Lactylation-Driven IGF2BP3-Mediated Serine Metabolism Reprogramming and RNA m6A-Modification Promotes Lenvatinib Resistance in HCC.

Acquired resistance remains a bottleneck for molecular-targeted therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Metabolic adaptation and epigenetic remodeling are recognized as hallmarks of cancer that may contribute to acquired resistance. In various lenvatinib-resistant models, increased glycolysis leads to lactate accumulation and lysine lactylation of IGF2BP3. This lactylation is crucial for capturing PCK2 and NRF2 mRNAs, thereby enhancing their expression. This process reprograms serine metabolism and strengthens the antioxidant defense system. Additionally, altered serine metabolism increases the availability of methylated substrates, such as S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), for N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation of PCK2 and NRF2 mRNAs. The lactylated IGF2BP3-PCK2-SAM-m6A loop maintains elevated PCK2 and NRF2 levels, enhancing the antioxidant system and promoting lenvatinib resistance in HCC. Treatment with liposomes carrying siRNAs targeting IGF2BP3 or the glycolysis inhibitor 2-DG restored lenvatinib sensitivity in vivo. These findings highlight the connection between metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic regulation and suggest that targeting metabolic pathways may offer new strategies to overcome lenvatinib resistance in HCC.

Pretreatment CT-based machine learning radiomics model predicts response in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors and interventional therapy.

BACKGROUND: Lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors and interventional (LPI) therapy have demonstrated promising treatment effects in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, biomarkers for predicting the response to LPI therapy remain to be further explored. We aimed to develop a radiomics model to noninvasively predict the efficacy of LPI therapy. METHODS: Clinical data of patients with HCC receiving LPI therapy were collected in our institution. The clinical model was built with clinical information. Nine machine learning classifiers were tested and the multilayer perceptron classifier with optimal performance was used as the radiomics model. The clinical-radiomics model was constructed by integrating clinical and radiomics scores through logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: 151 patients were enrolled in this study (2:1 randomization, 101 and 50 in the training and validation cohorts), of which three achieved complete response, 69 showed partial response, 46 showed stable disease, and 33 showed progressive disease. The objective response rate, disease control rate, and conversion resection rates were 47.7, 78.1 and 23.2%. 14 features were selected from the initially extracted 1223 for radiomics model construction. The area under the curves of the radiomics model (0.900 for training and 0.893 for validation) were comparable to that of the clinical-radiomics model (0.912 for training and 0.892 for validation), and both were superior to the clinical model (0.669 for training and 0.585 for validation). Meanwhile, the radiomics model can categorize participants into high-risk and low-risk groups for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the training (HR 1.913, 95% CI 1.121 to 3.265, p=0.016 for PFS; HR 4.252, 95% CI 2.051 to 8.816, p=0.001 for OS) and validation sets (HR 2.347, 95% CI 1.095 to 5.031, p=0.012 for PFS; HR 2.592, 95% CI 1.050 to 6.394, p=0.019 for OS). CONCLUSION: The promising machine learning radiomics model was developed and validated to predict the efficacy of LPI therapy for patients with HCC and perform risk stratification, with comparable performance to clinical-radiomics model.

FAT10 induces immune suppression by upregulating PD-L1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The upregulation of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays a crucial role in facilitating cancer cells to evade immune surveillance through immunosuppression. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms of PD-L1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain undefined. The correlation between PD-L1 and ubiquitin-like molecules (UBLs) was studied using sequencing data from 20 HCC patients in our center, combined with TCGA data. Specifically, the association between FAT10 and PD-L1 was further validated at both the protein and mRNA levels in HCC tissues from our center. Subsequently, the effect of FAT10 on tumor progression and immune suppression was examined through both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Utilizing sequencing data, qPCR, and Western blotting assays, we confirmed that FAT10 was highly expressed in HCC tissues and positively correlated with PD-L1 expression. Additionally, in vitro experiments demonstrated that the overexpression of FAT10 fostered the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Furthermore, the overexpression of FAT10 in HCC cells led to an increase in PD-L1 expression, resulting in the inhibition of T cell proliferation and the enhancement of HCC cell resistance to T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, in vivo experiments utilizing the C57BL/6 mouse model revealed that overexpression of FAT10 effectively suppressed the infiltration of CD8 + GZMB + and CD8 + Ki67 + T cells, as well as reduced serum levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ. Mechanistically, we further identified that FAT10 upregulates PD-L1 expression via activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, but not in a ubiquitin-like modification. In conclusion, our findings indicate that FAT10 promotes immune evasion of HCC via upregulating PD-L1 expression, suggesting its potential as a novel target to enhance the efficiency of immunotherapy in HCC.

Toripalimab Plus Bevacizumab as First-line Treatment for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Arm, Phase II Trial.

PURPOSE: This phase II, multicenter, prospective, single-arm study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of toripalimab plus bevacizumab for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Treatment-naïve patients with advanced HCC received toripalimab 240 mg plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks. The primary endpoints included safety and tolerability and objective response rate (ORR) assessed by the investigator per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were enrolled between April 17, 2020, and December 11, 2020. As assessed by the investigator according to RECIST v1.1, the ORR was 31.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 19.5-45.6] and the lower bound of the 95% CI was above the prespecified boundary of 10%. The independent review committee (IRC) assessed ORR according to the modified RECIST (mRECIST), which was 46.3% (95% CI, 32.6-60.4). The median progression-free survival was 8.5 (95% CI, 5.5-11.0) and 9.8 months (95% CI, 5.6 to not evaluable) as assessed by the investigator according to RECIST v1.1 and IRC according to mRECIST criteria, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was not reached, and the 12- and 24-month OS rates were 77.3% and 63.5%, respectively. Grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 27 patients (50.0%). The most common TEAEs were proteinuria (59.3%), hypertension (38.9%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (33.3%), increased amylase (29.6%), decreased platelet count (27.8%), and increased bilirubin levels (27.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Toripalimab plus bevacizumab showed a favorable efficacy and safety profile, supporting further studies on this combination regimen as a first-line treatment for advanced HCC.

CircNUP54 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via facilitating HuR cytoplasmic export and stabilizing BIRC3 mRNA.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been fully elucidated. Herein, a new oncogenic circRNA, hsa_circ_0070039 (circNUP54), was identified to be significantly upregulated in HCC through circRNA sequencing. As verified in 68 HCC samples, circNUP54 overexpression was correlated with aggressive cancerous behaviors and poor outcomes. Moreover, the function experiments showed that knockdown of circNUP54 inhibited the malignant progression of HCC in vitro and in vivo, whereas overexpression of circNUP54 had the opposite role. Mechanistic investigations carried out by RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence revealed that circNUP54 interacted with the RNA-binding protein Hu-antigen R (HuR) and promoted its cytoplasmic export. The cytoplasmic accumulation of HuR stabilized the downstream BIRC3 mRNA through its binding to the 3' UTR region. Consequently, the encoded protein of BIRC3, cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2 (cIAP2), proceeded to activate the NF-κB signal pathway and ultimately contributed to HCC progression. In addition, depletion of BIRC3 rescued the pro-tumorigenic effect of circNUP54 on HCC cells. Overall, this study demonstrated that circNUP54 facilitates HCC progression via regulating the HuR/BIRC3/NF-κB axis, which may serve as a promising therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

A novel risk score system based on immune subtypes for identifying optimal mRNA vaccination population in hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Although mRNA vaccines have shown certain clinical benefits in multiple malignancies, their therapeutic efficacies against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain. This study focused on establishing a novel risk score system based on immune subtypes so as to identify optimal HCC mRNA vaccination population. METHODS: GEPIA, cBioPortal and TIMER databases were utilized to identify candidate genes for mRNA vaccination in HCC. Subsequently, immune subtypes were constructed based on the candidate genes. According to the differential expressed genes among various immune subtypes, a risk score system was established using machine learning algorithm. Besides, multi-color immunofluorescence of tumor tissues from 72 HCC patients were applied to validate the feasibility and efficiency of the risk score system. RESULTS: Twelve overexpressed and mutated genes associated with poor survival and APCs infiltration were identified as potential candidate targets for mRNA vaccination. Three immune subtypes (e.g. IS1, IS2 and IS3) with distinct clinicopathological and molecular profiles were constructed according to the 12 candidate genes. Based on the immune subtype, a risk score system was developed, and according to the risk score from low to high, HCC patients were classified into four subgroups on average (e.g. RS1, RS2, RS3 and RS4). RS4 mainly overlapped with IS3, RS1 with IS2, and RS2+RS3 with IS1. ROC analysis also suggested the significant capacity of the risk score to distinguish between the three immune subtypes. Higher risk score exhibited robustly predictive ability for worse survival, which was further independently proved by multi-color immunofluorescence of HCC samples. Notably, RS4 tumors exhibited an increased immunosuppressive phenotype, higher expression of the twelve potential candidate targets and increased genome altered fraction, and therefore might benefit more from vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: This novel risk score system based on immune subtypes enabled the identification of RS4 tumor that, due to its highly immunosuppressive microenvironment, may benefit from HCC mRNA vaccination.

Identification of FOXP1 as a favorable prognostic biomarker and tumor suppressor in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Forkhead-box protein P1 (FOXP1) has been proposed to have both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive properties, depending on tumor heterogeneity. However, the role of FOXP1 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has not been previously reported. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect FOXP1 expression in ICC and normal liver tissues. The relationship between FOXP1 levels and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with ICC was evaluated. Finally, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to examine the regulatory role of FOXP1 in ICC cells. RESULTS: FOXP1 was significantly downregulated in the ICC compared to their peritumoral tissues (p < 0.01). The positive rates of FOXP1 were significantly lower in patients with poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, invasion into surrounding organs, and advanced stages (p < 0.05). Notably, patients with FOXP1 positivity had better outcomes (overall survival) than those with FOXP1 negativity (p < 0.05), as revealed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Moreover, Cox multivariate analysis showed that negative FOXP1 expression, advanced TNM stages, invasion, and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic risk factors in patients with ICC. Lastly, overexpression of FOXP1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ICC cells and promoted apoptosis, whereas knockdown of FOXP1 had the opposite role. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that FOXP1 may serve as a novel outcome predictor for ICC as well as a tumor suppressor that may contribute to cancer treatment.

A novel nomogram based on preoperative parameters to predict posthepatectomy liver failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Posthepatectomy liver failure is one of the main causes of death in patients after hepatectomy. This study intends to establish a prediction model to predict the risk of posthepatectomy liver failure and provide a scientific basis for further reducing the incidence of posthepatectomy liver failure. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 1,172 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing partial hepatectomy. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and stepwise regression, a prediction model for posthepatectomy liver failure was established based on the independent risk factors for posthepatectomy liver failure and validated by bootstrapping with 100 resamples, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of the prediction model. RESULTS: The incidence rate of posthepatectomy liver failure was 22.7% (266/1172). The results showed that the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes (odds ratio = 1.05, P = .002), alanine transaminase (odds ratio = 1.02, P < .001), albumin rate (odds ratio = 0.92, P < .001), total bilirubin (odds ratio = 1.04, P < .001), prothrombin time (odds ratio = 2.44, P < .001), aspartate aminotransferase-neutrophil ratio (odds ratio = 0.95, P < .001), and liver fibrosis index (odds ratio = 1.35, P < .001) were associated with posthepatectomy liver failure. These 7 independent risk factors for posthepatectomy liver failure were integrated into a nomogram prediction model, the predictive efficiency for posthepatectomy liver failure (area under the curve = 0.818, 95% confidence interval 0.789-0.848) was significantly higher than in other predictive models with a liver fibrosis index (area under the curve = 0.651), indocyanine green R15 (area under the curve = 0.669), albumin-bilirubin score (area under the curve = 0.709), albumin-indocyanine green evaluation score (area under the curve = 0.706), model for end-stage liver disease score (area under the curve = 0.636), and Child‒Pugh (area under the curve = 0.551) (all P < .001). The risk of posthepatectomy liver failure in the high-risk posthepatectomy liver failure group (score ≥152) was higher than that in the posthepatectomy liver failure low-risk group (score <152). CONCLUSION: This study developed and validated a nomogram model to predict the risk of posthepatectomy liver failure before surgery that can effectively predict the risk of posthepatectomy liver failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Fluorescent Laparoscopic Central Hepatectomy for Liver Cancer Using Indocyanine Green Negative Staining.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy is an important treatment method for liver cancer. In the past, the resection boundary was usually determined by intraoperative ultrasound, important vascular structures, and surgeon experience. With the development of anatomical hepatectomy, visual surgery technology has gradually been applied to this type of surgery, particularly indocyanine green (ICG)-guided anatomical hepatectomy. As ICG can be specifically ingested by hepatocytes and used for fluorescence tracing, negative staining techniques have been applied according to different tumor positions. Under ICG fluorescent guidance, the surface boundary and deep resection plane can be more accurately displayed during liver resection. Thus, the tumor-bearing liver segment can be anatomically removed, which helps to avoid damage to important vessels and reduce ischemia or congestion of the remaining liver tissue. Finally, the incidence of postoperative biliary fistula and liver dysfunction is reduced; therefore, a better prognosis is obtained after the resection of liver cancer. Centrally located liver cancer is usually defined as a tumor located at segments 4, 5, or 8 that requires resection of the middle section of the liver. These are among the most difficult hepatectomies to perform because of the large surgical wounds and multiple vessel transections. Based on the specific tumor location, we formulated the required resection ranges by designing personalized fluorescent staining strategies. By completing anatomical resection based on the portal territory, this work aims to achieve the best therapeutic effect.

GPX2 is a potential therapeutic target to induce cell apoptosis in lenvatinib against hepatocellular carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Lenvatinib has recently become available as the first-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its molecular mechanism in HCC remains largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: The current study aims to identify the molecular mechanisms of lenvatinib in HCC. METHODS: Gene expression microarrays, flow cytometry, western blot, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to study the response of HCC cells to lenvatinib. Xenograft tumor of Huh7 cells was also established to detect the effect of lenvatinib in vivo. RESULTS: Herein, we found that lenvatinib could induce apoptosis via increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in HCC cells. Then, microarray analysis and qRT-PCR results confirmed that GPX2 was a vital target for lenvatinib against HCC. Loss and gain function of experiment showed that regulating GPX2 levels markedly affected the lenvatinib-induced ROS levels and apoptosis in HCC cells. In addition, analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas database and the qRT-PCR results in our cohort both showed that GPX2 markedly overexpressed in tumor tissues and correlated with poor overall survival in HCC. Mechanistically, our findings further demonstrated that GPX2 was a downstream gene regulated by ß-catenin, while lenvatinib could prevent nuclear translocation of ß-catenin and further inhibit GPX2 expression in HCC cells. More importantly, the correlation of GPX2 expression with lenvatinib response was further analyzed in 22 HCC patients who received lenvatinib therapy, and the results showed that the objective response rate (ORR) in patients with low GPX2 expression was 44.4% (4/9), while the ORR in patients with high GPX2 levels was only 7.7% (1/13). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that GPX2 plays an important role in lenvatinib-induced HCC cell apoptosis, which might serve as a biomarker for instruction of lenvatinib therapy in HCC patients.

Trends in prevalence and all-cause mortality of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease among adults in the past three decades: Results from the NHANES study.

BACKGROUND: Given the escalating epidemic of obesity and diabetes coupled with redefined diagnostic criteria, it is critical to identify the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). We sought to determine the prevalence and mortality outcomes of MAFLD subtypes based on diagnostic criteria in the USA over the past three decades. METHODS: Eleven cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES; 1988-1994 and 1999-2020) were used, and 72,224 participants were included. MAFLD was defined according to the 2020 International Expert Consensus. Based on diagnostic criteria and risk factors, MAFLD was categorized into seven subtypes: type 1 (obesity subtype), 2 (metabolic unhealthy subtype), 3 (diabetes subtype), 4 (metabolic unhealthy non-diabetes subtype), 5 (obesity and diabetes subtype), 6 (metabolic unhealthy non-obesity subtype), and 7 (mixed subtype). RESULTS: Over the study period, the estimated prevalence of MAFLD increased significantly from 22% in 1988-1994 to 36% in 2017-2020. The prevalence of Type 4 was the highest, followed by that of Type 7, whereas other types were low and almost unchanged over time. Individuals with MAFLD had 19% and 38% increased mortality risks from all causes and cardiovascular disease, respectively. Among them, the metabolically unhealthy participants with normal weight demonstrated a 116% higher risk for all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 2.16, 95% CI: 1.52-3.08] and a 222% higher risk for cardiovascular mortality (HR: 3.22, 95% CI: 1.72-6.04). Interestingly, stratification and interaction analyses demonstrated a significant impact of metabolic parameters on the relationship between MAFLD and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study identified an increase in MAFLD prevalence and a significant association between metabolic derangements in MAFLD and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality.

Identification of a Novel Ferroptosis-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Prognosis and Responsiveness to Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: Ferroptosis has been reported to regulate multiple biological behaviors. However, the prognostic and oncologic values of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) have not been comprehensively elucidated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we aimed to construct FRGs-associated signature for stratification of the prognosis of HCC patients. Methods: A list of FRGs was generated from FerrDb. Public databases were used to extract expression matrices and clinical information. TCGA cohort was randomly divided into a training set and a validation set. Prognostic signature for Overall Survival (OS) was established in training set and validated in internal cohorts (TCGA validation set and entire set) and external cohort (ICGC cohort). Additionally, the role of signature in HCC was well investigated by analysis of mutations, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), analysis of immune infiltrates, and analysis of response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment. The oncogenic effects of ZFP69B on HCC were also investigated in vitro. Results: We identified 12 FRGs-based signature for OS with LASSO regression. Patients were partitioned into different risk groups based on the signature. Overall, patients in different groups had different prognosis. The signature independently predicted OS in multivariate Cox regression analyses. Anti-tumor immune cells including activated CD8 T cells, cytolytic activity, and Th1 cells were negatively correlated with risk score in both TCGC and ICGC cohorts. Furthermore, low-risk patients responded better to ICB than high-risk patients. In addition, knockdown of ZFP69B reduced proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted erastin-induced ferroptosis of HCC cells. Conclusion: We developed a prognostic signature based on FRGs to predict OS of HCC patients. And the signature may facilitate clinicians in identifying those who are likely to benefit from ICIs. The results also indicated that ZFP69B might regulate the process of ferroptosis and could be used as a novel potential target for HCC.

Identification of LSM Family Members as Novel Unfavorable Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Smith-like (LSM) family members play critical roles in multiple oncologic processes in several types of malignancies. The study on LSM family members of HCC might provide new insights into the tumorigenesis and therapeutic strategies of HCC. Methods: The clinical significance and oncologic biological functions of LSM family members were assessed through multiple bioinformatics methods and in vitro studies. The potential correlation between LSM family members and tumor immunity was also investigated using single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and the ESTIMATE algorithm. Results: LSM family member overexpression in HCC was significantly correlated with poor clinical outcomes such as higher TNM stage, advanced histologic grade, and worse prognosis. A risk score system based on LSM5, LSM10, LSM12, and LSM14B showed a reliable predictive ability for OS of HCC patients. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that LSM family members overexpressed were all involved in cell cycle related biological processes. Besides, LSM12, LSM14A, and LSM14B were found to be significantly associated with PI3K-Akt-mTOR and T cell receptor signaling pathways. Tumors with LSM12, LSM14A, and LSM14B overexpression exhibited lower infiltration of activated CD8+ T cells with declined cytolytic activity and immune score, but increased infiltration of Th2 cells and Th2/Th1. LSM12, LSM14A, and LSM14B overexpression is also associated with higher tumor-related immune checkpoints (e.g., PD-L1, B7-H3, and PVR) expression and increased therapeutic insensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Moreover, the knockdown of LSM12, LSM14A, and LSM14B significantly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. Conclusion: This study systematically investigated the expression pattern and biological values of LSM family members in HCC and identified LSM family members as novel therapeutic targets in HCC.

CircLIFR suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by sponging miR-624-5p and inactivating the GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Circular RNAs have been reported to play essential roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. However, the biological processes and mechanisms involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Initial RNA-sequencing data and qRT-PCR results in our cohort showed that hsa_circ_0072309 (also called circLIFR) was markedly downregulated in HCC tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that higher levels of circLIFR in HCC patients correlated with favorable overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that circLIFR inhibited the proliferation and invasion abilities of HCC cells. We therefore conducted related experiments to explore the mechanism of circLIFR in HCC. Fluorescence in situ hybridization results revealed that circLIFR was mainly located in the cytoplasm, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays indicated that circLIFR was significantly enriched by Ago2 protein. These results suggested that circLIFR may function as a sponge of miRNAs to regulate HCC progression. We further conducted bioinformatics prediction as well as dual-luciferase reporter assays, and the results of which showed that circLIFR could sponge miR-624-5p to stabilize glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK-3ß) expression. Loss and gain of function experiments demonstrated that regulation of the expression of miR-624-5p or GSK-3ß markedly affected HCC progression induced by circLIFR. Importantly, we also proved that circLIFR could facilitate the degradation of ß-catenin and prevent its translocation to the nucleus in HCC cells. Overall, our study demonstrated that circLIFR acts as a tumor suppressor in HCC by regulating miR-624-5p and inactivating the GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

High Expression of Long Non-Coding RNA TMCO1-AS1 is Associated With Poor Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The molecular pathways along with the clinical significance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain uncertain. Our study sought to identify and characterize lncRNAs associated with HCC. Methods: LncRNA TMCO1-AS1 was identified by differential expression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and univariate analysis using RNA sequencing and clinical information of HCC from the public database. Then clinical correlations and survival analysis were conducted to further appraise the prognostic significance of lncRNA TMCO1-AS1 in HCC. Hepatoma and adjoining normal tissues from 66 patients who received surgical operation at our center were used to verify the results of the bioinformatics analysis. A survival prognostic model was established combining TMCO1-AS1 expression and other clinical characteristics. Results: Bioinformatics analysis showed the aberrant high expression of TMCO1-AS1 in HCC tissue. TMCO1-AS1 expression was positively correlated with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, vascular invasion, tumor stage, as well as tumor differentiation. Moreover, survival analysis found a significant inverse association between the expression of TMCO1-AS1 and the survival of patients with HCC. Cox analysis indicated that TMCO1-AS1 was an independent factor for HCC prognosis. Analysis of the HCC tissues from patients at our center provided results similar to those of the bioinformatics analysis. Risk models for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) incorporating TMCO1-AS1 exhibited better sensitivity and specificity than using clinical characteristics alone. Conclusion: High TMCO1-AS1 expression is significantly correlated with the unfavorable poor prognosis of HCC, indicating its potential of being a novel prognostic marker for HCC.

SLC39A1 Overexpression is Associated with Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Promotes Its Malignant Progression.

BACKGROUND: Solute carrier family 39 member 1 (SLC39A1) has been identified as a zinc ion transport protein that possesses oncogenic properties in various types of cancers. However, its potential function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the expression profile and potential mechanisms of SLC39A1 in HCC. METHODS: SLC39A1 expression was analyzed using multiple databases. The clinical significance and associated biological pathways of SLC39A1 were investigated using bioinformatics analysis. Potential correlations between SLC39A1 expression and tumor immunity in HCC were also evaluated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Sixty paired HCC samples were used to verify the expression pattern of SLC39A1. In vitro studies were performed to investigate the oncogenic effects of SLC39A1 in HCC. Western blot analysis was conducted to further investigate the possible involved signaling pathways. RESULTS: The overexpression of SLC39A1 in HCC was determined by bioinformatics analysis and was confirmed in tissues from our center. SLC39A1 overexpression was also significantly correlated with worse prognosis, advanced TNM stage, and histological grade. GSEA analysis demonstrated that SLC39A1 overexpression was involved in various tumor-related pathways, such as the cell cycle and Wnt signaling pathway. SLC39A1 knockdown repressed the proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities of HCC cells. Furthermore, SLC39A1 knockdown decreased the expression of the tumor progression-related proteins (eg, cyclin D1 and MMP2) and Wnt signaling pathway-related proteins (eg, Wnt3A and ß-catenin). In addition, SLC39A1 overexpression may be associated with impaired tumor immunity in HCC, as evidenced by the increased infiltration of Th2 cells and reduced infiltration of cytotoxic cells. CONCLUSION: These findings preliminarily suggested the crucial effect of SLC39A1 overexpression on HCC tumor progression and immunosuppression, suggesting its potential as a novel prognostic and therapeutic target in HCC.

Chinese expert recommendations on management of hepatocellular carcinoma during COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide multicenter survey.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the work status of clinicians in China and their management strategy alteration for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A nationwide online questionnaire survey was conducted in 42 class-A tertiary hospitals across China. Experienced clinicians of HCC-related specialties responded with their work status and management suggestions for HCC patients during the pandemic. RESULTS: 716 doctors responded effectively with a response rate of 60.1%, and 664 were included in the final analysis. Overall, 51.4% (341/664) of clinicians reported more than a 60% reduction of the regular workload and surgeons declared the highest proportion of workload reduction. 92.5% (614/664) of the respondents have been using online medical consultation to substitute for the "face-to-face" visits. Adaptive adjustment for the treatment strategy for HCC was made, including the recommendations of noninvasive and minimally invasive treatments such as transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for early and intermediate stage. Targeted therapy has been the mainstay for advanced stage and also as a bridge therapy for resectable HCC. DISCUSSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, online medical consultation is recommended to avoid social contact. Targeted therapy as a bridge therapy is recommended for resectable HCC considering the possibility of delayed surgery.

Association of Cholecystectomy With Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis Among Adults in the USA: A Population-Based Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Background and Aims: Cholecystectomy is the "gold standard" for treating diseases of the gallbladder. In addition, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, are major causes of morbidity and mortality across the world. However, the association between cholecystectomy and these diseases is still unclear. We assessed the association among US adults and examined the possible risk factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 2017 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a population-based nationally representative sample of US. Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis were defined by median stiffness, which was assessed by transient elastography. Furthermore, patients who had undergone cholecystectomy were identified based on the questionnaire. In addition, Propensity Score Matching (PSM, 1:1) was performed based on gender, age, body mass index (BMI) and diabetes. Results: Of the 4,497 included participants, cholecystectomy was associated with 60.0% higher risk of liver fibrosis (OR:1.600;95% CI:1.278-2.002), and 73.3% higher risk of liver cirrhosis (OR:1.733, 95% CI:1.076-2.792). After PSM based on age, gender, BMI group and history of diabetes, cholecystectomy was associated with 139.3% higher risk of liver fibrosis (OR: 2.393;95% CI: 1.738-3.297), and 228.7% higher risk of liver cirrhosis (OR: 3.287, 95% CI: 1.496-7.218). Conclusions: The present study showed that cholecystectomy is positively associated with liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in US adults. The discovery of these risk factors therefore provides new insights on the prevention of NAFLD, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis.

miR-126-3p contributes to sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma via downregulating SPRED1.

BACKGROUND: Sorafenib can prolong the survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, drug resistance remains the main obstacle to improving its efficiency. This study aimed to explore the likely molecular mechanism of sorafenib resistance. METHODS: Differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) related to sorafenib response were analyzed with the Limma package in R software. The expression levels of miR-126-3p and sprouty-related EVH1 domain-containing protein 1 (SPRED1) in HCC cells were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell viability and proliferation were detected with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU proliferation, and clone formation assays. Transwell assays were performed to measure cell migration and invasion. TargetScan, MicroRNA Target Prediction Database (miRDB), and StarBase v2.0 were used to predict the targets of miR-126-3p. SPRED1 was confirmed as a target gene of miR-126-3p by dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blotting. Finally, the in vivo anti-tumor effect of LV-miR-126-3p inhibitor combined with sorafenib was evaluated via subcutaneous tumor models. RESULTS: HCC cells with high expression of miR-126-3p exhibited increased resistance to sorafenib. The results of bioinformatics analysis and the dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-126-3p directly targeted SPRED1. The sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib was markedly enhanced by SPRED1 upregulation. Gain- and loss-of function experiments verified that miR-126-3p induced sorafenib resistance in HCC through downregulating SPRED1. Furthermore, the inhibition of miR-126-3p markedly increased the effectiveness of sorafenib against HCC in vivo. Mechanistically, our results suggested that miR-126-3p promoted sorafenib resistance via targeting SPRED1 and activating the ERK signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that regulating the miR-126-3p/SPRED1 axis might be a promising strategy for enhancing the antitumor effect of sorafenib in the treatment of HCC.