609030 PMCID: PMC4683823 DOI: 10.4103/0971-5916.169195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background & objectives: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) may be responsible for tumour recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was carried out to evaluate the association between histological parameters and liver CSCs (LCSC) in HCC, and to compare distribution of liver CSCs in HCC associated with and without hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Methods: Seventy nine tumours (49 surgical resections from 46 patients, and 30 from autopsy) were reviewed. Immunohistochemical staining for the LCSC marker EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule), liver progenitor cell (LPC) markers CK19 (cytokeratin 19) and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) were performed and were associated with histological features of tumour behaviour. Results: Thirty three tumours (41.8%) showed positive staining for EpCAM. CK19 and NCAM expression were seen in 26 (32.9%) and four (5.1%) tumours, respectively. The expression of EpCAM and CK19 was significantly associated with each other (P<0.001). EpCAM expression was significantly associated with clinical and histological features indicating aggressive tumour behaviour, including younger age of onset, higher serum alpha foetoprotein (AFP) levels, tumour cell dedifferentiation, increased mitotic activity, and vascular invasiveness. There was no significant difference in expression of EpCAM, CK19 and NCAM between HBV positive and negative HCC. Interpretation & conclusions: The LCSC marker EpCAM was expressed in less than half of HCC, was independent of HBV aetiology, and was strongly associated with clinical and histological features of aggressive tumour behaviour. Positive staining for CK19 suggests a possible LPC origin of the EpCAM positive HCCs.
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16
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Li L, Chen F. Oxidative stress, epigenetics, and cancer stem cells in arsenic carcinogenesis and prevention. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 2:57-63. [PMID: 27134817 DOI: 10.1007/s40495-016-0049-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The carcinogenic role of arsenic has been extensively studied for more than half century. How arsenic causes human cancer, however, remains to be fully elucidated. In this brief review, we focus our attentions on the most recent discoveries by us and others on the capabilities of arsenic in inducing generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and the generation of the cancer stem cells. We believe that these new understandings on the mechanisms of arsenic-induced carcinogenesis will shed light on the prevention and treatment of human cancers resulted from environmental or occupational arsenic exposure. Furthermore, these latest findings on arsenic-induced cellular responses will also have an important impact on the investigation of the carcinogenic effects of other environmental or occupational carcinogens or hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhi Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201
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17
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Zhang Q, Lu C, Fang T, Wang Y, Hu W, Qiao J, Liu B, Liu J, Chen N, Li M, Zhu R. Notch3 functions as a regulator of cell self-renewal by interacting with the β-catenin pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncotarget 2016; 6:3669-79. [PMID: 25668819 PMCID: PMC4414145 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway plays a role in cell proliferation, differentiation. Emerging data have revealed aberrant Notch3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether Notch3 plays a role in tumorigenesis or tumor progression is unclear. In this study, we found that over 71.8% of the cases studied had high Notch3 expression levels (n = 32); Notch3 expression positively correlated with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels (p = 0.0311) and negatively correlated with the differentiation grade (p = 0.042). We demonstrated that the patients with higher levels of Notch3 expression commonly had a poor prognosis. We discovered that Notch3 expression is inversely correlated with β-catenin content but positively associated with the protein level of Nanog. In parallel, we found that Notch3 attenuation resulted in the upregulation of β-catenin and the downregulation of Nanog in the hepatoma cell lines QGY7701 and HepG2. The downregulation of Notch3 enhanced the sensitivity to cisplatin in the QGY7701 and HepG2 cells and inhibited the ability of QGY7701 cells to form tumors. The Notch3-positive cells had higher levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, and a tendency to differentiate into Notch3-negative cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that Notch3 plays a role in modulating the stemness of tumor cells via the inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyu Zhang
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Caijie Lu
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Tao Fang
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Yongcun Wang
- Oncology Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Wenhua Hu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Jie Qiao
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Nianping Chen
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Mingyi Li
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
| | - Runzhi Zhu
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhanjiang 524001, China
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18
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Conigliaro A, Costa V, Lo Dico A, Saieva L, Buccheri S, Dieli F, Manno M, Raccosta S, Mancone C, Tripodi M, De Leo G, Alessandro R. CD90+ liver cancer cells modulate endothelial cell phenotype through the release of exosomes containing H19 lncRNA. Mol Cancer 2015; 14:155. [PMID: 26272696 PMCID: PMC4536801 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-015-0426-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CD90+ liver cancer cells have been described as cancer stem-cell-like (CSC), displaying aggressive and metastatic phenotype. Using two different in vitro models, already described as CD90+ liver cancer stem cells, our aim was to study their interaction with endothelial cells mediated by the release of exosomes. Methods Exosomes were isolated and characterized from both liver CD90+ cells and hepatoma cell lines. Endothelial cells were treated with exosomes, as well as transfected with a plasmid containing the full length sequence of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19. Molecular and functional analyses were done to characterize the endothelial phenotype after treatments. Results Exosomes released by CD90+ cancer cells, but not by parental hepatoma cells, modulated endothelial cells, promoting angiogenic phenotype and cell-to-cell adhesion. LncRNA profiling revealed that CD90+ cells were enriched in lncRNA H19, and released this through exosomes. Experiments of gain and loss of function of H19 showed that this LncRNA plays an important role in the exosome-mediated phenotype of endothelial cells. Conclusions Our data indicate a new exosome-mediated mechanism by which CSC-like CD90+ cells could influence their tumor microenvironment by promoting angiogenesis. Moreover, we suggest the lncRNA H19 as a putative therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12943-015-0426-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Conigliaro
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Sapienza University of Rome, c/o Policlinico Umberto I, V Clinica Medica Viale Regina Elena, Rome, 324-00161, Italy.
| | - Viviana Costa
- Laboratory of Tissue Engineering - Innovative Technology Platforms for Tissue Engineering (PON01-00829), Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessia Lo Dico
- Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Palermo, Via Divisi 83-90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Laura Saieva
- Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Palermo, Via Divisi 83-90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Simona Buccheri
- Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Palermo, Via Divisi 83-90133, Palermo, Italy.,Servizio di Diabetologia, Dipartimento per la cura e lo studio della patologie addominali e dei trapianti addominali, ISMETT IRCCS, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Dieli
- Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Palermo, Via Divisi 83-90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Mauro Manno
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council of Italy, Palermo, Italy
| | - Samuele Raccosta
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council of Italy, Palermo, Italy
| | - Carmine Mancone
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Sapienza University of Rome, c/o Policlinico Umberto I, V Clinica Medica Viale Regina Elena, Rome, 324-00161, Italy.,National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Tripodi
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo De Leo
- Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Palermo, Via Divisi 83-90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Riccardo Alessandro
- Dipartimento di Biopatologia e Biotecnologie Mediche, University of Palermo, Via Divisi 83-90133, Palermo, Italy. .,Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology (IBIM), National Research Council of Italy, Palermo, Italy.
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19
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Eun JR. Cellular origin of liver cancer stem cells. Yeungnam Univ J Med 2015. [DOI: 10.12701/yujm.2015.32.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jong Ryeol Eun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Myongji Hospital, Seonam University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea
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20
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Bahnassy AA, Zekri ARN, El-Bastawisy A, Fawzy A, Shetta M, Hussein N, Omran D, Ahmed AAS, El-Labbody SS. Circulating tumor and cancer stem cells in hepatitis C virus-associated liver disease. World J Gastroenterol 2014; 20:18240-18248. [PMID: 25561791 PMCID: PMC4277961 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i48.18240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Revised: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To assess the role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated liver disease.
METHODS: Blood and/or tissue samples were obtained from HCV (genotype 4)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma patients (HCC; n = 120), chronic hepatitis C patients (CH; n = 30) and 33 normal control subjects (n = 33). Serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alkaline phosphatase, and alanine and aspartate aminotransferases were measured. Cytokeratin 19 (CK19) monoclonal antibody was used to enumerate CTCs, and CD133 and CD90 were used to enumerate CSCs by flow cytometry. The expression levels of the CSCs markers (CD133 and CD90) as well as telomerase, melanoma antigen encoding gene 1 (MAGE1) and MAGE3 were assessed by RT-PCR and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions. The number of CTCs and/or the expression levels of CK19, CD133, telomerase, MAGE1 and MAGE3 were correlated to the standard clinicopathologic prognostic factors and disease progression.
RESULTS: Levels of AFP, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly different among the HCC, CH and control groups (P < 0.001), whereas alanine aminotransferase differed significantly between patient (HCC and CH) and control groups (P < 0.001). At the specified cutoff values determine by flow cytometry, CK19 (49.8), CD90 (400) and CD133 (73) were significantly higher in the blood of HCC patients compared to those in the CH and control groups (P < 0.001). On the other hand, CD133 at a 69.5 cutoff was significantly higher in the CH compared to the control group (P≤ 0.001). Telomerase, MAGE1 and MAGE3 RNA were expressed in 55.71%, 60.00% and 62.86% of the HCC patients, respectively, but were not detected in patients in the CH or control groups, which were statistically significant (Ps < 0.001). The expression levels of telomerase, CD90, MAGE3, CD133 and CK19 were all significantly associated with high tumor grade and advanced stage in HCC patients (all Ps < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: CTC counts and AFP, CK19, telomerase, and MAGE1/MAGE3 expression predict disease progression in patients with HCV, whereas telomerase, MAGE3, CD90, CD133 and CK19 are prognostic markers in HCC.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Biomarkers, Tumor/blood
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/blood
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/virology
- Case-Control Studies
- Cell Separation/methods
- Disease Progression
- Female
- Flow Cytometry
- Genotype
- Hepacivirus/genetics
- Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications
- Hepatitis C, Chronic/diagnosis
- Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology
- Humans
- Liver Neoplasms/blood
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms/virology
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasm Grading
- Neoplasm Staging
- Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/metabolism
- Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/pathology
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology
- Predictive Value of Tests
- Prospective Studies
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Young Adult
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21
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Nel I, David P, Gerken GGH, Schlaak JF, Hoffmann AC. Role of circulating tumor cells and cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int 2014. [PMID: 26202635 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-014-9539-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTC) and cancer stem cells (CSC) have been proposed as tools for detection and characterization of disease and individualization of therapy in patients with many solid tumors. Several automated and semi-automated techniques for identification and isolation of these cells from blood have been proposed and reviewed mostly focusing on their feasibility. In this mini review we summarize the recent relevant literature on this topic and discuss the clinical usability of measuring CTC and CSC in peripheral blood in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Besides literature, the basis for this evaluation was the authors' experience with treating HCC and research experience on CSC and CTC. Few original reports and reviews have been published focusing on CTC and CSC in HCC. Though HCC is one of the five most common malignancies worldwide only recently these cells have come into focus for detection and characterization of this disease that is characterized by high plasticity and malignancy. A focused and prospective validation of the clinical usability of detecting these cells in HCC is still needed, but results seem promising that they may add great benefit for early detection and individualization of therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivonne Nel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Molecular Oncology Risk-Profile Evaluation, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147, Essen, Germany
| | - Paul David
- Department of Medical Oncology, Molecular Oncology Risk-Profile Evaluation, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147, Essen, Germany
- Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India
| | - Guido G H Gerken
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Joerg F Schlaak
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Duisburg-Nord, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Andreas-Claudius Hoffmann
- Department of Medical Oncology, Molecular Oncology Risk-Profile Evaluation, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital of Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
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22
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Yang Y, Hou J, Lin Z, Zhuo H, Chen D, Zhang X, Chen Y, Sun B. Attenuated Listeria monocytogenes as a cancer vaccine vector for the delivery of CD24, a biomarker for hepatic cancer stem cells. Cell Mol Immunol 2014; 11:184-96. [PMID: 24488178 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2013.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a promising candidate vector for the delivery of cancer vaccines. After phagocytosis by antigen-presenting cells, this bacterium stimulates the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I and MHC-II pathways and induces the proliferation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes. A new strategy involving genetic modification of the replication-deficient LM strain ΔdalΔdat (Lmdd) to express and secrete human CD24 protein has been developed. CD24 is a hepatic cancer stem cell biomarker that is closely associated with apoptosis, metastasis and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After intravenous administration in mice, Lmdd-CD24 was distributed primarily in the spleen and liver and did not cause severe organ injury. Lmdd-CD24 effectively increased the number of interferon (IFN)-γ-producing CD8(+) T cells and IFN-γ secretion. Lmdd-CD24 also enhanced the number of IL-4- and IL-10-producing T helper 2 cells. The efficacy of the Lmdd-CD24 vaccine was further investigated against Hepa1-6-CD24 tumors, which were inguinally inoculated into mice. Lmdd-CD24 significantly reduced the tumor size in mice and increased their survival. Notably, a reduction of T regulatory cell (Treg) numbers and an enhancement of specific CD8(+) T-cell activity were observed in the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). These results suggest a potential application of the Lmdd-CD24 vaccine against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yang
- Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiajie Hou
- Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhe Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Han Zhuo
- Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dianyu Chen
- Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Beicheng Sun
- Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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23
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Gu YY, Liu LP, Qin J, Zhang M, Chen Y, Wang D, Li Z, Tang JZ, Mo SL. Baicalein decreases side population proportion via inhibition of ABCG2 in multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226 in vitro. Fitoterapia 2014; 94:21-8. [PMID: 24468191 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of baicalein on side population in human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226 and the underlying molecular mechanisms in vitro and in silico. METHODS MTT assay was applied to detect the anti-proliferation effect of baicalein. The detection of side population cells is based on the Hoechst 33342 exclusion assay technique and flow cytometric analysis. Western blotting assay was used to explore the expression of ABCG2 protein. Homology modeling and molecular docking were performed with Discovery Studio 2.1. RESULTS Baicalein decreased both cell viability with IC50=168.5 μM and the proportion of SP cells in a dose-dependent manner. Correspondingly, it significantly decreased the expression level of ABCG2 protein. Baicalein also shared similar binding sites and modes with fumitremorgin C to the protein. CONCLUSIONS Baicalein possessed novel anticancer properties, such as anti-proliferation and drug efflux inhibition in side population cells, which suggested its potential feature of targeting cancer stem cells of multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Yu Gu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Li-Ping Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jian Qin
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yuling Chen
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Kiang Wu Hospital, Macau, China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhi Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jing-Zhong Tang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Sui-Lin Mo
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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24
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Thompson SM, Callstrom MR, Butters KA, Sutor SL, Knudsen B, Grande JP, Roberts LR, Woodrum DA. Role for putative hepatocellular carcinoma stem cell subpopulations in biological response to incomplete thermal ablation: in vitro and in vivo pilot study. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 2014; 37:1343-51. [PMID: 24452318 DOI: 10.1007/s00270-013-0828-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the potential role for CD44(+) and CD90(+) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cellular subpopulations in biological response to thermal ablation-induced heat stress. METHODS This study was approved by the institutional animal care committee. The N1S1 rat HCC cell line was subjected to sublethal heat stress (45 °C) or control (37 °C) for 10 min, costained with fluorescent-labeled antibodies against CD44, CD90, and 7-AAD after a 48-h recovery and analyzed by flow cytometry to assess the percentage of live CD44(+) and CD90(+) HCC cells (n = 4). Experiments were repeated with pretreatment of N1S1 cells with a dose titration of the dual PI3K-mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 or vehicle control (n = 3). Rats bearing orthotopic N1S1 tumors were subjected to ultrasound-guided partial laser ablation (n = 5) or sham ablation (n = 3), euthanized 24 h after ablation, and liver/tumor analyzed for immunohistochemical staining of CD44 and CD90. Differences between groups were compared with an unpaired t test. RESULTS Sublethal heat stress induced a significant increase in the relative proportion of live CD44(+) and CD90(+) HCC cells compared to the control group: CD44(+)CD90(-) (5.3-fold; p = 0.0001), CD44(-)CD90(+) (2.4-fold; p = 0.003), and CD44(+)CD90(+) (22.0-fold; p < 0.03). Inhibition of PI3K-mTOR prevented heat stress-induced enrichment of the population of live CD44(+) HCC cells (p < 0.01), but not CD90(+) cells (p > 0.10). Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated preferential localization of clusters of CD44(+) cells at both the tumor margin and ablation margin. CONCLUSION These studies provide experimental evidence supporting a role for HCC cells expressing the putative stem cell marker CD44 in HCC response to heat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Thompson
- Medical Scientist Training Program, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA,
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25
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Abstract
Thyroid cancer cells were believed to be generated by multi-step carcinogenesis, in which cancer cells are derived from thyrocytes, via multiple incidences of damage to their genome, especially in oncogenes or anti-oncogenes that accelerate proliferation or foster malignant phenotypes, such as the ability to invade the surrounding tissue or metastasize to distant organs, until a new hypothesis, fetal cell carcinogenesis, was presented. In fetal cell carcinogenesis, thyroid tumor cells are assumed to be derived from three types of fetal thyroid cell which only exist in fetuses or young children, namely, thyroid stem cells (TSCs), thyroblasts and prothyrocytes, by proliferation without differentiation. Genomic alternations, such as RET/PTC and PAX8-PPARγ1 rearrangements and a mutation in the BRAF gene, play an oncogenic role by preventing thyroid fetal cells from differentiating. Fetal cell carcinogenesis effectively explains recent molecular and clinical evidence regarding thyroid cancer, including thyroid cancer initiating cells (TCICs), and it underscores the importance of identifying a stem cells and clarifying the molecular mechanism of organ development in cancer research. It introduces three important concepts, the reverse approach, stem cell crisis and mature and immature cancers. Further, it implies that analysis of a small population of cells in a cancer tissue will be a key technique in establishing future laboratory tests. In the contrary, mass analysis such as gene expression profiling, whole genomic scan, and proteomics analysis may have definite limitations since they can only provide information based on many cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Takano
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita 565-0871, Japan
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26
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Vu NB, Nguyen TT, Tran LCD, Do CD, Nguyen BH, Phan NK, Pham PV. Doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil resistant hepatic cancer cells demonstrate stem-like properties. Cytotechnology 2013; 65:491-503. [PMID: 23104270 PMCID: PMC3720974 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-012-9511-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment is very low because of the high percentage of recurrence and resistance to anticancer agents. Hepatic cancer stem cells (HCSCs) are considered the origin of such recurrence and resistance. Our aim was to evaluate the stemness of doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil resistant hepatic cancer cells and establish the new method to isolate the HCSCs from primary cultured HCC tumors. HCC biopsies were used to establish primary cultures. Then, primary cells were selected for HCSCs by culture in medium supplemented with doxorubicin (0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 or 1 μg/mL), 5-fluorouracil (0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 or 1 μg/mL) or their combination. Selection was confirmed by detection of HCSC markers such as CD133, CD13, CD90, and the side population was identified by rhodamine 123 efflux. The cell population with the strongest expression of these markers was used to evaluate the cell cycle, gene expression profile, tumor sphere formation, marker protein expression, and in vivo tumorigenesis. Selective culture of primary cells in medium supplemented with 0.5 μg/mL doxorubicin and 1 μg/mL 5-fluorouracil selected cancer cells with the highest stemness properties. Selected cells strongly expressed CD13, CD133, CD90, and CD326, efflux rhodamine 123 and formed tumor spheres in suspension. Moreover, selected cells were induced to differentiate into cells with high expression of CD19 and AFP (alpha-fetoprotein), and importantly, could form tumors in NOD/SCID mice upon injection of 1 × 10(5) cells/mouse. Selective culture with doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil will enrich HCSCs, is an easy method to obtain HCSCs that can be used to develop better therapeutic strategies for patients with HCC, and particularly HCSC-targeting therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc Bich Vu
- />Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, VNU-HCM, HCM City, Vietnam
| | - Tam Thanh Nguyen
- />Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, VNU-HCM, HCM City, Vietnam
| | - Long Cong-Duy Tran
- />University of Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, HCM City, Vietnam
| | - Cong Dinh Do
- />University of Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, HCM City, Vietnam
| | - Bac Hoang Nguyen
- />University of Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, HCM City, Vietnam
| | - Ngoc Kim Phan
- />Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, VNU-HCM, HCM City, Vietnam
| | - Phuc Van Pham
- />Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, VNU-HCM, HCM City, Vietnam
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27
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Chai S, Ma S. Clinical implications of microRNAs in liver cancer stem cells. CHINESE JOURNAL OF CANCER 2013; 32:419-26. [PMID: 23668930 PMCID: PMC3845583 DOI: 10.5732/cjc.013.10038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The prognosis of patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often dismal, mainly due to late presentation, high recurrence rate, and frequent resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Accumulating evidence on the differential microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns between non-tumor and HCC tissues or between liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) and non-CSC subsets and the significant clinical implications of these differences suggest that miRNAs are a promising, non-invasive marker for the prognosis and diagnosis of the disease. This perspective article summarizes the current knowledge of miRNAs in liver CSCs and highlights the need for further investigations of the role of miRNAs in regulating liver CSC subsets for possible future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Chai
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
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28
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Wang F, Mi YJ, Chen XG, Wu XP, Liu Z, Chen SP, Liang YJ, Cheng C, To KKW, Fu LW. Axitinib targeted cancer stemlike cells to enhance efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs via inhibiting the drug transport function of ABCG2. Mol Med 2012; 18:887-98. [PMID: 22549112 DOI: 10.2119/molmed.2011.00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2011] [Accepted: 04/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Stemlike cells have been isolated by their ability to efflux Hoechst 33342 dye and are called the side population (SP). We evaluated the effect of axitinib on targeting cancer stemlike cells and enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutical agents. We found that axitinib enhanced the cytotoxicity of topotecan and mitoxantrone in SP cells sorted from human lung cancer A549 cells and increased cell apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutical agents. Moreover, axitinib particularly inhibited the function of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) and reversed ABCG2-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) in vitro. However, no significant reversal effect was observed in ABCB1-, ABCC1- or lung resistance-related protein (LRP)-mediated MDR. Furthermore, in both sensitive and MDR cancer cells axitinib neither altered the expression of ABCG2 at the mRNA or protein levels nor blocked the phosphorylation of AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2. In nude mice bearing ABCG2-overexpressing S1-M1-80 xenografts, axitinib significantly enhanced the antitumor activity of topotecan without causing additional toxicity. Taken together, these data suggest that axitinib particularly targets cancer stemlike cells and reverses ABCG2-mediated drug resistance by inhibiting the transporter activity of ABCG2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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