A novel peptide with a potential to enhance sorafenib’s therapeutic effects in hepatocellular carcinoma.

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e13505-e13505
Author(s):  
Joline Sijing Lim ◽  
Todor Dimitrov ◽  
Kol Jia Yong ◽  
Chong Gao ◽  
Daniel G Tenen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Stem Cell Factor ◽  
Tumor Burden ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Novel Approach

e13505 Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide, with chemotherapy or targeted therapy such as sorafenib achieving limited success. Recently stem cell factor SALL4 has emerged as a novel oncogene associated with leukemogenesis and is also implicated in many solid tumors. We have observed that SALL4 is not expressed in adult human liver tissues, but expressed in 30-40% of liver cancer, and this is associated with poorer prognosis and overall survival. We further tested whether inhibition of SALL4 function could be used for HCC treatment. Methods: A novel peptide blocking SALL4 function was designed and used to treat HCC lines with or without SALL4 expression. This is followed by evaluation for binding affinity, tumor growth inhibitory activity and mechanism of action. Treated cells were then transplanted in vivo into NOD/SCID mice and monitored for tumor growth. Comparison and/or combination of peptide with sorafenib were also carried out. Further modification of the peptide was done to allow for in vivo administration. Results: The peptide can effectively block SALL4 function. When used to treat HCC cell lines, it showed inhibitory effects in SNU398 cells (SALL4 expression), but not SNU387 cells (non-SALL4 expression). Post-xenotransplant, mice which received cells treated with peptide had slower rate of tumor growth (p=0.028) and lower tumor burden at dissection 26 days post transplant (p=0.048). Searching for its mechanism of action, we discovered that the peptide could affect the PTEN/AKT pathway, which was validated by western blot. When the peptide was combined with sorafenib, decreased cell viability was observed (p=0.03), suggestive of at least an additive effect between the peptide and sorafenib. Modification of peptide with TAT-protein showed similar inhibition of growth in vitro and was tested for further in-vivo usage through intraperitoneal injection. Conclusions: Our proof-of-principle studies have showed that a peptide blocking the function of stem cell factor SALL4 can be used as a novel approach for treating HCC. Combined with sorafenib, it may be able to enhance cell death and potentially lead to better outcomes in HCC patients.

scholarly journals A novel phosphoramide compound, DCZ0805, shows potent anti-myeloma activity via the NF-κB pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuejie Gao ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Anqi Ye ◽  
Houcai Wang ◽  
Yongsheng Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Model ◽  
Tumor Burden ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Tumor Xenograft ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Xenograft Mouse Model

Abstract Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a highly aggressive and incurable clonal plasma cell disease with a high rate of recurrence. Thus, the development of new therapies is urgently needed. DCZ0805, a novel compound synthesized from osalmide and pterostilbene, has few observed side effects. In the current study, we intend to investigate the therapeutic effects of DCZ0805 in MM cells and elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying its anti-myeloma activity. Methods We used the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, immunofluorescence staining, cell cycle assessment, apoptosis assay, western blot analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assay and a tumor xenograft mouse model to investigate the effect of DCZ0805 treatment both in vivo and in vitro. Results The results showed that DCZ0805 treatment arrested the cell at the G0/G1 phase and suppressed MM cells survival by inducing apoptosis via extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. DCZ0805 suppressed the NF-κB signaling pathway activation, which may have contributed to the inhibition of cell proliferation. DCZ0805 treatment remarkably reduced the tumor burden in the immunocompromised xenograft mouse model, with no obvious toxicity observed. Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that DCZ0805 can serve as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of MM.

scholarly journals KLF7/VPS35 axis contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma progression through CCDC85C-activated β-catenin pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yarong Guo ◽  
Bao Chai ◽  
Junmei Jia ◽  
Mudan Yang ◽  
Yanjun Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Proliferation And Invasion ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Objective Dysregulation of KLF7 participates in the development of various cancers, but it is unclear whether there is a link between HCC and aberrant expression of KLF7. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of KLF7 in proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods CCK8, colony growth, transwell, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis detection were performed to explore the effect of KLF7, VPS35 and Ccdc85c on cell function in vitro. Xenografted tumor growth was used to assess in vivo role of KLF7. Chip-qPCR and luciferase reporter assays were applied to check whether KLF7 regulated VPS35 at transcriptional manner. Co-IP assay was performed to detect the interaction between VPS35 and Ccdc85c. Immunohistochemical staining and qRT-PCR analysis were performed in human HCC sampels to study the clinical significance of KLF7, VPS35 and β-catenin. Results Firstly, KLF7 was highly expressed in human HCC samples and correlated with patients’ differentiation and metastasis status. KLF7 overexpression contributed to cell proliferation and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. KLF7 transcriptional activation of VPS35 was necessary for HCC tumor growth and metastasis. Further, co-IP studies revealed that VPS35 could interact with Ccdc85c in HCC cells. Rescue assay confirmed that overexpression of VPS35 and knockdown of Ccdc85c abolished the VPS35-medicated promotion effect on cell proliferation and invasion. Finally, KLF7/VPS35 axis regulated Ccdc85c, which involved in activation of β-catenin signaling pathway, confirmed using β-catenin inhibitor, GK974. Functional studies suggested that downregulation of Ccdc85c partly reversed the capacity of cell proliferation and invasion in HCC cells, which was regulated by VPS35 upregulation. Lastly, there was a positive correlation among KLF7, VPS35 and active-β-catenin in human HCC patients. Conclusion We demonstrated that KLF7/VPS35 axis promoted HCC cell progression by activating Ccdc85c-medicated β-catenin pathway. Targeting this signal axis might be a potential treatment strategy for HCC.

scholarly journals ACTN1 Supports Tumor Growth by Inhibiting Hippo Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Chen ◽  
Xiao-Wei Zhou ◽  
Ai-Jun Zhang ◽  
Kang He
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Expression Pattern ◽  
Cytoskeletal Proteins ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Hippo Signaling ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Alpha actinins (ACTNs) are major cytoskeletal proteins and exhibit many non-muscle functions. Emerging evidence have uncovered the regulatory role of ACTNs in tumorigenesis, however, the expression pattern, biological functions, and underlying mechanism of ACTN1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unexplored.Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of a HCC tissue microarray (n = 157) was performed to determine the expression pattern and prognostic value of ACTN1 in HCC. In vitro loss-of-function study in HCC cells were carried out to investigate ACTN1 knockdown on cell proliferation. In vivo subcutaneous xenograft model and intrahepatic transplantation model were generated to decipher the contribution of ACTN1 in the tumor growth of HCC. Gene set enrichment analysis, quantitative real-time PCR, Co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to identify the underlying molecular mechanism.Results: It was found that ACTN1 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and closely related to llpha-fetoprotein level, tumor thrombus, tumor size, TNM stage and patient prognoses. Knockdown of ACTN1 suppressed in vitro cell proliferation and in vivo tumor growth of HCC cells. Mechanistically, knockdown of ACTN1 increased Hippo signaling pathway activity and decrease Rho GTPases activities. Mechanistically, ACTN1 could competitively interact with MOB1 and decrease the phosphorylation of LATS1 and YAP. The growth-promoting effect induced by ACTN1 was significantly abrogated by pharmacological inhibition of YAP with verteporfin or super-TDU.Conclusions: ACTN1 is highly expressed in HCC tissues and acts as a tumor promoter by suppressing Hippo signaling via physical interaction with MOB1. ACTN1 may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.

The Presence of Novel Amino Acids in the Cytoplasmic Domain of Stem Cell Factor Results in Hematopoietic Defects inSteel17H Mice

Blood ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 1915-1925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reuben Kapur ◽  
Ryan Cooper ◽  
Xingli Xiao ◽  
Mitchell J. Weiss ◽  
Peter Donovan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Bone Marrow ◽  
Biological Activity ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Blood Cell ◽  
Red Blood Cell ◽  
Stem Cell Factor ◽  
Cytoplasmic Domain

Abstract Stem cell factor (SCF) is expressed as an integral membrane growth factor that may be differentially processed to produce predominantly soluble (S) (SCF248) or membrane-associated (MA) (SCF220) protein. A critical role for membrane presentation of SCF in the hematopoietic microenvironment (HM) has been suggested from the phenotype of the Steel-dickie(Sld) mice, which lack MA SCF, and by studies performed in our laboratory (and by others) using long-term bone marrow cultures and transgenic mice expressing different SCF isoforms.Steel17H (Sl17H) is an SCF mutant that demonstrates melanocyte defects and sterility in males but not in females. The Sl17H allele contains a intronic mutation resulting in the substitution of 36 amino acids (aa’s) in the SCF cytoplasmic domain with 28 novel aa’s. This mutation, which affects virtually the entire cytoplasmic domain of SCF, could be expected to alter membrane SCF presentation. To investigate this possibility, we examined the biochemical and biologic properties of the Sl17H-encoded protein and its impact in vivo and in vitro on hematopoiesis and on c-Kit signaling. We demonstrate that compound heterozygous Sl/Sl17H mice manifest multiple hematopoietic abnormalities in vivo, including red blood cell deficiency, bone marrow hypoplasia, and defective thymopoiesis. In vitro, both S and MA Sl17H isoforms of SCF exhibit reduced cell surface expression on stromal cells and diminished biological activity in comparison to wild-type (wt) SCF isoforms. These alterations in presentation and biological activity are associated with a significant reduction in the proliferation of an SCF-responsive erythroid progenitor cell line and in the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein-Kinase signaling pathways. In vivo, transgene expression of the membrane-restricted (MR) (SCFX9/D3) SCF in Sl/Sl17H mutants results in a significant improvement in peripheral red blood cell counts in comparison toSl/Sl17H mice.

Juniperus communis Suppresses Melanoma Tumorigenesis by Inhibiting Tumor Growth and Inducing Apoptosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (05) ◽  
pp. 1171-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Wei Gao ◽  
Xiao-Fan Huang ◽  
Tzi-Peng Yang ◽  
Kai-Fu Chang ◽  
Ling-Wen Yeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Death Rate ◽  
Tumor Burden ◽  
Autocrine Signaling ◽  
Juniperus Communis ◽  
Common Skin ◽  
Metastatic Capacity ◽  
Induction Of Apoptosis

Melanoma, which has a high metastatic capacity and death rate, is a common skin cancer in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to address whether Juniperus communis (JCo) extract is effective in the suppression of melanoma and to elucidate the anticancer mechanisms involved in vitro and in vivo. The antitumor capacities of JCo extract on tumor suppression and toxicity were evaluated and the results demonstrated that the tumor burden was reduced via mediation of cell cycle, reduction of autocrine signaling, and induction of apoptosis. Moreover, JCo extract significantly prolonged the survival rate of the test subjects with only low pathological and physiological toxicity. Additionally, JCo extract also reduced cancer stem cell-related angiogenic and metastatic proteins in the process of tumor elimination. Based on these results, this study suggests that JCo extract suppresses tumor growth and induces apoptosis, and JCo extract may be useful for the prevention of melanoma tumorigenesis.

scholarly journals A potent CBP/p300-Snail interaction inhibitor suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in wild-type p53-expressing cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (17) ◽  
pp. eaaw8500
Author(s):  
Hong-Mei Li ◽  
Yan-Ran Bi ◽  
Yang Li ◽  
Rong Fu ◽  
Wen-Cong Lv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Creb Binding Protein ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Wild Type P53

The zinc finger transcription factor Snail is aberrantly activated in many human cancers and associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, targeting Snail is expected to exert therapeutic benefit in patients with cancer. However, Snail has traditionally been considered “undruggable,” and no effective pharmacological inhibitors have been identified. Here, we found a small-molecule compound CYD19 that forms a high-affinity interaction with the evolutionarily conserved arginine-174 pocket of Snail protein. In aggressive cancer cells, CYD19 binds to Snail and thus disrupts Snail’s interaction with CREB-binding protein (CBP)/p300, which consequently impairs CBP/p300-mediated Snail acetylation and then promotes its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Moreover, CYD19 restores Snail-dependent repression of wild-type p53, thus reducing tumor growth and survival in vitro and in vivo. In addition, CYD19 reverses Snail-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and impairs EMT-associated tumor invasion and metastasis. Our findings demonstrate that pharmacologically targeting Snail by CYD19 may exert potent therapeutic effects in patients with cancer.

scholarly journals Regulation of JAM2 Expression in the Lungs of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice and Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Alveolar Organoids

Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roya Rasaei ◽  
Eunbi Kim ◽  
Ji-Young Kim ◽  
Sunghun Na ◽  
Jung-Hyun Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Causative Factor ◽  
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Diabetic Mice ◽  
Human Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Potential Indicator

Hyperglycemia is a causative factor in the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases, known to induce fibrosis and inflammation in the lung. However, little attention has been paid to genes related to hyperglycemic-induced lung alterations and stem cell applications for therapeutic use. In this study, our microarray data revealed significantly increased levels of junctional adhesion molecule 2 (JAM2) in the high glucose (HG)-induced transcriptional profile in human perivascular cells (hPVCs). The elevated level of JAM2 in HG-treated hPVCs was transcriptionally and epigenetically reversible when HG treatment was removed. We further investigated the expression of JAM2 using in vivo and in vitro hyperglycemic models. Our results showed significant upregulation of JAM2 in the lungs of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice, which was greatly suppressed by the administration of conditioned medium obtained from human mesenchymal stem cell cultures. Furthermore, JAM2 was found to be significantly upregulated in human pluripotent stem cell-derived multicellular alveolar organoids by exposure to HG. Our results suggest that JAM2 may play an important role in STZ-induced lung alterations and could be a potential indicator for predicting the therapeutic effects of stem cells and drugs in diabetic lung complications.

scholarly journals Kruppel-like factor 6 suppresses growth and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 666-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Hao Wen ◽  
Dong-Yu Wang ◽  
Jia-Kai Zhang ◽  
Zhi-Hui Wang ◽  
Jie Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Tumor Model ◽  
Carcinoma Cells ◽  
Tumor Suppressive Function ◽  
Xenograft Tumor Growth ◽  
Hcc Cells

Kruppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) as a novel tumor suppressive gene participates in multiple biological behaviors and plays an important role in regulating tumor cell growth and invasion. However, the functions of KLF6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly understood. The expression level of KLF6 was examined by immunohistochemical assay in human HCC tissues, and KLF6-overexpressed HCC cells (SMCC-7721 and HepG2) were used for evaluating cell proliferation and invasion by MTT and Transwell assays. A subcutaneous HCC tumor model was established for assessing tumor growth in vivo. Our results showed that the expression of KLF6 was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues compared with the adjacent non-cancerous tissues (50.0% vs. 72.0%, P = 0.034) and negatively associated with the lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) in HCC patients ( P = 0.003). Furthermore, overexpression of KLF6 reduced cell proliferation and weakened the cell invasive potential followed with the decreased expression of PCNA and MMP-9 in HCC cells. The in vivo experiment indicated that KLF6 overexpression suppressed the xenograft tumor growth. Therefore, our findings show that KLF6 suppresses growth and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a tumor suppressive function in HCC and provides the potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

scholarly journals ACTN1 supports tumor growth by inhibiting Hippo signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Chen ◽  
Xiao-Wei Zhou ◽  
Ai-Jun Zhang ◽  
Kang He
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Expression Pattern ◽  
Cytoskeletal Proteins ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Hippo Signaling ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Alpha actinins (ACTNs) are major cytoskeletal proteins and exhibit many non-muscle functions. Emerging evidence have uncovered the regulatory role of ACTNs in tumorigenesis, however, the expression pattern, biological functions, and underlying mechanism of ACTN1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unexplored. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of a HCC tissue microarray (n = 157) was performed to determine the expression pattern and prognostic value of ACTN1 in HCC. In vitro loss-of-function study in HCC cells were carried out to investigate ACTN1 knockdown on cell proliferation. In vivo subcutaneous xenograft model and intrahepatic transplantation model were generated to decipher the contribution of ACTN1 in the tumor growth of HCC. Gene set enrichment analysis, quantitative real-time PCR, Co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to identify the underlying molecular mechanism. Results: It was found that ACTN1 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and closely related to llpha-fetoprotein level, tumor thrombus, tumor size, TNM stage and patient prognoses. Knockdown of ACTN1 suppressed in vitro cell proliferation and in vivo tumor growth of HCC cells. Mechanistically, knockdown of ACTN1 increased Hippo signaling pathway activity and decreased Rho GTPases activities. Mechanistically, ACTN1 could competitively interact with MOB1 and decrease the phosphorylation of LATS1 and YAP. The growth-promoting effect induced by ACTN1 was significantly abrogated by pharmacological inhibition of YAP with verteporfin or super-TDU. Conclusions: ACTN1 is highly expressed in HCC tissues and acts as a tumor promoter by suppressing Hippo signaling via physical interaction with MOB1. ACTN1 may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.

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