Hexokinase-II Inhibition Synergistically Augments the Anti-tumor Efficacy of Sorafenib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to examine whether inhibition of hexokinase (HK)-II activity enhances the efficacy of sorafenib in in-vivo models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to evaluate the prognostic implication of HK-II expression in patients with HCC. We used 3-bromopyruvate (3-BP), a HK-II inhibitor to target HK-II. The human HCC cell line was tested as both subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor xenograft models in BALB/c nu/nu mice. The prognostic role of HK-II was evaluated in data from HCC patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and validated in patients treated with sorafenib. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemical staining revealed that HK-II expression is upregulated in the presence of sorafenib. Further analysis of the endoplasmic reticulu

SUBMITTER: Yoo JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6471302 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature