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Ding J, Yang YY, Li PT, Ma Y, Zhang L, Zhou Y, Jin C, Li HY, Zhu YF, Liu XP, Liu ZJ, Jia HL, Liu PG, Wu J. TGF-β1/SMAD3-driven GLI2 isoform expression contributes to aggressive phenotypes of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216768. [PMID: 38453045 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Hedgehog signaling is activated in response to liver injury, and modulates organogenesis. However, the role of non-canonical hedgehog activation via TGF-β1/SMAD3 in hepatic carcinogenesis is poorly understood. TGF-β1/SMAD3-mediated non-canonical activation was found in approximately half of GLI2-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and two new GLI2 isoforms with transactivating activity were identified. Phospho-SMAD3 interacted with active GLI2 isoforms to transactivate downstream genes in modulation of stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, chemo-resistance and metastasis in poorly-differentiated hepatoma cells. Non-canonical activation of hedgehog signaling was confirmed in a transgenic HBV-associated HCC mouse model. Inhibition of TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling reduced lung metastasis in a mouse in situ hepatic xenograft model. In another cohort of 55 HCC patients, subjects with high GLI2 expression had a shorter disease-free survival than those with low expression. Moreover, co-positivity of GLI2 with SMAD3 was observed in 87.5% of relapsed HCC patients with high GLI2 expression, indicating an increased risk of post-resection recurrence of HCC. The findings underscore that suppressing the non-canonical hedgehog signaling pathway may confer a potential strategy in the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jing'an District Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| | - Yong-Yu Yang
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peng-Tao Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, The National Key Clinical Specialty, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, China
| | - Yue Ma
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Cheng Jin
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hui-Yan Li
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuan-Fei Zhu
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiu-Ping Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zheng-Jin Liu
- Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, China
| | - Hu-Liang Jia
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200041, China
| | - Ping-Guo Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, The National Key Clinical Specialty, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004, China.
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, MOE/NHC/CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China; Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China; Shanghai Institute of Liver Diseases, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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