0000000000199394
AUTHOR
Mitsuteru Kitade
Curcumin effectively inhibits oncogenic NF-κB signaling and restrains stemness features in liver cancer
Background & Aims The cancer stem cells (CSCs) have important therapeutic implications for multi-resistant cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among the key pathways frequently activated in liver CSCs is NF-κB signaling. Methods We evaluated the CSCs-depleting potential of NF-κB inhibition in liver cancer achieved by the IKK inhibitor curcumin, RNAi and specific peptide SN50. The effects on CSCs were assessed by analysis of side population (SP), sphere formation and tumorigenicity. Molecular changes were determined by RT-qPCR, global gene expression microarray, EMSA, and Western blotting. Results HCC cell lines exposed to curcumin exhibited differential responses to curcumin a…
MYC Activates Stem-like Cell Potential in Hepatocarcinoma by a p53-Dependent Mechanism
Activation of c-MYC is an oncogenic hallmark of many cancers including liver cancer, and is associated with a variety of adverse prognostic characteristics. Despite a causative role during malignant transformation and progression in hepatocarcinogenesis, consequences of c-MYC activation for the biology of hepatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) are undefined. Here, distinct levels of c-MYC over-expression were established by using two dose-dependent tetracycline inducible systems in 4 hepatoma cell lines with different p53 mutational status. The CSCs were evaluated using side-population approach as well as standard in vitro and in vivo assays. Functional repression of p53 was achieved by lentivira…
Loss of c-Met signaling sensitizes hepatocytes to lipotoxicity and induces cholestatic liver damage by aggravating oxidative stress.
Recent studies confirmed a critical importance of c-Met signaling for liver regeneration by modulating redox balance. Here we used liver-specific conditional knockout mice (MetKO) and a nutritional model of hepatic steatosis to address the role of c-Met in cholesterol-mediated liver toxicity. Liver injury was assessed by histopathology and plasma enzymes levels. Global transcriptomic changes were examined by gene expression microarray, and key molecules involved in liver damage and lipid homeostasis were evaluated by Western blotting. Loss of c-Met signaling amplified the extent of liver injury in MetKO mice fed with high-cholesterol diet for 30days as evidenced by upregulation of liver enz…