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Rosenberg N, Van Haele M, Lanton T, Brashi N, Bromberg Z, Adler H, Giladi H, Peled A, Goldenberg DS, Axelrod JH, Simerzin A, Chai C, Paldor M, Markezana A, Yaish D, Shemulian Z, Gross D, Barnoy S, Gefen M, Amran O, Claerhout S, Fernández-Vaquero M, García-Beccaria M, Heide D, Shoshkes-Carmel M, Schmidt Arras D, Elgavish S, Nevo Y, Benyamini H, Tirnitz-Parker JEE, Sanchez A, Herrera B, Safadi R, Kaestner KH, Rose-John S, Roskams T, Heikenwalder M, Galun E. Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma derives from liver progenitor cells and depends on senescence and IL-6 trans-signaling. J Hepatol 2022; 77:1631-1641. [PMID: 35988690 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [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: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Primary liver cancers include hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and combined HCC-CCA tumors (cHCC-CCA). It has been suggested, but not unequivocally proven, that hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) can contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis. We aimed to determine whether HPCs contribute to HCC, cHCC-CCA or both types of tumors. METHODS To trace progenitor cells during hepatocarcinogenesis, we generated Mdr2-KO mice that harbor a yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) reporter gene driven by the Foxl1 promoter which is expressed specifically in progenitor cells. These mice (Mdr2-KOFoxl1-CRE;RosaYFP) develop chronic inflammation and HCCs by the age of 14-16 months, followed by cHCC-CCA tumors at the age of 18 months. RESULTS In this Mdr2-KOFoxl1-CRE;RosaYFP mouse model, liver progenitor cells are the source of cHCC-CCA tumors, but not the source of HCC. Ablating the progenitors, caused reduction of cHCC-CCA tumors but did not affect HCCs. RNA-sequencing revealed enrichment of the IL-6 signaling pathway in cHCC-CCA tumors compared to HCC tumors. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis revealed that IL-6 is expressed by immune and parenchymal cells during senescence, and that IL-6 is part of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Administration of an anti-IL-6 antibody to Mdr2-KOFoxl1-CRE;RosaYFP mice inhibited the development of cHCC-CCA tumors. Blocking IL-6 trans-signaling led to a decrease in the number and size of cHCC-CCA tumors, indicating their dependence on this pathway. Furthermore, the administration of a senolytic agent inhibited IL-6 and the development of cHCC-CCA tumors. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that cHCC-CCA, but not HCC tumors, originate from HPCs, and that IL-6, which derives in part from cells in senescence, plays an important role in this process via IL-6 trans-signaling. These findings could be applied to develop new therapeutic approaches for cHCC-CCA tumors. LAY SUMMARY Combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma is the third most prevalent type of primary liver cancer (i.e. a cancer that originates in the liver). Herein, we show that this type of cancer originates in stem cells in the liver and that it depends on inflammatory signaling. Specifically, we identify a cytokine called IL-6 that appears to be important in the development of these tumors. Our results could be used for the development of novel treatments for these aggressive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nofar Rosenberg
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Matthias Van Haele
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Pathology, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Tali Lanton
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Neta Brashi
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Zohar Bromberg
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hanan Adler
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hilla Giladi
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Amnon Peled
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Daniel S Goldenberg
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jonathan H Axelrod
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alina Simerzin
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Chofit Chai
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Mor Paldor
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Auerlia Markezana
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dayana Yaish
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Zohar Shemulian
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dvora Gross
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shanny Barnoy
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maytal Gefen
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Osher Amran
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sofie Claerhout
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mirian Fernández-Vaquero
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - María García-Beccaria
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Danijela Heide
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michal Shoshkes-Carmel
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Center for Translational Research, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Dirk Schmidt Arras
- Institut für Biochemie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany; Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sharona Elgavish
- Bioinformatics Unit, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yuval Nevo
- Bioinformatics Unit, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hadar Benyamini
- Bioinformatics Unit, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Janina E E Tirnitz-Parker
- Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia & Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Crawley, Australia
| | - Aranzazu Sanchez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Herrera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
| | - Rifaat Safadi
- The Liver Institute, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Klaus H Kaestner
- Department of Genetics and Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Center for Translational Research, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Stefan Rose-John
- Institut für Biochemie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tania Roskams
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mathias Heikenwalder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; The M3 Research Institute, Rosenauer Weg 30, Medical Faculty Tuebingen (MFT), 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Eithan Galun
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene and Cell Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
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