A decade's studies on metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Echinatin inhibits the growth and metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through p38 and JNK signaling pathways

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks among the most prevalent cancers, with both a high incidence and a significant mortality rate. Clinical medications are highly toxic to patients and prone to resistance. Natural products are highly valued in the development of antitumour drugs. This study aimed to elucidate the anti-HCC ability and potential mechanism of Echinatin (Ecn), a natural existed flavonoid. Our findings revealed that Ecn suppressed the growth, migration, and invasion of HCC cells and demonstrated a superior inhibitory impact on the development of xenograft tumors. Moreover, Ecn was less toxic to mice and had a good drug safety. Mechanistically, Ecn was found to activate p38 and JNK signaling pathways. Accordingly, the suppressive effect of Ecn on HCC cells was attenuated by the introduction of p38 blocker SB203580 and JNK blocker SP600125. Collectively, our research suggests that Ecn might have anti-HCC properties through the activation of p38 and JNK signaling.

Deciphering the multifaceted role of microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: Integrating literature review and bioinformatics analysis for therapeutic insights

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as pivotal regulators of HCC pathogenesis, influencing key processes such as self-renewal, angiogenesis, glycolysis, autophagy, and metastasis. This article integrates findings from a comprehensive literature review and bioinformatics analysis to elucidate the role of miRNAs in HCC. We discuss how dysregulation of miRNAs can drive HCC initiation, progression, and metastasis by modulating various signaling pathways and target genes. Moreover, leveraging high-throughput technology and bioinformatics tools, we identify key miRNAs involved in multiple cancer hallmarks, offering insights into potential combinatorial therapeutic strategies. Through our analysis considering p-values and signaling pathways associated with key features, we unveil miRNAs with simultaneous roles across critical cancer characteristics, providing a basis for the development of high-performance biomarkers. The microRNAs, miR-34a-5p, miR-373-3p, miR-21-5p, miR-214-5p, miR-195-5p, miR-139-5p were identified to be shared microRNAs in stemness, angiogenesis, glycolysis, autophagy, EMT, and metastasis of HCC. However, challenges such as miRNA stability and delivery hinder the translation of miRNA-based therapeutics into clinical practice. This review underscores the importance of further research to overcome existing barriers and realize the full potential of miRNA-based interventions for HCC management.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts contributed to hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and metastasis via CD36-mediated fatty-acid metabolic reprogramming

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the main components in the tumor microenvironment. Tumors activate fibroblasts from quiescent state into activated state by secreting cytokines, and activated CAFs may in turn promote tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, studies targeting CAFs could enrich the therapeutic options for tumor treatment. In this study, we demonstrate that the content of lipid droplets and the expression of autophagosomes were higher in CAFs than in peri-tumor fibroblasts (PTFs), which was inhibited by 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid(TOFA). The expression of CD36 in CAFs was higher than that in PTFs at both mRNA and protein levels. Inhibition of CD36 activity using either the CD36 inhibitor SSO or siRNA had a significant negative impact on the proliferation and migration abilities of CAFs, which was associated with reduced levels of relevant activated genes (α-SMA, FAP, Vimentin) and cytokines (IL-6, TGF-β and VEGF-α). SSO also inhibited HCC growth and tumorigenesis in nude mice orthotopically implanted with CAFs and HCC cells. Our data further show that CD36+CAFs affected the expression of PD-1 in CTLs leading to CTL exhaustion, and that patients with high CD36 expression in CAFs were correlated with shorter overall survival (OS). Together, our data demonstrate that CAFs were active in lipid metabolism with increased lipid content and lipophagy activity. CD36 may play a key role in the regulation of the biological behaviors of CAFs, which may influence the proliferation and migration of tumor cells by reprograming the lipid metabolism in tumor cells. Thus, CD36 could be an effective therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

Whole-exome sequencing reveals the metastatic potential of hepatocellular carcinoma from the perspective of tumor and circulating tumor DNA

BACKGROUND

Relapse of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to vascular invasion is common, but the genomic mechanisms remain unclear, and molecular determinants of high-risk relapse cases are lacking. We aimed to reveal the evolutionary trajectory of microvascular invasion (MVI) and develop a predictive signature for relapse in HCC.

METHODS

Whole-exome sequencing was performed on tumor and peritumor tissues, portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to compare the genomic profiles between 5 HCC patients with MVI and 5 patients without MVI. We conducted an integrated analysis of exome and transcriptome to develop and validate a prognostic signature in two public cohorts and one cohort from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University.

RESULTS

Shared genomic landscapes and identical clonal origins among tumor, PVTT, and ctDNA were observed in MVI ( +) HCC, suggesting that genomic changes favoring metastasis occur at the primary tumor stage and are inherited in metastatic lesions and ctDNA. There was no clonal relatedness between the primary tumor and ctDNA in MVI ( - ) HCC. HCC had dynamic mutation alterations during MVI and exhibited genetic heterogeneity between primary and metastatic tumors, which can be comprehensively reflected by ctDNA. A relapse-related gene signature named RGSHCC was developed based on the significantly mutated genes associated with MVI and shown to be a robust classifier of HCC relapse.

CONCLUSIONS

We characterized the genomic alterations during HCC vascular invasion and revealed a previously undescribed evolution pattern of ctDNA in HCC. A novel multiomics-based signature was developed to identify high-risk relapse populations.

DLGAP5 promotes gallbladder cancer migration and tumor-associated macrophage M2 polarization by activating cAMP

BACKGROUND

Although disc large associated protein family (DLGAP5) has been reported to be involved in a variety of tumor pathologic processes, its expression and mechanism in gallbladder cancer (GBC) are still uncertain. Macrophages were divided into M1 and M2 macrophages. TAM is more closely defined as M2 polarized macrophages, which plays a key role in cancer progression.

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the role of disc large associated protein family (DLGAP5) in gallbladder cancer (GBC) progression and investigate the mechanism.

METHODS

Differential genes in 10 normal paracancer tissues and 10 GBC tissues in GSE139682 from NCBI-GEO were analyzed by R language. Bioinformation analysis and clinical sample analysis were performed to detect DLGAP5 expression in GBC and its correlation with prognosis. CCK-8, EDU, transwell, wound closure, and Immunoblot were performed to detect its effects on the function of GBC cells. GST-pulldown showed the direct interact between DLGAP5 and cAMP. Macrophage polarization assay was further conducted to detect the effects of DLGAP5 on macrophage M2 polarization. The tumor growth assays were further conducted to confirm its role in mice.

RESULTS

Biological analysis and clinical samples confirmed that DLGAP5 was increased in GBC and strongly related to poor prognosis in patients with GBC. After overexpression of DLGAP5 in GBC cell lines, such as GBC-SD and NOZ cells, cell proliferation and migration were enhanced, and macrophages were polarized to M2. However, after DLGAP5 is knocked down, there is opposite effect. Mechanistically, DLGAP5 promotes the growth and migration of GBC-SD and NOZ cells and the M2 polarization of THP-1-derived macrophages by activating cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway. In vivo, GBC-SD with DLGAP5 knockdown was subcutaneously injected into nude mice. It was found that after DLGAP5 knockdown, both tumor volume and tumor were reduced, and indicators related to proliferation and M2 polarization decreased.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that DLGAP5 is significantly elevated in GBC and is strongly related to poor prognosis in patients with GBC. DLGAP5 promotes GBC proliferation, migration, and M2 polarization of macrophages through cAMP pathway, which provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of GBC and may become a promising therapeutic target.

Lnc-PLA2G4A-4 facilitates the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing versican expression via sponging miR-23b-3p

Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is associated with progression of multiple human cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role of lncRNAs in HCC is not been fully understood. Our study aimed to investigate the biological function and potential molecular mechanism of Lnc-PAL2G4A-4 in HCC. In the current study, we show that Lnc-PLA2G4A-4 was significantly up-regulated in HCC tissues and high Lnc-PLA2G4A-4 expression was remarkably associated with tumor size, microvascular invasion and poor prognosis of HCC patients. Functionally, Lnc-PLA2G4A-4 positively regulated cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro, and facilitated lung metastasis of HCC in vivo. Mechanistically, Lnc-PLA2G4A-4 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to bind to miR-23b-3p and subsequently facilitate miR-23b-3p's target gene versican (VCAN) expression in HCC cells. Over-expression of miR-23b-3p could reverse Lnc-PLA2G4A-4 induced cell phenotypes in HCC and suppress versican expression of by rescue analysis. Collectively, Lnc-PLA2G4A-4 promotes HCC progression by targeting the miR-23b-3p/versican axis, which may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

A multi-omics dataset of human transcriptome and proteome stable reference

The development of high-throughput omics technology has greatly promoted the development of biomedicine. However, the poor reproducibility of omics techniques limits their application. It is necessary to use standard reference materials of complex RNAs or proteins to test and calibrate the accuracy and reproducibility of omics workflows. The transcriptome and proteome of most cell lines shift during culturing, which limits their applicability as standard samples. In this study, we demonstrated that the human hepatocellular cell line MHCC97H has a very stable transcriptome (r = 0.983~0.997) and proteome (r = 0.966~0.988 for data-dependent acquisition, r = 0.970~0.994 for data-independent acquisition) after 9 subculturing generations, which allows this steady standard sample to be consistently produced on an industrial scale in long term. Moreover, this stability was maintained across labs and platforms. In sum, our study provides omics standard reference material and reference datasets for transcriptomic and proteomics research. This helps to further standardize the workflow and data quality of omics techniques and thus promotes the application of omics technology in precision medicine.

Prognostic model for hepatocellular carcinoma based on anoikis-related genes: immune landscape analysis and prediction of drug sensitivity

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a complex ailment characterized by an unfavorable prognosis in advanced stages. The involvement of immune cells in HCC progression is of significant importance. Moreover, metastasis poses a substantial impediment to enhanced prognostication for HCC patients, with anoikis playing an indispensable role in facilitating the distant metastasis of tumor cells. Nevertheless, limited investigations have been conducted regarding the utilization of anoikis factors for predicting HCC prognosis and assessing immune infiltration. This present study aims to identify hepatocellular carcinoma-associated anoikis-related genes (ANRGs), establish a robust prognostic model for HCC, and delineate distinct immune characteristics based on the anoikis signature. Cell migration and cytotoxicity experiments were performed to validate the accuracy of the ANRGs model.

Methods

Consensus clustering based on ANRGs was employed in this investigation to categorize HCC samples obtained from both TCGA and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts. To assess the differentially expressed genes, Cox regression analysis was conducted, and subsequently, prognostic gene signatures were constructed using LASSO-Cox methodology. External validation was performed at the International Cancer Genome Conference. The tumor microenvironment (TME) was characterized utilizing ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms, while machine learning techniques facilitated the identification of potential target drugs. The wound healing assay and CCK-8 assay were employed to evaluate the migratory capacity and drug sensitivity of HCC cell lines, respectively.

Results

Utilizing the TCGA-LIHC dataset, we devised a nomogram integrating a ten-gene signature with diverse clinicopathological features. Furthermore, the discriminative potential and clinical utility of the ten-gene signature and nomogram were substantiated through ROC analysis and DCA. Subsequently, we devised a prognostic framework leveraging gene expression data from distinct risk cohorts to predict the drug responsiveness of HCC subtypes.

Conclusion

In this study, we have established a promising HCC prognostic ANRGs model, which can serve as a valuable tool for clinicians in selecting targeted therapeutic drugs, thereby improving overall patient survival rates. Additionally, this model has also revealed a strong connection between anoikis and immune cells, providing a potential avenue for elucidating the mechanisms underlying immune cell infiltration regulated by anoikis.

Efficacy and prognostic factors of repeated hepatectomy for postoperative intrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing initial hepatectomy

Background

Postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with low survival rates. While HCC treatment options have expanded substantially, they are accompanied by several challenges. This study assessed the outcomes of repeated hepatectomy (RH) for postoperative intrahepatic recurrence of HCC among patients undergoing initial hepatectomy (IH) as well as independent risk factors for HCC recurrence among patients undergoing repeated hepatectomy (RH).

Methods

Clinical data from 84 patients undergoing both IH and RH and 66 recurrent HCC patients who had received radiofrequency ablation (RFA) from July 2011 to September 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The following groups were compared: (1) RH Group A (n = 84), (2) IH Group (n = 84, same individuals as RH Group A), (3) RH Group B (n = 45/84 from RH Group A), and (4) RFA Group (n = 66). The clinical pathology and operative characteristics of the patients in RH Group A were compared to those in the IH Group. Meanwhile, the clinical pathology and pre- and post-treatment features of the patients in RH Group B were compared to those in the RFA Group. The tumor-free survival time was compared between patients in RH Group A and the IH Group as well as between patients in RH Group B and the RFA Group. The independent risk factors for the 1-year postoperative tumor-free survival of RH Group A patients were investigated using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

Measures of clinical pathology, including AFP, Child-Pugh score, HBV-DNA, tumor number, liver cirrhosis, tumor differentiation, surgical approach, and TNM stage differed significantly between patients in RH Group A and the IH Group (all P < 0.05), with the exception of tumor number and tumor size (both P > 0.05). No significant differences were found in these measures between the patients in RH Group B and the RFA Group (all P > 0.05). While patients in the RH Group A had a longer operation time than those in the IH Group (4.35 ± 1.25 h vs. 3.55 ± 0.92 h, P < 0.001), the level of intraoperative bleeding was similar (400.00 ± 199.25 ml vs. 359.40 ± 213.37 ml, P = 0.204). RH Group B patients had a longer hospitalization time than those in the RFA Group (6.5 ± 0.8 d vs. 5.5 ± 1.1 d, P < 0.001), however, the difference in hospitalization costs was not statistically significant (29,009 ± 3,806 CNY vs. 29,944 ± 3,752 CNY, P = 0.202). Five-day post-operative serum biomarker levels, including direct bilirubin (DB) and albumin (ALB), were significantly higher in RH Group B than in the RFA Group (all P < 0.05), with the exception of ALT, AST, and total bilirubin (TB) (all P > 0.05). Patients in RH Group A had a lower tumor-free survival time than those in the IH Group (median: 12 vs. 22 months, P < 0.001), and patients in the RH Group B had a significantly higher tumor-free survival time than those in the RFA group (median: 15 months vs. 8 months, P < 0.001). Age ≥50 y, Child-Pugh class A, and negative HBV-DNA were independent risk factors that positively impacted the 1-year postoperative tumor-free survival rate of postoperative intrahepatic recurrent HCC patients undergoing RH (P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Due to the potential of harm related to relapse of recurrent HCC for cancer patients, RH is a superior option. RH could offer better outcomes for recurrent HCC patients undergoing IH. Compared with lesion pathology, the better target organ of the liver will be key to ameliorating tumor-free survival for recurrent HCC patients undergoing RH.

Phosphatase regenerating liver 3 participates in Integrinβ1/FAK-Src/MAPK signaling pathway and contributes to the regulation of malignant behaviors in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Phosphatase regenerating liver 3 (PRL-3) was associated with cancer metastasis. However, the significance of PRL-3 in the prognosis of HCC remains elusive. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of PRL-3 in HCC metastasis and its prognosis.

METHODS

The expressions of PRL-3 in cancer tissues isolated from 114 HCC patients, who underwent curative hepatectomy from May to November in 2008, were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and its prognostic significance was evaluated. Thereafter, the migration, invasion, and metastatic alterations in MHCC97H cells with PRL-3 overexpression or knockdown were explored and compared with the tumor size and lung metastasis in orthotopic HCC model of nude mice derived from MHCC97H cells with PRL-3 overexpression or knockdown. The underlying mechanism involving PRL-3-mediated effect on HCC migration, invasion, and metastasis was further examined.

RESULTS

Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated PRL-3 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the HCC patients. Increased PRL-3 expression in MHCC97H cells was in accordance with the enhanced metastasis potential. PRL-3 knockdown inhibited the migration, invasiveness, and clone forming ability in MHCC97H cells, whereas PRL-3 overexpression reverted the above behavior. The growth of xenograft tumor in the liver was suppressed, and the lung metastasis in nude mice was inhibited by PRL-3 downregulation. The knockdown of PRL-3 could downregulate the expressions of Integrinβ1 and p-Src (Tyr416), p-Erk (Thr202/Tyr204) activation, and reduce MMP9 expression. Both MEK1/2 inhibitor (U0126) and Src inhibitor could repress PRL-3-induced invasiveness and migration in MHCC97H cells.

CONCLUSIONS

PRL-3 was significantly overexpressed and an independent prognostic factor to predict the death of HCC patients. Mechanically, PRL-3 plays a critical role in HCC invasive and metastasis via Integrinβ1/FAK-Src/RasMAPK signaling. Validation of PRL-3 as a clinical prediction marker in HCC warrants further research.

Surgical treatment for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma: Current status and challenges

Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and was the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide in 2020. It includes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (representing 75%-85% of cases), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (representing 10%-15% of cases), and other rare types. The survival rate of patients with HCC has risen with improved surgical technology and perioperative management in recent years; however, high tumor recurrence rates continue to limit long-term survival, even after radical surgical resection (exceeding 50% recurrence). For resectable recurrent liver cancer, surgical removal [either salvage liver transplantation (SLT) or repeat hepatic resection] remains the most effective therapy that is potentially curative for recurrent HCC. Thus, here, we introduce surgical treatment for recurrent HCC. Areas Covered: A literature search was performed for recurrent HCC using Medline and PubMed up to August 2022. Expert commentary: In general, long-term survival after the re-resection of recurrent liver cancer is usually beneficial. SLT has equivalent outcomes to primary liver transplantation for unresectable recurrent illness in a selected group of patients; however, SLT is constrained by the supply of liver grafts. SLT seems to be inferior to repeat liver resection when considering operative and postoperative results but has the major advantage of disease-free survival. When considering the similar overall survival rate and the current situation of donor shortages, repeat liver resection remains an important option for recurrent HCC.

5-Azacytidine promotes HCC cell metastasis by up-regulating RDH16 expression

The level of DNA methylation could affect the expression of tumor promoting and tumor suppressor genes. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors could reduce high methylation levels in cancer and inhibit the progression of a variety of cancers, including HCC. However, the pro-metastatic effect of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in some cancers suggest the potential risk of their use. Whether DNA methyltransferase inhibitors also promote metastasis in HCC remains unclear. Our study will explore the effect of DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Azacytidine on HCC metastasis. Our study found that 5-Azacytidine inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells while promoting in vitro and in vivo metastasis of HCC. Mechanistically, our study showed that 5-Azacytidine increased the expression of RDH16 by decreasing the methylation of RDH16 gene promoter. RDH16 is a highly methylated gene and its expression is very low in hepatocellular carcinoma. 5-Azacytidine promoted the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by increasing the expression of RDH16. Our results suggest that 5-Azacytidine up-regulates the expression of RDH16 by decreasing the methylation level of RDH16, and then promoting HCC metastasis. These findings suggest that 5-Azacytidine and even other DNA methyltransferase inhibitors may have the risk of promoting metastasis in HCC treatment. RDH16 could be used as a pro-metastasis biomarker in the treatment of HCC with DNA methyltransferase inhibitors.

ST6GAL1 inhibits metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via modulating sialylation of MCAM on cell surface

The poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is mainly because of its high rate of metastasis. Thus, elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC metastasis is of great significance. Glycosylation is an important post-translational modification that is closely associated with tumor progression. Altered glycosylation including the altered sialylation resulting from aberrant expression of β-galactoside α2,6 sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) has long been considered as an important feature of cancer cells. However, there is limited information on the roles of ST6GAL1 and α2,6 sialylation in HCC metastasis. Here, we found that ST6GAL1 and α2,6 sialylation were negatively correlated with the metastatic potentials of HCC cells. Moreover, ST6GAL1 overexpression inhibited migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and suppressed HCC metastasis in vivo. Using a metabolic labeling-based glycoproteomic strategy, we identified a list of sialylated proteins that may be regulated by ST6GAL1. In particular, an increase in α2,6 sialylation of melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) inhibited its interaction with galectin-3 and decreased its expression on cell surface. In vitro and in vivo analysis showed that ST6GAL1 exerted its function in HCC metastasis by regulating MCAM expression. Finally, we found the relative intensity of sialylated MCAM was negatively correlated with tumor malignancy in HCC patients. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ST6GAL1 may be an HCC metastasis suppressor by affecting sialylation of MCAM on cell surface, which provides a novel insight into the roles of ST6GAL1 in HCC progression and supports the functional complexity of ST6GAL1 in a cancer type- and tissue type-specific manner.

LncRNA SNHG5 promotes the proliferation and cancer stem cell-like properties of HCC by regulating UPF1 and Wnt-signaling pathway

The role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) had been demonstrated in different types of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma. This study was intended to investigate the role of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (SNHG5) in HCC proliferation and the liver CSC-like properties. Through functional experiments, we determined that knockdown of SNHG5 repressed HCC cell proliferation and CSC-like properties, while over-expression of SNHG5 promoted cell growth. At the same time, CSC markers (CD44, CD133, and ALDH1) and related transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG) were downregulated when SNHG5 was knocked down. Mechanically, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pulldown assay showed that SNHG5 regulated the proliferation and CSC-like properties of HCC by binding UPF1. Further investigations showed that expression of critical components of Wnt/β-catenin pathway (β-catenin, TCF4, c-myc, cyclinD1, and c-Jun) were upregulated with depletion of UPF1 in liver CSCs, which were downregulated with depletion of SNHG5. After use of the inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, the formation of liver CSCs sphere decreased. Taken together, SNHG5 plays a critical role to promote HCC cell proliferation and cancer stem cell-like properties via UPF1 and Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Dysregulation of Liver Regeneration by Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Impact on Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The liver is unique in its ability to regenerate in response to damage. The complex process of liver regeneration consists of multiple interactive pathways. About 2 billion people worldwide have been infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and HBV causes 686,000 deaths each year due to its complications. Long-term infection with HBV, which causes chronic inflammation, leads to serious liver-related diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV infection has been reported to interfere with the critical mechanisms required for liver regeneration. In this review, the studies on liver tissue characteristics and liver regeneration mechanisms are summarized. Moreover, the inhibitory mechanisms of HBV infection in liver regeneration are investigated. Finally, the association between interrupted liver regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis, which are both triggered by HBV infection, is outlined. Understanding the fundamental and complex liver regeneration process is expected to provide significant therapeutic advantages for HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

An SCD1-dependent mechanoresponsive pathway promotes HCC invasion and metastasis through lipid metabolic reprogramming

Matrix stiffness promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. This study examined the contribution of lipid metabolic reprogramming to matrix stiffness-induced HCC metastasis. HCC cells were cultured on mechanically tunable polyacrylamide gels and subjected to lipidomic analysis. The key enzyme that responded to matrix stiffness and regulated lipid metabolism was identified. The comparative lipidomic screening revealed that stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a mechanoresponsive enzyme that reprogrammed HCC cell lipid metabolism. The genetic and pharmacological inhibition of SCD1 expression/activity altered the cellular lipid composition, which in turn impaired plasma membrane fluidity and inhibited in vitro invasive motility of HCC cells in response to high matrix stiffness. Knockdown of SCD1 suppressed HCC invasion and metastasis in vivo. Conversely, the overexpression of SCD1 or exogenous administration of its product oleic acid augmented plasma membrane fluidity and rescued in vitro invasive migration in HCC cells cultured on soft substrates, mimicking the effects imposed by high matrix stiffness. In human HCC tissues, collagen content, a marker of increasing matrix stiffness, and increased expression of SCD1 together predicted poor survival of HCC patients. An SCD1-dependent mechanoresponsive pathway that responds to increasing matrix stiffness in the tumor microenvironment promotes HCC invasion and metastasis through lipid metabolic reprogramming.

Lens culinaris agglutinin inhibits human hepatoma cell migration via mannose and fucose-mediated ERK1/2 and JNK1/2/3 signalling pathway

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main types of primary liver cancer, which shows some abnormal glycosylation, such as the increase of fucose. Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA), a natural plant lectin that can bind to mannose and fucose, has been reported to be antiproliferative to may tumors. However, the effect of LCA on the vitality and migration ability of human hepatoma cells is not demonstrated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of LCA on vitality and migration in human hepatoma cells and its potential mechanisms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

LCA had no significant effect on viability of human hepatoma cells (HCCLM3, MHCC97L and HepG2) and hepatocytes (L02) by CCK-8 kit, but it could inhibit human hepatoma cells migration significantly without affecting hepatocytes by Transwell method. Sugar inhibition assay was used to verify the possible binding site between LCA and human hepatoma cells. The result showed that Mannose- and fucose- related sites were associated with LCA inhibiting human hepatoma cells migration. Moreover, LCA could affect HCCLM3 migration by activating ERK1/2 and JNK1/2/3 signalling pathways. LCA did not affect MMP-2 and MMP-9 of HCCLM3 through gelatinase zymography. However, the results of immunofluorescence standing showed that LCA could reduce the F-actin formation in HCCLM3 via ERK1/2 and JNK1/2/3 signalling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

LCA might inhibit human hepatoma cell migration by reducing the F-actin formation via the mannose and fucose-mediated ERK1/2 and JNK1/2/3 signalling pathway. This result will deepen people's understanding on plant lectin as a drug in tumor glycobiology.

USP53 plays an antitumor role in hepatocellular carcinoma through deubiquitination of cytochrome c

Despite of advances in treatment options, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains nearly incurable and has been recognized as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. As a deubiquitinating enzyme, the antitumor effect of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 53 (USP53) has been demonstrated on few malignancies. In this study, we investigated the potential antitumor role of USP53 in HCC. The results showed that USP53 was downregulated in HCC tissues as well as in HCC cell lines using both in silico data as well as patient samples. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of USP53 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced the apoptosis of HCC cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) assay and mass spectrometry (MS) combined with the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) identified cytochrome c (CYCS) as an interacting partner of USP53. USP53 overexpression increased the stability of CYCS in HCC cells following cycloheximide treatment. Finally, the overexpression of CYCS compensated for the decreased apoptotic rates in cells with USP53 knocked down, suggesting that USP53 induced the apoptosis in HCC cells through the deubiquitination of CYCS. To summarize, we identified USP53 as a tumor suppressor as well as a therapeutic target in HCC, providing novel insights into its pivotal role in cell apoptosis.

Circular RNA TLK1 Exerts Oncogenic Functions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Acting as a ceRNA of miR-138-5p

Mounting evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) function as key regulators in carcinogenesis and cancer progression, and this study is aimed at investigating the regulatory functions of circRNA TLK1 (circ-TLK1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We observed that circ-TLK1 was highly expressed in HCC samples, and its high expression was closely associated with poor clinicopathological variables of HCC patients. The results of functional experiments revealed that knockdown of circ-TLK1 remarkably inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of HCC cells, while circ-TLK1 overexpression promoted these malignant behaviors. Moreover, we noted that circ-TLK1 was capable of binding to miR-138-5p and upregulating its target gene, SOX4 in HCC. Based on rescue assays, miR-138-5p inhibition partially suppressed the effects of circ-TLK1 knockdown on the malignant behaviors of HCC cells. In short, this study is the first to indicate that circ-TLK1 functions as an oncogene in HCC progression partly through acting as a ceRNA of miR-138-5p, which may be a promising target for HCC therapy.

Whole-genome sequencing reveals the evolutionary trajectory of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma early recurrence

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have poor long-term survival following curative resection because of the high rate of tumor early recurrence. Little is known about the trajectory of genomic evolution from primary to early-recurrent HCC. In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on 40 pairs of primary and early-recurrent hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC tumors from patients who received curative resection, and from four patients whose primary and recurrent tumor were extensively sampled. We identified two recurrence patterns: de novo recurrence (18/40), which developed genetically independently of the primary tumor and carried different HCC drivers, and ancestral recurrence (22/40), which was clonally related to the primary tumor and progressed more rapidly than de novo recurrence. We found that the recurrence location was predictive of the recurrence pattern: distant recurrence tended to display the de novo pattern, whereas local recurrence tended to display the ancestral pattern. We then uncovered the evolutionary trajectories based on the subclonal architecture, driver-gene mutations, and mutational processes observed in the primary and recurrent tumors. Multi-region WGS demonstrated spatiotemporal heterogeneity and polyclonal, monophyletic dissemination in HCC ancestral recurrence. In addition, we identified recurrence-specific mutations and copy-number gains in BCL9, leading to WNT/β-catenin signaling activation and an immune-excluded tumor microenvironment, which suggests that BCL9 might serve as a new therapeutic target for recurrent HCC. Collectively, our results allow us to view with unprecedented clarity the genomic evolution during HBV-related HCC early recurrence, providing an important molecular foundation for enhanced understanding of HCC with implications for personalized therapy to improve patient survival.

PAK3 promotes the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating EMT process

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. The malignant biological behavior of HCC is closely related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and EMT plays an important role in the progression, migration and metastasis of HCC. P21-activated kinase 3 (PAK3) is a serine/threonine protein kinase, and PAK3 affects the EMT, proliferation, metastasis and invasion of HCC. Methods: In this study, the relationship between PAK3 and HCC was first analyzed by bioinformatics, and then, the expression of PAK3 in clinical samples was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. Subsequently, the expression of PAK3 was further confirmed in HCC cells. In addition, after the overexpression or knockdown of PAK3 in cells, the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of these cells were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing and Transwell assays, and the results were confirmed in vivo experiments in mice. In addition, we also verified that PAK3 affected the EMT and EMT-related pathway of HCC through qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments. Results: Through database analysis, we found that PAK3 was highly expressed in HCC patients and was positively correlated with tumor stage and grade, suggesting that PAK3 expression was closely related to HCC occurrence and development. We subsequently confirmed that PAK3 was overexpressed in HCC clinical samples and HCC cell lines and that PAK3 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. Finally, we found that PAK3 regulated EMT-related molecule expression and EMT-related TGF-β/smad signaling pathway. Conclusion: High expression of PAK3 enhances the invasion of HCC and regulates EMT, suggesting that PAK3 may be a potential target for the treatment of HCC.

A2M is a potential core gene in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Background

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a type of malignant tumor ranking the second in the incidence of primary liver cancer following hepatocellular carcinoma. Both the morbidity and mortality have been increasing in recent years. Small duct type of ICC has potential therapeutic targets. But overall, the prognosis of patients with ICC is usually very poor.

Methods

To search latent therapeutic targets for ICC, we programmatically selected the five most suitable microarray datasets. Then, we made an analysis of these microarray datasets (GSE26566, GSE31370, GSE32958, GSE45001 and GSE76311) collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The GEO2R tool was effective to find out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ICC and normal tissue. Gene Ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were executed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) v 6.8. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database was used to analyze protein–protein interaction of these DEGs and protein–protein interaction of these DEGs was modified by Cytoscape3.8.2. Survival analysis was performed using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) online analysis tool.

Results

A total of 28 upregulated DEGs and 118 downregulated DEGs were screened out. Then twenty hub genes were selected according to the connectivity degree. The survival analysis results showed that A2M was closely related to the pathogenesis and prognosis of ICC and was a potential therapeutic target for ICC.

Conclusions

According to our study, low A2M expression in ICC compared to normal bile duct tissue was an adverse prognostic factor in ICC patients. The value of A2M in the treatment of ICC needs to be further studied.

Knockdown of DLGAP5 suppresses cell proliferation, induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in ovarian cancer

Discs large-associated protein 5 (DLGAP5) is a microtubule-associated protein and is reported to exert oncogenic role in tumorigenesis, including lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the prognostic value and biological function of DLGAP5 in ovarian cancer (OC) still remain unclear. The present study investigated the expression pattern of DLGAP5 by searching the Oncomine microarray database. The correlation between DLGAP5 and survival prognosis of OC patients was analyzed by the online tool KM-plotter. Knockdown of DLGAP5 was achieved by transfection with small interfering RNA targeting DLGAP5 in two OC cell lines (SKOV3 and CAOV3). Cell proliferation was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony-formation assay. Flow cytometry was utilized to determine the effects of DLGAP5 on cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. The present study data showed that DLGAP5 was significantly upregulated in OC and its higher expression was associated with poor survival prognosis. Knockdown of DLGAP5 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, induced cell cycle G₂/M phase arrest and apoptosis. Western blot analysis further demonstrated that DLGAP5 knockdown downregulated the expression of CDK1, Cyclin B1 and Bcl-2, but upregulated Bax expression. Collectively, these data demonstrate that DLGAP5 might be a promising prognostic therapeutic target for OC treatment.

Multiple-level copy number variations in cell-free DNA for prognostic prediction of HCC with radical treatments

Copy number variations (CNVs) in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) are emerging as noninvasive biomarkers for various cancers. However, multiple-level analysis of cfDNA CNVs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with radical treatments remains uninvestigated. Here, CNVs at genome-wide, chromosomal-arm, and bin levels were analyzed in cfDNA from 117 HCC patients receiving radical treatments. Then, the relationship between cfDNA CNVs and clinical outcomes was explored. Our results showed that a concordant profile of CNVs was observed between cfDNA and tumor tissue DNA. Three genome-wide CNV indicators including tumor fraction (TFx), prediction score (P-score), and stability score (S-score) were calculated and demonstrated to exhibit significant correlation with poorer overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Furthermore, the high-frequency cfDNA CNVs at chromosomal-arm level including the loss of 4q, 17p, and 19p and the gain of 8q and 1q clearly predicted HCC prognosis. Finally, a bin-level risk score was constructed to improve the ability of CNVs in predicting prognosis. Altogether, our study indicates that the multiple-level cfDNA CNVs are significantly associated with OS and RFS in HCC patients with radical treatments, suggesting that cfDNA CNVs detected by low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) may be used as potential prognostic biomarkers of HCC patients.

Insights into Growth Factors in Liver Carcinogenesis and Regeneration: An Ongoing Debate on Minimizing Cancer Recurrence after Liver Resection

Hepatocellular carcinoma has become a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality throughout the world, and is of great concern. Currently used chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma lead to severe side effects, thus underscoring the need for further research to develop novel and safer therapies. Liver resection in cancer patients is routinely performed. After partial resection, liver regeneration is a perfectly calibrated response apparently sensed by the body's required liver function. This process hinges on the effect of several growth factors, among other molecules. However, dysregulation of growth factor signals also leads to growth signaling autonomy and tumor progression, so control of growth factor expression may prevent tumor progression. This review describes the role of some of the main growth factors whose dysregulation promotes liver tumor progression, and are also key in regenerating the remaining liver following resection. We herein summarize and discuss studies focused on partial hepatectomy and liver carcinogenesis, referring to hepatocyte growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, and epidermal growth factor, as well as their suitability as targets in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Finally, and given that drugs remain one of the mainstay treatment options in liver carcinogenesis, we have reviewed the current pharmacological approaches approved for clinical use or research targeting these factors.

Anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis effects of Polyphyllin VII on Hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo

Background

Polyphyllin VII (PP7), a steroidal saponin from P. polyphylla has been found to exert strong anticancer activity. Little is known about the anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis properties of PP7. In this study, the anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic effects of PP7 on HCC and the molecular mechanisms were evaluated.

Methods

Effect of PP7 on angiogenesis was assessed by tube formation assay and applied a transgenic Tg(fli1:EGFP) zebrafish model. Effects of PP7 on tumor metastasis and invasion were examined in cell migration and invasion assay, zebrafish tumor xenograft models and lung metastasis mouse models. The protein levels were examined by Western blotting.

Results

PP7 significantly decreased the tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the number and length of ISVs and SIVs of transgenic zebrafish, and the metastasis and invasion of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic effects of PP7 in HepG2 cells were attributable, at least partially, to downregulated NF-κB/MMP-9/VEGF signaling pathway.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that PP7 possesses strong anti-angiogenesis and anti-metastasis activities, suggesting that PP7 could be a potential candidate agent for HCC treatment.

NAD(P)HX epimerase downregulation promotes tumor progression through ROS/HIF-1α signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from aberrant tumor metabolism could contribute to tumor invasion and metastasis. NAD(P)HX Epimerase (NAXE), an epimerase that allows the repair of damaged forms of antioxidant NADPH, is a potential cellular ROS scavenger and its role in tumor development is still elusive. Here, we found that NAXE is significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cell lines. NAXE downregulation is associated with poor clinicopathological characteristics and is an independent risk factor for overall and disease‐free survival of HCC patients after liver resection. In addition, low NAXE expression could identify worse prognosis of HCC patients before vascular invasion or in early stages of disease. In particularly, low NAXE expression in HCC is markedly associated with microvascular invasion (MVI) and its combination with MVI predicts poorer prognosis of HCC patients after liver resection. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments both showed that knockdown of NAXE expression in HCC cells promoted migration, invasion, and metastasis by inducing epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), whereas NAXE overexpression causes the opposite effects. Mechanistically, low NAXE expression reduced NADPH levels and further caused ROS level increase and hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) activation, thereby promoting invasion and metastasis of HCC by facilitating EMT. What is more, the tumor‐promoting effect of NAXE knockdown in HCC xenograft can be abolished by giving mice N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine (NAC) in drinking water. Taken together, our findings uncovered a tumor suppressor role for NAXE in HCC by scavenging excessive ROS and inhibiting tumor‐promoting signaling pathways, suggesting a new strategy for HCC therapy by targeting redox signaling.

LINC01133 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by sponging miR-199a-5p and activating annexin A2

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are functionally associated with cancer development and progression. Although gene copy number variation (CNV) is common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it is not known how CNV in lncRNAs affects HCC progression and recurrence. We aimed to identify a CNV-related lncRNA involved in HCC progression and recurrence and illustrate its underlying mechanisms and prognostic value.

METHODS

We analyzed the whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of matched cancerous and noncancerous liver samples from 49 patients with HCC to identify lncRNAs with CNV. The results were validated in another cohort of 238 paired HCC and nontumor samples by TaqMan copy number assay. We preformed Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test to identify lncRNA CNV with prognostic value. We conducted loss- and gain-of-function studies to explore the biological functions of LINC01133 in vitro and in vivo. The competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) mechanism was clarified by microRNA sequencing (miR-seq), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. We confirmed the binding mechanism between lncRNA and protein by RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, qRT-PCR, and western blot analyses.

RESULTS

Genomic copy numbers of LINC01133 were increased in HCC, which were positively related with the elevated expression of LINC01133. Increased copy number of LINC01133 predicted the poor prognosis in HCC patients. LINC01133 overexpression in HCC cells promoted proliferation and aggressive phenotypes in vitro, and facilitated tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo, whereas LINC01133 knockdown had the opposite effects. LINC01133 sponged miR-199a-5p, resulting in enhanced expression of SNAI1, which induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. In addition, LINC01133 interacted with Annexin A2 (ANXA2) to activate the ANXA2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

LINC01133 promotes HCC progression by sponging miR-199a-5p and interacting with ANXA2. LINC01133 CNV gain is predictive of poor prognosis in patients with HCC.

Identification of hepatocellular carcinoma prognostic markers based on 10-immune gene signature

Background: Due to the heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatocelluarin-associated differentially expressed genes were analyzed by bioinformatics methods to screen the molecular markers for HCC prognosis and potential molecular targets for immunotherapy.

Methods: RNA-seq data and clinical follow-up data of HCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Multivariate Cox analysis and Lasso regression were used to identify robust immunity-related genes. Finally, a risk prognosis model of immune gene pairs was established and verified by clinical features, test set and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) external validation set.

Results: A total of 536 immune-related gene (IRGs) were significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with HCC. Ten robust IRGs were finally obtained and a prognostic risk prediction model was constructed by feature selection of Lasso. The risk score of each sample is calculated based on the risk model and is divided into high risk group (Risk-H) and low risk group (Risk-L). Risk models enable risk stratification of samples in training sets, test sets, external validation sets, staging and subtypes. The area under the curve (AUC) in the training set and the test set were all >0.67, and there were significant overall suvival (OS) differences between the Risk-H and Risk-L samples. Compared with the published four models, the traditional clinical features of Grade, Stage and Gender, the model performed better on the risk prediction of HCC prognosis.

Conclusion: The present study constructed 10-gene signature as a novel prognostic marker for predicting survival in patients with HCC.

Pharmacology of apocynin: a natural acetophenone

Apocynin is a naturally occurring acetophenone, found in the roots of Apocynum cannabinum and Picrorhiza kurroa. Various chemical and pharmaceutical modifications have been carried out to enhance the absorption and duration of action of apocynin, like, formulation of chitosan-based apocynin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles, chitosan-oligosaccharide based nanoparticles, and biodegradable polyanhydride nanoparticles. Apocynin has been subjected to a wide range of experimental screening and has proved to be useful for amelioration of a variety of disorders, like diabetic complications, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disorders, lung cancer, hepatocellular cancer, pancreatic cancer, and pheochromocytoma. Apocynin has been primarily reported as an NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor and prevents translocation of its p47^phox subunit to the plasma membrane, observed in neurodegeneration and hypertension. However, recent studies highlight its off-target effects that it is able to function as a scavenger of non-radical oxidant species, which is relevant for its activity against NOX 4 mediated production of hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, apocynin has shown inhibition of eNOS-dependent superoxide production in diabetic cardiomyopathy, reduction of NLRP3 activation and TGFβ/Smad signaling in diabetic nephropathy, diminished VEGF expression and decreased retinal NF-κB activation in diabetic retinopathy, inhibition of P38/MAPK/Caspase3 pathway in pheochromocytoma, inhibition of AKT-GSK3β and ERK1/2 pathways in pancreatic cancer, and decreased FAK/PI3K/Akt signaling in hepatocellular cancer. This review aims to discuss the pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of the pharmacological actions of apocynin.

PKCδ mediates mitochondrial ROS generation and oxidation of HSP60 to relieve RKIP inhibition on MAPK pathway for HCC progression

Both protein kinase C (PKC) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are well-known signaling messengers cross-talking with each other to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) for progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the underlying mechanisms are not well elucidated. Especially, whether mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) is involved and how it triggers MAPK signaling are intriguing. In this study, we found mtROS generation and phosphorylation of MAPKs were mediated by PKCδ in HCCs treated with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), one of the chaperones in mitochondria was the major protein oxidized in TPA-treated HCCs. Moreover, depletion of HSP60 or expression of HSP60 cysteine mutant prevented TPA-induced phosphorylation of MAPKs. To delineate how HSP60 mediated MAPK activation, the role of Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP), a negative regulator of MAPK, was investigated. TPA dissociated RKIP from HSP60 in both mitochondria and cytosol, concurrently with translocation of HSP60 and MAPK from mitochondria to cytosol, which was associated with robust phosphorylation of MAPKs in the cytosol. Moreover, TPA induced opposite phenotypical changes of HCCs, G1 cell cycle arrest, and cell migration, which were prevented by mtROS scavengers and depletion of PKCδ and HSP60. Consistently, TPA increased the migration-related genes, hydrogen peroxide inducible clone5, matrix metalloproteinase-1/3, lamininγ2, and suppressed the cell cycle regulator cyclin E1 (CCNE1) via PKCδ/mtROS/HSP60/MAPK-axis. Finally, c-jun and c-fos were required for TPA-induced expression of the migration-related genes and a novel microRNA, miR-6134, was responsible for TPA-induced suppression of CCNE1. In conclusion, PKCδ cross-talked with mtROS to trigger HSP60 oxidation for release of RKIP to activate MAPK, regulating gene expression for migration, and G1 cell cycle arrest in HCC. Targeted therapy aiming at key players like PKCδ, RKIP, and HSP60 is promising for preventing HCC progression.

GATA3 is downregulated in HCC and accelerates HCC aggressiveness by transcriptionally inhibiting slug expression

Previous studies have reported that GATA3 is downregulated in multiple types of tumours, including gastric cancer and osteosarcoma. The aim of this study was to explore whether GATA3 serves as a tumour suppressor to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Tumour tissue specimens and adjacent normal tissue specimens were obtained from 162 patients diagnosed with HCC in the Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University from July 2000 to May 2018. The result of the present study demonstrated that GATA3 was downregulated in HCC tumour tissues compared with that of adjacent normal tissues. The expression of GATA3 was also negatively associated with tumour size, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, analysis of the follow-up data revealed that low GATA3 expression was closely correlated with poor survival. Gain and loss of function analyses revealed that overexpression of GATA3 decreased the ability of proliferation, migration and invasion in HCC cell lines, whereas inhibition of GATA3 promoted the ability of proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, GATA3 suppressed EMT through the regulation of slug expression. Additionally, slug overexpression attenuated the inhibitory effects of GATA3 overexpression on cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Thus, GATA3 is downregulated in HCC, and suppresses cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, GATA3 transcriptionally inhibits slug expression, thereby suppressing EMT in HCC.

The 14-3-3σ protein promotes HCC anoikis resistance by inhibiting EGFR degradation and thereby activating the EGFR-dependent ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Resistance to anoikis, cell death due to matrix detachment, is acquired during tumor progression. The 14-3-3σ protein is implicated in the development of chemo- and radiation resistance, indicating a poor prognosis in multiple human cancers. However, its function in anoikis resistance and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently unknown. Methods: Protein expression levels of 14-3-3σ were measured in paired HCC and normal tissue samples using western blot and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical correlation between 14-3-3σ expression, clinicopathological features, and overall survival. Artificial modulation of 14-3-3σ (downregulation and overexpression) was performed to explore the role of 14-3-3σ in HCC anoikis resistance and tumor metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Association of 14-3-3σ with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was assayed by co-immunoprecipitation. Effects of ectopic 14-3-3σ expression or knockdown on EGFR signaling, ligand-induced EGFR degradation and ubiquitination were examined using immunoblotting and co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence staining, and flow cytometry analysis. The levels of EGFR ubiquitination, the interaction between EGFR and 14-3-3σ, and the association of EGFR with c-Cbl after EGF stimulation, in 14-3-3σ overexpressing or knockdown cells were examined to elucidate the mechanism by which 14-3-3σ inhibits EGFR degradation. Using gain-of-function or loss-of-function strategies, we further investigated the role of the EGFR signaling pathway and its downstream target machinery in 14-3-3σ-mediated anoikis resistance of HCC cells. Results: We demonstrated that 14-3-3σ was upregulated in HCC tissues, whereby its overexpression was correlated with aggressive clinicopathological features and a poor prognosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that 14-3-3σ promoted anoikis resistance and metastasis of HCC cells. Mechanistically, we show that 14-3-3σ can interact with EGFR and significantly inhibit EGF-induced degradation of EGFR, stabilizing the activated receptor, and therefore prolong the activation of EGFR signaling. We demonstrated that 14-3-3σ downregulated ligand-induced EGFR degradation by inhibiting EGFR-c-Cbl association and subsequent c-Cbl-mediated EGFR ubiquitination. We further verified that activation of the ERK1/2 pathway was responsible for 14-3-3σ-mediated anoikis resistance of HCC cells. Moreover, EGFR inactivation could reverse the 14-3-3σ-mediated effects on ERK1/2 phosphorylation and anoikis resistance. Expression of 14-3-3σ and EGFR were found to be positively correlated in human HCC tissues. Conclusions: Our results indicate that 14-3-3σ plays a pivotal role in the anoikis resistance and metastasis of HCC cells, presumably by inhibiting EGFR degradation and regulating the activation of the EGFR-dependent ERK1/2 pathway. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of the role of 14-3-3σ in the anoikis resistance of HCC cells, offering new research directions for the treatment of metastatic cancer by targeting 14-3-3σ.

A study on the effects of tumor-derived exosomes on hepatoma cells and hepatocytes by atomic force microscopy

Tumor-derived exosomes (exos) are closely related to the occurrence, development and treatment of tumors. However, it is not clear how the exosomes affect the physical properties, which lead to the deterioration of the target cells. In this paper, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the effects of exosomes in HCC-LM3 cells and other cells (SMMC-7721 and HL-7702). The results showed that the HCC-LM3-exos (the exosomes secreted by HCC-LM3 cells, 50 μg mL^-1) significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of HCC-LM3 cells. HCC-LM3-exos also promoted the proliferation and migration of SMMC-7721 and HL-7702 cells at 1000 and 1500 μg mL^-1, respectively. With an increase in time and concentration, the proliferation effect was more significant. On comparing the mechanical properties of the three types of cells (HCC-LM3, SMMC-7721 and HL-7702 cells), the degradation degree and migration ability of the cells were from high to low in the above order. In turn, the surface roughness of the cells decreased, and adhesion and elastic modulus increased. With an increase in treatment time, surface roughness increased, while adhesion and elastic modulus decreased. These suggested that the HCC-LM3-exos could change the mechanical properties of cells, leading to their deterioration, and enhance their migration and invasion ability. In this paper, the effects of exosomes were analyzed from the perspective of the physical parameters of cells, which provide a new idea to study cancer metastasis and prognosis.

Hepatitis B virus pre-S2 deletion (nucleotide 1 to 54) in plasma predicts recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative surgical resection

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite curative surgical resection, high recurrence of HCC after surgery results in poor patient survival. To develop prognostic markers is therefore important for better prevention and therapy of recurrent HCC to improve patient outcomes. Deletion mutations over the pre-S1 and pre-S2 gene segments of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been closely associated with recurrence of HCC after curative surgical resection. In this study, we applied a next-generation sequencing-based approach to further evaluate the association of pre-S deletion regions with HCC recurrence. We demonstrated that the pre-S2 deletion (nucleotide 1 to 54) was the most predominant deletion regions of pre-S gene in plasma of HBV-related HCC patients. Moreover, patients with the pre-S2 deletion (nucleotide 1 to 54) exhibited a significantly higher risk of HCC recurrence after curative surgical resection than those without. The pre-S2 deletion (nucleotide 1 to 54) in plasma represented a prognostic factor that independently predicted HCC recurrence with greater performance than other clinicopathological and viral factors. Our data suggest that detection of the pre-S2 deletion (nucleotide 1 to 54) in plasma may be a promising noninvasive strategy for identifying patients at high risk for HCC recurrence after curative surgical resection.

R-spondin2 Suppresses the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via MAPK Signaling Pathway

The R-spondin family plays important roles in embryonic development, including in humans. However, information on the relationship between R-spondin2 and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is lacking. This study aimed was to explore the mechanisms of R-spondin2 action in the progression of HCC. By analyzing R-spondin2 expression levels in HCC tissues by IHC and database, we identified that HCC tissues had lower expression levels of R-spondin2, correlated with a poor prognosis. We also established R-spondin2-overexpressing and knockdown cell lines and measured their viabilities and invasion abilities in vitro and their oncogenic capacity in vivo. Human mRNA microarray analysis was performed to screen for mRNAs that were differentially expressed between R-spondin2-overexpressing and control HCC cells. Microarray and Western blot analyses showed significant changes in the MAPK signaling pathway after transfection. Furthermore, in vivo experiments indicated that R-spondin2 knockdown increased the tumorigenicity of HCC cells after subcutaneous implantation in mice. Altogether, our results indicate that the R-spondin2, which might be a novel tumor suppressor gene, were responsible for inhibiting the proliferation and invasion of HCC via the MAPK signaling pathway. IMPLICATIONS: R-spondin2 gene might be a novel tumor suppressor gene providing new clues to clarify the biological behavior of HCC and thus reduce patient mortality and prolong survival.

Enhanced therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with radioactive I-125 seed implantation on liver cancer

The present study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radioactive I-125 (iodine-125) seed implantation on liver cancer. A total of 38 liver cancer patients in the combined treatment group were treated with lobaplatin-TACE combined with radioactive I-125 seed implantation, while 45 patients in the TACE group were treated only with lobaplatin-TACE. Patients were followed up for survival time, and the liver function, change in α-fetoprotein (AFP) and side effects were evaluated. The average survival time of patients was 6.1 months in the TACE group and 8.2 months in the combined treatment group, and the overall survival was significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05). The response rate of lesions in the combined treatment group was superior to that observed in the TACE group, and the change in AFP in the TACE group was smaller than that in the combined treatment group. Improvement in the effects on most liver function indices in the combined treatment group were better than those in the TACE group. In addition, there were no differences in the side effects experienced between the two groups. Results of this study indicate that the effect of TACE combined with radioactive I-125 seed implantation is superior to that of TACE alone for the treatment of liver cancer, which can further benefit patients.

Tyrosine metabolic enzyme HPD is decreased and predicts unfavorable outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Liver is a major metabolic organ containing many metabolic enzymes. Disorders of liver-specific enzymes can cause liver dysfunction and tumorigenesis. Previous studies indicated that 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPD) plays an essential role in catalyzing the tyrosinolytic metabolism of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate to homogeneous acids in liver tissues. However, the clinical significance of HPD in HCC has not been obtained. Here in our study, we aimed to identify the expression and the clinical significance of HPD in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

Western Blotting and qRT-PCR were employed to evaluate the level of HPD in HCC cell lines and fresh samples. The expression of HPD was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a tissue microarray (TMA) cohort with a total of 778 HCC patients. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of HPD in HCC was evaluated from TCGA and GEO public databases. Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the correlation between HPD expression with clinicopathological variables and survival rate of HCC patients. The cellular behaviors of transfected cells were respectively examined by CCK8 and Migration assay.

RESULTS

The expression of HPD is restricted in liver compared with other cancer types. HPD mRNA and protein expression was dramatically reduced in HCC cell lines and fresh tissue samples. IHC staining in HCC TMA further showed that the decreased of HPD in paraffin-imbedded HCC samples was linked to an adverse overall postoperative survival (p < 0.001). Clinicopathologically, low expression of HPD was correlated with larger tumor size, advanced TNM staging and poor differentiaion. In addition, multivariate analyses indicated that HPD was an independent predictive factor of HCC survival. Our study pioneering validates that knockdown of HPD increases HCC cell cell growth and cell motility.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that HPD may serve as a valuable prognostic marker, a tumor suppressor, and a potential therapeutic target for HCC patients.

LncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 Promotes Cell Viability, Migration, and Invasion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Sponging miR-424-5p

Objective

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) results in high mortality and metastasis. In this study, the effects of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) CDKN2B-AS1 on the progression of HCC were investigated.

Materials and Methods

LncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 expression of HCC cancer and adjacent tissues, and HCC cells were detected. Subsequently, CDKN2B-AS1 was overexpressed and silenced in HCC cells to observe the effects of CDKN2B-AS1 on the cell viability, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCC cells by performing cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), wound-healing, Transwell, and Western blot. The target gene of CDKN2B-AS1 was predicted and verified to be miR-424-5p, whose expression in HCC cells with up- or down-regulation of CDKN2B-AS1 expression was determined. Moreover, the effects of miR-424-5p on cell viability, migration, and invasion and EMT of HCC cells were investigated with miR-424-5p up-regulation or down-regulation, together with overexpression or silencing of CDKN2B-AS1.

Results

CDKN2B-AS1 expression was increased in HCC tissues and cells. Silencing of CDKN2B-AS1 suppressed cell viability, migration, invasion, and EMT, while overexpression of CDKN2B-AS1 produced the opposite results. Furthermore, CDKN2B-AS1 was predicted and verified to target miR-424-5p and was confirmed to negatively modulate miR-424-5p expression. Moreover, overexpression of miR-424-5p partially suppressed the previously high cell viability, migration, and invasion, and activated EMT resulted from up-regulation of CDKN2B-AS1, while silencing of miR-424-5p elevated the cellular processes inhibited by silencing the expression of CDKN2B-AS1.

Conclusion

The present study revealed that high-expressed CDKN2B-AS1 may associate with the progression of HCC by affecting the cell viability, migration, invasion, and EMT of HCC cells by negatively regulating miR-424-5p.

High-throughput sequencing-based analysis of gene expression of hepatitis B virus infection-associated human hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a critical factor for the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gene expression profiles for HBV-associated HCC may provide valuable insight for the diagnosis and treatment of this type of HCC. The present study aimed to screen the differential genes in human HCC tissues based on high-throughput sequencing and to predict the potential therapeutic targets. Total mRNA was extracted from human HCC tissues and paracancerous tissues and sequenced using the Hiseq4000 sequencing platform. Differential gene expressions were screened and further analyzed using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. A total of 2,386 differentially expressed genes were screened. Of these, 1119 were upregulated and 1,267 were downregulated in paracancerous tissues compared with tumor tissues. Gene Ontology term analysis demonstrated that differentially expressed genes were involved in carboxylic acid catabolism, monocarboxylic acid metabolic processes and α-amino acid metabolic processes. Molecular functional analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes functioned in oxidoreductase activity, for example acting on CH-OH group of donors and permitting identical protein binding, anion binding, coenzyme binding and monocarxylic acid transporter activity. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis reported that the differentially expressed genes were primarily concentrated in 20 signaling pathways, such as valine, leucine and leucine degradation, retinol metabolism and the cell cycle. Differential expression of proteins regulating the cell cycle, including stratifin, cyclin B1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 1, were significantly higher in tumor tissue compared with those in paracancerous tissue at both the mRNA and protein levels. These results were consistent with those obtained from high-throughput sequencing, indicating the reliability of the high-throughput sequencing. Together, these results identified differentially expressed genes and predicted the subsequent signaling pathways, which may be involved in the occurrence and development of HCC. Therefore, the present study may provide novel implications in the therapeutic and diagnosis of HCC.

Prevention of postoperative local recurrence by combined radiofrequency ablation of residual liver section during primary liver cancer resection

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection is the main method that may cure liver cancer. Radiofrequency ablation treatment of small liver cancer can also achieve the same effect as surgical resection, but the high postoperative recurrence rate greatly limits its therapeutic effect. To prevent or reduce local recurrence of postoperative residual liver section, we designed a combined treatment method.

AIM

To explore the preventive effect of a new method for treating residual liver section during primary liver cancer resection on local tumor recurrence after surgery.

METHODS

The clinical data of 17 cases undergoing primary liver cancer resection by surgery combined with radiofrequency ablation (8 cases of laparoscopy and 9 cases of open surgery) from October 2016 to September 2019 were retrospectively reviewed to analyze local tumor recurrence after operation.

RESULTS

No severe postoperative complications occurred in all patients. The patients were followed every 3 mo after surgery, and had been followed for 6 mo to 36 mo, with a median follow-up time of 25.7 mo ± 4.4 mo. No local recurrence of residual liver section occurred in all patients. There was one case of abdominal lymph node metastasis at 15 mo after operation and one case of new intrahepatic tumor away from the residual liver section at 18 mo after surgery. These two cases were further treated with modern integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and live well with tumor now. All other cases are in good condition now. No deaths occurred.

CONCLUSION

Radiofrequency ablation of residual liver section during resection of primary liver cancer can significantly reduce local tumor recurrence and improve patient survival.

Leading the invasion: The role of Cathepsin S in the tumour microenvironment

Elevated expression of the cysteine protease Cathepsin S has been correlated with a number of different cancer types in recent years. As tools have been developed to enable more accurate examination of individual cathepsin species, our knowledge and appreciation of the role that this protease plays in facilitating cancer has increased exponentially. This review focuses on our current understanding of the role of Cathepsin S within tumours and the surrounding microenvironment. While various publications have shown that Cathepsin S can be derived from tumour cells themselves, a plethora of more recent studies have identified that Cathepsin S can also be derived from other cell types within the tumour microenvironment including endothelial cells, macrophages and T cells. Furthermore, specific proteolytic substrates cleaved by Cathepsin S have also been identified which have reinforced our hypothesis that this protease facilitates key steps within tumours leading to their invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis.

Galangin promotes cell apoptosis through suppression of H19 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Background

Galangin has been extensively studied as the antitumor agent in various cancers. However, the effect of galangin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive.

Methods

Using RNA sequencing, the differential expression of lncRNA in human HCC cell line with highly metastatic potential (MHCC97H) cells treated with galangin was investigated. Furthermore, H19 expression pattern was also determined in MHCC97H cells following treatment with galangin. In addition, knockdown and overexpression of H19 was performed to analyze the effect of the expression pattern of H19 on cell apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion in HCC cells. Moreover, the in vivo effect of galangin on tumor development was also determined in nude mice. In order to analyze loss expression of H19 in vivo, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) was used.

Results

Total of 50 lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in MHCC97H cells treated with galangin. Besides, the expression of H19 was markedly reduced following treatment with galangin in MHCC97H cells. Compared to the Control group, the galangin‐treated group inhibited cell migration and invasion. Knockdown of H19 expression showed increased cell apoptosis and decreased invasion. In addition, RNA‐seq data also identified 161 mRNA which was significantly differentially expressed following treatment with galangin. To further determine the underlying mechanism, p53 protein was analyzed. Notably, the results indicated that knockdown of H19 and miR675 induced the expression of p53, eventually promoting cell apoptosis in MHCC97H cells. These results indicated that galangin promoted cell apoptosis through reduced the expression of H19 and miR675 in MHCC97H cells. The in vivo result showed that compared to the Con, tumor growth was remarkably suppressed with loss expression of H19.

Conclusion

Our data suggested that galangin has a crucial role in hepatocarcinogenesis through regulating the expression pattern of H19.

Actinidia Chinensis Planch Root extract attenuates proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting the DLX2/TARBP2/JNK/AKT pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Many studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese herbs exert potential anti-tumor effects. Actinidia Chinensis Planch root has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. However, the mechanism of anti-tumor effects of Actinidia Chinensis Planch root has not been clearly clarified.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the molecular biological mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effect of Actinidia Chinensis Planch root extract (acRoots) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In our previous study, we used mRNA chip analyses to identify genes regulated by acRoots. Further analyses of altered genes led to the identification of a key regulator of genes that responds to acRoots. We explored the effects of acRoots on the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells via cell counting as well as transwell assays, and further explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of acRoots on HCC cells using qRT-PCR, western blot, and Chip-PCR.

RESULTS

Increasing the concentration of acRoots as well as prolonging its action time enhanced the inhibitory activity of acRoots as well as its cytotoxicity against HCC cells. High TARBP2 expression in HCC cells, which is associated with advanced-stage HCC and poor prognoses in HCC patients, was downregulated by treatment with acRoots. Furthermore, acRoots inhibited proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by downregulating TARBP2 expression. HCC cells with higher TARBP2 expression were more sensitive to acRoots. The expression of TARBP2 and DLX2 in HCC patients and HCC cell lines was significantly positively correlated, and DLX2 as a transcription factor may promote TARBP2 expression, thereby further activating the JNK/AKT signaling pathway leading to the inhibition of HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

acRoots inhibited the malignant behavior of HCC cells by inhibiting TARBP2 expression, which is affected by the transcription factor DLX2, leading to a reduction in JNK/AKT signaling pathway activation.

MACROD2 deficiency promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis by activating GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling

Structural variations (SVs) influence the development and progression of multiple types of cancer. The genes affected by SVs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their contribution to tumor growth and metastasis remain unknown. In this study, through whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we identified MACROD2 as the gene most frequently affected by SVs, which were associated with low MACROD2 expression levels. Low MACROD2 expression was predictive of tumor recurrence and poor overall survival. MACROD2 expression was decreased in HCC cell lines, especially those with high metastatic potential. MACROD2 knockdown in HCC cells markedly enhanced proliferation and invasiveness in vitro and tumor progression in vivo and promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). By contrast, MACROD2 overexpression reversed EMT and inhibited HCC growth and metastasis. Mechanistically, MACROD2 deficiency suppressed glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activity and activated β-catenin signaling, which mediated the effect of MACROD2 on HCC. In clinical HCC samples, decreased MACROD2 expression was correlated with the activation of GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling and the EMT phenotype. Overall, our results revealed that MACROD2 is frequently affected by SVs in HCC, and its deficiency promotes tumor growth and metastasis by activating GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling.

miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p suppress postoperative metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via blocking HGF/ERBB3-NF-κB positive feedback loop

Dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) is a frequent event in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but little is known whether it is a bystander or an actual player on residual HCC metastasis during liver microenvironment remodeling initiated by hepatectomy. Methods: The differently expressed miRNAs and mRNAs were identified from RNA-seq data. Western blot, qRT-PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical were used to detect the expression of miRNA and mRNA in cell lines and patient tissues. The biological functions were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation, proximity ligation and luciferase reporter assay were used to explore the specific binding of target genes. The expression of HGF/ERBB3 signaling was detected by Western blot. Results: In this study, HGF induced by hepatectomy was shown to promote metastasis of residual HCC cells. miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p were confirmed to play inhibitory roles on HCC metastasis. And ERBB3 was found to be the common target of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p. HCC cells with lower levels of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p or higher level of ERBB3 were often more sensitive to response HGF stimuli and to facilitate metastatic colonization both in vitro and in vivo experimental systems. Furthermore, HGF reinforced ERBB3 expression by NF-κB transcriptional activity in a positive feedback loop. Of particular importance, HCC patients with lower levels of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p or higher level of ERBB3 had significantly shorter OS and PFS survivals after surgical resection. Conclusion: miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p could suppress postoperative metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via blocking HGF/ERBB3-NF-κB positive feedback loop and offer a new probable strategy for metastasis prevention after HCC resection.

The role of hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone-5 in tumor progression

The poor prognosis of cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma is due to high recurrence rate mainly caused by metastasis. Target therapy aiming at critical signal molecules within these pathways is one of the promising strategies for the prevention of metastasis. Hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone-5 (Hic-5), which belongs to the paxillin superfamily, is emerging as a potential target along the metastatic signaling pathway. Hic-5 and paxillin share similar structural features; however, there are a lot of different biochemical properties between them, including tissue-specific distribution, regulation of gene expression, critical signal cascade, and the impacts on cellular phenotypes. This review focus on the recent studies of Hic-5 related to its impacts on signal transduction and transcription responsible for tumor progression. Hic-5 may regulate mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade for cell migration and invasion in various systems. Hic-5 can mediate transforming growth factor-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via RhoA- and Src-dependent signaling. Moreover, Hic-5 plays a central role in a positive feedback Hic-5-NADPH oxidase-ROS-JNK signal cascade. This sustained signaling is required for regulating EMT-related genes including E-cadherin, Snail, MMP9, and Zeb-1. In addition, Hic-5 can be a transcription coregulatory factor for a lot of nuclear receptors. Owing to the critical role of Hic-5 in signal transduction and transcription responsible for tumor progression, it can be a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of tumor metastasis.

CLCA4 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition via PI3K/AKT signaling

Calcium activated Chloride Channel A4 (CLCA4), as a tumor suppressor, was reported to contribute to the progression of several malignant tumors, yet little is known about the significance of CLCA4 in invasion and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CLCA4 expression was negatively correlated with tumor size, vascular invasion and TNM stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that CLCA4 was an independent predictor for overall survival (OS) and time to recurrence (TTR). In addition, CLCA4 status could act as prognostic predictor in different risk of subgroups. Moreover, combination of CLCA4 and serum AFP could be a potential predictor for survival in HCC patients. Furthermore, CLCA4 may inhibit cell migration and invasion by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via PI3K/ATK signaling. Knockdown of CLCA4 significantly increased the migration and invasion of HCC cells and changed the expression pattern of EMT markers and PI3K/AKT phosphorylation. An opposite expression pattern of EMT markers and PI3K/AKT phosphorylation was observed in CLCA4-transfected cells. Additionally, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR results further confirmed this correlation. Taken together, CLCA4 contributes to migration and invasion by suppressing EMT via PI3K/ATK signaling and predicts favourable prognosis of HCC. CLCA4/AFP expression may help to distinguish different risks of HCC patients after hepatectomy.

Genomic sequencing identifies WNK2 as a driver in hepatocellular carcinoma and a risk factor for early recurrence

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection is common. However, the association between genetic mechanisms and early HCC recurrence, especially in Chinese patients, remains largely unknown.

METHODS

We performed whole-genome sequencing (49 cases), whole-exome sequencing (18 cases), and deep targeted sequencing (115 cases) on 182 primary HCC samples. Focusing on WNK2, we used Sanger sequencing and qPCR to evaluate all the coding exons and copy numbers of that gene in an additional 554 HCC samples. We also explored the functional effect and mechanism of WNK2 on tumor growth and metastasis.

RESULTS

We identified 5 genes (WNK2, RUNX1T1, CTNNB1, TSC1, and TP53) harboring somatic mutations that correlated with early tumor recurrence after curative resection in 182 primary HCC samples. Focusing on WNK2, the overall somatic mutation and copy number loss occurred in 5.3% (39/736) and 27.2% (200/736), respectively, of the total 736 HCC samples. Both types of variation were associated with lower WNK2 protein levels, higher rates of early tumor recurrence, and shorter overall survival. Biofunctional investigations revealed a tumor-suppressor role of WNK2: its inactivation led to ERK1/2 signaling activation in HCC cells, tumor-associated macrophage infiltration, and tumor growth and metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results delineate genomic events that characterize Chinese HCCs and identify WNK2 as a driver of early HCC recurrence after curative resection.

LAY SUMMARY

We applied next-generation sequencing and conducted an in-depth genomic analysis of hepatocellular carcinomas from a Chinese patient cohort. The results delineate the genomic events that characterize hepatocellular carcinomas in Chinese patients and identify WNK2 as a driver associated with early tumor recurrence after curative resection.