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Moon H, Park H, Chae MJ, Choi HJ, Kim DY, Ro SW. Activated TAZ induces liver cancer in collaboration with EGFR/HER2 signaling pathways. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:423. [PMID: 35439973 PMCID: PMC9019950 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09516-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Liver cancer is a major global health concern due to the steady increases in its incidence and mortality. Transcription factors, yes-associated protein (YAP) and WW domain-containing transcription regulator protein 1 (WWTR1, also known as TAZ) have emerged as critical regulators in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), the two major types of primary liver cancer. However, our study as well as other previous reports have shown that activation of YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ) in adult murine livers is insufficient for the development of liver cancer, suggesting a requirement for an additional oncogenic collaborator for liver carcinogenesis in adulthood. Therefore, we sought to identify the oncogenic partners of YAP/TAZ that promote hepatocarcinogenesis in adults. Methods Data analysis of the transcriptome of patients with liver cancer was performed using the national center for biotechnology information (NCBI) gene expression omnibus (GEO) database and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). The cancer therapeutics response portal (CTRP) was used to investigate the correlation between sensitivity to chemicals and the copy number of TAZ in human cancer cell lines. Transposons encoding constitutively activated forms of TAZ (TAZS89A), BRAF (BRAFV600E), and PIK3CA (PI3KE545K) were used for hydrodynamic tail vein injection. Mice were monitored at least twice per week and sacrificed when moribund. Tumor-bearing livers were formalin fixed for hematoxylin–eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Results Through database analyses, we identified EGFR/HER2 signaling to be essential in human cancers with high TAZ activity. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analyses showed that human HCC and CC tissues with high YAP/TAZ activities exhibited concomitant activation of EGFR/HER2 signaling pathways. To demonstrate that EGFR/HER2 signaling promotes YAP/TAZ-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis, TAZS89A was simultaneously expressed in murine adult livers with BRAFV600E or PI3KE545K, activated forms of effector molecules downstream of EGFR/HER2 signaling pathways. Expression of TAZS89A plus BRAFV600E induced HCC, whereas TAZS89A and PI3KE545K led to the development of CC-like cancer. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that TAZ collaborates with EGFR/HER2 signaling pathways to induce both HCC and CC. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09516-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuk Moon
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, 17104, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Hyunjung Park
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, 17104, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Min Jee Chae
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, 17104, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Hye Jin Choi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 03722, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Do Young Kim
- Yonsei Liver Center, Severance Hospital, 03722, Seoul, South Korea. .,Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 03722, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Simon Weonsang Ro
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, 17104, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
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Billioud G, Kruse RL, Carrillo M, Whitten-Bauer C, Gao D, Kim A, Chen L, McCaleb ML, Crosby JR, Hamatake R, Hong Z, Garaigorta U, Swayze E, Bissig KD, Wieland S. In vivo reduction of hepatitis B virus antigenemia and viremia by antisense oligonucleotides. J Hepatol 2016; 64:781-9. [PMID: 26658683 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2015.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Current treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) includes interferon and nucleos(t)ide analogues, which generally do not reduce HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) production, a constellation that is associated with poor prognosis of CHB. Here we evaluated the efficacy of an antisense approach using antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology already in clinical use for liver targeted therapy to specifically inhibit HBsAg production and viremia in a preclinical setting. METHODS A lead ASO was identified and characterized in vitro and subsequently tested for efficacy in vivo and in vitro using HBV transgenic and hydrodynamic transfection mouse and a cell culture HBV infection model, respectively. RESULTS ASO treatment decreased serum HBsAg levels ⩾2 logs in a dose and time-dependent manner; HBsAg decreased 2 logs in a week and returned to baseline 4 weeks after a single ASO injection. ASO treatment effectively reduced HBsAg in combination with entecavir, while the nucleoside analogue alone did not. ASO treatment has pan-genotypic antiviral activity in the hydrodynamic transfection system. Finally, cccDNA-driven HBV gene expression is ASO sensitive in HBV infected cells in vitro. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate in a preclinical setting the efficacy of an antisense approach against HBV by efficiently reducing serum HBsAg (as well as viremia) across different genotypes alone or in combination with standard nucleoside therapy. Since the applied antisense technology is already in clinical use, a lead compound can be rapidly validated in a clinical setting and thus, constitutes a novel therapeutic approach targeting chronic HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Dacao Gao
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Aneeza Kim
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Leon Chen
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Zhi Hong
- GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Eric Swayze
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA.
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Chung SI, Moon H, Ju HL, Cho KJ, Kim DY, Han KH, Eun JW, Nam SW, Ribback S, Dombrowski F, Calvisi DF, Ro SW. Hepatic expression of Sonic Hedgehog induces liver fibrosis and promotes hepatocarcinogenesis in a transgenic mouse model. J Hepatol 2016; 64:618-27. [PMID: 26471504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Liver fibrosis is an increasing health concern worldwide and a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although the involvement of Hedgehog signaling in hepatic fibrosis has been known for some time, the causative role of activated Hedgehog signaling in liver fibrosis has not been verified in vivo. METHODS Using hydrodynamics-based transfection, a transgenic mouse model has been developed that expresses Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), a ligand for Hedgehog signaling, in the liver. Levels of hepatic fibrosis and fibrosis-related gene expression were assessed in the model. Hepatic expression of SHH was induced in a murine model for hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) and tumor development was subsequently investigated. RESULTS The transgenic mice revealed SHH expression in 2-5% of hepatocytes. Secreted SHH activated Hedgehog signaling in numerous cells of various types in the tissues. Hepatic expression of SHH led to fibrosis, activation of hepatic stellate cells, and an upregulation of various fibrogenic genes. Liver injury and hepatocyte apoptosis were observed in SHH mice. Persistent expression of SHH for up to 13months failed to induce tumors in the liver; however, it promoted liver tumor development induced by other oncogenes. By employing a HCA model induced by P53(R172H) and KRAS(G12D), we found that the SHH expression promoted the transition from HCA to HCC. CONCLUSIONS SHH expression in the liver induces liver fibrosis with concurrent activation of hepatic stellate cells and fibrogenic genes. It can also enhance hepatocarcinogenesis induced by other oncogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sook In Chung
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyuk Moon
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hye-Lim Ju
- Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyung Joo Cho
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Do Young Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kwang-Hyub Han
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung Woo Eun
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Suk Woo Nam
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Silvia Ribback
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Frank Dombrowski
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Diego F Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Simon Weonsang Ro
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Liver Cirrhosis Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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Zhou XJ, Sun SH, Wang P, Yu H, Hu JY, Shang SC, Zhou YS. Over-expression of uPA increases risk of liver injury in pAAV-HBV transfected mice. World J Gastroenterol 2012; 18:1892-902. [PMID: 22563169 PMCID: PMC3337564 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i16.1892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2011] [Revised: 06/24/2011] [Accepted: 04/01/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM: To investigate the relationship between over-expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) related liver diseases in a transgenic mouse model.
METHODS: Albumin-tetracycline reverse transcriptional activator and tetO-uPA transgenic mice were generated respectively through pronuclear injection and crossed to produce the double transgenic in-alb-uPA mice, for which doxycycline (Dox)-inducible and liver-specific over-expression of uPA can be achieved. Hydrodynamic transfection of plasmid adeno-associated virus (AAV)-1.3HBV was performed through the tail veins of the Dox-induced in-alb-uPA mice. Expression of uPA and HBV antigens were analyzed through double-staining immunohistochemical assay. Cytokine production was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and α-fetoprotein (AFP) mRNA level was evaluated through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS: Plasmid AAV-1.3HBV hydrodynamic transfection in Dox-induced transgenic mice not only resulted in severe liver injury with hepatocarcinoma-like histological changes and hepatic AFP production, but also showed an increased serum level of HBV antigens and cytokines like interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, compared with the control group.
CONCLUSION: Over-expression of uPA plays a synergistic role in the development of liver injury, inflammation and regeneration during acute HBV infection.
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Abstract
AIM: To establish a rapid and convenient animal model with hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication.
METHODS: A naked DNA solution of HBV-replication-competent plasmid was transferred to BALB/C mice via the tail vein, using a hydrodynamic in vivo transfection procedure. After injection, these mice were sacrificed on d 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10. HBV DNA replication intermediates in the liver were analyzed by Southern blot hybridization. The expression of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the liver was checked by immunohistochemistry. Serum HBsAg and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Inhibition of HBV replication was compared in HBV replication model mice treated intraperitoneally with polyinosinic-polytidylin acid (polyIC) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS).
RESULTS: After hydrodynamic in vivo transfection, HBV DNA replication intermediates in the mouse liver were detectable on d 1 and abundant on d 3 and 4, the levels were slightly decreased and remained relatively stable between d 5 and 7, and were almost undetectable on d 10. The expression patterns of HBcAg and HBsAg were similar to that of HBV replication intermediate DNA, except that they reached a peak on d 1 after injection. No obvious differences in HBV DNA replication intermediates were observed in the left, right and middle lobes of the liver. After treatment with polyIC, the level of HBV intermediate DNA in the liver was lower than that in the control mice injected with PBS.
CONCLUSION: A rapid and convenient mouse model with a high level of HBV replication was developed and used to investigate the inhibitory effect of polyIC on HBV replication, which provides a useful tool for future functional studies of the HBV genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Jun Liu
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Division of Molecular Biology of infectious Diseases, National Key Laboratory of Biotherapy (Sichuan University), West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
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