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Sun C, Zhou C, Daneshvar K, Ben Saad A, Kratkiewicz AJ, Toles BJ, Arghiani N, Hess A, Chen JY, Pondick JV, York SR, Li W, Moran S, Gentile S, Ur Rahman R, Li Z, Zhou P, Sparks R, Habboub T, Kim BM, Choi MY, Affo S, Schwabe RF, Popov YV, Mullen AC. Conserved long noncoding RNA TILAM promotes liver fibrosis through interaction with PML in hepatic stellate cells. Hepatology 2024:01515467-990000000-00834. [PMID: 38563629 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Fibrosis is the common endpoint for all forms of chronic liver injury, and progression of fibrosis leads to the development of end-stage liver disease. Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and their transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts results in the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that form the fibrotic scar. Long noncoding (lnc) RNAs regulate the activity of HSCs and provide targets for fibrotic therapies. APPROACH AND RESULTS We identified lncRNA TILAM located near COL1A1, expressed in HSCs, and induced with liver fibrosis in humans and mice. Loss-of-function studies in human HSCs and human liver organoids revealed that TILAM regulates expression of COL1A1 and other ECM genes. To determine the role of TILAM in vivo, we annotated the mouse ortholog (Tilam), generated Tilam-deficient GFP-reporter mice, and challenged these mice in two different models of liver fibrosis. Single-cell data and analysis of GFP expression in Tilam-deficient reporter mice revealed that Tilam is induced in murine HSCs with the development of fibrosis in vivo. Furthermore, loss of Tilam expression attenuated development of fibrosis in the setting of in vivo liver injury. Finally, we found that TILAM interacts with PML to regulate a feedback loop by which TGF-β2 reinforces TILAM expression and nuclear localization of PML to promote the fibrotic activity of HSCs. CONCLUSIONS TILAM is activated in HSCs with liver injury and interacts with PML to drive the development of fibrosis. Depletion of TILAM may serve as a therapeutic approach to combat the development of end stage liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Sun
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Chan Zhou
- Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Kaveh Daneshvar
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amel Ben Saad
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Arcadia J Kratkiewicz
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin J Toles
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Nahid Arghiani
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Anja Hess
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Y Chen
- Liver Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joshua V Pondick
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samuel R York
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wenyang Li
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sean Moran
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stefan Gentile
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Raza Ur Rahman
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zixiu Li
- Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Peng Zhou
- Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA USA
| | - Robert Sparks
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Tim Habboub
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Byeong-Moo Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Y Choi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Silvia Affo
- Department of Liver, Digestive System, and Metabolism, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert F Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yury V Popov
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alan C Mullen
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Ariño S, Aguilar-Bravo B, Coll M, Lee WY, Peiseler M, Cantallops-Vilà P, Sererols-Viñas L, Martínez-García de la Torre RA, Martínez-Sánchez C, Pedragosa J, Zanatto L, Gratacós-Ginès J, Pose E, Blaya D, Almodóvar X, Fernández-Fernández M, Ruiz-Blázquez P, Lozano JJ, Affo S, Planas AM, Ginès P, Moles A, Kubes P, Sancho-Bru P. Ductular reaction-associated neutrophils promote biliary epithelium proliferation in chronic liver disease. J Hepatol 2023; 79:1025-1036. [PMID: 37348790 PMCID: PMC10585421 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.05.045] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Ductular reaction expansion is associated with poor prognosis in patients with advanced liver disease. However, the mechanisms promoting biliary cell proliferation are largely unknown. Here, we identify neutrophils as drivers of biliary cell proliferation and the defective wound-healing response. METHODS The intrahepatic localization of neutrophils was evaluated in patients with chronic liver disease. Neutrophil dynamics were analyzed by intravital microscopy and neutrophil-labeling assays in DDC-treated mice. Neutrophil depletion or inhibition of recruitment was achieved using a Ly6g antibody or a CXCR1/2 inhibitor, respectively. Mice deficient in PAD4 (peptidyl arginine deiminase 4) and ELANE/NE (neutrophil elastase) were used to investigate the mechanisms underlying ductular reaction expansion. RESULTS In this study we describe a population of ductular reaction-associated neutrophils (DRANs), which are in direct contact with biliary epithelial cells in chronic liver diseases and whose numbers increased in parallel with disease progression. We show that DRANs are immobilized at the site of ductular reaction for a prolonged period of time. In addition, liver neutrophils display a unique phenotypic and transcriptomic profile, showing a decreased phagocytic capacity and increased oxidative burst. Depletion of neutrophils or inhibition of their recruitment reduces DRANs and the expansion of ductular reaction, while mitigating liver fibrosis and angiogenesis. Mechanistically, neutrophils deficient in PAD4 and ELANE abrogate neutrophil-induced biliary cell proliferation, thus indicating the role of neutrophil extracellular traps and elastase release in ductular reaction expansion. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our study reveals the accumulation of DRANs as a hallmark of advanced liver disease and a potential therapeutic target to mitigate ductular reaction and the maladaptive wound-healing response. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Our results indicate that neutrophils are highly plastic and can have an extended lifespan. Moreover, we identify a new role of neutrophils as triggers of expansion of the biliary epithelium. Overall, the results of this study indicate that ductular reaction-associated neutrophils (or DRANs) are new players in the maladaptive tissue-healing response in chronic liver injury and may be a potential target for therapeutic interventions to reduce ductular reaction expansion and promote tissue repair in advanced liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ariño
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Aguilar-Bravo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Coll
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Woo-Yong Lee
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Moritz Peiseler
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Paula Cantallops-Vilà
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Sererols-Viñas
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Celia Martínez-Sánchez
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Pedragosa
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Zanatto
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Gratacós-Ginès
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisa Pose
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Delia Blaya
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xènia Almodóvar
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Fernández-Fernández
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paloma Ruiz-Blázquez
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan José Lozano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Affo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna M Planas
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Ginès
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Moles
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul Kubes
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Pau Sancho-Bru
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain.
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Aguilar-Bravo B, Ariño S, Blaya D, Pose E, Martinez García de la Torre RA, Latasa MU, Martínez-Sánchez C, Zanatto L, Sererols-Viñas L, Cantallops-Vilà P, Affo S, Coll M, Thillen X, Dubuquoy L, Avila MA, Argemi J, Paz AL, Nevzorova YA, Cubero FJ, Bataller R, Lozano JJ, Ginès P, Mathurin P, Sancho-Bru P. Hepatocyte dedifferentiation profiling in alcohol-related liver disease identifies CXCR4 as a driver of cell reprogramming. J Hepatol 2023; 79:728-740. [PMID: 37088308 PMCID: PMC10540088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.04.013] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Loss of hepatocyte identity is associated with impaired liver function in alcohol-related hepatitis (AH). In this context, hepatocyte dedifferentiation gives rise to cells with a hepatobiliary (HB) phenotype expressing biliary and hepatocyte markers and showing immature features. However, the mechanisms and impact of hepatocyte dedifferentiation in liver disease are poorly understood. METHODS HB cells and ductular reaction (DR) cells were quantified and microdissected from liver biopsies from patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD). Hepatocyte-specific overexpression or deletion of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), and CXCR4 pharmacological inhibition were assessed in mouse liver injury. Patient-derived and mouse organoids were generated to assess plasticity. RESULTS Here, we show that HB and DR cells are increased in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and AH, but only HB cells correlate with poor liver function and patients' outcome. Transcriptomic profiling of HB cells revealed the expression of biliary-specific genes and a mild reduction of hepatocyte metabolism. Functional analysis identified pathways involved in hepatocyte reprogramming, inflammation, stemness, and cancer gene programs. The CXCR4 pathway was highly enriched in HB cells and correlated with disease severity and hepatocyte dedifferentiation. In vitro, CXCR4 was associated with a biliary phenotype and loss of hepatocyte features. Liver overexpression of CXCR4 in chronic liver injury decreased the hepatocyte-specific gene expression profile and promoted liver injury. CXCR4 deletion or its pharmacological inhibition ameliorated hepatocyte dedifferentiation and reduced DR and fibrosis progression. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the association of hepatocyte dedifferentiation with disease progression and poor outcome in AH. Moreover, the transcriptomic profiling of HB cells revealed CXCR4 as a new driver of hepatocyte-to-biliary reprogramming and as a potential therapeutic target to halt hepatocyte dedifferentiation in AH. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Here, we show that hepatocyte dedifferentiation is associated with disease severity and a reduced synthetic capacity of the liver. Moreover, we identify the CXCR4 pathway as a driver of hepatocyte dedifferentiation and as a therapeutic target in alcohol-related hepatitis. Therefore, this study reveals the importance of preserving strict control over hepatocyte plasticity in order to preserve liver function and promote tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Aguilar-Bravo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Ariño
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Delia Blaya
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisa Pose
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - María U Latasa
- Hepatology Program, Liver Unit, Instituto de Investigación de Navarra (IdisNA), Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Celia Martínez-Sánchez
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Zanatto
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Sererols-Viñas
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Cantallops-Vilà
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Affo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Coll
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Thillen
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laurent Dubuquoy
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, Lille, France
| | - Matías A Avila
- Hepatology Program, Liver Unit, Instituto de Investigación de Navarra (IdisNA), Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josepmaria Argemi
- Hepatology Program, Liver Unit, Instituto de Investigación de Navarra (IdisNA), Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arantza Lamas Paz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yulia A Nevzorova
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Cubero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramon Bataller
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Juan José Lozano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Ginès
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philippe Mathurin
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, Lille, France
| | - Pau Sancho-Bru
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Barcelona, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Affo S, Filliol A, Gores GJ, Schwabe RF. Fibroblasts in liver cancer: functions and therapeutic translation. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 8:748-759. [PMID: 37385282 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(23)00111-5] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of fibroblasts in the premalignant or malignant liver is a characteristic feature of liver cancer, but has not been therapeutically leveraged despite evidence for pathophysiologically relevant roles in tumour growth. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a largely non-desmoplastic tumour, in which fibroblasts accumulate predominantly in the pre-neoplastic fibrotic liver and regulate the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma development through a balance of tumour-suppressive and tumour-promoting mediators. By contrast, cholangiocarcinoma is desmoplastic, with cancer-associated fibroblasts contributing to tumour growth. Accordingly, restoring the balance from tumour-promoting to tumour-suppressive fibroblasts and mediators might represent a strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma prevention, whereas in cholangiocarcinoma, fibroblasts and their mediators could be leveraged for tumour treatment. Importantly, fibroblast mediators regulating hepatocellular carcinoma development might exert opposite effects on cholangiocarcinoma growth. This Review translates the improved understanding of tumour-specific, location-specific, and stage-specific roles of fibroblasts and their mediators in liver cancer into novel and rational therapeutic concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Affo
- Department of Liver, Digestive System, and Metabolism, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aveline Filliol
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gregory J Gores
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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5
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Sun C, Zhou C, Daneshvar K, Kratkiewicz AJ, Saad AB, Hess A, Chen JY, Pondick JV, York SR, Li W, Moran S, Gentile S, Rahman RU, Li Z, Sparks R, Habboub T, Kim BM, Choi MY, Affo S, Schwabe RF, Popov YV, Mullen AC. Conserved long noncoding RNA TILAM promotes liver fibrosis through interaction with PML in hepatic stellate cells. bioRxiv 2023:2023.07.29.551032. [PMID: 37546982 PMCID: PMC10402143 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.29.551032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Background & Aims Fibrosis is the common endpoint for all forms of chronic liver injury, and progression of fibrosis leads to the development of end-stage liver disease. Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and their transdifferentiation to myofibroblasts results in the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that form the fibrotic scar. Long noncoding (lnc) RNAs regulate the activity of HSCs and may provide targets for fibrotic therapies. Methods We identified lncRNA TILAM as expressed near COL1A1 in human HSCs and performed loss-of-function studies in human HSCs and liver organoids. Transcriptomic analyses of HSCs isolated from mice defined the murine ortholog of TILAM . We then generated Tilam -deficient GFP reporter mice and quantified fibrotic responses to carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) and choline-deficient L-amino acid defined high fat diet (CDA-HFD). Co-precipitation studies, mass spectrometry, and gene expression analyses identified protein partners of TILAM . Results TILAM is conserved between human and mouse HSCs and regulates expression of ECM proteins, including collagen. Tilam is selectively induced in HSCs during the development of fibrosis in vivo . In both male and female mice, loss of Tilam results in reduced fibrosis in the setting of CCl 4 and CDA-HFD injury models. TILAM interacts with promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) to stabilize PML protein levels and promote the fibrotic activity of HSCs. Conclusion TILAM is activated in HSCs and interacts with PML to drive the development of liver fibrosis. Depletion of TILAM may serve as a therapeutic approach to combat the development of end stage liver disease.
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Ilyas SI, Affo S, Goyal L, Lamarca A, Sapisochin G, Yang JD, Gores GJ. Cholangiocarcinoma - novel biological insights and therapeutic strategies. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:470-486. [PMID: 37188899 PMCID: PMC10601496 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00770-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In the past 5 years, important advances have been made in the scientific understanding and clinical management of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The cellular immune landscape of CCA has been characterized and tumour subsets with distinct immune microenvironments have been defined using molecular approaches. Among these subsets, the identification of 'immune-desert' tumours that are relatively devoid of immune cells emphasizes the need to consider the tumour immune microenvironment in the development of immunotherapy approaches. Progress has also made in identifying the complex heterogeneity and diverse functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts in this desmoplastic cancer. Assays measuring circulating cell-free DNA and cell-free tumour DNA are emerging as clinical tools for detection and monitoring of the disease. Molecularly targeted therapy for CCA has now become a reality, with three drugs targeting oncogenic fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusions and one targeting neomorphic, gain-of-function variants of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) obtaining regulatory approval. By contrast, immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint inhibitors has produced disappointing results in patients with CCA, underscoring the requirement for novel immune-based treatment strategies. Finally, liver transplantation for early stage intrahepatic CCA under research protocols is emerging as a viable therapeutic option in selected patients. This Review highlights and provides in-depth information on these advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumera I Ilyas
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Silvia Affo
- Liver, Digestive System and Metabolism Research, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lipika Goyal
- Department of Medicine, Mass General Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angela Lamarca
- Department of Oncology, OncoHealth Institute, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation, Manchester, UK
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Gonzalo Sapisochin
- Ajmera Transplant Program and HPB Surgical Oncology, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gregory J Gores
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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Aguilar-Bravo B, Ariño S, Blaya D, Pose E, Martinez García de la Torre RA, Latasa MU, Martínez-Sánchez C, Zanatto L, Sererols-Viñas L, Cantallops P, Affo S, Coll M, Thillen X, Dubuquoy L, Avila MA, Argemi JM, Paz AL, Nevzorova YA, Cubero J, Bataller R, Lozano JJ, Ginès P, Mathurin P, Sancho-Bru P. Hepatocyte Dedifferentiation Profiling In Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Identifies CXCR4 As A Driver Of Cell Reprogramming. bioRxiv 2023:2023.04.04.535566. [PMID: 37066245 PMCID: PMC10104068 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.04.535566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Loss of hepatocyte identity is associated with impaired liver function in alcohol-related hepatitis (AH). In this context, hepatocyte dedifferentiation gives rise to cells with a hepatobiliary (HB) phenotype expressing biliary and hepatocytes markers and showing immature features. However, the mechanisms and the impact of hepatocyte dedifferentiation in liver disease are poorly understood. Methods HB cells and ductular reaction (DR) cells were quantified and microdissected from liver biopsies from patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Hepatocyte- specific overexpression or deletion of CXCR4, and CXCR4 pharmacological inhibition were assessed in mouse liver injury. Patient-derived and mouse organoids were generated to assess plasticity. Results Here we show that HB and DR cells are increased in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and AH, but only HB cells correlate with poor liver function and patients' outcome. Transcriptomic profiling of HB cells revealed the expression of biliary-specific genes and a mild reduction of hepatocyte metabolism. Functional analysis identified pathways involved in hepatocyte reprogramming, inflammation, stemness and cancer gene programs. CXCR4 pathway was highly enriched in HB cells, and correlated with disease severity and hepatocyte dedifferentiation. In vitro , CXCR4 was associated with biliary phenotype and loss of hepatocyte features. Liver overexpression of CXCR4 in chronic liver injury decreased hepatocyte specific gene expression profile and promoted liver injury. CXCR4 deletion or its pharmacological inhibition ameliorated hepatocyte dedifferentiation and reduced DR and fibrosis progression. Conclusions This study shows the association of hepatocyte dedifferentiation with disease progression and poor outcome in AH. Moreover, the transcriptomic profiling of HB cells revealed CXCR4 as a new driver of hepatocyte-to-biliary reprogramming and as a potential therapeutic target to halt hepatocyte dedifferentiation in AH. Lay summary Here we describe that hepatocyte dedifferentiation is associated with disease severity and a reduced synthetic capacity of the liver. Moreover, we identify the CXCR4 pathway as a driver of hepatocyte dedifferentiation and as a therapeutic target in alcohol-related hepatitis.
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8
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Martin-Serrano MA, Kepecs B, Torres-Martin M, Bramel ER, Haber PK, Merritt E, Rialdi A, Param NJ, Maeda M, Lindblad KE, Carter JK, Barcena-Varela M, Mazzaferro V, Schwartz M, Affo S, Schwabe RF, Villanueva A, Guccione E, Friedman SL, Lujambio A, Tocheva A, Llovet JM, Thung SN, Tsankov AM, Sia D. Novel microenvironment-based classification of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with therapeutic implications. Gut 2023; 72:736-748. [PMID: 35584893 PMCID: PMC10388405 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The diversity of the tumour microenvironment (TME) of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) has not been comprehensively assessed. We aimed to generate a novel molecular iCCA classifier that incorporates elements of the stroma, tumour and immune microenvironment ('STIM' classification). DESIGN We applied virtual deconvolution to transcriptomic data from ~900 iCCAs, enabling us to devise a novel classification by selecting for the most relevant TME components. Murine models were generated through hydrodynamic tail vein injection and compared with the human disease. RESULTS iCCA is composed of five robust STIM classes encompassing both inflamed (35%) and non-inflamed profiles (65%). The inflamed classes, named immune classical (~10%) and inflammatory stroma (~25%), differ in oncogenic pathways and extent of desmoplasia, with the inflammatory stroma showing T cell exhaustion, abundant stroma and KRAS mutations (p<0.001). Analysis of cell-cell interactions highlights cancer-associated fibroblast subtypes as potential mediators of immune evasion. Among the non-inflamed classes, the desert-like class (~20%) harbours the lowest immune infiltration with abundant regulatory T cells (p<0.001), whereas the hepatic stem-like class (~35%) is enriched in 'M2-like' macrophages, mutations in IDH1/2 and BAP1, and FGFR2 fusions. The remaining class (tumour classical: ~10%) is defined by cell cycle pathways and poor prognosis. Comparative analysis unveils high similarity between a KRAS/p19 murine model and the inflammatory stroma class (p=0.02). The KRAS-SOS inhibitor, BI3406, sensitises a KRAS-mutant iCCA murine model to anti-PD1 therapy. CONCLUSIONS We describe a comprehensive TME-based stratification of iCCA. Cross-species analysis establishes murine models that align closely to human iCCA for the preclinical testing of combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Martin-Serrano
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Benjamin Kepecs
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miguel Torres-Martin
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Emily R Bramel
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Philipp K Haber
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Elliot Merritt
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute (PrIISM), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alexander Rialdi
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nesteene Joy Param
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Miho Maeda
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Katherine E Lindblad
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute (PrIISM), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - James K Carter
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marina Barcena-Varela
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute (PrIISM), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Vincenzo Mazzaferro
- General Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan and Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS Foundation, Milano, Lombardia, Italy
| | - Myron Schwartz
- Department of Surgery, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Silvia Affo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Robert F Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute (PrIISM), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anna Tocheva
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute (PrIISM), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Swan N Thung
- Department of Pathology, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alexander M Tsankov
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniela Sia
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Liver Cancer Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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9
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Filliol A, Saito Y, Nair A, Dapito DH, Yu LX, Ravichandra A, Bhattacharjee S, Affo S, Fujiwara N, Su H, Sun Q, Savage TM, Wilson-Kanamori JR, Caviglia JM, Chin L, Chen D, Wang X, Caruso S, Kang JK, Amin AD, Wallace S, Dobie R, Yin D, Rodriguez-Fiallos OM, Yin C, Mehal A, Izar B, Friedman RA, Wells RG, Pajvani UB, Hoshida Y, Remotti HE, Arpaia N, Zucman-Rossi J, Karin M, Henderson NC, Tabas I, Schwabe RF. Opposing roles of hepatic stellate cell subpopulations in hepatocarcinogenesis. Nature 2022; 610:356-365. [PMID: 36198802 PMCID: PMC9949942 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05289-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, develops almost exclusively in patients with chronic liver disease and advanced fibrosis1,2. Here we interrogated functions of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the main source of liver fibroblasts3, during hepatocarcinogenesis. Genetic depletion, activation or inhibition of HSCs in mouse models of HCC revealed their overall tumour-promoting role. HSCs were enriched in the preneoplastic environment, where they closely interacted with hepatocytes and modulated hepatocarcinogenesis by regulating hepatocyte proliferation and death. Analyses of mouse and human HSC subpopulations by single-cell RNA sequencing together with genetic ablation of subpopulation-enriched mediators revealed dual functions of HSCs in hepatocarcinogenesis. Hepatocyte growth factor, enriched in quiescent and cytokine-producing HSCs, protected against hepatocyte death and HCC development. By contrast, type I collagen, enriched in activated myofibroblastic HSCs, promoted proliferation and tumour development through increased stiffness and TAZ activation in pretumoural hepatocytes and through activation of discoidin domain receptor 1 in established tumours. An increased HSC imbalance between cytokine-producing HSCs and myofibroblastic HSCs during liver disease progression was associated with increased HCC risk in patients. In summary, the dynamic shift in HSC subpopulations and their mediators during chronic liver disease is associated with a switch from HCC protection to HCC promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aveline Filliol
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yoshinobu Saito
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ajay Nair
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dianne H Dapito
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Le-Xing Yu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aashreya Ravichandra
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | | | - Silvia Affo
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Naoto Fujiwara
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Hua Su
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Qiuyan Sun
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas M Savage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - John R Wilson-Kanamori
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jorge M Caviglia
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - LiKang Chin
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, PA, USA
| | - Dongning Chen
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stefano Caruso
- Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jin Ku Kang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amit Dipak Amin
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sebastian Wallace
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ross Dobie
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Deqi Yin
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Chuan Yin
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Adam Mehal
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Izar
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard A Friedman
- Biomedical Informatics Shared Resource, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Utpal B Pajvani
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Helen E Remotti
- Department of Pathology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas Arpaia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors Laboratory, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Michael Karin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Neil C Henderson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ira Tabas
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert F Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Zhang Y, Xu H, Cui G, Liang B, Chen X, Ko S, Affo S, Song X, Liao Y, Feng J, Wang P, Wang H, Xu M, Wang J, Pes GM, Ribback S, Zeng Y, Singhi A, Schwabe RF, Monga SP, Evert M, Tang L, Calvisi DF, Chen X. β-Catenin Sustains and Is Required for YES-associated Protein Oncogenic Activity in Cholangiocarcinoma. Gastroenterology 2022; 163:481-494. [PMID: 35489428 PMCID: PMC9329198 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS YES-associated protein (YAP) aberrant activation is implicated in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD)-mediated transcriptional regulation is the primary signaling event downstream of YAP. The role of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling in cholangiocarcinogenesis remains undetermined. Here, we investigated the possible molecular interplay between YAP and β-Catenin cascades in iCCA. METHODS Activated AKT (Myr-Akt) was coexpressed with YAP (YapS127A) or Tead2VP16 via hydrodynamic tail vein injection into mouse livers. Tumor growth was monitored, and liver tissues were collected and analyzed using histopathologic and molecular analysis. YAP, β-Catenin, and TEAD interaction in iCCAs was investigated through coimmunoprecipitation. Conditional Ctnnb1 knockout mice were used to determine β-Catenin function in murine iCCA models. RNA sequencing was performed to analyze the genes regulated by YAP and/or β-Catenin. Immunostaining of total and nonphosphorylated/activated β-Catenin staining was performed in mouse and human iCCAs. RESULTS We discovered that TEAD factors are required for YAP-dependent iCCA development. However, transcriptional activation of TEADs did not fully recapitulate YAP's activities in promoting cholangiocarcinogenesis. Notably, β-Catenin physically interacted with YAP in human and mouse iCCA. Ctnnb1 ablation strongly suppressed human iCCA cell growth and Yap-dependent cholangiocarcinogenesis. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that YAP/ transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) regulate a set of genes significantly overlapping with those controlled by β-Catenin. Importantly, activated/nonphosphorylated β-Catenin was detected in more than 80% of human iCCAs. CONCLUSION YAP induces cholangiocarcinogenesis via TEAD-dependent transcriptional activation and interaction with β-Catenin. β-Catenin binds to YAP in iCCA and is required for YAP full transcriptional activity, revealing the functional crosstalk between YAP and β-Catenin pathways in cholangiocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Guofei Cui
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Binyong Liang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiangzheng Chen
- Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sungjin Ko
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Silvia Affo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xinhua Song
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Liao
- The Central Laboratory, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianguo Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China; Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition & Health, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China
| | - Haichuan Wang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California; Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingxiao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Giovanni M Pes
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Silvia Ribback
- Institute of Pathology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yong Zeng
- Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, and Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Aatur Singhi
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Satdarshan P Monga
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, and Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Liling Tang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Diego F Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, California; Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
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11
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Mederacke I, Filliol A, Affo S, Nair A, Hernandez C, Sun Q, Hamberger F, Brundu F, Chen Y, Ravichandra A, Huebener P, Anke H, Shi H, de la Torre RAMG, Smith JR, Henderson NC, Vondran FWR, Rothlin CV, Baehre H, Tabas I, Sancho-Bru P, Schwabe RF. The purinergic P2Y14 receptor links hepatocyte death to hepatic stellate cell activation and fibrogenesis in the liver. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabe5795. [PMID: 35385339 PMCID: PMC9436006 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abe5795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis contributes to ~45% of deaths in western countries. In chronic liver disease, fibrosis is a major factor determining outcomes, but efficient antifibrotic therapies are lacking. Although platelet-derived growth factor and transforming growth factor-β constitute key fibrogenic mediators, they do not account for the well-established link between cell death and fibrosis in the liver. Here, we hypothesized that damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) may link epithelial cell death to fibrogenesis in the injured liver. DAMP receptor screening identified purinergic receptor P2Y14 among several candidates as highly enriched in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the main fibrogenic cell type of the liver. Conversely, P2Y14 ligands uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-glucose and UDP-galactose were enriched in hepatocytes and were released upon different modes of cell death. Accordingly, ligand-receptor interaction analysis that combined proteomic and single-cell RNA sequencing data revealed P2Y14 ligands and P2Y14 receptor as a link between dying cells and HSCs, respectively. Treatment with P2Y14 ligands or coculture with dying hepatocytes promoted HSC activation in a P2Y14-dependent manner. P2Y14 ligands activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling in HSCs, resulting in ERK-dependent HSC activation. Global and HSC-selective P2Y14 deficiency attenuated liver fibrosis in multiple mouse models of liver injury. Functional expression of P2Y14 was confirmed in healthy and diseased human liver and human HSCs. In conclusion, P2Y14 ligands and their receptor constitute a profibrogenic DAMP pathway that directly links cell death to fibrogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingmar Mederacke
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Aveline Filliol
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Silvia Affo
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ajay Nair
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Celine Hernandez
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Current affiliation: Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK
| | - Qiuyan Sun
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Florian Hamberger
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Francesco Brundu
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Aashreya Ravichandra
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Current affiliation: Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TUM, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Huebener
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Current affiliation: First Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Helena Anke
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Current affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, 30625 Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hongxue Shi
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Raquel A. Martínez García de la Torre
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - James R. Smith
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Neil C. Henderson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Florian W. R. Vondran
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Carla V. Rothlin
- Department of Immunobiology and Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Heike Baehre
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics, Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ira Tabas
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Physiology; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Institute of Human Nutrition, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Pau Sancho-Bru
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert F. Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Institute of Human Nutrition, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Hepatology & Gastroenterology, Charité, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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12
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Song X, Xu H, Wang P, Wang J, Affo S, Wang H, Xu M, Liang B, Che L, Qiu W, Schwabe RF, Chang TT, Vogl M, Pes GM, Ribback S, Evert M, Chen X, Calvisi DF. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) promotes cholangiocarcinoma development and progression via YAP activation. J Hepatol 2021; 75:888-899. [PMID: 34052254 PMCID: PMC8453055 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that is upregulated in many tumor types and is a promising target for cancer therapy. Herein, we elucidated the functional role of FAK in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) development and progression. METHODS Expression levels and activation status of FAK were determined in human iCCA samples. The functional contribution of FAK to Akt/YAP murine iCCA initiation and progression was investigated using conditional Fak knockout mice and constitutive Cre or inducible Cre mice, respectively. The oncogenic potential of FAK was further examined via overexpression of FAK in mice. In vitro cell line studies and in vivo drug treatment were applied to address the therapeutic potential of targeting FAK for iCCA treatment. RESULTS FAK was ubiquitously upregulated and activated in iCCA lesions. Ablation of FAK strongly delayed Akt/YAP-driven mouse iCCA initiation. FAK overexpression synergized with activated AKT to promote iCCA development and accelerated Akt/Jag1-driven cholangiocarcinogenesis. Mechanistically, FAK was required for YAP(Y357) phosphorylation, supporting the role of FAK as a central YAP regulator in iCCA. Significantly, ablation of FAK after Akt/YAP-dependent iCCA formation strongly suppressed tumor progression in mice. Furthermore, a remarkable iCCA growth reduction was achieved when a FAK inhibitor and palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, were administered simultaneously in human iCCA cell lines and Akt/YAP mice. CONCLUSIONS FAK activation contributes to the initiation and progression of iCCA by inducing the YAP proto-oncogene. Targeting FAK, either alone or in combination with anti-CDK4/6 inhibitors, may be an effective strategy for iCCA treatment. LAY SUMMARY We found that the protein FAK (focal adhesion kinase) is upregulated and activated in human and mouse intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma samples. FAK promotes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma development, whereas deletion of FAK strongly suppresses its initiation and progression. Combined FAK and CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment had a strong anti-cancer effect in in vitro and in vivo models. This combination therapy might represent a valuable and novel treatment against human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhua Song
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA,Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pan Wang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA,Collaborative Innovation Center for Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition & Health, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jingxiao Wang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Silvia Affo
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Haichuan Wang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA,Liver Transplantation Division, Department of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, PR China
| | - Binyong Liang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Department of Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Che
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wei Qiu
- Department of Surgery and Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL
| | | | - Tammy T Chang
- Department of Surgery and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marion Vogl
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Giovanni M. Pes
- Department of Medical, Surgical, and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Silvia Ribback
- Institute of Pathology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Matthias Evert
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Diego F. Calvisi
- Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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13
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Affo S, Nair A, Brundu F, Ravichandra A, Bhattacharjee S, Matsuda M, Chin L, Filliol A, Wen W, Song X, Decker A, Worley J, Caviglia JM, Yu L, Yin D, Saito Y, Savage T, Wells RG, Mack M, Zender L, Arpaia N, Remotti HE, Rabadan R, Sims P, Leblond AL, Weber A, Riener MO, Stockwell BR, Gaublomme J, Llovet JM, Kalluri R, Michalopoulos GK, Seki E, Sia D, Chen X, Califano A, Schwabe RF. Promotion of cholangiocarcinoma growth by diverse cancer-associated fibroblast subpopulations. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:866-882.e11. [PMID: 33930309 PMCID: PMC8241235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are a poorly characterized cell population in the context of liver cancer. Our study investigates CAF functions in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), a highly desmoplastic liver tumor. Genetic tracing, single-cell RNA sequencing, and ligand-receptor analyses uncovered hepatic stellate cells (HSC) as the main source of CAF and HSC-derived CAF as the dominant population interacting with tumor cells. In mice, CAF promotes ICC progression, as revealed by HSC-selective CAF depletion. In patients, a high panCAF signature is associated with decreased survival and increased recurrence. Single-cell RNA sequencing segregates CAF into inflammatory and growth factor-enriched (iCAF) and myofibroblastic (myCAF) subpopulations, displaying distinct ligand-receptor interactions. myCAF-expressed hyaluronan synthase 2, but not type I collagen, promotes ICC. iCAF-expressed hepatocyte growth factor enhances ICC growth via tumor-expressed MET, thus directly linking CAF to tumor cells. In summary, our data demonstrate promotion of desmoplastic ICC growth by therapeutically targetable CAF subtype-specific mediators, but not by type I collagen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Affo
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ajay Nair
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Francesco Brundu
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | | | - Michitaka Matsuda
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - LiKang Chin
- Department of Medicine, Penn Physical Sciences in Oncology Center PSOC@Penn, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aveline Filliol
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Wen Wen
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xinhua Song
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Aubrianna Decker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jeremy Worley
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Lexing Yu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Deqi Yin
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yoshinobu Saito
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Thomas Savage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Rebecca G Wells
- Department of Medicine, Penn Physical Sciences in Oncology Center PSOC@Penn, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Matthias Mack
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lars Zender
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology, University Hospital Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany; German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Nicholas Arpaia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Helen E Remotti
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Raul Rabadan
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Peter Sims
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anne-Laure Leblond
- Department for Pathology and Molecular Pathology, Zürich University Hospital, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Achim Weber
- Department for Pathology and Molecular Pathology, Zürich University Hospital, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marc-Oliver Riener
- Department for Pathology and Molecular Pathology, Zürich University Hospital, 8091 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Brent R Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jellert Gaublomme
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Divisions of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Ekihiro Seki
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Daniela Sia
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Divisions of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Robert F Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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14
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Affo S, Nair A, Brundu F, Ravichandra A, Bhattacharjee S, Matsuda M, Chin L, Filliol A, Wen W, Song X, Decker A, Worley J, Caviglia JM, Yu L, Yin D, Saito Y, Savage T, Wells RG, Mack M, Zender L, Arpaia N, Remotti HE, Rabadan R, Sims P, Leblond AL, Weber A, Riener MO, Stockwell BR, Gaublomme J, Llovet JM, Kalluri R, Michalopoulos GK, Seki E, Sia D, Chen X, Califano A, Schwabe RF. Promotion of cholangiocarcinoma growth by diverse cancer-associated fibroblast subpopulations. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:883. [PMID: 33930309 PMCID: PMC8532387 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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15
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Bhattacharjee S, Hamberger F, Ravichandra A, Miller M, Nair A, Affo S, Filliol A, Chin L, Savage TM, Yin D, Wirsik NM, Mehal A, Arpaia N, Seki E, Mack M, Zhu D, Sims PA, Kalluri R, Stanger BZ, Olive KP, Schmidt T, Wells RG, Mederacke I, Schwabe RF. Tumor restriction by type I collagen opposes tumor-promoting effects of cancer-associated fibroblasts. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:146987. [PMID: 33905375 PMCID: PMC8159701 DOI: 10.1172/jci146987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [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: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) may exert tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive functions, but the mechanisms underlying these opposing effects remain elusive. Here, we sought to understand these potentially opposing functions by interrogating functional relationships among CAF subtypes, their mediators, desmoplasia, and tumor growth in a wide range of tumor types metastasizing to the liver, the most common organ site for metastasis. Depletion of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), which represented the main source of CAF in mice and patients in our study, or depletion of all CAF decreased tumor growth and mortality in desmoplastic colorectal and pancreatic metastasis but not in nondesmoplastic metastatic tumors. Single-cell RNA-Seq in conjunction with CellPhoneDB ligand-receptor analysis, as well as studies in immune cell-depleted and HSC-selective knockout mice, uncovered direct CAF-tumor interactions as a tumor-promoting mechanism, mediated by myofibroblastic CAF-secreted (myCAF-secreted) hyaluronan and inflammatory CAF-secreted (iCAF-secreted) HGF. These effects were opposed by myCAF-expressed type I collagen, which suppressed tumor growth by mechanically restraining tumor spread, overriding its own stiffness-induced mechanosignals. In summary, mechanical restriction by type I collagen opposes the overall tumor-promoting effects of CAF, thus providing a mechanistic explanation for their dual functions in cancer. Therapeutic targeting of tumor-promoting CAF mediators while preserving type I collagen may convert CAF from tumor promoting to tumor restricting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Florian Hamberger
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | | | - Maximilian Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ajay Nair
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Silvia Affo
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Aveline Filliol
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - LiKang Chin
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Thomas M. Savage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Deqi Yin
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Naita Maren Wirsik
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adam Mehal
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicholas Arpaia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ekihiro Seki
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Matthias Mack
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Di Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, Minhang Hospital and School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peter A. Sims
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ben Z. Stanger
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kenneth P. Olive
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca G. Wells
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ingmar Mederacke
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Robert F. Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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16
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Caviglia JM, Yan J, Jang MK, Gwak GY, Affo S, Yu L, Olinga P, Friedman RA, Chen X, Schwabe RF. MicroRNA-21 and Dicer are dispensable for hepatic stellate cell activation and the development of liver fibrosis. Hepatology 2018; 67:2414-2429. [PMID: 29091291 PMCID: PMC5930143 DOI: 10.1002/hep.29627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Fibrosis and cancer represent two major complications of chronic liver disease. MicroRNAs have been implicated in the development of fibrosis and cancer, thus constituting potential therapeutic targets. Here, we investigated the role of microRNA-21 (miR-21), a microRNA that has been implicated in the development of fibrosis in multiple organs and has also been suggested to act as an "oncomir." Accordingly, miR-21 was the microRNA that showed the strongest up-regulation in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in multiple models of fibrogenesis, with an 8-fold to 24-fold induction compared to quiescent HSCs. However, miR-21 antisense inhibition did not suppress the activation of murine or human HSCs in culture or in liver slices. Moreover, genetic deletion of miR-21 in two independently generated knockout mice or miR-21 antisense inhibition did not alter HSC activation or liver fibrosis in models of toxic and biliary liver injury. Despite a strong up-regulation of miR-21 in injury-associated hepatocellular carcinoma and in cholangiocarcinoma, miR-21 deletion or antisense inhibition did not reduce the development of liver tumors. As inhibition of the most up-regulated microRNA did not affect HSC activation, liver fibrosis, or fibrosis-associated liver cancer, we additionally tested the role of microRNAs in HSCs by HSC-specific Dicer deletion. Although Dicer deletion decreased microRNA expression in HSCs and altered the expression of select genes, it only exerted negligible effects on HSC activation and liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION Genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of miR-21 does not inhibit the development of liver fibrosis and liver cancer. Moreover, suppression of microRNA synthesis does not significantly affect HSC phenotype and activation. (Hepatology 2018;67:2414-2429).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Pathology, Tianjin First Center Hospital, Tianjin, TJ 300192, China
| | - Myoung-Kuk Jang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Internal Medicine, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital of Hallym University Medical Center, Seoul, 05355, South Korea
| | - Geum-Youn Gwak
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 06351, Korea
| | - Silvia Affo
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Lexing Yu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Peter Olinga
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard A. Friedman
- Biomedical Informatics Shared Resource, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Robert F. Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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17
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Abstract
Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, causing more than 700,000 deaths annually. Because of the wide landscape of genomic alterations and limited therapeutic success of targeting tumor cells, a recent focus has been on better understanding and possibly targeting the microenvironment in which liver tumors develop. A unique feature of liver cancer is its close association with liver fibrosis. More than 80% of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) develop in fibrotic or cirrhotic livers, suggesting an important role of liver fibrosis in the premalignant environment (PME) of the liver. Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), in contrast, is characterized by a strong desmoplasia that typically occurs in response to the tumor, suggesting a key role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and fibrosis in its tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we discuss the functional contributions of myofibroblasts, CAFs, and fibrosis to the development of HCC and CCA in the hepatic PME and TME, focusing on myofibroblast- and extracellular matrix-associated growth factors, fibrosis-associated immunosuppressive pathways, as well as mechanosensitive signaling cascades that are activated by increased tissue stiffness. Better understanding of the role of myofibroblasts in HCC and CCA development and progression may provide the basis to target these cells for tumor prevention or therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Affo
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032;
| | - Le-Xing Yu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032;
| | - Robert F Schwabe
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032;
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