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Jiang Z, Wu Y, Miao Y, Deng K, Yang F, Xu S, Wang Y, You R, Zhang L, Fan Y, Guo W, Lian Q, Chen L, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Gu J. HCCDB v2.0: Decompose Expression Variations by Single-cell RNA-seq and Spatial Transcriptomics in HCC. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2024; 22:qzae011. [PMID: 38886186 DOI: 10.1093/gpbjnl/qzae011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Large-scale transcriptomic data are crucial for understanding the molecular features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Integrated 15 transcriptomic datasets of HCC clinical samples, the first version of HCC database (HCCDB v1.0) was released in 2018. Through the meta-analysis of differentially expressed genes and prognosis-related genes across multiple datasets, it provides a systematic view of the altered biological processes and the inter-patient heterogeneities of HCC with high reproducibility and robustness. With four years having passed, the database now needs integration of recently published datasets. Furthermore, the latest single-cell and spatial transcriptomics have provided a great opportunity to decipher complex gene expression variations at the cellular level with spatial architecture. Here, we present HCCDB v2.0, an updated version that combines bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomic data of HCC clinical samples. It dramatically expands the bulk sample size by adding 1656 new samples from 11 datasets to the existing 3917 samples, thereby enhancing the reliability of transcriptomic meta-analysis. A total of 182,832 cells and 69,352 spatial spots are added to the single-cell and spatial transcriptomics sections, respectively. A novel single-cell level and 2-dimension (sc-2D) metric is proposed as well to summarize cell type-specific and dysregulated gene expression patterns. Results are all graphically visualized in our online portal, allowing users to easily retrieve data through a user-friendly interface and navigate between different views. With extensive clinical phenotypes and transcriptomic data in the database, we show two applications for identifying prognosis-associated cells and tumor microenvironment. HCCDB v2.0 is available at http://lifeome.net/database/hccdb2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziming Jiang
- Eight-Year Program of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Yanhong Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, BNRIST Bioinformatics Division, Institute for Precision Medicine & Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuxin Miao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, BNRIST Bioinformatics Division, Institute for Precision Medicine & Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kaige Deng
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Shuhuan Xu
- Fuzhou Institute for Data Technology, Fuzhou 350207, China
| | - Yupeng Wang
- Fuzhou Institute for Data Technology, Fuzhou 350207, China
| | - Renke You
- Fuzhou Institute for Data Technology, Fuzhou 350207, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Fuzhou Institute for Data Technology, Fuzhou 350207, China
| | - Yuhan Fan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, BNRIST Bioinformatics Division, Institute for Precision Medicine & Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wenbo Guo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, BNRIST Bioinformatics Division, Institute for Precision Medicine & Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiuyu Lian
- University of Michigan - Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Department of Automation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lei Chen
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Shanghai 201805, China
| | - Xuegong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, BNRIST Bioinformatics Division, Institute for Precision Medicine & Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yongchang Zheng
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jin Gu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, BNRIST Bioinformatics Division, Institute for Precision Medicine & Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Chan YT, Wu J, Lu Y, Li Q, Feng Z, Xu L, Yuan H, Xing T, Zhang C, Tan HY, Feng Y, Wang N. Loss of lncRNA LINC01056 leads to sorafenib resistance in HCC. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:74. [PMID: 38582885 PMCID: PMC10998324 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01988-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Sorafenib is a major nonsurgical option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its clinical efficacy is largely undermined by the acquisition of resistance. The aim of this study was to identify the key lncRNA involved in the regulation of the sorafenib response in HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS A clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) single-guide RNA (sgRNA) synergistic activation mediator (SAM)-pooled lncRNA library was applied to screen for the key lncRNA regulated by sorafenib treatment. The role of the identified lncRNA in mediating the sorafenib response in HCC was examined in vitro and in vivo. The underlying mechanism was delineated by proteomic analysis. The clinical significance of the expression of the identified lncRNA was evaluated by multiplex immunostaining on a human HCC microtissue array. RESULTS CRISPR/Cas9 lncRNA library screening revealed that Linc01056 was among the most downregulated lncRNAs in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Knockdown of Linc01056 reduced the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib, suppressing apoptosis in vitro and promoting tumour growth in mice in vivo. Proteomic analysis revealed that Linc01056 knockdown in sorafenib-treated HCC cells induced genes related to fatty acid oxidation (FAO) while repressing glycolysis-associated genes, leading to a metabolic switch favouring higher intracellular energy production. FAO inhibition in HCC cells with Linc01056 knockdown significantly restored sensitivity to sorafenib. Mechanistically, we determined that PPARα is the critical molecule governing the metabolic switch upon Linc01056 knockdown in HCC cells and indeed, PPARα inhibition restored the sorafenib response in HCC cells in vitro and HCC tumours in vivo. Clinically, Linc01056 expression predicted optimal overall and progression-free survival outcomes in HCC patients and predicted a better sorafenib response. Linc01056 expression indicated a low FAO level in HCC. CONCLUSION Our study identified Linc01056 as a critical epigenetic regulator and potential therapeutic target in the regulation of the sorafenib response in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yau-Tuen Chan
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Junyu Wu
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Yuanjun Lu
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Qiucheng Li
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Zixin Feng
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Lin Xu
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Hongchao Yuan
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Tingyuan Xing
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Cheng Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Hor-Yue Tan
- Centre for Chinese Medicine New Drug Development, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Yibin Feng
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Ning Wang
- School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
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Wu K, Lin F. Lipid Metabolism as a Potential Target of Liver Cancer. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2024; 11:327-346. [PMID: 38375401 PMCID: PMC10875169 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s450423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands as a severe malignant tumor with a profound impact on overall health, often accompanied by an unfavorable prognosis. Despite some advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, improving the prognosis of HCC remains a formidable challenge. It is noteworthy that lipid metabolism plays a pivotal role in the onset, development, and progression of tumor cells. Existing research indicates the potential application of targeting lipid metabolism in the treatment of HCC. This review aims to thoroughly explore the alterations in lipid metabolism in HCC, offering a detailed account of the potential advantages associated with innovative therapeutic strategies targeting lipid metabolism. Targeting lipid metabolism holds promise for potentially enhancing the prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangze Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Feizhuan Lin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing, People’s Republic of China
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Zhang Y, Xiao B, Liu Y, Wu S, Xiang Q, Xiao Y, Zhao J, Yuan R, Xie K, Li L. Roles of PPAR activation in cancer therapeutic resistance: Implications for combination therapy and drug development. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 964:176304. [PMID: 38142851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic resistance is a major obstacle to successful treatment or effective containment of cancer. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play an essential role in regulating energy homeostasis and determining cell fate. Despite of the pleiotropic roles of PPARs in cancer, numerous studies have suggested their intricate relationship with therapeutic resistance in cancer. In this review, we provided an overview of the roles of excessively activated PPARs in promoting resistance to modern anti-cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. The mechanisms through which activated PPARs contribute to therapeutic resistance in most cases include metabolic reprogramming, anti-oxidant defense, anti-apoptosis signaling, proliferation-promoting pathways, and induction of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In addition, we discussed the mechanisms through which activated PPARs lead to multidrug resistance in cancer, including drug efflux, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and acquisition and maintenance of the cancer stem cell phenotype. Preliminary studies investigating the effect of combination therapies with PPAR antagonists have suggested the potential of these antagonists in reversing resistance and facilitating sustained cancer management. These findings will provide a valuable reference for further research on and clinical translation of PPAR-targeting treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Zhang
- School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Bin Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Yunduo Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Shunhong Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Qin Xiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Yuhan Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Junxiu Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Ruanfei Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Keping Xie
- School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Linhai Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China.
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Zhang Q, Wei T, Jin W, Yan L, Shi L, Zhu S, Bai Y, Zeng Y, Yin Z, Yang J, Zhang W, Wu M, Zhang Y, Peng G, Roessler S, Liu L. Deficiency in SLC25A15, a hypoxia-responsive gene, promotes hepatocellular carcinoma by reprogramming glutamine metabolism. J Hepatol 2024; 80:293-308. [PMID: 38450598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The role of solute carrier family 25 member 15 (SLC25A15), a critical component of the urea cycle, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of SLC25A15 on HCC progression and its mechanisms. METHODS We systematically investigated the function of SLC25A15 in HCC progression using large-scale data mining and cell, animal, and organoid models. Furthermore, we analyzed its involvement in reprogramming glutamine metabolism. RESULTS SLC25A15 expression was significantly decreased in HCC tissues, and patients with low SLC25A15 levels had a poorer prognosis. Hypoxia-exposed HCC cells or tissues had lower SLC25A15 expression. A positive correlation between HNF4A, a transcription factor suppressed by hypoxia, and SLC25A15 was observed in both HCC tissues and cells. Modulating HNF4A levels altered SLC25A15 mRNA levels. SLC25A15 upregulated SLC1A5, increasing glutamine uptake. The reactive metabolic pathway of glutamine was increased in SLC25A15-deficient HCC cells, providing energy for HCC progression through additional lipid synthesis. Ammonia accumulation due to low SLC25A15 levels suppressed the expression of OGDHL (oxoglutarate dehydrogenase L), a switch gene that mediates SLC25A15 deficiency-induced reprogramming of glutamine metabolism. SLC25A15-deficient HCC cells were more susceptible to glutamine deprivation and glutaminase inhibitors. Intervening in glutamine metabolism increased SLC25A15-deficient HCC cells' response to anti-PD-L1 treatment. CONCLUSION SLC25A15 is hypoxia-responsive in HCC, and low SLC25A15 levels result in glutamine reprogramming through SLC1A5 and OGDHL regulation, promoting HCC progression and regulating cell sensitivity to anti-PD-L1. Interrupting the glutamine-derived energy supply is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating SLC25A15-deficient HCC. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS We first demonstrated the tumor suppressor role of solute carrier family 25 member 15 (SLC25A15) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and showed that its deficiency leads to reprogramming of glutamine metabolism to promote HCC development. SLC25A15 can serve as a potential biomarker to guide the development of precision therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting glutamine deprivation. Furthermore, we highlight that the use of an inhibitor of glutamine utilization can enhance the sensitivity of low SLC25A15 HCC to anti-PD-L1 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangnu Zhang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China; Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, 510632 Guangzhou, China
| | - Teng Wei
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen Jin
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Lesen Yan
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Lulin Shi
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Siqi Zhu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Bai
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuandi Zeng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Zexin Yin
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Jilin Yang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenjian Zhang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Meilong Wu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yusen Zhang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Gongze Peng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Stephanie Roessler
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Liping Liu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China.
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Luna-Marco C, Ubink A, Kopsida M, Heindryckx F. Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Metabolism in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 193:1377-1388. [PMID: 36309104 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2022.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, accounting for 85% to 90% of all liver cancer cases. It is a hepatocyte-derived primary tumor, causing 550,000 deaths per year, ranking it as one of the most common cancers worldwide. The liver is a highly metabolic organ with multiple functions, including digestion, detoxification, breakdown of fats, and production of bile and cholesterol, in addition to storage of vitamins, glycogen, and minerals, and synthesizing plasma proteins and clotting factors. Due to these fundamental and diverse functions, the malignant transformation of hepatic cells can have a severe impact on the liver's metabolism. Furthermore, tumorigenesis is often accompanied by activation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways, which are known to be highly intertwined with several metabolic pathways. Because HCC is characterized by changes in the metabolome and by an aberrant activation of the ER stress pathways, the aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge that links ER stress and metabolism in HCC, thereby focusing on potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Luna-Marco
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Ubink
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Kopsida
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Femke Heindryckx
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Talamantes S, Lisjak M, Gilglioni EH, Llamoza-Torres CJ, Ramos-Molina B, Gurzov EN. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes mellitus as growing aetiologies of hepatocellular carcinoma. JHEP Rep 2023; 5:100811. [PMID: 37575883 PMCID: PMC10413159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity-related complications such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are well-established risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review provides insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie the role of steatosis, hyperinsulinemia and hepatic inflammation in HCC development and progression. We focus on recent findings linking intracellular pathways and transcription factors that can trigger the reprogramming of hepatic cells. In addition, we highlight the role of enzymes in dysregulated metabolic activity and consequent dysfunctional signalling. Finally, we discuss the potential uses and challenges of novel therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat NAFLD/T2D-associated HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Talamantes
- Signal Transduction and Metabolism Laboratory, Laboratoire de Gastroentérologie Expérimental et Endotools, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, Brussels, 1070, Belgium
| | - Michela Lisjak
- Signal Transduction and Metabolism Laboratory, Laboratoire de Gastroentérologie Expérimental et Endotools, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, Brussels, 1070, Belgium
| | - Eduardo H. Gilglioni
- Signal Transduction and Metabolism Laboratory, Laboratoire de Gastroentérologie Expérimental et Endotools, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, Brussels, 1070, Belgium
| | - Camilo J. Llamoza-Torres
- Department of Hepatology, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, 30120, Spain
- Obesity and Metabolism Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB), Murcia, 30120, Spain
| | - Bruno Ramos-Molina
- Obesity and Metabolism Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB), Murcia, 30120, Spain
| | - Esteban N. Gurzov
- Signal Transduction and Metabolism Laboratory, Laboratoire de Gastroentérologie Expérimental et Endotools, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, Brussels, 1070, Belgium
- Obesity and Metabolism Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB), Murcia, 30120, Spain
- WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Avenue Pasteur 6, Wavre, 1300, Belgium
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Zhang Q, Hu W, Xiong L, Wen J, Wei T, Yan L, Liu Q, Zhu S, Bai Y, Zeng Y, Yin Z, Yang J, Zhang W, Wu M, Zhang Y, Peng G, Bao S, Liu L. IHGA: An interactive web server for large-scale and comprehensive discovery of genes of interest in hepatocellular carcinoma. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3987-3998. [PMID: 37635767 PMCID: PMC10457689 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mining gene expression data is valuable for discovering novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although emerging data mining tools are available for pan-cancer-related gene data analysis, few tools are dedicated to HCC. Moreover, tools specifically designed for HCC have restrictions such as small data scale and limited functionality. Therefore, we developed IHGA, a new interactive web server for discovering genes of interest in HCC on a large-scale and comprehensive basis. Integrative HCC Gene Analysis (IHGA) contains over 100 independent HCC patient-derived datasets (with over 10,000 tissue samples) and more than 90 cell models. IHGA allows users to conduct a series of large-scale and comprehensive analyses and data visualizations based on gene mRNA levels, including expression comparison, correlation analysis, clinical characteristics analysis, survival analysis, immune system interaction analysis, and drug sensitivity analysis. This method notably enhanced the richness of clinical data in IHGA. Additionally, IHGA integrates artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted gene screening based on natural language models. IHGA is free, user-friendly, and can effectively reduce time spent during data collection, organization, and analysis. In conclusion, IHGA is competitive in terms of data scale, data diversity, and functionality. It effectively alleviates the obstacles caused by HCC heterogeneity to data mining work and helps advance research on the molecular mechanisms of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangnu Zhang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
- Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, 510632 Guangzhou, China
| | - Weibin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Lingfeng Xiong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510632 Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Wen
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Teng Wei
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Lesen Yan
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Quan Liu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital (Nanshan Hospital), 518000 Shenzhen, China
| | - Siqi Zhu
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital (Nanshan Hospital), 518000 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Bai
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuandi Zeng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Zexin Yin
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Jilin Yang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenjian Zhang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Meilong Wu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yusen Zhang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Gongze Peng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Shiyun Bao
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Liu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), 518020 Shenzhen, China
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9
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Ong KH, Hsieh YY, Sun DP, Huang SKH, Tian YF, Chou CL, Shiue YL, Joseph K, Chang IW. Underexpression of Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase I as Independent Unfavorable Prognostic Factor in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Potential Theranostic Biomarker. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2296. [PMID: 37443694 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13132296] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) is the second most common malignant neoplasm of the liver. In spite of the increasing incidence worldwide, it is relatively rare in Western countries. IHCC is relatively common in Eastern and Southeastern Asia. Patients with IHCC are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, therefore, the clinical outcome is dismal. Dysregulation of urea cycle metabolic enzyme expression is found in different types of cancers. Nevertheless, a comprehensive evaluation of genes related to the urea cycle (i.e., GO:0000050) has not been conducted in IHCC. By performing a comparative analysis of gene expression profiles, we specifically examined genes associated with the urea cycle (GO:0000050) in a publicly accessible transcriptomic dataset (GSE26566). Interestingly, CPS1 was identified as the second most prominently down-regulated gene in this context. Tumor tissues of 182 IHCC patients who underwent curative-intent hepatectomy were enrolled. The expression level of CPS1 protein in our IHCC cohort was assessed by immunohistochemical study. Subsequent to that, statistical analyses were carried out to examine the expression of CPS1 in relation to various clinicopathological factors, as well as to assess its impact on survival outcomes. We noticed that lower immunoreactivity of CPS1 in IHCC was associated with tumor progression (pT status) with statistical significance (p = 0.003). CPS1 underexpression was not only negatively correlated to overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS) in univariate analysis but also an independent prognosticator to forecast poorer clinical outcome for all prognostic indices (OS, DFS, LRFS and MeFs) in patients with IHCC (all p ≤ 0.001). These results support that CPS1 may play a crucial role in IHCC oncogenesis and tumor progression and serve as a novel prognostic factor and a potential diagnostic and theranostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaa Hoo Ong
- Division of Gastroenterology & General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan 717, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Yu Hsieh
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 235, Taiwan
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Ding-Ping Sun
- Division of Gastroenterology & General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan
| | - Steven Kuan-Hua Huang
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Science Industries, College of Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan 711, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Feng Tian
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ling Chou
- Department of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan 717, Taiwan
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan
| | - Yow-Ling Shiue
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
- Institute of Precision Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
| | - Keva Joseph
- St. Jude Hospital, Vieux Fort LC12 201, Saint Lucia
| | - I-Wei Chang
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 235, Taiwan
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10
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Deficiency of Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase 1 Engenders Radioresistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Deubiquitinating c-Myc. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 115:1244-1256. [PMID: 36423742 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2022.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Tumor radiation resistance is the main obstacle to effective radiation therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We identified the role of urea cycle key enzyme carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) in radioresistance of HCC and explored its mechanism, aiming to provide a novel radiosensitization strategy for the CPS1-deficiency HCC subtype. METHODS AND MATERIALS The expression of CPS1 was measured by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Cell growth assay, EdU assay, cell apoptosis assay, cell cycle assay, clone formation assay, and subcutaneous tumor assay were performed to explore the relationship between CPS1 and radioresistance of HCC cells. Lipid metabonomic analysis was used for investigating the effects of CPS1 on lipid synthesis of HCC cells. RNA sequencing and coimmunoprecipitation assay were carried out to reveal the mechanism of CPS1 participating in the regulation of HCC radiation therapy resistance. Furthermore, 10074-G5, the specific inhibitor of c-Myc, was administered to HCC cells to investigate the role of c-Myc in CPS1-deficiency HCC cells. RESULTS We found that urea cycle key enzyme CPS1 was frequently lower in human HCC samples and positively associated with the patient's prognosis. Functionally, the present study proved that CPS1 depletion could accelerate the development of HCC and induce radiation resistance of HCC in vitro and in vivo, and deficiency of CPS1 promoted the synthesis of some lipid molecules. Regarding the mechanism, we uncovered that inhibition of CPS1 upregulated CyclinA2 and CyclinD1 by stabilizing oncoprotein c-Myc at the posttranscriptional level and generated radioresistance of HCC cells. Moreover, inactivation of c-Myc using 10074-G5, a specific c-Myc inhibitor, could partially attenuate the proliferation and radioresistance induced by depletion of CPS1. CONCLUSIONS Our results recapitulated that silencing CPS1 could promote HCC progression and radioresistance via c-Myc stability mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, suggesting that targeting c-Myc in CPS1-deficiency HCC subtype may be a valuable radiosensitization strategy in the treatment of HCC.
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11
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Zhang Y, Liu Z, Li J, Li X, Duo M, Weng S, Lv P, Jiang G, Wang C, Li Y, Liu S, Li Z. Prognosis and Personalized Treatment Prediction in Different Mutation-Signature Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:241-255. [PMID: 36815095 PMCID: PMC9939670 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s398431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mutation patterns have been extensively explored to decipher the etiologies of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the study and potential clinical role of mutation patterns to stratify high-risk patients and optimize precision therapeutic strategies remain elusive in HCC. Methods Using exon-sequencing data in public (n=362) and in-house (n=30) cohorts, mutation signatures were extracted to decipher relationships with the etiology and prognosis in HCC. The proteomics (n=159) and cell-line transcriptome data (n=1019) were collected to screen the implication of sensitive drugs. A novel multi-step machine-learning framework was then performed to construct a classification predictor, including recognizing stable reversed gene pairs, establishing a robust prediction model, and validating the robustness of the predictor in five independent cohorts (n=900). Results Two heterogeneous mutation signature clusters were identified, and a high-risk prognosis cluster was recognized for further analysis. Notably, mutation signature cluster 1 (MSC1) was featured by activated anti-tumor immune and metabolism dysfunctional states, higher genomic instability (high TMB, SNV neoantigen, indel neoantigens, and total neoantigens), and a dismal prognosis. Notably, MSC performed as an independent risk factor than clinical traits (eg, stage, vascular invasion). Additionally, afatinib and canertinib were recognized which might have potential therapeutic implications in MSC1, and the targets of these drugs presented a higher expression in both gene and protein levels in HCC. Discussion Our studies may provide a promising platform for improving prognosis and tailoring therapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyuan Zhang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mengjie Duo
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Siyuan Weng
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Peijie Lv
- Department of Radiology, Zhengzhou University First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guozhong Jiang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Caihong Wang
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shichao Liu
- Department Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People’s Republic of China,Correspondence: Zhen Li, Email
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12
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A High-Throughput Sequencing Data-Based Classifier Reveals the Metabolic Heterogeneity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030592. [PMID: 36765548 PMCID: PMC9913608 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic heterogeneity plays a key role in poor outcomes in malignant tumors, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. In the present study, we aim to disentangle the metabolic heterogeneity features of HCC by developing a classification system based on metabolism pathway activities in high-throughput sequencing datasets. As a result, HCC samples were classified into two distinct clusters: cluster 1 showed high levels of glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway activity, while cluster 2 exhibited high fatty acid oxidation and glutaminolysis status. This metabolic reprogramming-based classifier was found to be highly correlated with several clinical variables, including overall survival, prognosis, TNM stage, and 𝛼-fetoprotein (AFP) expression. Of note, activated oncogenic pathways, a higher TP53 mutation rate, and increased stemness were also observed in cluster 1, indicating a causal relationship between metabolic reprogramming and carcinogenesis. Subsequently, distinct metabolism-targeted therapeutic strategies were proven in human HCC cell lines, which exhibit the same metabolic properties as corresponding patient samples based on this classification system. Furthermore, the metabolic patterns and effects of different types of cells in the tumor immune microenvironment were explored by referring to both bulk and single-cell data. It was found that malignant cells had the highest overall metabolic activities, which may impair the anti-tumor capacity of CD8+ T cells through metabolic competition, and this provided a potential explanation for why immunosuppressive cells had higher overall metabolic activities than those with anti-tumor functions. Collectively, this study established an HCC classification system based on the gene expression of energy metabolism pathways. Its prognostic and therapeutic value may provide novel insights into personalized clinical practice in patients with metabolic heterogeneity.
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13
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Yang Z, Yan C, Ma J, Peng P, Ren X, Cai S, Shen X, Wu Y, Zhang S, Wang X, Qiu S, Zhou J, Fan J, Huang H, Gao Q. Lactylome analysis suggests lactylation-dependent mechanisms of metabolic adaptation in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Metab 2023; 5:61-79. [PMID: 36593272 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00710-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 91.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced glycolysis and accumulation of lactate is a common feature in various types of cancer. Intracellular lactate drives a recently described type of posttranslational modification, lysine lactylation (Kla), on core histones. However, the impact of lactylation on biological processes of tumour cells remains largely unknown. Here we show a global lactylome profiling on a prospectively collected hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cohort. Integrative lactylome and proteome analysis of the tumours and adjacent livers identifies 9,275 Kla sites, with 9,256 sites on non-histone proteins, indicating that Kla is a prevalent modification beyond histone proteins and transcriptional regulation. Notably, Kla preferentially affects enzymes involved in metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and carbohydrate, amino acid, fatty acid and nucleotide metabolism. We further verify that lactylation at K28 inhibits the function of adenylate kinase 2, facilitating the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. Our study therefore reveals that Kla plays an important role in regulating cellular metabolism and may contribute to HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijian Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cong Yan
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaqiang Ma
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Panpan Peng
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuelian Ren
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shangli Cai
- Medical Department, Burning Rock Biotech, Guangdong, China
| | - Xia Shen
- Center for Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingcheng Wu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoying Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuangjian Qiu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - He Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Qiang Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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14
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Dai W, Shen J, Yan J, Bott AJ, Maimouni S, Daguplo HQ, Wang Y, Khayati K, Guo JY, Zhang L, Wang Y, Valvezan A, Ding WX, Chen X, Su X, Gao S, Zong WX. Glutamine synthetase limits β-catenin-mutated liver cancer growth by maintaining nitrogen homeostasis and suppressing mTORC1. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:161408. [PMID: 36256480 PMCID: PMC9754002 DOI: 10.1172/jci161408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes de novo synthesis of glutamine that facilitates cancer cell growth. In the liver, GS functions next to the urea cycle to remove ammonia waste. As a dysregulated urea cycle is implicated in cancer development, the impact of GS's ammonia clearance function has not been explored in cancer. Here, we show that oncogenic activation of β-catenin (encoded by CTNNB1) led to a decreased urea cycle and elevated ammonia waste burden. While β-catenin induced the expression of GS, which is thought to be cancer promoting, surprisingly, genetic ablation of hepatic GS accelerated the onset of liver tumors in several mouse models that involved β-catenin activation. Mechanistically, GS ablation exacerbated hyperammonemia and facilitated the production of glutamate-derived nonessential amino acids, which subsequently stimulated mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of mTORC1 and glutamic transaminases suppressed tumorigenesis facilitated by GS ablation. While patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, especially those with CTNNB1 mutations, have an overall defective urea cycle and increased expression of GS, there exists a subset of patients with low GS expression that is associated with mTORC1 hyperactivation. Therefore, GS-mediated ammonia clearance serves as a tumor-suppressing mechanism in livers that harbor β-catenin activation mutations and a compromised urea cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Dai
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jianliang Shen
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Junrong Yan
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Alex J. Bott
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sara Maimouni
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Heineken Q. Daguplo
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yujue Wang
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Khoosheh Khayati
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jessie Yanxiang Guo
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Lanjing Zhang
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yongbo Wang
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Alexander Valvezan
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Wen-Xing Ding
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Su
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Shenglan Gao
- Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Xing Zong
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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15
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Unraveling the therapeutic potential of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) in human disease. Bioorg Chem 2022; 130:106253. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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16
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Yu YY, Zhu YJ, Xiao ZZ, Chen YD, Chang XS, Liu YH, Tang Q, Zhang HB. The pivotal application of patient-derived organoid biobanks for personalized treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. Biomark Res 2022; 10:73. [PMID: 36207749 PMCID: PMC9547471 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-022-00421-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) occupy more than 30% of the cancer-related incidence and mortality around the world. Despite advances in the treatment strategies, the long-term overall survival has not been improved for patients with GICs. Recently, the novel patient-derived organoid (PDO) culture technology has become a powerful tool for GICs in a manner that recapitulates the morphology, pathology, genetic, phenotypic, and behavior traits of the original tumors. Excitingly, a number of evidences suggest that the versatile technology has great potential for personalized treatment, suppling the clinical application of molecularly guided personalized treatment. In the paper, we summarize the literature on the topics of establishing organoid biobanks of PDOs, and their application in the personalized treatment allowing for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy selection for GICs. Despite the limitations of current organoid models, high-throughput drug screening of GIC PDO combined with next-generation sequencing technology represents a novel and pivotal preclinical model for precision medicine of tumors and has a great value in promoting the transformation from basic cancer research to clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ya Yu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Juan Zhu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Xiao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ya-Dong Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xue-Song Chang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi-Hong Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qing Tang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Clinical and Basic Research Team of TCM Prevention and Treatment of NSCLC, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Bo Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China. .,Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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17
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Jin S, Cao J, Kong LB. Identification and validation in a novel quantification system of the glutamine metabolism patterns for the prediction of prognosis and therapy response in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 13:2505-2521. [PMID: 36388696 PMCID: PMC9660061 DOI: 10.21037/jgo-22-895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has one of the highest mortality rates worldwide. Abnormal glutamine metabolism (GM) has been reported to be involved in HCC progression. The current study sought to examine the predictive value of GM in HCC patient's prognosis and therapy response. METHODS The RNA-sequencing data and clinical information of HCC samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (N=377) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (N=242). By analyzing a data set from TCGA, we showed that the GM landscape of HCC patients was developed based on the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm. Univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-penalized Cox regression analyses were used to construct a risk model. The accuracy of the model, which was based on the GM-related genes (GMRGs), was verified by Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. We also verified the reliability of the model based on GEO data. Finally, the immune infiltration analysis, pathway enrichment analysis, and treatment response prediction results were compared to each other in the 2 risk groups. RESULTS In our study, the HCC samples were divided into 2 GM-related patterns; that is, C1 and C2. The multi-analysis revealed that the GM-related patterns were associated with the pathologic stage, T stages, N stages, histologic grade, and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Next, the prognostic model containing 5 GMRGs (i.e., aldehyde dehydrogenase 5 family member A1, ASNSD1, carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1, GMPS, and PPAT) was constructed to calculate the risk score. The high-risk group of HCC patients had significantly worse overall survival (OS) than the low-risk group in both datasets (P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression uncover the riskScores may serve as an independent prognostic marker for HCC patients [TCGA: hazard ratio (HR) =2.909 (1.940-4.362), P<0.001; GEO: HR =2.911 (1.753-5.848), P=0.043]. Finally, we found that the prognostic model was significantly correlated with the pathologic stage and TIME of the HCC patients in both databases. Moreover, the prognostic model may guide the immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted drugs choice. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we developed a GM-related 5-gene risk-score model, which may be a useful tool for predicting prognosis and guiding the treatment of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjie Jin
- Liver and Cholecyst Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lian-Bao Kong
- Liver and Cholecyst Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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18
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Jiang Z, Wei C, Luo Y, Xiao Y, Wang L, Guo W, Yuan X. Ornithine aminotransferase and carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 involved in ammonia metabolism serve as novel targets for early stages of gastric cancer. J Clin Lab Anal 2022; 36:e24692. [PMID: 36098904 PMCID: PMC9551119 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The sensitivity and specificity of current biomarkers for gastric cancer were insufficient. The aim of the present study was to screen novel biomarkers and determine the diagnostic values of ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) and carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) for detecting gastric cancer. Methods With stable isotope tags, we labelled an initial discovery group of four paired gastric cancer tissue samples and identified with LC‐ESI‐MS/MS. A validation group of 159 gastric cancer samples and 30 healthy controls were used to validate the candidate targets. GSEA was used to explore the pathways activated in gastric cancer. Results Four hundred and thirty one proteins were found differentially expressed in gastric cancer tissues. Of these proteins, OAT and CPS1 were found over‐expressed in gastric cancer patients, with sensitivity of 70.4% (95% CI: 63.3%–77.6%) and specificity of 80.5% (95% CI: 74.3%–86.7%) for ornithine aminotransferase, and with sensitivity of 68.6% (95% CI: 61.3%–75.8%) and specificity of 73% (95% CI: 66%–79.9%) for carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1. The co‐expression of OAT and CPS1 in gastric cancer tissues has a sensitivity of 81% (95% CI: 73.2%–88.8%) and specificity of 89% (95% CI: 83%–95%). Furthermore, both OAT and CPS1 were overexpressed in patients with local invasion T3 and T4 stages than those in patients with T1 and T2 stages. The co‐expression of OAT and CPS1 was strongly correlated with histological grade I 68% (95% CI: 58.7%–77.3%) and TNM stage I/II 52% (95% CI: 42%–62%). The areas under ROC curves were up to 0.758 for the co‐expression of OAT and CPS1 in gastric cancer. GSEA results showed that two gene sets and 30 gene sets were activated in OAT high‐ and CPS1 high‐expression patients with gastric cancer, respectively. Conclusions The present findings indicated a tight correlation between the co‐expression of OAT and CPS1 and the histological grade, local invasion, and TNM stages of gastric cancer. Therefore, OAT and CPS1 might be predictors for gastric cancer invasion and potential targets for anticancer drug design for gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Preclinical Medicine and Forensic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Chen Wei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Preclinical Medicine and Forensic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yaomin Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Preclinical Medicine and Forensic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Preclinical Medicine and Forensic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Li Wang
- Research Center for Integrative Medicine, Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wubin Guo
- Department of General Surgery, the TCM Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxia Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Preclinical Medicine and Forensic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China
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Chen J, Li C, Lang Z, Zheng J, Yu S, Zhou Z. Identification and Validation of Genomic Subtypes and a Prognostic Model Based on Antigen-Presenting Cells and Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration Characteristics in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:887008. [PMID: 35720008 PMCID: PMC9205444 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.887008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poor, and there is a lack of effective targeted therapy. As key mediators of the immune response, the prognostic value of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in HCC still remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify APC-related genomic subtypes and develop a novel prognostic model in HCC. Our results indicated that overall survival (OS) and the level of immune infiltration significantly differed between different APC clusters. By analyzing the gene expression profile between APC clusters, APC-related genomic subtypes were identified. There was a significant difference in OS and tumor microenvironment infiltration in HCC patients with different genomic subtypes. With the aid of genomic subtypes, significantly differentially expressed genes were screened to generate a novel prognostic model. The risk score of the model had a significant positive correlation with APCs and was associated with immune checkpoint expressions. Through the clinical cohort collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, the prognostic value of the risk score was further validated. Moreover, after the risk score and clinical characteristics were combined, a nomogram was constructed to evaluate the prognosis for HCC patients. In conclusion, we mainly identified the APC-related genomic subtypes and generated a novel prognostic model to improve the prognostic prediction and targeted therapy for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Chen
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chunxue Li
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhichao Lang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jianjian Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Suhui Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhenxu Zhou
- Department of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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20
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Zhou L, Wang QL, Mao LH, Chen SY, Yang ZH, Liu X, Gao YH, Li XQ, Zhou ZH, He S. Hepatocyte-Specific Knock-Out of Nfib Aggravates Hepatocellular Tumorigenesis via Enhancing Urea Cycle. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:875324. [PMID: 35655758 PMCID: PMC9152321 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.875324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear Factor I B (NFIB) has been reported to promote tumor growth, metastasis, and liver regeneration, but its mechanism in liver cancer is not fully elucidated. The present study aims to reveal the role of NFIB in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. In our study, we constructed hepatocyte-specific NFIB gene knockout mice with CRISPR/Cas9 technology (Nfib-/-; Alb-cre), and induced liver cancer mouse model by intraperitoneal injection of DEN/CCl4. First, we found that Nfib-/- mice developed more tumor nodules and had heavier livers than wild-type mice. H&E staining indicated that the liver histological severity of Nfib-/- group was more serious than that of WT group. Then we found that the differentially expressed genes in the tumor tissue between Nfib-/- mice and wild type mice were enriched in urea cycle. Furthermore, ASS1 and CPS1, the core enzymes of the urea cycle, were significantly upregulated in Nfib-/- tumors. Subsequently, we validated that the expression of ASS1 and CPS1 increased after knockdown of NFIB by lentivirus in normal hepatocytes and also promoted cell proliferation in vitro. In addition, ChIP assay confirmed that NFIB can bind with promoter region of both ASS1 and CPS1 gene. Our study reveals for the first time that hepatocyte-specific knock-out of Nfib aggravates hepatocellular tumor development by enhancing the urea cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing-Liang Wang
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lin-Hong Mao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, Chengdu Second People's Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Si-Yuan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zi-Han Yang
- Department of Biomedical Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Department of Pathology, College of Basic Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yu-Hua Gao
- Key Laboratory of Precision Oncology in Universities of Shandong, Institute of Precision Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Xiao-Qin Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhi-Hang Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Song He
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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21
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Li G, He Y, Liu H, Liu D, Chen L, Luo Y, Chen L, Qi L, Wang Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhan L, Zhang N, Zhu X, Song T, Guo H. DNAJC24 is a potential therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma through affecting ammonia metabolism. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:490. [PMID: 35606363 PMCID: PMC9127113 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04953-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved heat shock proteins are involved in the heat shock response of cells in response to changes in the external environment. In normal tissues, heat shock proteins can help cells survive in a rapidly changing environment. Likewise, in malignant tumors heat shock proteins may help tumor cells cope with external stresses as well as the stress of treatment. In this way they become accomplices of malignant tumors. Here we demonstrated for the first time that high expression of DNAJC24 (a heat shock protein) shortens survival in patients with HCC by immunohistochemical staining of 167 paired hepatocellular carcinomas and paraneoplastic tissues as well as data from public databases. In vitro experiments demonstrated that stimuli such as hypoxia, starvation and heat could upregulate DNAJC24 expression in HCC cells through transcriptional regulation of HSF2, and high expression of DNAJC24 in HCC cells could promote the proliferation and motility of HCC cells. In addition, we also verified that targeting DNAJC24 under normal culture conditions can affect the proliferation and autophagy of HCC cells by interfering with ammonia metabolism, thereby inhibiting the malignant progression of HCC. Overall, we suggested that DNAJC24 may become a new target for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangtao Li
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Yuchao He
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Hui Liu
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Dongming Liu
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Lu Chen
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Yi Luo
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Liwei Chen
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Lisha Qi
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Yun Wang
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Yingying Wang
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Yu Wang
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Linlin Zhan
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Ning Zhang
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Xiaolin Zhu
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Tianqiang Song
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
| | - Hua Guo
- grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427Department of Tumor Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300060 China ,grid.411918.40000 0004 1798 6427National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060 China
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22
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Wang Q, Tan Y, Jiang T, Wang X, Li Q, Li Y, Dong L, Liu X, Xu G. Metabolic Reprogramming and Its Relationship to Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cells 2022; 11:cells11071066. [PMID: 35406630 PMCID: PMC8997969 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocarcinogenesis is frequently accompanied by substantial metabolic reprogramming to maximize the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. In this study, we carried out a comprehensive study of metabolomics and lipidomics profiles combined with gene expression analysis to characterize the metabolic reprogramming in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Compared with adjacent noncancerous liver tissue, the enhanced aerobic glycolysis and de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and the repressed urea cycle were underscored in HCC tissue. Furthermore, multiscale embedded correlation analysis was performed to construct differential correlation networks and reveal pathologically relevant molecule modules. The obtained hub nodes were further screened according to the maximum biochemical diversity and the least intraclass correlation. Finally, a panel of ornithine, FFA 18:1, PC O-32:1 and TG (18:1_17:1_18:2) was generated to achieve the prognostic risk stratification of HCC patients (p < 0.001 by log-rank test). Altogether, our findings suggest that the metabolic dysfunctions of HCC detected via metabolomics and lipidomics would contribute to a better understanding of clinical relevance of hepatic metabolic reprogramming and provide potential sources for the identification of therapeutic targets and the discovery of biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China; (Q.W.); (X.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.L.); (G.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yexiong Tan
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.T.); (T.J.)
| | - Tianyi Jiang
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.T.); (T.J.)
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China; (Q.W.); (X.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.L.); (G.X.)
| | - Qi Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China; (Q.W.); (X.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.L.); (G.X.)
| | - Yanli Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China; (Q.W.); (X.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.L.); (G.X.)
| | - Liwei Dong
- International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.T.); (T.J.)
- Correspondence: (L.D.); (X.L.); Tel.: +86-411-84379532 (X.L.)
| | - Xinyu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China; (Q.W.); (X.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.L.); (G.X.)
- Correspondence: (L.D.); (X.L.); Tel.: +86-411-84379532 (X.L.)
| | - Guowang Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China; (Q.W.); (X.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.L.); (G.X.)
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23
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Implications of Stemness Features in 1059 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients from Five Cohorts: Prognosis, Treatment Response, and Identification of Potential Compounds. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030563. [PMID: 35158838 PMCID: PMC8833508 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer stemness has been reported to drive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumorigenesis and treatment resistance. However, comprehensive interpretations of transcriptomic stemness features in HCC patients have not been conducted in multiple cohorts. Our aim was to interpret clinical and therapeutic implications of transcriptional stemness features and explore potential compounds for HCC treatment. We found that transcriptional stemness indexes (mRNAsi) were independently associated with worse HCC prognosis. The HCC stemness risk model (HSRM) developed in this study significantly predicted prognosis and treatment response in various HCC cohorts. Analysis of two stemness subtypes suggested several liver-specific metabolic pathways, and mutations of TP53 and RB1 were associated with HCC transcriptional stemness. Moreover, we also identified potential compounds that target HCC transcriptional stemness. Our findings comprehensively characterized transcriptional stemness as a risk factor in HCC progression and treatment. Abstract Cancer stemness has been reported to drive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumorigenesis and treatment resistance. In this study, five HCC cohorts with 1059 patients were collected to calculate transcriptional stemness indexes (mRNAsi) by the one-class logistic regression machine learning algorithm. In the TCGA-LIHC cohort, we found mRNAsi was an independent prognostic factor, and 626 mRNAsi-related genes were identified by Spearman correlation analysis. The HCC stemness risk model (HSRM) was trained in the TCGA-LIHC cohort and significantly discriminated overall survival in four independent cohorts. HSRM was also significantly associated with transarterial chemoembolization treatment response and rapid tumor growth in HCC patients. Consensus clustering was conducted based on mRNAsi-related genes to divide 1059 patients into two stemness subtypes. On gene set variation analysis, samples of subtype I were found enriched with pathways such as DNA replication and cell cycle, while several liver-specific metabolic pathways were inhibited in these samples. Somatic mutation analysis revealed more frequent mutations of TP53 and RB1 in the subtype I samples. In silico analysis suggested topoisomerase, cyclin-dependent kinase, and histone deacetylase as potential targets to inhibit HCC stemness. In vitro assay showed two predicted compounds, Aminopurvalanol-a and NCH-51, effectively suppressed oncosphere formation and impaired viability of HCC cell lines, which may shed new light on HCC treatment.
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24
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Yu JH, Ma S. Organoids as research models for hepatocellular carcinoma. Exp Cell Res 2021; 411:112987. [PMID: 34942189 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Organoid culture is an emerging research tool that has proved tremendously useful in a multitude of aspects, one of which is cancer research. They largely overcome the limitations of previous cancer models by their faithful recapitulation of the in vivo biology, while still remaining amenable to perturbations. Using a cocktail of biologicals that mimic the stem cell niche signaling, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) organoids could be generated from tissue samples of both human and murine origin. Existing reports show that HCC organoids retain key characteristics of their parental tumor tissue, including the histological architecture, genomic landscape, expression profile and intra-tumor heterogeneity. There is ongoing effort to establish living biobanks of patient-derived cancer organoids, annotated with multi-omics data and clinical data, and they can be particularly valuable in stratification of HCC subtypes, pre-clinical drug discovery and personalized medicine. In the future, efforts in the standardization of procedures and nomenclature, refinement of protocols, as well as engineering of the culture systems will enable scientists to unleash the full potential of organoid technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Hy Yu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Stephanie Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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