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Matsumoto S, Kikuchi A. Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in liver biology and tumorigenesis. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2024; 60:466-481. [PMID: 38379098 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-024-00858-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that controls fundamental physiological and pathological processes by regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway enables liver homeostasis by inducing differentiation and contributes to liver-specific features such as metabolic zonation and regeneration. In contrast, abnormalities in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway promote the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Similarly, hepatoblastoma, the most common childhood liver cancer, is frequently associated with β-catenin mutations, which activate Wnt/β-catenin signaling. HCCs with activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway have unique gene expression patterns and pathological and clinical features. Accordingly, they are highly differentiated with retaining hepatocyte-like characteristics and tumorigenic. Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in HCC also alters the state of immune cells, causing "immune evasion" with inducing resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have recently become widely used to treat HCC. Activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling exhibits these phenomena in liver tumorigenesis through the expression of downstream target genes, and the molecular basis is still poorly understood. In this review, we describe the physiological roles of Wnt/b-catenin signaling and then discuss their characteristic changes by the abnormal activation of Wnt/b-catenin signaling. Clarification of the mechanism would contribute to the development of therapeutic agents in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Matsumoto
- Departments of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
- Integrated Frontier Research for Medical Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), 2-2 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Akira Kikuchi
- Departments of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center of Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, 2-8 Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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2
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Lu G, Lin J, Song G, Chen M. Prognostic significance of CTNNB1 mutation in hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:9759-9778. [PMID: 37733676 PMCID: PMC10564414 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant cancers in humans and has a high fatality rate. In recent years, researchers have verified that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway affects the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with HCC. Although many studies have investigated the relationship between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and HCC, the prognostic value of β-catenin in HCC remains inconclusive. CTNNB1 (Catenin Beta-1) is an important factor in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. However, no consensus has been reached on the clinical and prognostic significance of CTNNB1 mutations in HCCs. METHODS Eligible studies and relevant data were obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, Cochrane Library, Ovid, and Embase databases. The correlation between CTNNB1 mutations and clinical/prognosis of patients were evaluated. A fixed- or random-effects model was used to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS Seventeen studies matched the selection criteria, and 1828 patients were included. This meta-analysis demonstrated that patients with HCC with CTNNB1 mutations had favorable clinicopathological features and survival. The combined ORs of 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival were0.52 (n = 6 studies, 95% CI: 0.34-0.81, Z = 2.89, P =0.004, 0.28 (n =6 studies, 95% CI: 0.18-0.42, Z = 6.03, P<0.00001), -0.22 (n = 6 studies, 95% CI: 0.37-0.06, Z = 2.78, P = 0.005), respectively. Additionally, CTNNB1 mutation might be significantly associated with differentiation (OR = 0.54, 95% CI:0.36-0.81, Z = 2.98, P = 0.003), TMN stages (Tumor, Node, Metastasis staging classification) (OR = -0.25, 95% CI:-0.33--0.18, Z = 6.60, P<0.00001), liver cirrhosis (OR = 0.21, 95% CI:0.11-0.39, Z = 4.94, P< = 0.00001), and HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) infection (OR = 0.44, 95% CI:0.31-0.64, Z = 4.37, P<0.0001), but not with tumor size, metastasis, vascular invasion, and HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS CTNNB1 mutation can serve as an indicator of favorable prognosis as well as a novel target for treatment in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genlin Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Longyou People’s Hospital Affiliated with Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Quzhou 324400, China
| | - Jian Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Longyou People’s Hospital Affiliated with Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Quzhou 324400, China
| | - Guoqiang Song
- Department of Pulmonary, Department of Cancer Center, Changxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Huzhou 313100, China
| | - Min Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Longyou People’s Hospital Affiliated with Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Quzhou 324400, China
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3
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Xu C, Xu Z, Zhang Y, Evert M, Calvisi DF, Chen X. β-Catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:154515. [PMID: 35166233 PMCID: PMC8843739 DOI: 10.1172/jci154515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Deregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling is one of the main genetic alterations in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Comprehensive genomic analyses have revealed that gain-of-function mutation of CTNNB1, which encodes β-catenin, and loss-of-function mutation of AXIN1 occur in approximately 35% of human HCC samples. Human HCCs with activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway demonstrate unique gene expression patterns and pathological features. Activated Wnt/β-catenin synergizes with multiple signaling cascades to drive HCC formation, and it functions through its downstream effectors. Therefore, strategies targeting Wnt/β-catenin have been pursued as possible therapeutics against HCC. Here, we review the genetic alterations and oncogenic roles of aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling during hepatocarcinogenesis. In addition, we discuss the implication of this pathway in HCC diagnosis, classification, and personalized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanrui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhong Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Diego F Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
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4
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Peng Y, Meng G, Sheng X, Gao H. Transcriptome and DNA methylation analysis reveals molecular mechanisms underlying intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma progression. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:6373-6387. [PMID: 34013637 PMCID: PMC8256365 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is an aggressive malignancy with increasing incidence. It has been suggested that DNA methylation drives cancer development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying iCCA progression and the roles of DNA methylation still remain elusive. In this study, weighted correlation networks were constructed to identify gene modules and hub genes associated with the tumour stage. We identified 12 gene modules, two of which were significantly positively or negatively related to the tumour stage, respectively. Key hub genes SLC2A1, CDH3 and EFHD2 showed increased expression across the tumour stage and were correlated with poor survival, whereas decrease of FAM171A1, ONECUT1 and PHYHIPL was correlated with better survival. Pathway analysis revealed hedgehog pathway was activated in CDH3 up-regulated tumours, and chromosome separation was elevated in tumours expressing high EFHD2. JAK-STAT pathway was overrepresented in ONECUT1 down-regulated tumours, whereas Rho GTPases-formins signalling was activated in PHYHIPL down-regulated tumours. Finally, significant negative associations between expression of EFHD2, PHYHIPL and promoter DNA methylation were detected, and alterations of DNA methylation were correlated with tumour survival. In summary, we identified key genes and pathways that may participate in progression of iCCA and proposed putative roles of DNA methylation in iCCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuming Peng
- First Department of General SurgeryHunan Children’s HospitalChangshaChina
| | - Guohao Meng
- Department of PathophysiologyKey Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of EducationShanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Xinyi Sheng
- First Department of General SurgeryHunan Children’s HospitalChangshaChina
| | - Hongqiang Gao
- First Department of General SurgeryHunan Children’s HospitalChangshaChina
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Targeting Wnt Signaling in Endometrial Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13102351. [PMID: 34068065 PMCID: PMC8152465 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wnt has diverse regulatory roles at multiple cellular levels and numerous targeting points, and aberrant Wnt signaling has crucial roles in carcinogenesis, metastasis, cancer recurrence, and chemotherapy resistance; based on these facts, Wnt represents an appealing therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Although preclinical data supports a role for the Wnt signaling pathway in uterine carcinogenesis, this area remains understudied. In this review, we identify the functions of several oncogenes of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in tumorigenesis and address the translation approach with potent Wnt inhibitors that have already been established or are being investigated to target key components of the pathway. Further research is likely to expand the potential for both biomarker and cancer drug development. There is a scarcity of treatment choices for advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer; investigating the sophisticated connections of Wnt signaling networks in endometrial cancer could address the unmet need for new therapeutic targets. Abstract This review presents new findings on Wnt signaling in endometrial carcinoma and implications for possible future treatments. The Wnt proteins are essential mediators in cell signaling during vertebrate embryo development. Recent biochemical and genetic studies have provided significant insight into Wnt signaling, in particular in cell cycle regulation, inflammation, and cancer. The role of Wnt signaling is well established in gastrointestinal and breast cancers, but its function in gynecologic cancers, especially in endometrial cancers, has not been well elucidated. Development of a subset of endometrial carcinomas has been attributed to activation of the APC/β-catenin signaling pathway (due to β-catenin mutations) and downregulation of Wnt antagonists by epigenetic silencing. The Wnt pathway also appears to be linked to estrogen and progesterone, and new findings implicate it in mTOR and Hedgehog signaling. Therapeutic interference of Wnt signaling remains a significant challenge. Herein, we discuss the Wnt-activating mechanisms in endometrial cancer and review the current advances and challenges in drug discovery.
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Dong X, Wang F, Liu C, Ling J, Jia X, Shen F, Yang N, Zhu S, Zhong L, Li Q. Single-cell analysis reveals the intra-tumor heterogeneity and identifies MLXIPL as a biomarker in the cellular trajectory of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Death Discov 2021; 7:14. [PMID: 33462196 PMCID: PMC7814056 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-021-00403-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a globally prevailing cancer with a low 5-year survival rate. Little is known about its intricate gene expression profile. Single-cell RNA sequencing is an indispensable tool to explore the genetic characteristics of HCC at a more detailed level. In this study, we profiled the gene expression of single cells from human HCC tumor and para-tumor tissues using the Smart-seq 2 sequencing method. Based on differentially expressed genes, we identified heterogeneous subclones in HCC tissues, including five HCC and two hepatocyte subclones. We then carried out hub-gene co-network and functional annotations analysis followed pseudo-time analysis with regulated transcriptional factor co-networks to determine HCC cellular trajectory. We found that MLX interacting protein like (MLXIPL) was commonly upregulated in the single cells and tissues and associated with a poor survival rate in HCC. Mechanistically, MLXIPL activation is crucial for promoting cell proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis by accelerating cell glycolysis. Taken together, our work identifies the heterogeneity of HCC subclones, and suggests MLXIPL might be a promising therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Dong
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Chuan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Jing Ling
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Xuebing Jia
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Feifei Shen
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Sibo Zhu
- Center for Pharmacogenomics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China.
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7
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The Role of Smoothened in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186863. [PMID: 32962123 PMCID: PMC7555769 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Smoothened (SMO) belongs to the Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway, which regulates cell growth, migration, invasion and stem cells in cancer. The HH signaling pathway includes both canonical and noncanonical pathways. The canonical HH pathway functions through major HH molecules such as HH ligands, PTCH, SMO and GLI, whereas the noncanonical HH pathway involves the activation of SMO or GLI through other pathways. The role of SMO has been discussed in different types of cancer, including breast, liver, pancreatic and colon cancers. SMO expression correlates with tumor size, invasiveness, metastasis and recurrence. In addition, SMO inhibitors can suppress cancer formation, reduce the proliferation of cancer cells, trigger apoptosis and suppress cancer stem cell activity. A better understanding of the role of SMO in cancer could contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
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8
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Kong Y, Qiao Z, Ren Y, Genchev GZ, Ge M, Xiao H, Zhao H, Lu H. Integrative Analysis of Membrane Proteome and MicroRNA Reveals Novel Lung Cancer Metastasis Biomarkers. Front Genet 2020; 11:1023. [PMID: 33005184 PMCID: PMC7483668 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.01023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most common human cancers both in incidence and mortality, with prognosis particularly poor in metastatic cases. Metastasis in lung cancer is a multifarious process driven by a complex regulatory landscape involving many mechanisms, genes, and proteins. Membrane proteins play a crucial role in the metastatic journey both inside tumor cells and the extra-cellular matrix and are a viable area of research focus with the potential to uncover biomarkers and drug targets. In this work we performed membrane proteome analysis of highly and poorly metastatic lung cells which integrated genomic, proteomic, and transcriptional data. A total of 1,762 membrane proteins were identified, and within this set, there were 163 proteins with significant changes between the two cell lines. We applied the Tied Diffusion through Interacting Events method to integrate the differentially expressed disease-related microRNAs and functionally dys-regulated membrane protein information to further explore the role of key membrane proteins and microRNAs in multi-omics context. Has-miR-137 was revealed as a key gene involved in the activity of membrane proteins by targeting MET and PXN, affecting membrane proteins through protein-protein interaction mechanism. Furthermore, we found that the membrane proteins CDH2, EGFR, ITGA3, ITGA5, ITGB1, and CALR may have significant effect on cancer prognosis and outcomes, which were further validated in vitro. Our study provides multi-omics-based network method of integrating microRNAs and membrane proteome information, and uncovers a differential molecular signatures of highly and poorly metastatic lung cancer cells; these molecules may serve as potential targets for giant-cell lung metastasis treatment and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Kong
- SJTU-Yale Joint Center for Biostatistics and Data Science, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongyong Ren
- SJTU-Yale Joint Center for Biostatistics and Data Science, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Georgi Z Genchev
- SJTU-Yale Joint Center for Biostatistics and Data Science, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Center for Biomedical Informatics, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Big Data in Pediatric Precision Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai, China.,Bulgarian Institute for Genomics and Precision Medicine, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Maolin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, Rui Jin Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Hui Lu
- SJTU-Yale Joint Center for Biostatistics and Data Science, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Center for Biomedical Informatics, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Big Data in Pediatric Precision Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai, China
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9
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Investigation of CTNNB1 gene mutations and expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis in association with hepatitis B virus infection. Infect Agent Cancer 2020; 15:37. [PMID: 32514293 PMCID: PMC7268324 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-020-00297-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV), along with Hepatitis C virus chronic infection, represents a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. However, molecular mechanisms involved in the development of HCC are not yet completely understood. Recent studies have indicated that mutations in CTNNB1 gene encoding for β-catenin protein lead to aberrant activation of the Wnt/ β-catenin pathway. The mutations in turn activate several downstream genes, including c-Myc, promoting the neoplastic process. The present study evaluated the mutational profile of the CTNNB1 gene and expression levels of CTNNB1 and c-Myc genes in HBV-related HCC, as well as in cirrhotic and control tissues. Mutational analysis of the β-catenin gene and HBV genotyping were conducted by direct sequencing. Expression of β-catenin and c-Myc genes was assessed using real-time PCR. Among the HCC cases, 18.1% showed missense point mutation in exon 3 of CTNNB1, more frequently in codons 32, 33, 38 and 45. The frequency of mutation in the hotspots of exon 3 was significantly higher in non-viral HCCs (29.4%) rather than HBV-related cases (12.7%, P = 0.021). The expression of β-catenin and c-Myc genes was found upregulated in cirrhotic tissues in association with HBV infection. Mutations at both phosphorylation and neighboring sites were associated with increased activity of the Wnt pathway. The results demonstrated that mutated β-catenin caused activation of the Wnt pathway, but the rate of CTNNB1 gene mutations was not related to HBV infection. HBV factors may deregulate the Wnt pathway by causing epigenetic alterations in the HBV-related HCC.
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Liu Y, Tan M, Zhang Y, Huang W, Min L, Peng S, Yuan K, Qiu L, Min W. Targeted Gene Silencing BRAF Synergized Photothermal Effect Inhibits Hepatoma Cell Growth Using New GAL-GNR-siBRAF Nanosystem. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2020; 15:116. [PMID: 32449085 PMCID: PMC7246281 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-020-03340-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. The RAF kinase inhibitors are effective in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); therefore, inhibition of the BRAF/MEK/ERK pathway has become a new therapeutic strategy for novel HCC therapy. However, targeted specific delivery systems for tumors are still significant obstacle to clinical applications. Galactose (GAL) can target the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) that is highly expressed on liver cancer cells. In this study, we designed a novel multifunctional nanomaterial GAL-GNR-siBRAF which consists of three parts, GAL as the liver cancer-targeting moiety, golden nanorods (GNR) offering photothermal capability under near infrared light, and siRNA specifically silencing BRAF (siBRAF). The nanocarrier GAL-GNR-siBRAF showed high siRNA loading capacity and inhibited the degradation of siRNA in serum. Compared with naked gold nanorods, GAL-GNR-siBRAF possessed lower biotoxicity and higher efficacy of gene silencing. Treatment with GAL-GNR-siBRAF significantly downregulated the expression of BRAF and impaired proliferation, migration, and invasion of liver cancer cells. Moreover, combinatorial photothermal effects and BRAF knockdown by GAL-GNR-siBRAF effectively given rise to tumor cell death. Therefore, our study developed a new type of targeted multi-functional nanomaterial GAL-GNR-siBRAF for the treatment of liver cancer, which provides ideas for the development of new clinical treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Liu
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
- Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098 China
- Jiangxi Institute of Medical Sciences Nanchang, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
| | - Manman Tan
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
| | - Yujuan Zhang
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
| | - Wei Huang
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
| | - Liangliang Min
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
| | - Shanshan Peng
- Jiangxi Institute of Medical Sciences Nanchang, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
| | - Keng Yuan
- Jiangxi Institute of Medical Sciences Nanchang, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
| | - Li Qiu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weiping Min
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
- Jiangxi University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330098 China
- Jiangxi Institute of Medical Sciences Nanchang, Nanchang, 330006 Jiangxi China
- Department of Surgery, Pathology and Oncology, University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5A5 Canada
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11
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Vinogradov AE, Anatskaya OV. Cell-cycle dependence of transcriptome gene modules: comparison of regression lines. FEBS J 2020; 287:4427-4439. [PMID: 32083797 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The transcriptome consists of various gene modules that can be mutually dependent, and ignoring these dependencies may lead to misinterpretation. The most important problem is module dependence on cell-cycle activity. Using meta-analysis of over 30 000 single-cell transcriptomes, we show gene module dependencies on cell-cycle signature, which can be consistently observed in various normal and cancer cells. Transcript levels of receptors, plasma membrane, and differentiation-related genes are negatively regressed on cell-cycle signature. Pluripotency, stress response, DNA repair, chromatin remodeling, proteasomal protein degradation, protein network connectivity, and unicellular evolutionary origin are regressed positively. These effects cannot be explained by partial overlap of corresponding gene sets because they remain if the overlapped genes were removed. We propose a visual analysis of gene module-specific regression lines as complement to an uncurated enrichment analysis. The different lines for a same gene module indicate different cell conditions. The approach is tested on several problems (polyploidy, pluripotency, cancer, phylostratigraphy). Intriguingly, we found variation in cell-cycle activity, which is independent of cell progression through the cycle. The upregulation of G2/M checkpoint genes with downregulation of G2/M transition and cytokinesis is revealed in polyploid cells. A temporal increase in cell-cycle activity at transition from pluripotent to more differentiated state is found in human embryonic stem cells. The upregulation of unicellular interactome cluster in human cancers is shown in single cells with control for cell-cycle activity. The greater scatter around regression line in cancer cells suggests greater heterogeneity caused by deviation from a line of normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olga V Anatskaya
- Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Jeng KS, Chang CF, Lin SS. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Organogenesis, Tumors, and Tumor Microenvironments. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030758. [PMID: 31979397 PMCID: PMC7037908 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During mammalian embryonic development, primary cilia transduce and regulate several signaling pathways. Among the various pathways, Sonic hedgehog (SHH) is one of the most significant. SHH signaling remains quiescent in adult mammalian tissues. However, in multiple adult tissues, it becomes active during differentiation, proliferation, and maintenance. Moreover, aberrant activation of SHH signaling occurs in cancers of the skin, brain, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, stomach, colon, breast, lung, prostate, and hematological malignancies. Recent studies have shown that the tumor microenvironment or stroma could affect tumor development and metastasis. One hypothesis has been proposed, claiming that the pancreatic epithelia secretes SHH that is essential in establishing and regulating the pancreatic tumor microenvironment in promoting cancer progression. The SHH signaling pathway is also activated in the cancer stem cells (CSC) of several neoplasms. The self-renewal of CSC is regulated by the SHH/Smoothened receptor (SMO)/Glioma-associated oncogene homolog I (GLI) signaling pathway. Combined use of SHH signaling inhibitors and chemotherapy/radiation therapy/immunotherapy is therefore key in targeting CSCs.
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13
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Lu F, Zhou Q, Liu L, Zeng G, Ci W, Liu W, Zhang G, Zhang Z, Wang P, Zhang A, Gao Y, Yu L, He Q, Chen L. A tumor suppressor enhancing module orchestrated by GATA4 denotes a therapeutic opportunity for GATA4 deficient HCC patients. Theranostics 2020; 10:484-497. [PMID: 31903133 PMCID: PMC6929984 DOI: 10.7150/thno.38060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Effective targeting therapies are limited in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) clinic. Characterization of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and elucidation their signaling cascades could shed light on new strategies for developing targeting therapies for HCC. Methods: We checked genome-wide DNA copy number variation (CNV) of HCC samples, focusing on deleted genes for TSG candidates. Clinical data, in vitro and in vivo data were collected to validate the tumor suppressor functions. Results: Focal deletion of GATA4 gene locus was the most prominent feature across all liver cancer samples. Ectopic expression of GATA4 resulted in senescence of HCC cell lines. Mechanistically, GATA4 exerted tumor suppressive role by orchestrating the assembly of a tumor suppressor enhancing module: GATA4 directly bound and potently inhibited the mRNA transcription activity of β-catenin; meanwhile, β-catenin was recruited by GATA4 to promoter regions and facilitated transcription of GATA4 target genes, which were TSGs per se. Expression of GATA4 was effective to shrink GATA4-deficient HCC tumors in vivo. We also showed that β-catenin inhibitor was capable of shrinking GATA4-deficient tumors. Conclusions: Our study unveiled a previously unnoticed tumor suppressor enhancing module assembled by ectopically expressed GATA4 in HCC cells and denoted a therapeutic opportunity for GATA4 deficient HCC patients. Our study also presented an interesting case that an oncogenic transcription factor conditionally functioned as a tumor suppressor when recruited by a TSG transcription factor.
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14
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Jeng KS, Jeng CJ, Jeng WJ, Sheen IS, Li SY, Leu CM, Tsay YG, Chang CF. Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway as a potential target to inhibit the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2019; 18:4377-4384. [PMID: 31611946 PMCID: PMC6781692 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Hepatocarcinogenesis involves numerous interlinked factors and processes, including the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway, which participates in the carcinogenesis, progression, invasiveness, recurrence and cancer stem cell maintenance of HCC. The Shh signaling pathway is activated by ligands that bind to their receptor protein, Protein patched homolog (Ptch). The process of Shh ligand binding to Ptch weakens the inhibition of smoothened homolog (SMO) and activates signal transduction via glioma-associated oncogene homolog (Gli) transcription factors. The overexpression of Shh pathway molecules, including Shh, Ptch-1, Gli and SMO has been indicated in patients with HCC. It has also been suggested that the Shh signaling pathway exhibits cross-talk between numerous other signaling pathways. The inactivation of the Shh signaling pathway reduces HCC growth, increases radio-sensitivity and increases the beneficial effect of chemotherapy in HCC treatment. Therefore, inhibition of the Shh pathway may be an effective target therapy that can be used in the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo-Shyang Jeng
- Department of General Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 22060, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Medical Research, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 22060, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chi-Juei Jeng
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Wen-Juei Jeng
- Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Chang-Gung University, Taoyuan City 33305, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - I-Shyan Sheen
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Shih-Yun Li
- Department of Medical Research, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 22060, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chuen-Miin Leu
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City 11221, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Yeou-Guang Tsay
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City 11221, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chiung-Fang Chang
- Department of General Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 22060, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Medical Research, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City 22060, Taiwan, R.O.C
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15
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Tang Z, Yu Z, Wang C. A fast iterative algorithm for high-dimensional differential network. Comput Stat 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00180-019-00915-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Ovcharenko D, Chitjian C, Kashkin A, Fanelli A, Ovcharenko V. Two dichloric compounds inhibit in vivo U87 xenograft tumor growth. Cancer Biol Ther 2019; 20:1281-1289. [PMID: 31234707 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2019.1632131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dichloroacetate (DCA) is an inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) that has been shown to reverse the Warburg effect and cause tumor cell death. Clinical research into the anti-cancer activity of DCA revealed high dosage requirements and reports of toxicity. While there have been subsequent mechanistic investigations, a search for DCA alternatives could result in a safer and more effective anticancer therapy. This study evaluates eight small compounds with a conserved dichloric terminal and their in vitro and in vivo potential for anticancer activity. Initial viability screening across six cancer cell lines reveals even at 10 mg/mL, compound treatments do not result in complete cell death which suggests minimal compound cytotoxicity. Furthermore, in vivo data demonstrates that cationic dichloric compounds DCAH and DCMAH, which were selected for further testing based on highest in vitro viability impact, inhibit tumor growth in the U87 model of glioblastoma, suggesting their clinical potential as accessible anti-cancer drugs. Immunoblotting signaling data from tumor lysates demonstrates that the mechanism of actions of cationic DCAH and DCMAH are unlikely to be consistent with that of the terminally carboxylic DCA and warrants further independent investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alex Kashkin
- R&D Department, Altogen Labs , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Alex Fanelli
- R&D Department, Altogen Labs , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Victor Ovcharenko
- International Tomography Center, Russian Academy of Sciences , Novosibirsk , Russia
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17
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Neuroblastoma RAS Viral Oncogene Homolog (NRAS) Is a Novel Prognostic Marker and Contributes to Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Neoplasia 2019; 21:257-268. [PMID: 30685691 PMCID: PMC6370713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of the RAS-RAF-ERK-pathway using sorafenib as a first-line and regorafenib as a second-line treatment approach is the only effective therapeutic strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent studies suggest that wild-type KRAS and HRAS isoforms could majorly contribute to HCC progression and sorafenib resistance. In contrast, the role of neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) in HCC remained elusive. In this study, wild-type NRAS was found to be overexpressed in HCC cell lines, preclinical HCC models, and human HCC tissues. Moreover, NRAS overexpression correlated with poor survival and proliferation in vivo. However, si-RNA-pool–mediated NRAS knockdown showed only slight effects on HCC proliferation, clonogenicity, and AKT activity. We determined that KRAS upregulation served as a functional compensatory mechanism in the absence of NRAS, which was overcome by combined inhibition of NRAS and KRAS in HCC cells. Furthermore, NRAS expression was elevated in sorafenib-resistant compared to nonresistant HCC cells, and NRAS knockdown enhanced sorafenib efficacy in resistant cells. In summary, NRAS appears to be a prognostic marker in HCC and contributes to sorafenib resistance. Regarding potential therapeutic strategies, NRAS inhibition in HCC should be combined with KRAS inhibition to prevent KRAS-mediated rescue effects.
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18
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Metabolic network-based stratification of hepatocellular carcinoma reveals three distinct tumor subtypes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E11874-E11883. [PMID: 30482855 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1807305115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent forms of liver cancer, and effective treatment methods are limited due to tumor heterogeneity. There is a great need for comprehensive approaches to stratify HCC patients, gain biological insights into subtypes, and ultimately identify effective therapeutic targets. We stratified HCC patients and characterized each subtype using transcriptomics data, genome-scale metabolic networks and network topology/controllability analysis. This comprehensive systems-level analysis identified three distinct subtypes with substantial differences in metabolic and signaling pathways reflecting at genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels. These subtypes showed large differences in clinical survival associated with altered kynurenine metabolism, WNT/β-catenin-associated lipid metabolism, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Integrative analyses indicated that the three subtypes rely on alternative enzymes (e.g., ACSS1/ACSS2/ACSS3, PKM/PKLR, ALDOB/ALDOA, MTHFD1L/MTHFD2/MTHFD1) to catalyze the same reactions. Based on systems-level analysis, we identified 8 to 28 subtype-specific genes with pivotal roles in controlling the metabolic network and predicted that these genes may be targeted for development of treatment strategies for HCC subtypes by performing in silico analysis. To validate our predictions, we performed experiments using HepG2 cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions and observed opposite expression patterns between genes expressed in high/moderate/low-survival tumor groups in response to hypoxia, reflecting activated hypoxic behavior in patients with poor survival. In conclusion, our analyses showed that the heterogeneous HCC tumors can be stratified using a metabolic network-driven approach, which may also be applied to other cancer types, and this stratification may have clinical implications to drive the development of precision medicine.
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19
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Efficacy of Hepatitis B Vaccination in Under Five-Year-Old Children in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study. HEPATITIS MONTHLY 2018. [DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.65385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
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20
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Combined effects of PLK1 and RAS in hepatocellular carcinoma reveal rigosertib as promising novel therapeutic "dual-hit" option. Oncotarget 2017; 9:3605-3618. [PMID: 29423069 PMCID: PMC5790486 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of RAS-RAF-ERK-signaling is a major mechanism mediated by the multi-kinase inhibitors sorafenib and regorafenib, the only effective therapeutic approaches for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This underlines the importance of RAS-RAF-ERK-signaling in HCC. Most RAS isoforms were not yet described to play crucial roles in HCC. However, several studies indicate that the HRAS isoform can function as potent oncogene in HCC, but pharmacologic RAS inhibition has not yet been investigated. Moreover, the cell cycle promoting polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is an increasingly recognized therapeutic target in HCC that can be activated by RAS-RAF-signaling. A recently developed small molecule inhibitor, ON-01910 ("rigosertib", RGS), was shown to interfere with both RAS- and PLK1-signaling. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of RGS in HCC and to assess PLK1 and HRAS expression in HCC. RGS treatment reduced cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in human HCC cell lines in vitro. Moreover, RGS strongly inhibited both ERK- and AKT-activation in HCC cells, indicating disruption of RAS-signaling. Analysis of HCC patient data showed that PLK1 and HRAS expression levels are upregulated during HCC development and in advanced HCC, respectively. High expression levels of PLK1 significantly correlated with poor patient survival. Moreover, high expression of both PLK1 and HRAS revealed combined effects on patient outcome. This underscores the importance of these genes and associated pathways in HCC. We newly demonstrate the therapeutic potential of RGS in HCC by inhibition of both PLK1 activation and major RAS-pathways, revealing a novel therapeutic "dual-hit" approach for HCC.
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21
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Guo M, Tomoshige K, Meister M, Muley T, Fukazawa T, Tsuchiya T, Karns R, Warth A, Fink-Baldauf IM, Nagayasu T, Naomoto Y, Xu Y, Mall MA, Maeda Y. Gene signature driving invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung. EMBO Mol Med 2017; 9:462-481. [PMID: 28255028 PMCID: PMC5376761 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201606711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Though invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung (IMA) is pathologically distinctive, the molecular mechanism driving IMA is not well understood, which hampers efforts to identify therapeutic targets. Here, by analyzing gene expression profiles of human and mouse IMA, we identified a Mucinous Lung Tumor Signature of 143 genes, which was unexpectedly enriched in mucin-producing gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and breast cancers. The signature genes included transcription factors FOXA3, SPDEF, HNF4A, mucins MUC5AC, MUC5B, MUC3, and an inhibitory immune checkpoint VTCN1/B7-H4 (but not PD-L1/B7-H1). Importantly, induction of FOXA3 or SPDEF along with mutant KRAS in lung epithelium was sufficient to develop benign or malignant mucinous lung tumors, respectively, in transgenic mice. FOXA3 and SPDEF induced MUC5AC and MUC5B, while HNF4A induced MUC3 in human mucinous lung cancer cells harboring a KRAS mutation. ChIP-seq combined with CRISPR/Cas9 determined that upstream enhancer regions of the mucin genes MUC5AC and MUC5B, which were bound by SPDEF, were required for the expression of the mucin genes. Here, we report the molecular signature and gene regulatory network driving mucinous lung tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minzhe Guo
- Perinatal Institute, Divisions of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing Systems, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Koichi Tomoshige
- Perinatal Institute, Divisions of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Michael Meister
- Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Muley
- Translational Research Unit, Thoraxklinik at University Hospital Heidelberg, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Takuya Fukazawa
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tomoshi Tsuchiya
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Rebekah Karns
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Arne Warth
- Institute of Pathology, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Iris M Fink-Baldauf
- Perinatal Institute, Divisions of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Takeshi Nagayasu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yoshio Naomoto
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yan Xu
- Perinatal Institute, Divisions of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Marcus A Mall
- Department of Translational Pulmonology, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yutaka Maeda
- Perinatal Institute, Divisions of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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22
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Yamaguchi K, Zhu C, Ohsugi T, Yamaguchi Y, Ikenoue T, Furukawa Y. Bidirectional reporter assay using HAL promoter and TOPFLASH improves specificity in high-throughput screening of Wnt inhibitors. Biotechnol Bioeng 2017; 114:2868-2882. [PMID: 28755500 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Constitutive activation of Wnt signaling plays an important role in colorectal and liver tumorigenesis. Cell-based assays using synthetic TCF/LEF (T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor) reporters, as readouts of β-catenin/TCF-dependent transcriptional activity, have contributed greatly to the discovery of small molecules that modulate Wnt signaling. In the present study, we report a novel screening method, called a bidirectional dual reporter assay. Integrated transcriptome analysis identified a histidine ammonia-lyase gene (HAL) that was negatively regulated by β-catenin/TCF-dependent transcriptional activity. We leveraged a promoter region of the HAL gene as another transcriptional readout of Wnt signaling. Cells stably expressing both an optimized HAL reporter and the TCF/LEF reporter enabled bidirectional reporter activities in response to Wnt signaling. Increased HAL reporter activity and decreased TCF/LEF reporter activity were observed simultaneously in the cells when β-catenin/TCF7L2 was inhibited. Notably, this method could decrease the number of false positives observed when screening an inhibitor library compared with the conventional TCF/LEF assay. We found that Brefeldin A, a disruptor of the Golgi apparatus, inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The utility of our system could be expanded to examine other disease-associated pathways beyond the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoshi Yamaguchi
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chi Zhu
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Ohsugi
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Yamaguchi
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuneo Ikenoue
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoichi Furukawa
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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23
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Zhao Y, Min L, Xu C, Shao L, Guo S, Cheng R, Xing J, Zhu S, Zhang S. Construction of disease-specific transcriptional regulatory networks identifies co-activation of four gene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Rep 2017; 38:411-417. [PMID: 28560409 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though various molecules may serve as biomarkers, little is known concerning the mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis of ESCC, particularly the transcriptional regulatory network. Thus, in the present study, paired ESCC and non-cancerous (NC) tissues were assayed by Affymetrix microarray assays. Passing Attributes between Networks for Data Assimilation (PANDA) was used to construct networks between transcription factors (TFs) and their targets. AnaPANDA program was applied to compare the regulatory networks. A hypergeometric distribution model-based target profile similarity analysis was utilized to find co-activation effects using both TF-target networks and differential expression data. There were 1,116 genes upregulated and 1,301 genes downregulated in ESCC compared with NC tissues. In TF-target networks, 16,970 ESCC-specific edges and 9,307 NC-specific edges were identified. Edge enrichment analysis by AnaPANDA indicated 17 transcription factors (NFE2L2, ELK4, PAX6, TLX1, ESR1, ZNF143, TP53, REL, ELF5, STAT1, TBP, NHLH1, FOXL1, SOX9, STAT3, ELK1, and HOXA5) suppressed in ESCC and 5 (SPIB, BRCA1, MZF1, MAFG and NFE2L1) activated in ESCC. For SPIB, MZF1, MAFG and NFE2L1, a strong and significant co-activation effect among them was detected in ESCC. In conclusion, the construction of transcriptional regulatory networks found SPIB, MZF1, MAFG and NFE2L1 co-activated in ESCC, which provides distinctive insight into the carcinogenesis mechanism of ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Li Min
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Changqin Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Linlin Shao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Shuilong Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Rui Cheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Jie Xing
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Shengtao Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
| | - Shutian Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesions of Digestive Disease, Xicheng, Beijing 100050, P.R. China
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24
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Kalkat M, De Melo J, Hickman KA, Lourenco C, Redel C, Resetca D, Tamachi A, Tu WB, Penn LZ. MYC Deregulation in Primary Human Cancers. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8060151. [PMID: 28587062 PMCID: PMC5485515 DOI: 10.3390/genes8060151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MYC regulates a complex biological program by transcriptionally activating and repressing its numerous target genes. As such, MYC is a master regulator of many processes, including cell cycle entry, ribosome biogenesis, and metabolism. In cancer, the activity of the MYC transcriptional network is frequently deregulated, contributing to the initiation and maintenance of disease. Deregulation often leads to constitutive overexpression of MYC, which can be achieved through gross genetic abnormalities, including copy number alterations, chromosomal translocations, increased enhancer activity, or through aberrant signal transduction leading to increased MYC transcription or increased MYC mRNA and protein stability. Herein, we summarize the frequency and modes of MYC deregulation and describe both well-established and more recent findings in a variety of cancer types. Notably, these studies have highlighted that with an increased appreciation for the basic mechanisms deregulating MYC in cancer, new therapeutic vulnerabilities can be discovered and potentially exploited for the inhibition of this potent oncogene in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manpreet Kalkat
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Jason De Melo
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Katherine Ashley Hickman
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
| | - Corey Lourenco
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Cornelia Redel
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Diana Resetca
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Aaliya Tamachi
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - William B Tu
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Linda Z Penn
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
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25
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Wang W, Pan Q, Fuhler GM, Smits R, Peppelenbosch MP. Action and function of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the progression from chronic hepatitis C to hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol 2017; 52:419-431. [PMID: 28035485 PMCID: PMC5357489 DOI: 10.1007/s00535-016-1299-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide but the mechanistic basis as to how chronic HCV infection furthers the HCC process remains only poorly understood. Accumulating evidence indicates that HCV core and nonstructural proteins provoke activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and the evidence supporting a role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the onset and progression of HCC is compelling. Convincing molecular explanations as to how expression of viral effectors translates into increased activity of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling machinery are still largely lacking, hampering the design of rational strategies aimed at preventing HCC. Furthermore, how such increased signaling is especially associated with HCC oncogenesis in the context of HCV infection remains obscure as well. Here we review the body of contemporary biomedical knowledge on the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the progression from chronic hepatitis C to cirrhosis and HCC and explore potential hypotheses as to the mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, ’s Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Qiuwei Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, ’s Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gwenny M. Fuhler
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, ’s Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ron Smits
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, ’s Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maikel P. Peppelenbosch
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, ’s Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Niu ZS, Niu XJ, Wang WH. Genetic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma: An update. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22:9069-9095. [PMID: 27895396 PMCID: PMC5107590 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i41.9069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although recent advances in therapeutic approaches for treating HCC have improved the prognoses of patients with HCC, this cancer is still associated with a poor survival rate mainly due to late diagnosis. Therefore, a diagnosis must be made sufficiently early to perform curative and effective treatments. There is a need for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of HCC because these mechanisms are critical for making early diagnoses and developing novel therapeutic strategies. Over the past decade, much progress has been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatocarcinogenesis. In particular, recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have revealed numerous genetic alterations, including recurrently mutated genes and dysregulated signaling pathways in HCC. A better understanding of the genetic alterations in HCC could contribute to identifying potential driver mutations and discovering novel therapeutic targets in the future. In this article, we summarize the current advances in research on the genetic alterations, including genomic instability, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, somatic mutations and deregulated signaling pathways, implicated in the initiation and progression of HCC. We also attempt to elucidate some of the genetic mechanisms that contribute to making early diagnoses of and developing molecularly targeted therapies for HCC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease
- Genomic Instability
- Humans
- Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/metabolism
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Mutation
- Patient Selection
- Phenotype
- Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
- Precision Medicine
- Predictive Value of Tests
- Signal Transduction
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Liu LJ, Xie SX, Chen YT, Xue JL, Zhang CJ, Zhu F. Aberrant regulation of Wnt signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22:7486-7499. [PMID: 27672271 PMCID: PMC5011664 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i33.7486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world. Several signaling pathways, including the wingless/int-1 (Wnt) signaling pathway, have been shown to be commonly activated in HCC. The Wnt signaling pathway can be triggered via both catenin β1 (CTNNB1)-dependent (also known as “canonical”) and CTNNB1-independent (often referred to as “non-canonical”) pathways. Specifically, the canonical Wnt pathway is one of those most frequently reported in HCC. Aberrant regulation from three complexes (the cell-surface receptor complex, the cytoplasmic destruction complex and the nuclear CTNNB1/T-cell-specific transcription factor/lymphoid enhancer binding factor transcriptional complex) are all involved in HCC. Although the non-canonical Wnt pathway is rarely reported, two main non-canonical pathways, Wnt/planar cell polarity pathway and Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, participate in the regulation of hepatocarcinogenesis. Interestingly, the canonical Wnt pathway is antagonized by non-canonical Wnt signaling in HCC. Moreover, other signaling cascades have also been demonstrated to regulate the Wnt pathway through crosstalk in HCC pathogenesis. This review provides a perspective on the emerging evidence that the aberrant regulation of Wnt signaling is a critical mechanism for the development of HCC. Furthermore, crosstalk between different signaling pathways might be conducive to the development of novel molecular targets of HCC.
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van Zuylen WJ, Rawlinson WD, Ford CE. The Wnt pathway: a key network in cell signalling dysregulated by viruses. Rev Med Virol 2016; 26:340-55. [PMID: 27273590 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.1892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Viruses are obligate parasites dependent on host cells for survival. Viral infection of a cell activates a panel of pattern recognition receptors that mediate antiviral host responses to inhibit viral replication and dissemination. Viruses have evolved mechanisms to evade and subvert this antiviral host response, including encoding proteins that hijack, mimic and/or manipulate cellular processes such as the cell cycle, DNA damage repair, cellular metabolism and the host immune response. Currently, there is an increasing interest whether viral modulation of these cellular processes, including the cell cycle, contributes to cancer development. One cellular pathway related to cell cycle signalling is the Wnt pathway. This review focuses on the modulation of this pathway by human viruses, known to cause (or associated with) cancer development. The main mechanisms where viruses interact with the Wnt pathway appear to be through (i) epigenetic modification of Wnt genes; (ii) cellular or viral miRNAs targeting Wnt genes; (iii) altering specific Wnt pathway members, often leading to (iv) nuclear translocation of β-catenin and activation of Wnt signalling. Given that diverse viruses affect this signalling pathway, modulating Wnt signalling could be a generalised critical process for the initiation or maintenance of viral pathogenesis, with resultant dysregulation contributing to virus-induced cancers. Further study of this virus-host interaction may identify options for targeted therapy against Wnt signalling molecules as a means to reduce virus-induced pathogenesis and the downstream consequences of infection. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J van Zuylen
- Serology and Virology Division, SEALS Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - William D Rawlinson
- Serology and Virology Division, SEALS Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Caroline E Ford
- Metastasis Research Group, School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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Guo Y, Wang J, Zhang L, Shen S, Guo R, Yang Y, Chen W, Wang Y, Chen G, Shuai X. Theranostical nanosystem-mediated identification of an oncogene and highly effective therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2016; 63:1240-55. [PMID: 26680504 DOI: 10.1002/hep.28409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Because the primary surgical treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-including hepatic resection and liver transplantation-often fail due to recurrence and metastasis, identifying early prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC is of great importance. This study shows that transducin β-like protein 1-related protein (TBLR1) is a key HCC oncogene that plays important roles in HCC proliferation, antiapoptosis, and angiogenesis by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The folate-targeted theranostic small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanomedicine Fa-PEG-g-PEI-SPION/psiRNA-TBLR1 effectively silences the TBLR1 gene in different human HCC cell lines in vitro and in human HCC samples in vivo, resulting in the simultaneous suppression of HCC cell proliferation, antiapoptosis, and angiogenesis. Because of its multi-anticancer functions against HCC, intravenous injection of the folate-targeted siRNA nanomedicine into nude mice bearing intrahepatic or subcutaneous xenografts of human HCC has a significant therapeutic effect. Tumor growth in those animals was almost completely inhibited by treatment with Fa-PEG-g-PEI-SPION/psiRNA-TBLR1. Moreover, the SPION-encapsulated polyplexes possess high magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection sensitivity, which makes tumor-targeted siRNA delivery easily trackable using the clinical MRI technique. CONCLUSION The theranostic siRNA nanomedicine examined here possesses great theranostic potential for combined gene therapy and MRI diagnosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Guo
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,PCFM Lab of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Experimental Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Experimental Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- PCFM Lab of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunli Shen
- Experimental Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruomi Guo
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjie Chen
- Hepatology Laboratory, Hospital for Liver Disease, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiru Wang
- PCFM Lab of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guihua Chen
- Hepatology Laboratory, Hospital for Liver Disease, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xintao Shuai
- PCFM Lab of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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30
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Rezaee R, Aghcheli B, Poortahmasebi V, Qorbani M, Alavian SM, Jazayeri SM. Prevalence of National Responsiveness to HBV Vaccine After 22 Years of Iranian Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study. HEPATITIS MONTHLY 2015; 15:e23618. [PMID: 26045701 PMCID: PMC4451270 DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.15(04)2015.23618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Hepatitis B Virus expanded program on immunization (EPI) started on 1993 in Iran. Most surveys have assessed the level of response to vaccine by measuring the titers of anti-HBs. This meta- analysis aimed to summarize the Iranian published data on the rate of vaccine-responders versus non-responders. Moreover, the impact of variables such as age, gender, type of vaccine, etc. on the levels of responsiveness was evaluated. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION All published papers on this topic in Iranian and international journals with affiliation of "Iran" were reviewed using standard keywords up to 2014. We included our study to healthy participants with no previous HBV infection and who had already received a complete course of HB vaccine. The estimated prevalence and 95% confidence intervals in 28 eligible articles for HBV vaccine responders (anti-HBs > 10 IU/mL) and non-responders (10 <) were analyzed by random effect method due to between-study heterogeneity. RESULTS The age of subjects was between 6 months and 15 years old. Overall, 5991 (51.5%) were male and 4571 (48.5%) females. Overall, 80% were responders to vaccine versus 20% nonresponders. With increase in age, the number of responders to vaccine decreased significantly (P = 0.001). There was no strong difference between responders versus nonresponders to vaccine for gender, types of vaccine, ethnicity and living area. CONCLUSIONS The results arose from this meta-analysis highlighted the safety of vaccine and its effectiveness in stimulating immune response of vaccines, despite being different in generation, manufacturers and types. Moreover, there was no substantial difference between Iranian and other international investigations in the rate of nonresponsiveness to HBV vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Rezaee
- Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Deputy of Curative Affairs, Budget Administration, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Bahman Aghcheli
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | - Mostafa Qorbani
- Department of Community Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, IR Iran
- Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
| | | | - Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri
- Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
- Corresponding Author: Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri, Hepatitis B Molecular Laboratory, Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P. O. Box: 15155-6446, Tehran, IR Iran. Tel: +98-2188992660, E-mail:
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31
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Prevalence of National Responsiveness to HBV Vaccine After 22 Years of Iranian Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study. HEPATITIS MONTHLY 2015. [DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.23618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
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32
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Prevalence of National Responsiveness to HBV Vaccine After 22 Years of Iranian Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study. HEPATITIS MONTHLY 2015. [DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.15(4)2015.23618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
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Moon EJ, Giaccia A. Dual roles of NRF2 in tumor prevention and progression: possible implications in cancer treatment. Free Radic Biol Med 2015; 79:292-9. [PMID: 25458917 PMCID: PMC4339613 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The cap'n'collar (CNC) family serves as cellular sensors of oxidative and electrophilic stresses and shares structural similarities including basic leucine zipper (bZIP) and CNC domains. They form heterodimers with small MAF proteins to regulate antioxidant and phase II enzymes through antioxidant response element (ARE)-mediated transactivation. Among the CNC family members, NRF2 is required for systemic protection against redox-mediated injury and carcinogenesis. On the other hand, NRF2 is activated by oncogenic pathways, metabolism, and hypoxia. Constitutive NRF2 activation is observed in a variety of human cancers and it is highly correlated with tumor progression and aggressiveness. In this review, we will discuss how NRF2 plays dual roles in cancer prevention and progression depending on the cellular context and environment. Therefore, a better understanding of NRF2 will be necessary to exploit this complex network of balancing antioxidant pathways to inhibit tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eui Jung Moon
- Division of Radiation Biology & Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Amato Giaccia
- Division of Radiation Biology & Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Chen J, Liu J, Jin R, Shen J, Liang Y, Ma R, Lin H, Liang X, Yu H, Cai X. Cytoplasmic and/or nuclear expression of β-catenin correlate with poor prognosis and unfavorable clinicopathological factors in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111885. [PMID: 25401330 PMCID: PMC4234306 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The β-catenin is an important effector in WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway, which exerts a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Some researchers have suggested that the overexpression of β-catenin in cytoplasm and/or nucleus was closely correlated to metastasis, poor differentiation and malignant phenotype of HCC while some other researchers hold opposite point. So far, no consensus was obtained on the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of cytoplasmic/nuclear β-catenin overexpression for HCCs. METHODS Systematic strategies were applied to search eligible studies in all available databases. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses and multivariate analysis were performed. In this meta-analysis, we utilized either fixed- or random-effects model to calculate the pooled odds ratios (OR) and its 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS A total of 22 studies containing 2334 cases were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Pooled data suggested that accumulation of β-catenin in cytoplasm and/or nucleus significantly correlated with poor 1-, 3- and 5-year OS and RFS. Moreover, nuclear accumulation combined with cytoplasmic accumulation of β-catenin tended to be associated with dismal metastasis and vascular invasion while cytoplasmic or nuclear expression alone showed no significant effect. Besides, no significant association was observed between cytoplasmic and/or nuclear β-catenin expression and poor differentiation grade, advanced TNM stage, liver cirrhosis, tumor size, tumor encapsulation, AFP and etiologies. Additional subgroup analysis by origin suggested that the prognostic value and clinicopathological significance of cytoplasmic and/or nuclear β-catenin expression was more validated in Asian population. Multivariate analyses of factors showed that cytoplasmic and/or nuclear β-catenin expression, as well as TNM stage, metastasis and tumor size, was an independent risk factors for OS and RFS. CONCLUSIONS Cytoplasmic and/or nuclear accumulation of β-catenin, as an independent prognostic factor, significantly associated with poor prognosis and deeper invasion of HCC, and could serve as a valuable prognostic predictor for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinghua Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Renan Jin
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiliang Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuelong Liang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rui Ma
- Department of Surgery, Zhejiang University Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hui Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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