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Wang S, He Y, Wang J, Luo E. Re-exploration of immunotherapy targeting EMT of hepatocellular carcinoma: Starting from the NF-κB pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 174:116566. [PMID: 38631143 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancies worldwide, and its high morbidity and mortality have brought a heavy burden to the global public health system. Due to the concealment of its onset, the limitation of treatment, the acquisition of multi-drug resistance and radiation resistance, the treatment of HCC cannot achieve satisfactory results. Epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) is a key process that induces progression, distant metastasis, and therapeutic resistance to a variety of malignant tumors, including HCC. Therefore, targeting EMT has become a promising tumor immunotherapy method for HCC. The NF-κB pathway is a key regulatory pathway for EMT. Targeting this pathway has shown potential to inhibit HCC infiltration, invasion, distant metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. At present, there are still some controversies about this pathway and new ideas of combined therapy, which need to be further explored. This article reviews the progress of immunotherapy in improving EMT development in HCC cells by exploring the mechanism of regulating EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, PR China
| | - Yan He
- School of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 611137, PR China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, PR China
| | - En Luo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, PR China.
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2
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Tu H, Feng Y, Wang W, Zhou H, Cai Q, Feng Y. Exploring the mechanism of bioactive components of Prunella vulgaris L. in treating hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14413. [PMID: 38040415 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
In traditional Chinese Medicine, Prunella vulgaris L. (PVL) is potentially effective in the treatment of some human malignancies including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the detailed mechanism of action remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to decipher the constitutes of the bioactive ingredients of PVL, and its mechanism against HCC using network pharmacology and in vitro experiments. The bioactive components of PVL were obtained by Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis platform database, and the targets of bioactive components of PVL was investigated by Swiss Target Prediction database. HCC related targets were obtained from GEO database, GeneCards database and DisGeNET database, and the gene ontology function annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted for annotating the biological function of gene targets. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed using STRING database. Molecular docking of key bioactive ingredients was performed using AutoDock Vina. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression level of the target genes of PI3K/Akt pathway were detected by qPCR. In the present work, 11 bioactive components of PVL were screened out, which acted on 177 potential targets. In addition, 13,517 genes were strongly associated with HCC pathogenesis, of which 158 targets are overlapped with PVL's targets. KEGG results identified 39 signaling pathways closely associated with the 158 targets. Molecular docking showed that the main bioactive components of PVL, kaempferol, morin, quercetin, luteolin, and spinasterol, had good binding activity with the core proteins in cancer biology such as AKT1, EGFR, SRC, ESR1, and PPARG. In vitro assays showed that quercetin, one of the main components of PVL extracts effectively inhibited HCC cell proliferation, and promoted apoptosis, which may be associated with PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In summary, PVL may regulate HCC progression by regulating core targets such as AKT1, EGFR, SRC, ESR1, and PPARG, and acting on PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huahua Tu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Yanqing Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Huadong Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Qinghe Cai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Yong Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China
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Hsu FT, Liu WL, Lee SR, Jeng LB, Chen JH. Unveiling nature's potential weapon: Magnolol's role in combating bladder cancer by upregulating the miR-124 and inactivating PKC-δ/ERK axis. Phytomedicine 2023; 119:154947. [PMID: 37549536 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bladder cancer (BC) is a challenging disease to manage. Researchers have been investigating the potential of magnolol, a compound derived from Magnolia officinalis, as an anti-cancer agent. However, the exact regulatory mechanism of magnolol and its impact on the NF-κB signaling pathway in BC remain unclear. MATERIALS To comprehensively evaluate its therapeutic potential, the researchers conducted a series of experiments using BC cell lines (TSGH8301, T24, and MB49) and in vivo animal models. RESULTS The results of the study demonstrated that magnolol exhibits cytotoxic effects on BC cells by activating both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathways. Additionally, the expression of anti-apoptotic genes was downregulated by magnolol treatment. The researchers also uncovered the regulatory role of PKCδ/ERK and miR-124-3p in the NF-κB pathway, which may be influenced by magnolol. Treatment with magnolol led to the inactivation of PKCδ/ERK and an increase in miR-124-3p expression, effectively inhibiting NF-κB-mediated progression of BC. Importantly, the administration of magnolol did not result in significant toxicity in normal tissues, highlighting its potential as a safe adjunctive therapy with minimal adverse effects. CONCLUSION These findings position magnolol as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of BC. By activating apoptosis signaling pathways and inhibiting NF-κB pathway through the upregulation of miR-124-3p and downregulation of PKCδ/ERK activation, magnolol holds promise for suppressing tumor progression and improving patient outcomes in BC. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to explore the full potential of magnolol in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei-Ting Hsu
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Wei-Lin Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Sin-Rong Lee
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C; Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Long-Bin Jeng
- Organ Transplantation Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C; Cell Therapy Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Jiann-Hwa Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C; School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, R.O.C.
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4
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Li H, Wu Z, Chen J, Su K, Guo L, Xu K, Gu T, Jiang Y, Wang P, Zeng H, Chi H, He K, Han Y. External radiotherapy combined with sorafenib has better efficacy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:1537-1549. [PMID: 36495367 PMCID: PMC10460724 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00972-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a very low resectable rate. This meta-analysis aimed to compare efficacy of three combination strategies in treatment of advanced unresectable HCC with a view of guiding future selection of the best combination therapy for sorafenib and local therapy. A search was conducted to identify relevant literature published between April 2013 and May 2022, and then compared efficacy of sorafenib combined with external radiotherapy (SOF + RT), sorafenib with transarterial chemoembolization (SOF + TACE), sorafenib with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (SOF + HAIC), sorafenib (SOF), external radiotherapy (RT), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) were studied and analyzed. Finally, the results were statistically analyzed using R 3.5.3 software and Stata/SE 15.0 software. A total of 46 studies, involving 7595 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. Analysis of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of seven related treatment interventions revealed that the combination therapy had significantly higher efficacy than monotherapies. Among the combination therapies, SOF + RT was associated with the best OS and PFS rates, and the least adverse events compared to the other treatment modalities. The efficacy of combination therapy was better than monotherapy. In combination therapy, the overall survival time and progression-free survival time of SOF + RT were longer, and the adverse reactions were less. Therefore, SOF + RT may be the best choice for sorafenib combined with local therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Li
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Zhenying Wu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jiali Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ke Su
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Lu Guo
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Tao Gu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Hao Zeng
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Hao Chi
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Kun He
- Clinical Research Institute, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
| | - Yunwei Han
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 TAIPING Street, Luzhou City, 646000, Sichuan Province, China.
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5
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Yeh CC, Kao YS, Chen YF. In Regard to Weng et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 116:695-696. [PMID: 37270254 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Chang Yeh
- Department of Oral Hygiene Care, Ching-Kuo Institute of Management and Health, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Shuo Kao
- Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Fang Chen
- Department of Senior Citizen Service Management, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
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Weng YS, Chiang IT, Tsai JJ, Liu YC, Hsu FT. In Reply to Yeh et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 116:696-697. [PMID: 37270255 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yueh-Shan Weng
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - I-Tsang Chiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jai-Jen Tsai
- School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Cardinal Tien Junior College of Healthcare and Management, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chang Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Fei-Ting Hsu
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Liu YC, Lin CH, Chen KT, Lai DW, Hsu FT. Inactivation of EGFR/ERK/NF-κB signalling associates with radiosensitizing effect of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid on progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cell Mol Med 2023. [PMID: 37177859 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is recognized as the fifth most common cancer and the third most common cause of death in Asian population. Studies reported that HCC is relatively insensitive to radiotherapy (RT); thus, considering how to sensitize HCC to RT is worth to be elucidated. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated signalling transduction plays the important role in regulating treatment efficacy of HCC. An active compound, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid (18β-GA), has been reported to own anti-tumour effect. However, whether 18β-GA possess RT sensitization ability in HCC remains unclear. Here, we used RNA data from TCGA-LIHC (Liver hepatocellular carcinoma) to identify the role between EGFR/ERK/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signalling and RT by radiosensitivity index (RSI) analysis. We suggested that patients with activated NF-κB signalling may show resistance to RT treatment, whereas combining 18β-GA may reinforce RT efficacy in a Hep3B-bearing animal model. 18β-GA combined with RT showed superior tumour inhibition capacity as compared to monotherapy and even reached similar efficacy as erlotinib combined with RT. Treatment promotion of RT by 18β-GA in HCC is not only through diminishing RT-induced EGFR/ERK/NF-κB signalling but also promoting RT-induced apoptosis pathways. 18β-GA may act as radiosensitizer through inactivating EGFR-mediated HCC progression and inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chang Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng Hsun Lin
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Tin Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - De-Wei Lai
- Experimental Animal Center, Department of Molecular Biology and Cell Research, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Health Care, Tajen University, Pingtung, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Fei-Ting Hsu
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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8
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Wu S, Sun Z, Guo Z, Li P, Mao Q, Tang Y, Chen H, Peng H, Wang S, Cao Y. The effectiveness of blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) in lung cancer progression-a comprehensive review. J Ethnopharmacol 2023; 314:116565. [PMID: 37172918 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) are a class of herbs that have the effect of dilating blood vessels and dispersing stagnation. Modern pharmaceutical research has demonstrated that they are capable of improving hemodynamics and micro-flow, resist thrombosis and promote blood flow. BAST contain numerous active ingredients, which can theoretically regulate multiple targets at the same time and have a wide range of pharmacological effects in the treatment of diseases including human cancers. Clinically, BAST have minimal side effects and can be used in combination with Western medicine to improve patients' quality of life, lessen adverse effects and minimize the risk of recurrence and metastasis of cancers. AIM OF THE REVIEW We aimed to summarize the research progression of BAST on lung cancer in the past five years and present a prospect for the future. Particularly, this review further analyzes the effects and molecular mechanisms that BAST inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Relevant studies about BSAT were collected from PubMed and Web of science. RESULTS Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest mortality rate. Most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and are highly susceptible to metastasis. Recent studies have shown that BAST, a class of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the function of opening veins and dispersing blood stasis, significantly improve hemodynamics and microcirculation, prevent thrombosis and promote blood flow, and thereby inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. In the current review, we analyzed 51 active ingredients extracted from BAST. It was found that BAST and their active ingredients contribute to the prevention of invasion and metastasis of lung cancer through multiple mechanisms, such as regulation of EMT process, specific signaling pathway and metastasis-related genes, tumor blood vessel formation, immune microenvironment and inflammatory response of tumors. CONCLUSIONS BSAT and its active ingredients have showed promising anticancer activity and significantly inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. A growing number of studies have realized their potential clinical significance in the therapy of lung cancer, which will provide substantial evidences for the development of new TCM for lung cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Wu
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhe Sun
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zehuai Guo
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Peiqin Li
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Qianqian Mao
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yang Tang
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Hongyu Chen
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Huiting Peng
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Sisi Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yang Cao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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Hashemi M, Sabouni E, Rahmanian P, Entezari M, Mojtabavi M, Raei B, Zandieh MA, Behroozaghdam M, Mirzaei S, Hushmandi K, Nabavi N, Salimimoghadam S, Ren J, Rashidi M, Raesi R, Taheriazam A, Alexiou A, Papadakis M, Tan SC. Deciphering STAT3 signaling potential in hepatocellular carcinoma: tumorigenesis, treatment resistance, and pharmacological significance. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2023; 28:33. [PMID: 37085753 PMCID: PMC10122325 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-023-00438-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered one of the greatest challenges to human life and is the most common form of liver cancer. Treatment of HCC depends on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy, all of which have their own drawbacks, and patients may develop resistance to these therapies due to the aggressive behavior of HCC cells. New and effective therapies for HCC can be developed by targeting molecular signaling pathways. The expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in human cancer cells changes, and during cancer progression, the expression tends to increase. After induction of STAT3 signaling by growth factors and cytokines, STAT3 is phosphorylated and translocated to the nucleus to regulate cancer progression. The concept of the current review revolves around the expression and phosphorylation status of STAT3 in HCC, and studies show that the expression of STAT3 is high during the progression of HCC. This review addresses the function of STAT3 as an oncogenic factor in HCC, as STAT3 is able to prevent apoptosis and thus promote the progression of HCC. Moreover, STAT3 regulates both survival- and death-inducing autophagy in HCC and promotes cancer metastasis by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, upregulation of STAT3 is associated with the occurrence of chemoresistance and radioresistance in HCC. Specifically, non-protein-coding transcripts regulate STAT3 signaling in HCC, and their inhibition by antitumor agents may affect tumor progression. In this review, all these topics are discussed in detail to provide further insight into the role of STAT3 in tumorigenesis, treatment resistance, and pharmacological regulation of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Hashemi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Eisa Sabouni
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parham Rahmanian
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maliheh Entezari
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Behnaz Raei
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Arad Zandieh
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mitra Behroozaghdam
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Mirzaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Noushin Nabavi
- Department of Urologic Sciences and Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6H3Z6, Canada
| | - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
- The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Rasoul Raesi
- Department of Health Services Management, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Afshin Taheriazam
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- Department of Science and Engineering, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, Australia
- AFNP Med Austria, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marios Papadakis
- Department of Surgery II, University Hospital Witten-Herdecke, University of Witten-Herdecke, Heusnerstrasse 40, 42283, Wuppertal, Germany.
| | - Shing Cheng Tan
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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10
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Fang T, Jiao Z, You Y, Cao J, Wang C, Liu J, Zhao W. Lenvatinib inhibited HCC cell migration and invasion through regulating the transcription and ubiquitination of UHRF1 and DNMT1. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 210:115489. [PMID: 36893815 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of malignancy-related deaths. Lenvatinib, as a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has gained increasing attention for its antitumor activity. However, the effect and mechanisms of Lenvatinib on HCC metastasis are virtually unknown. In this study, we revealed that Lenvatinib inhibited HCC cell motility and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), along with cell adhesion and extension. Concomitant high DNMT1 and UHRF1 mRNA levels were in HCC patients and indicated worse prognosis. On the one hand, Lenvatinib modulated the transcription of UHRF1 and DNMT1via negatively regulation of ERK/MAPK pathway. On the other hand, Lenvatinib downregulated DNMT1 and UHRF1 expression by promoting their protein degradation through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, consequently, resulting in upregulation of E-Cadherin. Moreover, Lenvatinib attenuated Huh7 cell adhesion and metastasis in vivo. Our findings provided insight into the intriguing molecular mechanisms regarding the anti-metastasis effect of Lenvatinib in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Fang
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, PR China
| | - Zhen Jiao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, PR China
| | - Yuting You
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, PR China
| | - Jiahao Cao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, PR China
| | - Chuanzheng Wang
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, PR China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Intestinal Microbiome and Human Health, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, PR China.
| | - Wenxiu Zhao
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Translational Medical of Digestive System Tumor, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, PR China.
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