Cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma: mechanisms and translational potential

SNORA74A Drives Self-Renewal of Liver Cancer Stem Cells and Hepatocarcinogenesis Through Activation of Notch3 Signaling

Liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) account for tumor initiation, heterogeneity and therapy resistance. However, the role of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in the regulation of liver CSCs remains largely unclear. Here, this work identifies a conserved H/ACA box snoRNA SNORA74A which is highly expressed in liver CSCs. SNORA74A deletion impaired the self-renewal of liver CSCs and suppressed hepatocarcinogenesis. Mechanistically, highly expressed SNORA74A in liver CSCs bound DCAF13 to prevent K48 linked ubiquitination of E2F2 for degradation. E2F2 induced NOTCH3 transcription to initiate Notch3 signaling activation, leading to self-renewal of liver CSCs and hepatocarcinogenesis. Moreover, expression levels of SNORA74A and NOTCH3 are positively related with severity and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Of note, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) against SNORA74A showed effective efficacy for HCC tumors, suggesting SNORA74A might be a potential therapeutic target for HCC therapy by eliminating liver CSCs.

UBE4B modulates BET inhibitor sensitivity via KLHL22-JAK2-PIM1 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Ubiquitination factor E4B (UBE4B) is crucial to the high mortality rate and poor prognosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Evidence suggests that aberrant epigenetic modifications significantly contribute to HCC carcinogenesis, making epigenetic mechanisms a promising area for therapeutic intervention. However, the precise role of UBE4B in the epigenetic dysregulation observed in HCC remains elusive. In this study, we silenced UBE4B in HCC cells and exposed them to a panel of epigenetic compounds. Notably, only bromodomain and extraterminal inhibitors (BETis) exhibited resistance to UBE4B silencing, while restoring UBE4B expression partially reversed this resistance. Furthermore, UBE4B deletion led to decreased growth rates and impaired proliferation, resulting in cell cycle arrest and diminished tumorigenicity. However, this deletion did not affect the cell cycle arrest induced by BETi. Interestingly, KLHL22, a ubiquitin substrate of UBE4B, accumulated in UBE4B-deleted cells. Knockdown of KLHL22 restored sensitivity to BETi, accompanied by downregulation of JAK2 and upregulation of its negative regulator, LNK. Additionally, UBE4B deletion resulted in decreased LNK expression, and LNK knockdown increased JAK2 expression and mediated resistance to BETi. Increased JAK2 subsequently targeted PIM1, further reducing the inhibitory effect of BETi. Directly silencing PIM1 in UBE4B-deleted cells restored BETi sensitivity. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into the relationship between UBE4B expression and BETi sensitivity, which is mediated through the KLHL22-JAK2-PIM1 regulatory axis. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying HCC progression but also suggest that targeting this axis may present a promising therapeutic strategy for enhancing the treatment outcomes of HCC.

SLC7A11, a disulfidptosis-related gene, correlates with multi-omics prognostic analysis in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

This study sought to establish a risk score signature based on disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) to predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

METHODS

The expression data of DRGs from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) was analyzed to develop and validate a DRG prognostic signature (DRGPS). In vitro, experiments were conducted to explore DRG expressions and roles in HCC tissues and cell lines. HCC tissue microarrays were employed to analyze SLC7A11 expression and its association with clinicopathological characteristics.

RESULTS

The DRGPS consisted of 5 DRGs (SLC7A11, MATN3, CLEC3B, CCNJL, and PON1). The survival rate of HCC patients in high-risk group was significantly lower than that in low-risk group. The DRGPS was also associated with the modulation of tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor mutation burden (TMB), stemness and chemosensitivity. Furthermore, pan-cancer analysis suggested that the DRGPS risk score was associated with immune infiltration and stemness in multiple cancers. Moreover, our DRGPS had potential for predicting treatment efficacy in HCC patients. Finally, we confirmed that downregulation of SLC7A11, a DRG, inhibited the proliferation and migration of HCC cells, while its high expression correlated with advanced TNM clinical stage and larger tumor size.

CONCLUSIONS

This study systematically describes a novel DRGPS constructed for predicting HCC prognosis, providing a new approach to risk stratification and treatment options. It also investigates the expression and function of SLC7A11, contributing to further exploration of the molecular mechanism underlying disulfidptosis in HCC, as well as its prognostic and therapeutic implications.

uniLIVER: a human liver cell atlas for data-driven cellular state mapping

The liver performs several vital functions such as metabolism, toxin removal, and glucose storage through the coordination of various cell types. With the recent breakthrough of the single-cell/single-nucleus RNA-seq (sc/snRNA-seq) techniques, there is a great opportunity to establish a reference cell map of the liver at single-cell resolution with transcriptome-wise features. In this study, we build a unified liver cell atlas uniLIVER (http://lifeome.net/database/uniliver) by integrative analysis of a large-scale sc/snRNA-seq data collection of normal human liver with 331,125 cells and 79 samples from 6 datasets. Moreover, we introduce LiverCT, a novel machine learning based method for mapping any query dataset to the liver reference map by introducing the definition of "variant" cellular states analogy to the sequence variants in genomic analysis. Applying LiverCT on liver cancer datasets, we find that the "deviated" states of T cells are highly correlated with the stress pathway activities in hepatocellular carcinoma, and the enrichments of tumor cells with the hepatocyte-cholangiocyte "intermediate" states significantly indicate poor prognosis. Besides, we find the tumor cells of different patients have different zonation tendencies and this zonation tendency is also significantly associated with the prognosis. This reference atlas mapping framework can also be extended to any other tissues.

Establishment and Validation of the Novel Necroptosis-related Genes for Predicting Stemness and Immunity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Machine-learning Algorithm

BACKGROUND

Necroptosis, a recently identified mechanism of programmed cell death, exerts significant influence on various aspects of cancer biology, including tumor cell proliferation, stemness, metastasis, and immunosuppression. However, the role of necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive.

METHODS

In this study, we assessed the mutation signature, copy number variation, and expression of 37 NRGs in HCC using the TCGA-LIHC dataset. We further validated our results using the ICGC-LIRI-JP dataset. To construct our prognostic model, we utilized the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and evaluated the predictive efficacy of the NRGs-score using various machine learning algorithms, including K-M curves, time-ROC curves, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, and nomogram. In addition, we analyzed immune infiltration using the CIBERSOFT and ssGSEA algorithms, calculated the stemness index through the one-class logistic regression (OCLR) algorithm, and performed anti-cancer stem cells (CSCs) drug sensitivity analysis using oncoPredict. Finally, we validated the expression of the prognostic NRGs through qPCR both in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

About 18 out of 37 NRGs were found to be differentially expressed in HCC and correlated with clinical outcomes. To construct a prognostic model, six signature genes (ALDH2, EZH2, PGAM5, PLK1, SQSTM1, and TARDBP) were selected using LASSO analysis. These genes were then employed to categorize HCC patients into two subgroups based on NRGs-score (low vs. high). A high NRGs score was associated with a worse prognosis. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to confirm the NRGs-score as an independent risk factor. These analyses revealed strong associations between NRGs-score and critical factors, such as AFP, disease stage, and tumor grade in the HCC cohort. NRGs-score effectively predicted the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival of HCC patients. Immune infiltration analysis further revealed that the expression of immune checkpoint molecules was significantly enhanced in the high NRGs-score group. Stemness analysis in the HCC cohort showed that NRGs-score was positively correlated with mRNA stemness index, and patients with high NRGs-score were sensitive to CSCs inhibitors. The findings from the external validation cohort provided confirmation that the NRGs-score presented a trait with universal applicability in accurately predicting the survival of HCC. Additionally, the six prognostic genes were consistently differentially expressed in both the HCC cell line and the mouse HCC model.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated the pivotal role of NRGs in promoting stemness and immune suppression in HCC and established a robust model which could successfully predict HCC prognosis.

Regulatory factor X-5/SCL/TAL1 interruption site axis promotes aerobic glycolysis and hepatocellular carcinoma cell stemness

The incidence and development of various tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are linked to tumor stem cells. Although research has revealed how important SCL/TAL1 interruption site (STIL) is in many human tumors, the impact of STIL on HCC stem cells is poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the regulatory mechanisms and the function of STIL in the stemness of HCC tumor cells. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to determine the STIL and regulatory factor X-5 (RFX5) expression in HCC tissues. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of STIL and RFX5 in HCC tissues. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was utilized to measure the STIL and RFX5 expression levels in HCC cells. The viability of the cells was assessed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. The sphere formation assay was used to evaluate the sphere-forming capacity. The expression levels of the stem cell markers SOX2, Oct-4, CD133, CD44, the glycolysis-related proteins LDHA, HK2, AKT, p-AKT, and β-catenin were assessed by Western blot. Lactate production, oxygen consumption rate, and extracellular acidification rate were measured to assess the glycolytic capacity of HCC cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase experiments were performed to validate the connection between RFX5 and STIL. Bioinformatics analysis determined that STIL exhibited high expression in HCC tissues and was enriched in the glycolysis pathway. In addition, the expression of glycolysis marker genes was positively correlated with STIL expression. Cell experiments verified that the activation of the glycolysis pathway by overexpression of STIL promoted stemness in HCC. Molecular experiments also revealed the binding relationship between STIL and RFX5. IHC detected high expression of STIL and RFX5 in HCC tissues. Cell functional experiments revealed that RFX5 could influence the HCC cells stemness by activating the STIL transcription via the glycolysis pathway. This study identified a novel role for the RFX5/STIL axis in HCC progression, which may offer treatment targets for HCC.

A hepatocellular carcinoma model with and without parenchymal liver damage that integrates technical and pathophysiological advantages for therapy testing

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer, with cirrhosis being its strongest risk factor. Interestingly, an increasing number of HCC cases is also observed without cirrhosis. We developed an HCC model via intrasplenic injection of highly tumorigenic HCC cells, which, due to cellular tropism, invade the liver and allow for a controllable disease progression. Specifically, C57BL/6JRj mice were intrasplenically inoculated with Dt81Hepa1-6 HCC cells, with a subgroup pre-treated with CCl4 to induce cirrhosis (C-HCC). At four weeks post-inoculation, mice were sacrificed, and diseased livers were analyzed via histology, flow cytometry, and RT-qPCR to profile the extracellular matrix (ECM), angiogenesis, and immune cells. In addition, tumor-bearing mice were treated with the first-line therapy, AtezoBev, to assess therapeutic responsiveness of the model. Dt81Hepa1-6 cells displayed similar gene expression as human HCC. After intrasplenic injection, all mice developed multifocal disease. C-HCC mice had a significantly higher tumor load than non-cirrhotic HCC mice. Both HCC and C-HCC models displayed extensive ECM formation, increased levels of vascularization, and immune cell infiltration compared to healthy and non-cancerous cirrhotic livers. AtezoBev treatment produced robust antitumor efficacy, validating the model's suitability for therapy testing. In conclusion, we established a rapidly developing and high-yield HCC model through a simple intrasplenic injection, with or without cirrhotic damage. The model overexpressed key human HCC genes and showed high responsiveness to first-line treatment. Our model uniquely combines all the above-mentioned features, promoting its use towards HCC therapy testing.

N6-methyladenosine-modified long non-coding RNA KIF9-AS1 promotes stemness and sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma by upregulating SHOX2 expression

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and aggressive tumor. Sorafenib is the first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC, but resistance to sorafenib has become a significant challenge in this therapy. Cancer stem cells play a crucial role in sorafenib resistance in HCC. Our previous study revealed that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) KIF9-AS1 is an oncogenic gene in HCC. However, the role of KIF9-AS1 in drug resistance and cancer stemness in HCC remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of the lncRNA KIF9-AS1 in cancer stemness and drug resistance in HCC.

AIM

To describe the role of the lncRNA KIF9-AS1 in cancer stemness and drug resistance in HCC and elucidate the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Tumor tissue and adjacent non-cancerous tissue samples were collected from HCC patients. Sphere formation was quantified via a tumor sphere assay. Cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were evaluated via Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, and colony formation assays, respectively. The interactions between the lncRNA KIF9-AS1 and its downstream targets were confirmed via RNA immunoprecipitation and coimmunoprecipitation. The tumorigenic role of KIF9-AS1 was validated in a mouse model.

RESULTS

Compared with that in normal controls, the expression of the lncRNA KIF9-AS1 was upregulated in HCC tissues. Knockdown of KIF9-AS1 inhibited stemness and attenuated sorafenib resistance in HCC cells. Mechanistically, N6-methyladenosine modification mediated by methyltransferase-like 3/insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 stabilized and increased the expression of KIF9-AS1. Additionally, KIF9-AS1 increased the stability and expression of short stature homeobox 2 by promoting ubiquitin-specific peptidase 1-induced deubiquitination. Furthermore, depletion of KIF9-AS1 alleviated sorafenib resistance in a xenograft mouse model of HCC.

CONCLUSION

The N6-methyladenosine-modified lncRNA KIF9-AS1 promoted stemness and sorafenib resistance in HCC by upregulating short stature homeobox 2 expression.

A Novel Glycoengineered Humanized Antibody Targeting DLK1 Exhibits Potent Anti-Tumor Activity in DLK1-Expressing Liver Cancer Cell Xenograft Models

Delta-like 1 homolog (DLK1), a non-canonical Notch ligand, is highly expressed in various malignant tumors, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CBA-1205 is an afucosylated humanized antibody against DLK1 with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The binding characteristics of CBA-1205 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorting assay. The ADCC activity of CBA-1205 was assessed. The anti-tumor efficacy of CBA-1205 was evaluated in xenograft mouse models, and toxicity and toxicokinetic profiles of CBA-1205 were evaluated in cynomolgus monkeys. CBA-1205 selectively bound to DLK1 among the Notch ligands and only to monkey and human DLK1. The binding epitope was between epidermal growth factor-like domains 1 and 2 of DLK1, which are not involved in any known physiological functions. The ADCC activity of CBA-1205 was confirmed using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells as effector cells. CBA-1205 as a single agent and in combination with lenvatinib demonstrated long-lasting anti-tumor efficacy, including tumor regression, in two liver cancer xenograft models. The toxicity and toxicokinetic profiles of CBA-1205 in cynomolgus monkeys were favorable. These findings suggest that CBA-1205 has the potential to be a useful therapeutic option for drug treatment in HCC. A phase 1 study is ongoing in patients with advanced cancers (jRCT2080225288, NCT06636435).

Targeting the immune privilege of tumor-initiating cells to enhance cancer immunotherapy

Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) possess the ability to evade anti-tumor immunity, potentially explaining many failures of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we identify CD49f as a prominent marker for discerning TICs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), outperforming other commonly used TIC markers. CD49f-high TICs specifically recruit tumor-promoting neutrophils via the CXCL2-CXCR2 axis and create an immunosuppressive milieu in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Reciprocally, the neutrophils reprogram nearby tumor cells toward a TIC phenotype via secreting CCL4. These cells can evade CD8+ T cell-mediated killing through CCL4/STAT3-induced and CD49f-stabilized CD155 expression. Notably, while aberrant CD155 expression contributes to immune suppression, it also represents a TIC-specific vulnerability. We demonstrate that either CD155 deletion or antibody blockade significantly enhances sensitivity to anti-PD-1 therapy in preclinical HCC models. Our findings reveal a new mechanism of tumor immune evasion and provide a rationale for combining CD155 blockade with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in HCC.

The molecular features of lung cancer stem cells in dedifferentiation process-driven epigenetic alterations

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) may be dedifferentiated somatic cells following oncogenic processes, representing a subpopulation of cells able to promote tumor growth with their capacities for proliferation and self-renewal, inducing lineage heterogeneity, which may be a main cause of resistance to therapies. It has been shown that the "less differentiated process" may have an impact on tumor plasticity, particularly when non-CSCs may dedifferentiate and become CSC-like. Bidirectional interconversion between CSCs and non-CSCs has been reported in other solid tumors, where the inflammatory stroma promotes cell reprogramming by enhancing Wnt signaling through nuclear factor kappa B activation in association with intracellular signaling, which may induce cells' pluripotency, the oncogenic transformation can be considered another important aspect in the acquisition of "new" development programs with oncogenic features. During cell reprogramming, mutations represent an initial step toward dedifferentiation, in which tumor cells switch from a partially or terminally differentiated stage to a less differentiated stage that is mainly manifested by re-entry into the cell cycle, acquisition of a stem cell-like phenotype, and expression of stem cell markers. This phenomenon typically shows up as a change in the form, function, and pattern of gene and protein expression, and more specifically, in CSCs. This review would highlight the main epigenetic alterations, major signaling pathways and driver mutations in which CSCs, in tumors and specifically, in lung cancer, could be involved, acting as key elements in the differentiation/dedifferentiation process. This would highlight the main molecular mechanisms which need to be considered for more tailored therapies.

Epigenetic modification of hepatitis B virus infection and related hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a challenge to global public health. Persistent liver infection with HBV is associated with an increased risk of developing severe liver disease. The complex interaction between the virus and the host is the reason for the persistent presence of HBV and the risk of tumor development. Chronic liver inflammation, integration of viral genome with host genome, expression of HBx protein, and viral genotype are all key participants in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Epigenetic regulation in HBV-associated HCC involves complex interactions of molecular mechanisms that control gene expression and function without altering the underlying DNA sequence. These epigenetic modifications can significantly affect the onset and progression of HCC. This review summarizes recent research on the epigenetic regulation of HBV persistent infection and HBV-HCC development, including DNA methylation, histone modification, RNA modification, non-coding RNA, etc. Enhanced knowledge of these mechanisms will offer fresh perspectives and potential targets for intervention tactics in HBV-HCC.

Insight into the mechanisms regulating liver cancer stem cells by hepatitis B virus X protein

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous disease with high recurrence and mortality. It is well known that a large proportion of HCCs are caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In particular, the HBV X protein (HBX), a multifunctional molecule produced by the virus, plays a leading role in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HBX-mediated HCC remain not fully elucidated. Recently, liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), a unique heterogeneous subpopulation of the malignancy, have received particular attention owing to their close association with tumorigenesis. Especially, the modulation of LCSCs by HBX by upregulating CD133, CD44, EpCAM, and CD90 plays a significant role in HBV-related HCC development. More importantly, not only multiple signaling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin signaling, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3 K)/AKT signaling, and STAT3 signaling pathways, but also epigenetic regulation, such as DNA and histone methylation, and noncoding RNAs, including lncRNA and microRNA, are discovered to participate in regulating LCSCs mediated by HBX. Here, we summarized the mechanisms underlying different signaling pathways and epigenetic alterations that contribute to the modulation of HBX-induced LCSCs to facilitate hepatocarcinogenesis. Because LCSCs are important in hepatic carcinogenesis, understanding the regulatory factors controlled by HBX might open new avenues for HBV-associated liver cancer treatment.

FOXP4 Is a Direct YAP1 Target That Promotes Gastric Cancer Stemness and Drives Metastasis

The Hippo-YAP1 pathway is an evolutionally conserved signaling cascade that controls organ size and tissue regeneration. Dysregulation of Hippo-YAP1 signaling promotes initiation and progression of several types of cancer, including gastric cancer. As the Hippo-YAP1 pathway regulates expression of thousands of genes, it is important to establish which target genes contribute to the oncogenic program driven by YAP1 to identify strategies to circumvent it. In this study, we identified a vital role of forkhead box protein 4 (FOXP4) in YAP1-driven gastric carcinogenesis by maintaining stemness and promoting peritoneal metastasis. Loss of FOXP4 impaired gastric cancer spheroid formation and reduced stemness marker expression, whereas FOXP4 upregulation potentiated cancer cell stemness. RNA sequencing analysis revealed SOX12 as a downstream target of FOXP4, and functional studies established that SOX12 supports stemness in YAP1-induced carcinogenesis. A small-molecule screen identified 42-(2-tetrazolyl) rapamycin as a FOXP4 inhibitor, and targeting FOXP4 suppressed gastric cancer tumor growth and enhanced the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy in vivo. Collectively, these findings revealed that FOXP4 upregulation by YAP1 in gastric cancer regulates stemness and tumorigenesis by upregulating SOX12. Targeting the YAP1-FOXP4-SOX12 axis represents a potential therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer. Significance: Hippo-YAP1 signaling maintains stemness in gastric cancer by upregulating FOXP4, identifying FOXP4 as a stemness biomarker and therapeutic target that could help improve patient outcomes.

Long non-coding RNAs: regulators of autophagy and potential biomarkers in therapy resistance and urological cancers

The non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise a large part of human genome that mainly do not code for proteins. Although ncRNAs were first believed to be non-functional, the more investigations highlighted tthe possibility of ncRNAs in controlling vital biological processes. The length of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exceeds 200 nucleotidesand can be present in nucleus and cytoplasm. LncRNAs do not translate to proteins and they have been implicated in the regulation of tumorigenesis. On the other hand, One way cells die is by a process called autophagy, which breaks down proteins and other components in the cytoplasm., while the aberrant activation of autophagy allegedly involved in the pathogenesis of diseases. The autophagy exerts anti-cancer activity in pre-cancerous lesions, while it has oncogenic function in advanced stages of cancers. The current overview focuses on the connection between lncRNAs and autophagy in urological cancers is discussed. Notably, one possible role for lncRNAs is as diagnostic and prognostic variablesin urological cancers. The proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis and therapy response in prostate, bladder and renal cancers are regulated by lncRNAs. The changes in autophagy levels can also influence the apoptosis, proliferation and therapy response in urological tumors. Since lncRNAs have modulatory functions, they can affect autophagy mechanism to determine progression of urological cancers.

COLEC10 inhibits the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma by suppressing the activity of β-catenin signaling

BACKGROUND

Liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to tumor initiation, progression, and recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a crucial role in liver cancer stemness, progression, metastasis, and drug resistance, but no clinically approved drugs have targeted this pathway efficiently so far. We aimed to elucidate the role of COLEC10 in HCC stemness.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) databases were employed to search for the association between COLEC10 expression and HCC stemness. Colony formation, sphere formation, side population, and limiting dilution tumor initiation assays were used to identify the regulatory role of COLEC10 overexpression in the stemness of HCC cell lines. Wnt/β-catenin reporter assay and immunoprecipitation were performed to explore the underlying mechanism.

RESULTS

COLEC10 level was negatively correlated with HCC stemness. Elevated COLEC10 led to decreased expressions of EpCAM and AFP (alpha-fetoprotein), two common markers of liver CSCs. Overexpression of COLEC10 inhibited HCC cells from forming colonies and spheres, and reduced the side population numbers in vitro, as well as the tumorigenic capacity in vivo. Mechanically, we demonstrated that overexpression of COLEC10 suppressed the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by upregulating Wnt inhibitory factor WIF1 and reducing the level of cytoplasmic β-catenin. COLEC10 overexpression promoted the interaction of β-catenin with the component of destruction complex CK1α. In addition, KLHL22 (Kelch Like Family Member 22), a reported E3 ligase adaptor predicted to interact with CK1α, could facilitate COLEC10 monoubiquitination and degradation.

CONCLUSION

COLEC10 inhibits HCC stemness by downregulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which is a promising target for liver CSC therapy.

Tumour stemness and poor clinical outcomes in haemochromatosis patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

AIMS

Patients with haemochromatosis (HFE) are known to have an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Available data are conflicting on whether such patients have poorer prognosis, and there is lack of data regarding the biology of HFE-HCC. We compared the course of HFE-HCC with a matched non-HFE-HCC control group and examined tumour characteristics using immunohistochemistry.

METHODS

In this tertiary care-based retrospective analysis, 12 patients with HFE and 34 patients with alcohol/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis who underwent initially successful curative HCC therapy with ablation or resection were identified from our registry. Time to tumour progression was compared. Resected liver tissue from a separate cohort of 11 matched patients with HFE-HCC and without HFE-HCC was assessed for the expression of progenitor and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 24.39 and 24.28 months for patients with HFE-HCC and those without HFE-HCC, respectively (p>0.05). The mean time to progression was shorter in the HFE group compared with the non-HFE group (12.87 months vs 17.78 months; HR 3.322, p<0.05). Patients with HFE-HCC also progressed to more advanced disease by the end of follow-up (p<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis of matched HFE-HCC and non-HFE-HCC explants demonstrated increased expression of the cancer stem cell markers EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) and EpCAM/SALL4 (spalt-like transcription factor 4) coexpression in HFE-HCC specimens (p<0.05). There was a high frequency of combined tumour subtypes within the HFE cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the clinical course of patients with HFE-HCC is more aggressive and provides the first data indicating that their tumours have increased expression of progenitor markers. These findings suggest patients with HFE-HCC may need to be considered for transplant at an earlier stage.

Genomic landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients by whole exome sequencing

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis lead to accumulation of genetic alterations driving HCC pathogenesis. This study is designed to explore genomic landscape of HCC in Egyptian patients by whole exome sequencing.

METHODS

Whole exome sequencing using Ion Torrent was done on 13 HCC patients, who underwent surgical intervention (7 patients underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and 6 patients had surgical resection}.

RESULTS

Mutational signature was mostly S1, S5, S6, and S12 in HCC. Analysis of highly mutated genes in both HCC and Non-HCC revealed the presence of highly mutated genes in HCC (AHNAK2, MUC6, MUC16, TTN, ZNF17, FLG, MUC12, OBSCN, PDE4DIP, MUC5b, and HYDIN). Among the 26 significantly mutated HCC genes-identified across 10 genome sequencing studies-in addition to TCGA, APOB and RP1L1 showed the highest number of mutations in both HCC and Non-HCC tissues. Tier 1, Tier 2 variants in TCGA SMGs in HCC and Non-HCC (TP53, PIK3CA, CDKN2A, and BAP1). Cancer Genome Landscape analysis revealed Tier 1 and Tier 2 variants in HCC (MSH2) and in Non-HCC (KMT2D and ATM). For KEGG analysis, the significantly annotated clusters in HCC were Notch signaling, Wnt signaling, PI3K-AKT pathway, Hippo signaling, Apelin signaling, Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, and MAPK signaling, in addition to ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and calcium signaling. Tier 1 and Tier 2 variants KIT, KMT2D, NOTCH1, KMT2C, PIK3CA, KIT, SMARCA4, ATM, PTEN, MSH2, and PTCH1 were low frequency variants in both HCC and Non-HCC.

CONCLUSION

Our results are in accordance with previous studies in HCC regarding highly mutated genes, TCGA and specifically enriched pathways in HCC. Analysis for clinical interpretation of variants revealed the presence of Tier 1 and Tier 2 variants that represent potential clinically actionable targets. The use of sequencing techniques to detect structural variants and novel techniques as single cell sequencing together with multiomics transcriptomics, metagenomics will integrate the molecular pathogenesis of HCC in Egyptian patients.

SNORD88B-mediated WRN nucleolar trafficking drives self-renewal in liver cancer initiating cells and hepatocarcinogenesis

Whether small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are involved in the regulation of liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) self-renewal and serve as therapeutic targets remains largely unclear. Here we show that a functional snoRNA (SNORD88B) is robustly expressed in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors and liver CSCs. SNORD88B deficiency abolishes the self-renewal of liver CSCs and hepatocarcinogenesis. Mechanistically, SNORD88B anchors WRN in the nucleolus, promoting XRCC5 interacts with STK4 promoter to suppress its transcription, leading to inactivation of Hippo signaling. Moreover, low expression of STK4 and high expression of XRCC5 are positively correlated with HCC poor prognosis. Additionally, snord88b knockout suppresses mouse liver tumorigenesis. Notably, co-administration of SNORD88B antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) with MST1 agonist adapalene (ADA) exert synergistic antitumor effects and increase overall murine survival. Our findings delineate that SNORD88B drives self-renewal of liver CSCs and accelerates HCC tumorigenesis via non-canonical mechanism, providing potential targets for liver cancer therapy by eliminating liver CSCs.

Transcriptomic profiling of intermediate cell carcinoma of the liver

BACKGROUND

Intermediate cell carcinoma (Int-CA) is a rare and enigmatic primary liver cancer characterized by uniform tumor cells exhibiting mixed features of both HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Despite the unique pathological features of int-CA, its molecular characteristics remain unclear yet.

METHODS

RNA sequencing and whole genome sequencing profiling were performed on int-CA tumors and compared with those of HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

RESULTS

Int-CAs unveiled a distinct and intermediate transcriptomic feature that is strikingly different from both HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The marked abundance of splicing events leading to intron retention emerged as a signature feature of int-CA, along with a prominent expression of Notch signaling. Further exploration revealed that METTL16 was suppressed within int-CA, showing a DNA copy number-dependent transcriptional deregulation. Notably, experimental investigations confirmed that METTL16 suppression facilitated invasive tumor characteristics through the activation of the Notch signaling cascade.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide a molecular landscape of int-CA featured by METTL16 suppression and frequent intron retention events, which may play pivotal roles in the acquisition of the aggressive phenotype of Int-CA.

Identification of tumor stemness and immunity related prognostic factors and sensitive drugs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) contributes significantly to treatment resistance in various cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite this, the relationship between cancer stemness and immunity remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to identify potential immunotherapeutic targets and sensitive drugs for CSCs in HNSCC. Using data from public databases, we analyzed expression patterns and prognostic values in HNSCC. The stemness index was calculated using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssgsea) algorithm, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to screen for key stemness-related modules. Consensus clustering was then used to group samples for further analysis, and prognosis-related key genes were identified through regression analysis. Our results showed that tumor samples from HNSCC exhibited higher stemness indices compared to normal samples. WGCNA identified a module highly correlated with stemness, comprising 187 genes, which were significantly enriched in protein digestion and absorption pathways. Furthermore, we identified sensitive drugs targeting prognostic genes associated with tumor stemness. Notably, two genes, HLF and CCL11, were found to be highly associated with both stemness and immunity. In conclusion, our study identifies a stemness-related gene signature and promising drug candidates for CSCs of HNSCC. Additionally, HLF and CCL11, which are associated with both stemness and immunity, represent potential targets for immunotherapy in HNSCC.

A new strategy for overcoming drug resistance in liver cancer: Epigenetic regulation

Drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma has posed significant obstacles to effective treatment. Recent evidence indicates that, in addition to traditional gene mutations, epigenetic recoding plays a crucial role in HCC drug resistance. Unlike irreversible gene mutations, epigenetic changes are reversible, offering a promising avenue for preventing and overcoming drug resistance in liver cancer. This review focuses on various epigenetic modifications relevant to drug resistance in HCC and their underlying mechanisms. Additionally, we introduce current clinical epigenetic drugs and clinical trials of these drugs as regulators of drug resistance in other solid tumors. Although there is no clinical study to prevent the occurrence of drug resistance in liver cancer, the development of liquid biopsy and other technologies has provided a bridge to achieve this goal.

METTL3 facilitates prostate cancer progression via inducing HOXC6 m6A modification and stabilizing its expression through IGF2BP2-dependent mechanisms

HOXC6 (Homeobox C6) and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) have been shown to be involved in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). However, whether HOXC6 performs oncogenic effects in PCa via METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is not yet reported. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, transwell, scratch, sphere formation assays were applied for cell growth, invasion, migration and stemness analyses. Glycolysis was evaluated by measuring glucose consumption, lactate generation and ATP/ADP ratio. The N6-methyladenine (m6A) modification profile was determined by RNA immunoprecipitation (Me-RIP) assay. The proteins that interact with PGK1 (phosphoglycerate kinase 1) were confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation assay. Tumor formation experiments in mice were conducted for in vivo assay. PCa tissues and cells showed highly expressed HOXC6 and METTL3. Functionally, the silencing of HOXC6 or METTL3 suppresses PCa cell proliferation, invasion, migration, stemness, and glycolysis. Moreover, METTL3-induced HOXC6 m6A modification to stabilize its expression. In addition, the m6A reader IGF2BP2 directly recognized and bound to HOXC6 mRNA, and maintained its stability, and was involved in the regulation of HOXC6 expression by METTL3. Furthermore, IGF2BP2 knockdown impaired PCa cell proliferation, invasion, migration, stemness, and glycolysis by regulating HOXC6. Besides that HOXC6 interacted with the glycoytic enzyme PGK1 in PCa cells. In vivo assays further showed that METTL3 silencing reduced the expression of HOXC6 and PGK1, and impeded PCa growth. METTL3 promoted PCa progression by maintaining HOXC6 expression in an m6A-IGF2BP2-dependent mechanism.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG3 interacts with microRNA-502-3p to mediate ITGA6 expression in liver hepatocellular carcinoma

SNHG3, a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), has been linked to poor outcomes in patients with liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). In this study, we found that SNHG3 was overexpressed in LIHC and associated with poor outcomes in patients with LIHC. Functional assays, including colony formation, spheroid formation, and in vivo assays showed that SNHG3 promoted stemness of cancer stem cells (CSC) and tumor growth in vivo by interacting with microRNA-502-3p (miR-502-3p). miR-502-3p inhibitor repressed the tumor-suppressing effects of SNHG3 depletion. Finally, by RNA pull-down, dual-luciferase reporter assay, m6A methylation level detection, and m6A-IP-qPCR assays, we found that miR-502-3p targeted YTHDF3 to regulate the translation of integrin alpha-6 (ITGA6) and targeted HBXIP to inhibit the m6A modification of ITGA6 through methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3). Our study revealed that SNHG3 controls the YTHDF3/ITGA6 and HBXIP/METTL3/ITGA6 pathways by repressing miR-502-3p expression to sustain the self-renewal properties of CSC in LIHC.

From Inflammation to Oncogenesis: Tracing Serum DCLK1 and miRNA Signatures in Chronic Liver Diseases

Chronic liver diseases, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC are often a consequence of persistent inflammation. However, the transition mechanisms from a normal liver to fibrosis, then cirrhosis, and further to HCC are not well understood. This study focused on the role of the tumor stem cell protein doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in the modulation of molecular factors in fibrosis, cirrhosis, or HCC. Serum samples from patients with hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC were analyzed via ELISA or NextGen sequencing and were compared with control samples. Differentially expressed (DE) microRNAs (miRNA) identified from these patient sera were correlated with DCLK1 expression. We observed elevated serum DCLK1 levels in fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC patients; however, TGF-β levels were only elevated in fibrosis and cirrhosis. While DE miRNAs were identified for all three disease states, miR-12136 was elevated in fibrosis but was significantly increased further in cirrhosis. Additionally, miR-1246 and miR-184 were upregulated when DCLK1 was high, while miR-206 was downregulated. This work distinguishes DCLK1 and miRNAs' potential role in different axes promoting inflammation to tumor progression and may serve to identify biomarkers for tracking the progression from pre-neoplastic states to HCC in chronic liver disease patients as well as provide targets for treatment.

Cancer stem cell-immune cell crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment for liver cancer progression

Crosstalk between cancer cells and the immune microenvironment is determinant for liver cancer progression. A tumor subpopulation called liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) significantly accounts for the initiation, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence of liver cancer. Emerging evidence demonstrates that the interaction between liver CSCs and immune cells plays a crucial role in shaping an immunosuppressive microenvironment and determining immunotherapy responses. This review sheds light on the bidirectional crosstalk between liver CSCs and immune cells for liver cancer progression, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms after presenting an overview of liver CSCs characteristic and their microenvironment. Finally, we discuss the potential application of liver CSCs-targeted immunotherapy for liver cancer treatment.

Seedless black Vitis vinifera polyphenols suppress hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo by targeting apoptosis, cancer stem cells, and proliferation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive tumor and one of the most challenging cancers to treat. Here, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo ameliorating impacts of seedless black Vitis vinifera (VV) polyphenols on HCC. Following the preparation of the VV crude extract (VVCE) from seedless VV (pulp and skin), three fractions (VVF1, VVF2, and VVF3) were prepared. The anticancer potencies of the prepared fractions, compared to 5-FU, were assessed against HepG2 and Huh7 cells. In addition, the effects of these fractions on p-dimethylaminoazobenzene-induced HCC in mice were evaluated. The predicted impacts of selected phenolic constituents of VV fractions on the activity of essential HCC-associated enzymes (NADPH oxidase "NADPH-NOX2", histone deacetylase 1 "HDAC1", and sepiapterin reductase "SepR") were analyzed using molecular docking. The results showed that VVCE and its fractions induced apoptosis and collapsed CD133+ stem cells in the studied cancer cell lines with an efficiency greater than 5-FU. VVF1 and VVF2 exhibited the most effective anticancer fractions in vitro; therefore, we evaluated their influences in mice. VVF1 and VVF2 improved liver morphology and function, induced apoptosis, and lowered the fold expression of various crucial genes that regulate cancer stem cells and other vital pathways for HCC progression. For most of the examined parameters, VVF1 and VVF2 had higher potency than 5-FU, and VVF1 showed more efficiency than VVF2. The selected phenolic compounds displayed competitive inhibitory action on NADPH-NOX2, HDAC1, and SepR. In conclusion, these findings declare that VV polyphenolic fractions, particularly VVF1, could be promising safe anti-HCC agents.

The impact of matrix stiffness on hepatic cell function, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma-Based on quantitative data

Over the past few decades, extensive research has explored the development of supportive scaffold materials for in vitro hepatic cell culture, to effectively mimic in vivo microenvironments. It is crucial for hepatic disease modeling, drug screening, and therapeutic evaluations, considering the ethical concerns and practical challenges associated with in vivo experiments. This review offers a comprehensive perspective on hepatic cell culture using bioscaffolds by encompassing all stages of hepatic diseases-from a healthy liver to fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-with a specific focus on matrix stiffness. This review begins by providing physiological and functional overviews of the liver. Subsequently, it explores hepatic cellular behaviors dependent on matrix stiffness from previous reports. For hepatic cell activities, softer matrices showed significant advantages over stiffer ones in terms of cell proliferation, migration, and hepatic functions. Conversely, stiffer matrices induced myofibroblastic activation of hepatic stellate cells, contributing to the further progression of fibrosis. Elevated matrix stiffness also correlates with HCC by increasing proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, and drug resistance of HCC cells. In addition, we provide quantitative information on available data to offer valuable perspectives for refining the preparation and development of matrices for hepatic tissue engineering. We also suggest directions for further research on this topic.

P53/NANOG balance; the leading switch between poorly to well differentiated status in liver cancer cells

Enforcing a well-differentiated state on cells requires tumor suppressor p53 activation as a key player in apoptosis induction and well differentiation. In addition, recent investigations showed a significant correlation between poorly differentiated status and higher expression of NANOG. Inducing the expression of NANOG and decreasing p53 level switch the status of liver cancer cells from well differentiated to poorly status. In this review, we highlighted p53 and NANOG cross-talk in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which is regulated through mitophagy and makes it a novel molecular target to attenuate cancerous phenotype in the management of this tumor.

PHLDA2 reshapes the immune microenvironment and induces drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy known for its unfavorable prognosis. The dysregulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) can affect the sensitivity to immunotherapy or chemotherapy, leading to treatment failure. The elucidation of PHLDA2's involvement in HCC is imperative, and the clinical value of PHLDA2 is also underestimated. Here, bioinformatics analysis was performed in multiple cohorts to explore the phenotype and mechanism through which PHLDA2 may affect the progression of HCC. Then, the expression and function of PHLDA2 were examined via the qRT-PCR, Western Blot, and MTT assays. Our findings indicate a substantial upregulation of PHLDA2 in HCC, correlated with a poorer prognosis. The methylation levels of PHLDA2 were found to be lower in HCC tissues compared to normal liver tissues. Besides, noteworthy associations were observed between PHLDA2 expression and immune infiltration in HCC. In addition, PHLDA2 upregulation is closely associated with stemness features and immunotherapy or chemotherapy resistance in HCC. In vitro experiments showed that sorafenib or cisplatin significantly up-regulated PHLDA2 mRNA levels, and PHLDA2 knockdown markedly decreased the sensitivity of HCC cells to chemotherapy drugs. Meanwhile, we found that TGF-β induced the expression of PHLDA2 in vitro. The GSEA and in vitro experiment indicated that PHLDA2 may promote the HCC progression via activating the AKT signaling pathway. Our study revealed the novel role of PHLDA2 as an independent prognostic factor, which plays an essential role in TME remodeling and treatment resistance in HCC.

Integrated Exploration of Epigenetic Dysregulation Reveals a Stemness/EMT Subtype and MMP12 Linked to the Progression and Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Epigenetic dysregulation drives aberrant transcriptional programs playing a critical role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which may provide novel insights into the heterogeneity of HCC. This study performed an integrated exploration on the epigenetic dysregulation of miRNA and methylation. We discovered and validated three patterns endowed with gene-related transcriptional traits and clinical outcomes. Specially, a stemness/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) subtype was featured by immune exhaustion and the worst prognosis. Besides, MMP12, a characteristic gene, was highly expressed in the stemness/EMT subtype, which was verified as a pivotal regulator linked to the unfavorable prognosis and further proven to promote tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in vitro experiments. Proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry sequencing also indicated that the overexpression of MMP12 was significantly associated with cell proliferation and adhesion. Taken together, this study unveils innovative insights into epigenetic dysregulation and identifies a stemness/EMT subtype-specific gene, MMP12, correlated with the progression and prognosis of HCC.

Predictive value of a stemness-based classifier for prognosis and immunotherapy response of hepatocellular carcinoma based on bioinformatics and machine-learning strategies

OBJECTIVE

Significant advancements have been made in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapeutics, such as immunotherapy for treating patients with HCC. However, there is a lack of reliable biomarkers for predicting the response of patients to therapy, which continues to be challenging. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are involved in the oncogenesis, drug resistance, and invasion, as well as metastasis of HCC cells. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to create an mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) model to predict the response of patients with HCC to immunotherapy.

METHODS

We retrieved gene expression and clinical data of patients with HCC from the GSE14520 dataset and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Next, we used the "one-class logistic regression (OCLR)" algorithm to obtain the mRNAsi of patients with HCC. We performed "unsupervised consensus clustering" to classify patients with HCC based on the mRNAsi scores and stemness subtypes. The relationships between the mRNAsi model, clinicopathological features, and genetic profiles of patients were compared using various bioinformatic methods. We screened for differentially expressed genes to establish a stemness-based classifier for predicting the patient's prognosis. Next, we determined the effect of risk scores on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and the response of patients to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Finally, we used qRT-PCR to investigate gene expression in patients with HCC.

RESULTS

We screened CSC-related genes using various bioinformatics tools in patients from the TCGA-LIHC cohort. We constructed a stemness classifier based on a nine-gene (PPARGC1A, FTCD, CFHR3, MAGEA6, CXCL8, CABYR, EPO, HMMR, and UCK2) signature for predicting the patient's prognosis and response to ICBs. Further, the model was validated in an independent GSE14520 dataset and performed well. Our model could predict the status of TIME, immunogenomic expressions, congenic pathway, and response to chemotherapy drugs. Furthermore, a significant increase in the proportion of infiltrating macrophages, Treg cells, and immune checkpoints was observed in patients in the high-risk group. In addition, tumor cells in patients with high mRNAsi scores could escape immune surveillance. Finally, we observed that the constructed model had a good expression in the clinical samples. The HCC tumor size and UCK2 genes expression were significantly alleviated and decreased, respectively, by treatments of anti-PD1 antibody. We also found knockdown UCK2 changed expressions of immune genes in HCC cell lines.

CONCLUSION

The novel stemness-related model could predict the prognosis of patients and aid in creating personalized immuno- and targeted therapy for patients in HCC.

Comprehensive analysis of IGF2BP3 with expression features, prognosis, immune modulation and stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma and pan-cancer

Insulin like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3) is a critical m6A reader. It encodes proteins that contain several KH domains, which are important in RNA binding, RNA synthesis and metabolism. Lots of researches have studied the malignant potential of m6A readers in tumors. However, the biological functional analysis of IGF2BP3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pan-cancer is not comprehensive. In this study, we used a bioinformatics approach to comprehensively analyze the significance of IGF2BP3 in HCC through analyzing its expression, mutation, prognosis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, functional enrichment, and the correlation with ferroptosis, stemness as well as immune modulation in HCC. IGF2BP3 presented a negative correlation with the ferroptosis molecule NFE2L2, and a positive correlation with the ferroptosis molecule SLC1A5 as well as the immune checkpoint HAVCR2. In addition, we also analyzed IGF2BP3 expression, prognosis and immune modulation in pan-cancer, revealing the prognostic value of IGF2BP3 in a variety of tumors. Finally, we verified the biological functions of IGF2BP3 in HCC through various experiments. The data showed that IGF2BP3 may enhance the proliferation, colony formation and invasion capacities of HCC cells, and IGF2BP3 is mainly positively correlated with the expression level of stemness marker SOX2. In conclusion, IGF2BP3 had a potential to be a new perspective biomarker in forecasting the immune response, ferroptosis, stemness and prognosis of HCC or even pan-cancer.

Single-cell and spatial analyses revealed the co-location of cancer stem cells and SPP1+ macrophage in hypoxic region that determines the poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), classical cancer stem cells (CSC) markers were shared by normal stem cells, targeting which may hinder hepatic regeneration and cause liver failure. Additionally, the spatial structure of CSC still remained elusive. To address these limitations, we undertook a comprehensive study combining single-cell data (56,022 cells from 20 samples) and spatial data (38,191 spots from eight samples) to obtain CSC signature and uncover its spatial structure. Utilizing the CytoTRACE algorithm, we discretely identified CSC, which displayed upregulated proliferation pathways regulated by HIF1A. A CSC signature of 107 genes was then developed using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Notably, HCC patients with high CSC levels exhibited an accumulation of SPP1+ macrophages (Macro_SPP1) expressing metalloproteinases (MMP9, MMP12, and MMP7) regulated by HIF1A, suggesting a hypoxic tumor region connecting Macro_SPP1 and CSC. Both CSC and Macro_SPP1 correlated with worse prognosis and undesirable immunotherapy response. Spatial analysis revealed the co-location of CSC and Macro_SPP1, with CD8 T cells excluded from the tumor region. The co-location area and non-tumor area of boundary exhibited a high level of hypoxia, with the HAVRC2 checkpoint highly expressed. Within the co-location area, the SPP1 signaling pathway was most active in cell-cell communication, with SPP1-CD44 and SPP1-ITGA/ITGB identified as the main ligand-receptor pairs. This study successfully constructed a CSC signature and demonstrated the co-location of CSC and Macro_SPP1 in a hypoxic region that exacerbates the tumor microenvironment in HCC.

LANCL1, a cell surface protein, promotes liver tumor initiation through FAM49B-Rac1 axis to suppress oxidative stress

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

HCC is an aggressive cancer with a poor clinical outcome. Understanding the mechanisms that drive tumor initiation is important for improving treatment strategy. This study aimed to identify functional cell membrane proteins that promote HCC tumor initiation.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Tailor-made siRNA library screening was performed for all membrane protein-encoding genes that are upregulated in human HCC (n = 134), with sphere formation as a surrogate readout for tumor initiation. Upon confirmation of membranous localization by immunofluorescence and tumor initiation ability by limiting dilution assay in vivo, LanC-like protein-1 (LANCL1) was selected for further characterization. LANCL1 suppressed intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and promoted tumorigenicity both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, with mass spectrometry, FAM49B was identified as a downstream binding partner of LANCL1. LANCL1 stabilized FAM49B by blocking the interaction of FAM49B with the specific E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM21, thus protecting FAM49B from ubiquitin-proteasome degradation. The LANCL1-FAM49B axis suppressed the Rac1-NADPH oxidase-driven ROS production, but this suppression of ROS was independent of the glutathione transferase function of LANCL1. Clinically, HCCs with high co-expression of LANCL1 and FAM49B were associated with more advanced tumor stage, poorer overall survival, and disease-free survival. In addition, anti-LANCL1 antibodies targeting the extracellular N-terminal domain were able to suppress the self-renewal ability, as demonstrated by the sphere formation ability of HCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed that LANCL1 is a cell surface protein and a key contributor to HCC initiation. Targeting the LANCL1-FAM49B-Rac1-NADPH oxidase-ROS signaling axis may be a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Cancer stem cells: a target for overcoming therapeutic resistance and relapse

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cells in cancers that are thought to initiate tumorous transformation and promote metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to treatment. Growing evidence has revealed the existence of CSCs in various types of cancers and suggested that CSCs differentiate into diverse lineage cells that contribute to tumor progression. We may be able to overcome the limitations of cancer treatment with a comprehensive understanding of the biological features and mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance in CSCs. This review provides an overview of the properties, biomarkers, and mechanisms of resistance shown by CSCs. Recent findings on metabolic features, especially fatty acid metabolism and ferroptosis in CSCs, are highlighted, along with promising targeting strategies. Targeting CSCs is a potential treatment plan to conquer cancer and prevent resistance and relapse in cancer treatment.

Targeting the mechano-microenvironment and liver cancer stem cells: a promising therapeutic strategy for liver cancer

Over the past 2 decades, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified as the root cause of cancer occurrence, progression, chemoradioresistance, recurrence, and metastasis. Targeting CSCs is a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer management and treatment. Liver cancer (LC) is a malignant disease that can endanger human health. Studies are increasingly suggesting that changes in the liver mechanical microenvironment are a primary driver triggering the occurrence and development of liver cancer. In this review, we summarize current understanding of the roles of the liver mechano-microenvironment and liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) in liver cancer progression. We also discuss the relationship between the mechanical heterogeneity of liver cancer tissues and LCSC recruitment and metastasis. Finally, we highlight potential mechanosensitive molecules in LCSCs and mechanotherapy in liver cancer. Understanding the roles and regulatory mechanisms of the mechano-microenvironment and LCSCs may provide fundamental insights into liver cancer progression and aid in further development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Rab11-FIP4 interacts with ARF5 to promote cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma

Recent studies suggest that Rab11-family interacting proteins (Rab11-FIPs) play an important role in tumorigenesis and progression. Among the Rab11-FIPs, Rab11-FIP4 has been reported to be significantly upregulated in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the possible effect on HCC stemness and the underlying mechanism has never been characterized. Here, we found that Rab11-FIP4 was dramatically increased in HCC cell lines and tissues, and had a positive correlation with cancer stemness. Functional studies revealed that elevated expression of Rab11-FIP4 in HCC cells significantly promoted sphere formation, and enhanced the mRNA and protein levels of stemness-associated markers, ALDH1A1, CD133, NANOG, and OCT4. Conversely, the knockdown of Rab11-FIP4 suppressed the cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics of HCC cells. Moreover, silencing of Rab11-FIP4 obviously increased the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. Mechanistically, Rab11-FIP4 was shown to interact with ADP-ribosylation factor 5 (ARF5) to influence cell cycle-related proteins, CDK1/cyclin B, thereby promoting HCC stemness. Taken together, our results uncovered an essential role for Rab11-FIP4 in regulating CSC-like features of HCC cells and identified Rab11-FIP4 as a potential target for HCC therapy.

Noncellular components in the liver cancer stem cell niche: Biology and potential clinical implications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are now recognized as one of the major root causes of therapy failure and tumor recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Early studies in the field focused primarily on the intrinsic regulators of CSC maintenance, but in recent years, mounting evidence has demonstrated the presence and role of extrinsic regulators in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the control of liver CSCs. In addition to direct interaction with cellular components, noncellular components, including the extracellular matrix, hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, and secreted molecules within the tumor stroma and hepatitis viruses, also play a critical role in shaping the CSC niche. In this review, we highlight how various noncellular components in the TME play a role in regulating CSCs and how CSCs secrete components to interact with the TME to generate their own niche, working hand in hand to drive tumor physiology in HCC. In addition, we describe the potential clinical applications of these findings and propose perspectives on future research of noncellular components in the liver CSC niche.

miR‑122/SENP1 axis confers stemness and chemoresistance to liver cancer through Wnt/β‑catenin signaling

The property of inherent stemness of tumor cells coupled with the development of chemoresistance results in a poor prognosis for patients with liver cancer. Therefore, the present study focused on microRNA (miR)-122, a potential tumor suppressor, the expression of which has been previously shown to be significantly decreased and negatively associated with cancer cell stemness in liver cancer. The present study aimed to identify the molecular targets of miR-122 whilst uncovering the mechanism underlying chemoresistance and stemness of HepG2 cells in liver cancer. Bioinformatics online tools, such as ENCORI, coupled with dual-luciferase reporter assays in HepG2 cells, were used to identify and validate small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) specific peptidase 1 (SENP1) as a potential target of miR-122 in liver cancer. The liver cancer stem cell population was determined using sphere formation assays and flow cytometry, whilst stem cell markers (Oct3/4, Nanog, B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog and Notch1) were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Chemoresistance, cell proliferation and migratory ability of HepG2 cells were monitored using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation and Transwell assays, respectively. The overexpression of miR-122 by mimic transfection led to a significant decrease in the number spheres, downregulation of stem cell marker expression, the number of CD24+ cells, drug-resistance protein levels (P-glycoprotein and multidrug resistance protein), impaired chemoresistance, proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells. The transfection of SENP1 overexpression vector resulted in contrasting functions to miR-122 mimics, by partially reversing the effects induced by miR-122 mimic transfection in HepG2 cells. Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been proven to be involved in cancer stemness and malignant behavior. Western blotting analysis in HepG2 cells showed that the expression levels of both Wnt1 and β-catenin were significantly reduced after overexpressing miR-122, but increased after overexpressing SENP1. Co-transfection with the SENP1 overexpression vector reversed the suppression induced by the miR-122 mimics on Wnt1 and β-catenin expression. Co-immunoprecipitation, SUMOylation and half-life assays showed SENP1 interacted with β-catenin and decreased the SUMOylation of β-catenin, thereby enhancing its stability. Finally, tumor xenograft analyses revealed that HepG2 cells transfected with Agomir-122 exerted significantly lower tumor initiation frequency and growth rate, and a superior response to DOX in vivo, compared with those transfected with Agomir NC. Taken together, data from the present study miR-122/SENP1 axis can regulate β-catenin stability through de-SUMOylation, thereby promoting stemness and chemoresistance in liver cancer.

Novel insights into tumorigenesis and prognosis of endometrial cancer through systematic investigation and validation on mitophagy-related signature

In-depth studies on the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer (EC) are critical because of the increasing global incidence of EC. Mitophagy, a mitochondrial quality control process, plays an important role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. This study aimed to develop a novel mitophagy-based signature to predict the tumorigenesis and prognosis of EC. Data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and 29 mitophagy-related genes were downloaded from the Pathway Unification Database. EC patients were classified into two risk groups based on the two-key- gene signature, TOMM40 and MFN1, which were constructed using Cox regression analysis. A better prognosis was noted in the low-risk group. The model was validated for four aspects: clinical features, mutation status, clinical therapeutic response, and immune cell infiltration status. Moreover, according to the contribution to the risk model, TOMM40 was selected for further in vitro experiments. The silencing of TOMM40 inhibited mitochondrial degradation; suppressed cell proliferation; induced cell apoptosis and G1 phase cell cycle arrest; inhibited migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition; and suppressed cell stemness. In conclusion, the mitophagy-related risk score provides a novel perspective for survival and drug selection during the individual treatment of EC patients. TOMM40 serves as an oncogene in EC and promotes tumor progression via a mitophagy-related pathway. Thus, TOMM40 is a potential therapeutic target in EC.

Unmasking the Deceptive Nature of Cancer Stem Cells: The Role of CD133 in Revealing Their Secrets

Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, and its complexity poses a significant challenge to effective treatment. Cancer stem cells and their markers have become key players in tumor growth and progression. CD133, a marker in various cancer types, is an active research area as a potential therapeutic target. This article explores the role of CD133 in cancer treatment, beginning with an overview of cancer statistics and an explanation of cancer stem cells and their markers. The rise of CD133 is discussed, including its structure, functions, and occurrence in different cancer types. Furthermore, the article covers CD133 as a therapeutic target, focusing on gene therapy, immunotherapy, and approaches to affect CD133 expression. Nanoparticles such as gold nanoparticles and nanoliposomes are also discussed in the context of CD133-targeted therapy. In conclusion, CD133 is a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. As research in this area progresses, it is hoped that CD133-targeted therapies will offer new and effective treatment options for cancer patients in the future.

Comparative transcriptome and proteome analysis explores the antitumor key regulators of ergosterone in H22 tumor-bearing mice

Ergosterone has been proved to have potential antitumor effect on H22 tumor-bearing mice, but the antitumor mechanism and key regulators are still unclear. The current study was aimed to explore the key regulators responsible for antitumor of ergosterone using whole transcriptome and proteome analysis in H22 tumor-bearing mice model. The model of H22 tumor-bearing mice was constructed according to the histopathological data and biochemical parameters. The isolated tumor tissues of different treatment groups were subjected to transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. Our findings demonstrated that 472 differentially expressed genes and 658 proteins were identified in the tumor tissue of different treatment groups through RNA-Seq and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis, respectively. The combined omics analysis revealed three critical genes/proteins, including Lars2, Sirpα and Hcls1 that could play a role in antitumor pathways. Furthermore, Lars2, Sirpα and Hcls1 genes/proteins, as key regulators of the antitumor effect of ergosterone, were verified by qRT-PCR and western blotting methods, respectively. In summary, our study provides new insights into analysing the antitumor mechanism of ergosterone from the point of view of gene and protein expression and will encourage further development of the antitumor pharmaceutical industry.

Furanocoumarin Notopterol: Inhibition of Hepatocellular Carcinogenesis through Suppression of Cancer Stemness Signaling and Induction of Oxidative Stress-Associated Cell Death

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Cumulative evidence suggests critical roles for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) in chronic liver diseases. However, the role of ER stress in HCC pathogenesis, aggressiveness and therapy response remains unclear and understudied.

OBJECTIVES

Against this background, the present study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and feasibility of notopterol (NOT), a furanocoumarin and principal component of Notopterygium incisum, in the modulation of ER stress and cancer stemness, and the subsequent effect on liver oncogenicity.

METHODS

An array of biomolecular methods including Western blot, drug cytotoxicity, cell motility, immunofluorescence, colony and tumorsphere formation, flow-cytometric mitochondrial function, GSH/GSSG ratio, and tumor xenograft ex vivo assays were used in the study.

RESULTS

Herein, we demonstrated that NOT significantly suppresses the viability, migration, and invasion capacity of the human HCC HepJ5 and Mahlavu cell lines by disrupting ATF4 expression, inhibiting JAK2 activation, and downregulating the GPX1 and SOD1 expression in vitro. NOT also markedly suppressed the expression of vimentin (VIM), snail, b-catenin, and N-cadherin in the HCC cells, dose-dependently. Treatment with NOT significantly attenuated cancer stem cells (CSCs)-like phenotypes, namely colony and tumorsphere formation, with the concomitant downregulation of stemness markers OCT4, SOX2, CD133, and upregulated PARP-1 cleavage, dose-dependently. We also demonstrated that NOT anticancer activity was strongly associated with increased cellular reactive oxidative stress (ROS) but, conversely, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and function in the HepJ5 and Mahlavu cells in vitro. Our tumor xenograft studies showed that compared with sorafenib, NOT elicited greater tumor growth suppression without adverse changes in mice body weights. Compared with the untreated control and sorafenib-treated mice, NOT-treated mice exhibited markedly greater apoptosis ex vivo, and this was associated with the co-suppression of stemness and drug-resistance markers OCT4, SOX2, ALDH1, and the upregulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress factors PERK and CHOP.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, we demonstrated for the first time that NOT exhibits strong anticancer activity via the suppression of cancer stemness, enhanced endoplasmic reticulum stress and increased oxidative stress thus projecting NOT as a potentially effective therapeutic agent against HCC.

Building on the backbone of CD47-based therapy in cancer: Combination strategies, mechanisms, and future perspectives

Described as a "don't eat me" signal, CD47 becomes a vital immune checkpoint in cancer. Its interaction with signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) prevents macrophage phagocytosis. In recent years, a growing body of evidences have unveiled that CD47-based combination therapy exhibits a superior anti-cancer effect. Latest clinical trials about CD47 have adopted the regimen of collaborating with other therapies or developing CD47-directed bispecific antibodies, indicating the combination strategy as a general trend of the future. In this review, clinical and preclinical cases about the current combination strategies targeting CD47 are collected, their underlying mechanisms of action are discussed, and ideas from future perspectives are shared.

Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Recent advances and future targets

Immunotherapy is a promising approach to treating various types of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While single immunotherapy drugs show limited effectiveness on a small subset of patients, the combination of the anti PD-L1 atezolizumab and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor bevacizumab has shown significant improvement in survival compared to sorafenib as a first-line treatment. However, the current treatment options still have a low success rate of about 30%. Thus, more effective treatments for HCC are urgently required. Several novel immunotherapeutic methods, including the use of novel immune checkpoint inhibitors, innovative immune cell therapies like chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), TCR gene-modified T cells and stem cells, as well as combination strategies are being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of HCC. However, some crucial issues still exist such as the presence of heterogeneous antigens in solid tumors, the immune-suppressive environment within tumors, the risk of on-target/off-tumor, infiltrating CAR-T cells, immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules, and cytokines. Overall, immunotherapy is on the brink of major advancements in the fight against HCC.

SPRED2: A Novel Regulator of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Stemness in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

The downregulation of SPRED2, a negative regulator of the ERK1/2 pathway, was previously detected in human cancers; however, the biological consequence remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of SPRED2 loss on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell function. Human HCC cell lines, expressing various levels of SPRED2 and SPRED2 knockdown, increased ERK1/2 activation. SPRED2-knockout (KO)-HepG2 cells displayed an elongated spindle shape with increased cell migration/invasion and cadherin switching, with features of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). SPRED2-KO cells demonstrated a higher ability to form spheres and colonies, expressed higher levels of stemness markers and were more resistant to cisplatin. Interestingly, SPRED2-KO cells also expressed higher levels of the stem cell surface markers CD44 and CD90. When CD44⁺CD90⁺ and CD44^-CD90^- populations from WT cells were analyzed, a lower level of SPRED2 and higher levels of stem cell markers were detected in CD44⁺CD90⁺ cells. Further, endogenous SPRED2 expression decreased when WT cells were cultured in 3D, but was restored in 2D culture. Finally, the levels of SPRED2 in clinical HCC tissues were significantly lower than those in adjacent non-HCC tissues and were negatively associated with progression-free survival. Thus, the downregulation of SPRED2 in HCC promotes EMT and stemness through the activation of the ERK1/2 pathway, and leads to more malignant phenotypes.

Crosstalk between Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells Reveals a Novel Stemness-Related Signature to Predict Prognosis and Immunotherapy Responses for Bladder Cancer Patients

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) maintain bladder cancer (BCa) stemness and facilitate the progression, metastasis, drug resistance, and prognosis. Therefore, we aimed to decipher the communication networks, develop a stemness-related signature (Stem. Sig.), and identify a potential therapeutic target. BCa single-cell RNA-seq datasets (GSE130001 and GSE146137) were used to identify MSCs and CSCs. Pseudotime analysis was performed by Monocle. Stem. Sig. was developed by analyzing the communication network and gene regulatory network (GRN) that were decoded by NicheNet and SCENIC, respectively. The molecular features of the Stem. Sig. were evaluated in TCGA-BLCA and two PD-(L)1 treated datasets (IMvigor210 and Rose2021UC). A prognostic model was constructed based on a 101 machine-learning framework. Functional assays were performed to evaluate the stem traits of the hub gene. Three subpopulations of MSCs and CSCs were first identified. Based on the communication network, the activated regulons were found by GRN and regarded as the Stem. Sig. Following unsupervised clustering, two molecular subclusters were identified and demonstrated distinct cancer stemness, prognosis, immunological TME, and response to immunotherapy. Two PD-(L)1 treated cohorts further validated the performance of Stem. Sig. in prognosis and immunotherapeutic response prediction. A prognostic model was then developed, and a high-risk score indicated a poor prognosis. Finally, the hub gene SLC2A3 was found exclusively upregulated in extracellular matrix-related CSCs, predicting prognosis, and shaping an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Functional assays uncovered the stem traits of SLC2A3 in BCa by tumorsphere formation and western blotting. The Stem. Sig. derived from MSCs and CSCs can predict prognosis and response to immunotherapy for BCa. Besides, SLC2A3 may serve as a promising stemness target facilitating cancer effective management.

Curcumin-Mediated Resistance to Lenvatinib via EGFR Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Lenvatinib is a multi-kinase inhibitor approved as a first-line treatment for patients with unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its response rate is unsatisfactory, primarily due to the acquisition of resistance, which limits its clinical significance for treating patients with HCC. Recent evidence suggests that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation can trigger Lenvatinib-resistance; and is considered an important therapeutic target in HCC. Curcumin, one of the most studied naturally occurring botanicals with robust anti-cancer activity, is also reported to be a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In this study, we hypothesized that the anti-EGFR potential of Curcumin might help overcome Lenvatinib resistance in HCC. We established two Lenvatinib-resistant cells and discovered that a combination of Curcumin and Lenvatinib exhibited a synergistic anti-tumor efficacy in the resistant HCC cell lines. In line with previous reports, Lenvatinib-resistant cell lines revealed significant activation of the EGFR, and genomewide transcriptomic profiling analysis identified that the PI3K-AKT pathway was associated with Lenvatinib resistance. The combination treatment with Curcumin and Lenvatinib dramatically suppressed gene and protein expression of the EGFR-PI3K-AKT pathway, suggesting Curcumin overcomes Lenvatinib resistance via inhibition of EGFR. We further validated these findings in tumor spheroids derived from resistant cell lines. In conclusion, we, for the first time, report that Curcumin reverses Lenvatinib resistance in HCC, and that their combination has clinical application potential for adjunctive treatment in HCC.

S100A10 promotes HCC development and progression via transfer in extracellular vesicles and regulating their protein cargos

OBJECTIVE

Growing evidence indicates that tumour cells exhibit characteristics similar to their lineage progenitor cells. We found that S100 calcium binding protein A10 (S100A10) exhibited an expression pattern similar to that of liver progenitor genes. However, the role of S100A10 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression is unclear. Furthermore, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are critical mediators of tumourigenesis and metastasis, but the extracellular functions of S100A10, particularly those related to EVs (EV-S100A10), are unknown.

DESIGN

The functions and mechanisms of S100A10 and EV-S100A10 in HCC progression were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Neutralising antibody (NA) to S100A10 was used to evaluate the significance of EV-S100A10.

RESULTS

Functionally, S100A10 promoted HCC initiation, self-renewal, chemoresistance and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Of significance, we found that S100A10 was secreted by HCC cells into EVs both in vitro and in the plasma of patients with HCC. S100A10-enriched EVs enhanced the stemness and metastatic ability of HCC cells, upregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), AKT and ERK signalling, and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition. EV-S100A10 also functioned as a chemoattractant in HCC cell motility. Of significance, S100A10 governed the protein cargos in EVs and mediated the binding of MMP2, fibronectin and EGF to EV membranes through physical binding with integrin αⅤ. Importantly, blockage of EV-S100A10 with S100A10-NA significantly abrogated these enhancing effects.

CONCLUSION

Altogether, our results uncovered that S100A10 promotes HCC progression significantly via its transfer in EVs and regulating the protein cargoes of EVs. EV-S100A10 may be a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for HCC progression.