Antagonizing STK25 Signaling Suppresses the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Targeting Metabolic, Inflammatory, and Pro-Oncogenic Pathways.
Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol
; 13(2): 405-423, 2022.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34624527
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & AIMS:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most fatal and fastest-growing cancers. Recently, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been recognized as a major catalyst for HCC. Thus, additional research is critically needed to identify mechanisms involved in NASH-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, to advance the prevention and treatment of NASH-driven HCC. Because the sterile 20-type kinase serine/threonine kinase 25 (STK25) exacerbates NASH-related phenotypes, we investigated its role in HCC development and aggravation in this study.METHODS:
Hepatocarcinogenesis was induced in the context of NASH in Stk25 knockout and wild-type mice by combining chemical procarcinogens and a dietary challenge. In the first cohort, a single injection of diethylnitrosamine was combined with a high-fat diet-feeding. In the second cohort, chronic administration of carbon tetrachloride was combined with a choline-deficient L-amino-acid-defined diet. To study the cell-autonomous mode of action of STK25, we silenced this target in the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 by small interfering RNA.RESULTS:
In both mouse models of NASH-driven HCC, the livers from Stk25-/- mice showed a markedly lower tumor burden compared with wild-type controls. We also found that genetic depletion of STK25 in mice suppressed liver tumor growth through reduced hepatocellular apoptosis and decreased compensatory proliferation, by a mechanism that involves protection against hepatic lipotoxicity and inactivation of STAT3, ERK1/2, and p38 signaling. Consistently, silencing of STK25 suppressed proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in HepG2 cells, which was accompanied by lower expression of the markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and autophagic flux.CONCLUSIONS:
This study provides evidence that antagonizing STK25 signaling hinders the development of NASH-related HCC and provides an impetus for further analysis of STK25 as a therapeutic target for NASH-induced HCC treatment in human beings.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinases
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular
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Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular
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Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica
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Neoplasias Hepáticas
Limite:
Animals
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Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article