scholarly journals KIF15 Promotes Proliferation and Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Yue-Feng Sun ◽  
Hong-Li Wu ◽  
Rui-Fang Shi ◽  
Lin Chen ◽  
Chao Meng
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Cell Processes ◽  
Multiple Cell ◽  
Molecular Therapeutic ◽  
Molecular Therapeutic Targets

Liver cancer is thought as the most common human malignancy worldwide, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for nearly 90% liver cancer. Due to its poor early diagnosis and limited treatment, HCC has therefore become the most lethal malignant cancers in the world. Recently, molecular targeted therapies showed great promise in the treatment of HCC, and novel molecular therapeutic targets is urgently needed. KIF15 is a microtubule-dependent motor protein involved in multiple cell processes, such as cell division. Additionally, KIF15 has been reported to participate in the growth of various types of tumors; however, the relation between KIF15 and HCC is unclear. Herein, our study investigated the possible role of KIF15 on the progression of HCC and found that KIF15 has high expression in tumor samples from HCC patients. KIF15 could play a critical role in the regulation of cell proliferation of HCC, which was proved by in vitro and in vivo assays. In conclusion, this study confirmed that KIF15 could be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

scholarly journals UBE2S interacting with TRIM28 in the nucleus accelerates cell cycle by ubiquitination of p27 to promote hepatocellular carcinoma development

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ren-Yu Zhang ◽  
Ze-Kun Liu ◽  
Ding Wei ◽  
Yu-Le Yong ◽  
Peng Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Driver Gene ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Whole Exome ◽  
Molecular Therapeutic ◽  
Molecular Therapeutic Targets

AbstractGenomic sequencing analysis of tumors provides potential molecular therapeutic targets for precision medicine. However, identifying a key driver gene or mutation that can be used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment remains difficult. Here, we performed whole-exome sequencing on genomic DNA obtained from six pairs of HCC and adjacent tissues and identified two novel somatic mutations of UBE2S (p. Gly57Ala and p. Lys63Asn). Predictions of the functional effects of the mutations showed that two amino-acid substitutions were potentially deleterious. Further, we observed that wild-type UBE2S, especially in the nucleus, was significantly higher in HCC tissues than that in adjacent tissues and closely related to the clinicopathological features of patients with HCC. Functional assays revealed that overexpression of UBE2S promoted the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and G1/S phase transition of HCC cells in vitro, and promoted the tumor growth significantly in vivo. Mechanistically, UBE2S interacted with TRIM28 in the nucleus, both together enhanced the ubiquitination of p27 to facilitate its degradation and cell cycle progression. Most importantly, the small-molecule cephalomannine was found by a luciferase-based sensitive high-throughput screen (HTS) to inhibit UBE2S expression and significantly attenuate HCC progression in vitro and in vivo, which may represent a promising strategy for HCC therapy.

scholarly journals Epigenetic silencing of CDKN1A and CDKN2B by SNHG1 promotes the cell cycle, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bei Li ◽  
Ang Li ◽  
Zhen You ◽  
Jingchang Xu ◽  
Sha Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Luciferase Assay ◽  
Bioinformatics Analyses ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Rna Immunoprecipitation

Abstract Enhanced SNHG1 (small nucleolar RNA host gene 1) expression has been found to play a critical role in the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with its detailed mechanism largely unknown. In this study, we show that SNHG1 promotes the HCC progression through epigenetically silencing CDKN1A and CDKN2B in the nucleus, and competing with CDK4 mRNA for binding miR-140-5p in the cytoplasm. Using bioinformatics analyses, we found hepatocarcinogenesis is particularly associated with dysregulated expression of SNHG1 and activation of the cell cycle pathway. SNHG1 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cells, and its knockdown significantly inhibited HCC cell cycle, growth, metastasis, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) both in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA immunoprecipitation assays demonstrate that SNHG1 inhibit the transcription of CDKN1A and CDKN2B through enhancing EZH2 mediated-H3K27me3 in the promoter of CDKN1A and CDKN2B, thus resulting in the de-repression of the cell cycle. Dual-luciferase assay and RNA pulldown revealed that SNHG1 promotes the expression of CDK4 by competitively binding to miR-140-5p. In conclusion, we propose that SNHG1 formed a regulatory network to confer an oncogenic function in HCC and SNHG1 may serve as a potential target for HCC diagnosis and treatment.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA TUG1 promotes cell progression in hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating miR-216b-5p/DLX2 axis

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qun Dai ◽  
Jingyi Deng ◽  
Jinrong Zhou ◽  
Zhuhong Wang ◽  
Xiao-feng Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Marked Rise ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence indicates that the long noncoding RNA taurine upregulated gene 1(TUG1) plays a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. However, the overall biological role and clinical significance of TUG1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown. Methods The expressions of TUG1, microRNA-216b-5p and distal-less homeobox 2 (DLX2) were detected by Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The target relationships were predicted by StarBase v.2.0 or TargetScan and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The cell growth, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), Flow cytometry and Transwell assays, respectively. All protein expression levels were detected by western blot. Tumor xenografts were implemented to explore the role of TUG1 in vivo. Results We found that there was a marked rise in TUG1 expression in HCC tissues and cells, and knockdown of TUG1 repressed the growth and metastasis and promoted apoptosis of HCC cells. In particular, TUG1 could act as a ceRNA, effectively becoming a sink for miR-216b-5p to fortify the expression of DLX2. Additionally, repression of TUG1 impared the progression of HCC cells by inhibiting DLX2 expression via sponging miR-216b-5p in vitro. More importantly, TUG1 knockdown inhibited HCC tumor growth in vivo through upregulating miR-216b-5p via inactivation of the DLX2. Conclusion TUG1 interacting with miR-216b-5p contributed to proliferation, metastasis, tumorigenesis and retarded apoptosis by activation of DLX2 in HCC.

scholarly journals MicroRNA-28-5p Regulates Liver Cancer Stem Cell Expansion via IGF-1 Pathway

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Xia ◽  
Tao Han ◽  
Pinghua Yang ◽  
Ruoyu Wang ◽  
Hengyu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Sorafenib Treatment ◽  
The Impact

Background. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in the regulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the role of miRNAs in liver CSCs has not been fully elucidated. Methods. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-miR-28-5p in liver cancer stem cells (CSCs). The impact of miR-28-5p on liver CSC expansion was investigated both in vivo and in vitro. The correlation between miR-28-5p expression and sorafenib benefits in HCC was further evaluated in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Results. Our data showed that miR-28-5p was downregulated in sorted EpCAM- and CD24-positive liver CSCs. Biofunctional investigations revealed that knockdown miR-28-5p promoted liver CSC self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Consistently, miR-28-5p overexpression inhibited liver CSC’s self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, we found that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was a direct target of miR-28-5p in liver CSCs, and the effects of miR-28-5p on liver CSC’s self-renewal and tumorigenesis were dependent on IGF-1. The correlation between miR-28-5p and IGF-1 was confirmed in human HCC tissues. Furthermore, the miR-28-5p knockdown HCC cells were more sensitive to sorafenib treatment. Analysis of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) further demonstrated that the miR-28-5p may predict sorafenib benefits in HCC patients. Conclusion. Our findings revealed the crucial role of the miR-28-5p in liver CSC expansion and sorafenib response, rendering miR-28-5p an optimal therapeutic target for HCC.

scholarly journals Telocytes Promote the Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Activating ERK Signaling Pathway and Sponging miR-942-3p to Impact MMP9

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Xu ◽  
Hu Tian ◽  
Chao Guang Luan ◽  
Kai Sun ◽  
peng Jin Bao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Erk Signaling ◽  
Cancer Tissue ◽  
Proliferative Potential ◽  
Cancer Tissues ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in China is considered as a familiar malignant tumor with poor prognosis, high metastasis and disease relapse. Telocytes(TCs) have been verified to participate in progresses of tumorigenesis, invasions and migrations by secreting functional proteins and transmitting cell-to-cell information. Extracellular signal-regulared protein kinase(ERK) signal pathway is a vital mechanism driving cell proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis, but whether this molecular signaling mechanism contributes to matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP) expression of TCs remains unclear. Methods: Telocytes and MMP9 expression in the liver cancer tissues are measured by immunohistochemistry assay, Westen blot assay and RT-PCR technique, meanwhile primary telocytes from liver para-cancer tissues are cultured in vitro. To demonstrate the function of telocytes for hepatocellular carcinoma, the metastatic cancer animal model is established by three typs of liver cancer cell-lines in vivo. Results: In our study, we elucidate that TCs in the para-cancer tissue can promote the metastasis of HCC cells by MMP-9 expression, in vitro and in vivo. PDGF derived from HCC cells has a capacity to activate Ras/ERK signaling pathway of TC as a result of accelerating MMP-9 expression, but it’s no significant for proliferative potential and apoptotic rate of TCs. While tyrosine kinase inhibitors and miR-942-3p suppress MMP-9 expression to make loss functions of TCs. Various mutations of TCs are also tested and single nucleotide polymorphisms of MMP-9 may be the potentially molecular mechanism of increasing protein expression in the invasive process of HCC. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate two potential mechanisms between HCC cells and TCs, suggesting that TC is a novel marker and target on deciphering reasons of cancer metastasis.

scholarly journals The Good, the Bad, the Question–H19 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lysann Tietze ◽  
Sonja M. Kessler
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Primary Liver Cancer ◽  
Human Patient ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Novel Target

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, is challenging to treat due to its typical late diagnosis, mostly at an advanced stage. Therefore, there is a particular need for research in diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC. The use of long noncoding (lnc) RNAs can widen the list of novel molecular targets improving cancer therapy. In hepatocarcinogenesis, the role of the lncRNA H19, which has been known for more than 30 years now, is still controversially discussed. H19 was described to work either as a tumor suppressor in vitro and in vivo, or to have oncogenic features. This review attempts to survey the conflicting study results and tries to elucidate the potential reasons for the contrary findings, i.e., different methods, models, or readout parameters. This review encompasses in vitro and in vivo models as well as studies on human patient samples. Although the function of H19 in HCC remains elusive, a short outlook summarizes some ideas of using the H19 locus as a novel target for liver cancer therapy.

scholarly journals Remodeling of hepatic stellate cells orchestrated the stroma-derived oxaliplatin-resistance through CCN3 paracrine in hepatocellular carcinoma

BMC Cancer ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Liao ◽  
Yang Bu ◽  
Fan Chang ◽  
Fengan Jia ◽  
Ge Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Hepatic Stellate Cells ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Stellate Cells ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Pathway Activation ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) have a key role in fibrogenesis and in the filtrates of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stroma, in which they are remodeled and play a critical role in HCC progression. However, the precise role of HSCs trending, infiltration and paracrine in orchestrating the stroma-derived oxaliplatin-resistance in HCC is still vague. Methods The chemo-resistant models were established to explore the correlation between HSC cells and the condition of chemoresistance. The HCC clinical samples were collected to confirm this phenomenon. Then, the relationship between secretory CCN3 from oxaliplatin-resistant HCC and the infiltration of HSCs in associated HCC microenvironment was evaluated. Finally, the role and mechanism of HSCs remodeling in the orchestration of oxaliplatin-resistant HCC were explored. Results The increased infiltration of HSCs and collagen accumulation were found in the microenvironment of oxaliplatin-resistant HCC. The cDNA profiles of the oxaliplatin-resistant HCC was reanalyzed, and CCN3 was one of the significantly increased genes. In HCC clinical samples, the levels of CCN3 and α-SMA are positively correlated, and high expression of CCN3 and α-SMA are positively associated with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis. Then the enhanced abilities of migration and proliferation of HSCs, and elevation of the cytokines paracrine from HSCs relating to HCC malignancy were proved in vitro and in vivo, and which were related to CCN3-ERK signaling pathway activation. Conclusions HSCs remodeling are positively related to CCN3 paracrine in hepatocellular carcinoma, which orchestrated the stroma-derived resistance to chemotherapy in HCC.

scholarly journals ACOX2 is a prognostic marker and impedes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via PPARα pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qifan Zhang ◽  
Yunbin Zhang ◽  
Shibo Sun ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Jianping Qian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Prognostic Significance ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Peroxisomal Enzyme ◽  
The Impact

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been extensively studied as one of the most aggressive tumors worldwide. However, its mortality rate remains high due to ideal diagnosis and treatment strategies. Uncovering novel genes with prognostic significance would shed light on improving the HCC patient’s outcome. In our study, we applied data-independent acquisition (DIA) quantitative proteomics to investigate the expression landscape of 24 paired HCC patients. A total of 1029 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were screened. Then, we compared DEPs in our cohort with the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in The Cancer Genome Atlas, and investigated their prognostic significance, and found 183 prognosis-related genes (PRGs). By conducting protein–protein interaction topological analysis, we identified four subnetworks with prognostic significance. Acyl-CoA oxidase 2 (ACOX2) is a novel gene in subnetwork1, encodes a peroxisomal enzyme, and its function in HCC was investigated in vivo and in vitro. The lower expression of ACOX2 was validated by real-time quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, wound healing, and transwell migration assay were applied to evaluate the impact of ACOX2 overexpression on the proliferation and migration abilities in two liver cancer cell lines. ACOX2 overexpression, using a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model, indicated a tumor suppressor role in HCC. To uncover the underlying mechanism, gene set enrichment analysis was conducted, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) was proposed to be a potential target. In conclusion, we demonstrated a PRG ACOX2, and its overexpression reduced the proliferation and metastasis of liver cancer in vitro and in vivo through PPARα pathway.

scholarly journals Interleukin 35 Activates Intratumor Neovascularization Via Enhanced Secretion of FGF2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through The Recruitment of Neutrophils, and Blocking it Could Facilitate The Efficacy of The PD-1 Antibody

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Gan ◽  
Mei-Xia Zhang ◽  
Jin-Long Huang ◽  
Pei-Yun Zhou ◽  
Cheng Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Tumor Model ◽  
Neutrophil Infiltration ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Adhesion Assay

Abstract Background: Recently, more and more treatment strategies for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have emerged, but the therapeutic effect is still not satisfactory. This study is aimed to explore the mechanism of Interleukin 35 (IL-35) in promoting the progression of liver cancer and to explore the application value of IL-35 in the treatment of HCC.Methods: We used clinical tissue microarray (TMA) immunohistochemistry (IHC) to explore the prognostic value of IL-35 expression in patients with HCC. The effect of IL-35 on the function of HCC was explored by functional experiments including wound-healing assay, transwell, cell counting kit-8, cell adhesion assay and endothelial tube formation assay in vitro and mouse xenografts in vivo. And flow cytometry was used to study the effect of IL-35 on infiltrating immune cells in tumor. The molecular mechanism of the function of IL-35 on the progression of HCC was explored by sequencing, ELISA, WB, PCR and other technical means. Finally, through in vivo tumor animal experiments to explore the value of anti-IL-35 antibody and combined with anti-PD-1 antibody in the treatment of liver cancer.Results: High expression of IL-35 in patients with HCC were identified to be associated with poor prognosis. And we have found that IL-35 facilitated tumor progression by affecting neutrophil infiltration, angiogenesis, and CD8+ T-cell infiltration in a mouse model. Additionally, on the one hand C-C motif chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) has been found to be a key factor mediating the recruitment of neutrophils by IL-35, on the other hand fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) secreting by neutrophil when stimulated by IL-35 was also found to be the core cytokine to promote intratumoral angiogenesis. And IL-35 was also discovered to facilitated the adhesion of tumor to endothelial cells, with neutrophils further enhancing this effect in vitro and vivo. More important, anti-IL-35 antibody was found to be a valid treatment for HCC in xenograft tumor model, and it could give full play to the curative effect of 1:1＞2 when combination therapy with PD-1 antibody.Conclusion: Our data show that the expression of IL-35 in patients with HCC is an important tumor promoting factor. The application of anti-IL-35 antibody and treatment combined anti-IL-35 antibody with anti-PD-1 antibody have potential therapeutic value in the treatment of liver cancer.

scholarly journals The Tubulin Inhibitor VERU-111 in Combination With Vemurafenib Provides an Effective Treatment of Vemurafenib-Resistant A375 Melanoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongmei Cui ◽  
Qinghui Wang ◽  
Duane D. Miller ◽  
Wei Li
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Braf Inhibitor ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Braf V600e ◽  
Akt Pathway ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Tubulin Inhibitor

Melanoma is one of the deadliest skin cancers having a five-year survival rate around 15–20%. An overactivated MAPK/AKT pathway is well-established in BRAF mutant melanoma. Vemurafenib (Vem) was the first FDA-approved BRAF inhibitor and gained great clinical success in treating late-stage melanoma. However, most patients develop acquired resistance to Vem within 6–9 months. Therefore, developing a new treatment strategy to overcome Vem-resistance is highly significant. Our previous study reported that the combination of a tubulin inhibitor ABI-274 with Vem showed a significant synergistic effect to sensitize Vem-resistant melanoma both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we unveiled that VERU-111, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of α and β tubulin that is under clinical development, is highly potent against Vem-resistant melanoma cells. The combination of Vem and VERU-111 resulted in a dramatically enhanced inhibitory effect on cancer cells in vitro and Vem-resistant melanoma tumor growth in vivo compared with single-agent treatment. Further molecular signaling analyses demonstrated that in addition to ERK/AKT pathway, Skp2 E3 ligase also plays a critical role in Vem-resistant mechanisms. Knockout of Skp2 diminished oncogene AKT expression and contributed to the synergistic inhibitory effect of Vem and VERU-111. Our results indicate a treatment combination of VERU-111 and Vem holds a great promise to overcome Vem-resistance for melanoma patients harboring BRAF (V600E) mutation.

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