Project description:Ral (Ras like) leads an important proto-oncogenic signaling pathway down-stream of Ras. In this work, RalA was found to be significantly overactivated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and tissues as compared to non-malignant samples. Other elements of RalA pathway such as RalBP1 and RalGDS were also expressed at higher levels in malignant samples. Inhibition of RalA by gene-specific silencing caused a robust decrease in the viability and invasiveness of HCC cells. Additionally, the use of geranyl-geranyl transferase inhibitor (GGTI, an inhibitor of Ral activation) and Aurora kinase inhibitor II resulted in a significant decrease in the proliferation of HCC cells. Furthermore, RalA activation was found to be at a higher level of activation in HCC stem cells that express CD133. Transgenic mouse model for HCC (FXR-Knockout) also revealed an elevated level of RalA-GTP in the liver tumors as compared to background animals. Finally, subcutaneous mouse model for HCC confirmed effectiveness of inhibition of aurora kinase/RalA pathway in reducing the tumorigenesis of HCC cells in vivo. In conclusion, RalA overactivation is an important determinant of malignant phenotype in differentiated and stem cells of HCC and can be considered as a target for therapeutic intervention.
Project description:The Notch signaling pathway is a very conserved system that controls embryonic cell fate decisions and the maintenance of adult stem cells through cell to cell communication. Accumulating evidence support the relevance of Notch signaling in different human diseases and it is one of the most commonly activated signaling pathways in cancer. This review focuses mainly on the role of Notch3 signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma and its potential therapeutic applications against this malignancy. In this regard, the crosstalk between Notch and p53 may play an important role.
Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS: Expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in metastatic foci of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. We identified metastasis-related miRNAs in recurrent cases after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Methods: We performed a comprehensive analysis of primary HCC (T), noncancerous liver (N), and resected recurrent (metastatic) HCC (M) using microarray analyses to identify metastasis-related miRNAs in in three patients with post-transplant recurrence. The RNA samples from three cases that underwent resection of recurrences after LDLT were made available for miRNA microarray analysis. The three cases included a 57-year-old man (case 1) with peritoneal recurrence and infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV), and a 48-year-old woman (case 2) and a 51-year-old man (case 3) with lung recurrences and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Microarray analysis was performed for each RNA sample from the (T), (N) in the explanted liver, and (M). A sample containing equal amounts of RNAs from histologically normal livers of three living donors (NL: normal liver) was analyzed as a control. The RNA samples from three cases that underwent resection of recurrences after living donor liver transplantation were made available for microRNA microarray analysis. Microarray analysis was performed for each RNA sample from the primary HCC (T), noncancerous liver (N) in the explanted liver, and resected recurrent metastatic HCC (M). A sample containing equal amounts of RNAs from histologically normal livers of three living donors (NL: normal liver) was analyzed as a control.
Project description:Chitosan nanoparticles are well-known delivery systems widely used as polymeric carriers in the field of nanomedicine. Chitosan is a carbohydrate of natural origin: it is a biodegradable, biocompatible, mucoadhesive, polycationic polymer and it is endowed with penetration enhancer properties. Furthermore, it can be easily derivatized. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a remarkable health problem because current therapies, that include surgery, liver transplantation, trans-arterial embolization, chemoembolization and chemotherapy, present significant limitations due to the high risk of recurrence, to a lack of drug selectivity and to other serious side effects. Therefore, there is the need for new therapeutic strategies and for improving the liver-targeting to HCC. Nanomedicine consists in the use of nanoscale carriers as delivery systems to target and deliver drugs and/or diagnostic agents to specific organs or tissues. Chitosan and its derivatives can be successfully used in the preparation of nanoparticles that, for their peculiar surface-properties, can specifically interact with liver tumor, by passive and active targeting. This review concerns the use of chitosan nanoparticles for the therapy and theranostics of HCC and liver-targeting.
Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS: Expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in metastatic foci of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. We identified metastasis-related miRNAs in recurrent cases after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Methods: We performed a comprehensive analysis of primary HCC (T), noncancerous liver (N), and resected recurrent (metastatic) HCC (M) using microarray analyses to identify metastasis-related miRNAs in in three patients with post-transplant recurrence. The RNA samples from three cases that underwent resection of recurrences after LDLT were made available for miRNA microarray analysis. The three cases included a 57-year-old man (case 1) with peritoneal recurrence and infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV), and a 48-year-old woman (case 2) and a 51-year-old man (case 3) with lung recurrences and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Microarray analysis was performed for each RNA sample from the (T), (N) in the explanted liver, and (M). A sample containing equal amounts of RNAs from histologically normal livers of three living donors (NL: normal liver) was analyzed as a control.
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises from hepatocytes and accounts for 90% of primary liver cancer. According to Global Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence (GLOBOCAN) 2020, globally HCC is the sixth most common cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Reasons for HCC prognosis remaining dismal are that HCC is asymptomatic in its early stages, leading to late diagnosis, and it is markedly resistant to conventional chemo- and radiotherapy. Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice in early stages, while surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for advanced HCC. Additional first line therapy for advanced HCC includes broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as sorafenib and lenvatinib, as well as a combination of immunotherapy and anti-angiogenesis therapy, namely atezolizumab and bevacizumab. However, these strategies provide nominal extension in the survival curve, cause broad spectrum toxic side effects, and patients eventually develop therapy resistance. Some common mutations in HCC, such as in telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1) and tumor protein p53 (TP53) genes, are still considered to be undruggable. In this context, identification of appropriate gene targets and specific gene delivery approaches create the potential of gene- and immune-based therapies for the safe and effective treatment of HCC. This review elaborates on the current status of HCC treatment by focusing on potential gene targets and advanced techniques, such as oncolytic viral vectors, nanoparticles, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, immunotherapy, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9), and describes future prospects in HCC treatment.
Project description:Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a developmentally-regulated oncofetal protein that has been established as a clinically-relevant biomarker for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is one of the first transcripts to appear during malignant hepatocyte transformation, and is expressed at the protein level in approximately half of high-grade dysplastic macronodules in cirrhotic liver. Several studies show it is expressed in most (75 to 100%) of HCCs confirmed by histopathology. The protein is anchored to the hepatocyte membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor and shows consistent membrane immunostaining pattern, making it a viable target for immunotherapeutic approaches. Targeting GPC3 for therapeutic intervention is a promising approach for the clinical management of HCC and selected other tumors that express the marker.
Project description:Background:
There are about 100 trillion microbial cells in a person s gut. This is called the human gut microbiota. When this is disrupted, it can lead to many diseases. Studies show that the gut microbiota in people with cancer is different than that found in healthy people. Researchers want to study links between the gut microbiota and the immune system in people with a liver disease called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Objective:
To study links between gut microbiota and the immune system in people with HCC.
Eligibility:
People at least 18 years old with HCC. They must be scheduled to have tumors removed by surgery.
Design:
* People having surgery for primary liver tumors at the Mount Sinai Medical Center will be screened for this study.
* At the initial visit, blood, rectal swabs, urine, and stool will be collected. Participants will answer questions about their medical condition.
* Before surgery, blood, rectal swabs, urine, and stool will be collected. This will be done at a routine visit.
* When they have surgery, a piece of liver tissue with the tumor will be collected. This will be sent to the National Cancer Institute for tests.
* After surgery, blood, rectal swabs, urine, and stool will be collected 3 times. This will be done at routine visits.