Hepatic Cell News Volume 2.23 | Jun 22 2018

TOP STORY

Circulating Tumor Cells Undergoing EMT Provide a Metric for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma with high circulating tumor cells (CTC) count and high mesenchymal-CTC percentage identified 67 differentially expressed cancer-related genes involved in cancer-related biological pathways. One of the identified genes, BCAT1, was significantly upregulated, and knockdown in Hepg2, Hep3B, and Huh7 cells reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting apoptosis. [Cancer Res] Abstract | Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

O-GlcNAcylation Mediates Metastasis of Cholangiocarcinoma through FOXO3 and MAN1A1

Using an HPLC-Chip/Time-of-Flight MS system, the N-glycans associated with O-GlcNAcylation were identified by comparing the membranous N-glycans of siOGT-treated cells with those of scramble siRNA-treated cells. In parallel, the membranous N-glycans of the parental cells were compared with those of the highly metastatic cells. [Oncogene] Full Article

N-Acetylaminogalactosyl-Decorated Biodegradable PLGA-TPGS Copolymer Nanoparticles Containing Emodin for the Active Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer

Emodin (EMO)-loaded N-acetylaminogalactosyl-poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-succinyl-D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (GalNAc-PLGA-sTPGS) nanoparticles were prepared with EMO which was selected for its potential antitumor efficacy. Cytotoxity and apoptosis studies indicated that EMO-loaded GalNAc-PLGA-sTPGS nanoparticles achieved the highest levels of cytotoxicity and cell apoptotic rate among the nanoparticles examined. [Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

MicroRNA-378 Is Involved in Hedgehog-Driven Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocytes of Regenerating Liver

Compared to cells with or without scramble miRNA, primary hepatocytes transfected with miR-378 inhibitor contained higher levels of Gli-Krüppel family member 3 with increased expression of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-promoting genes, Tgfb, Snail, Col1a1, and Vimentin. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

MicroRNA-214 Promotes Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Liver Fibrosis by Suppressing Sufu Expression

Researchers injected antagomiR-214 oligos into mice to induce hepatic fibrosis. The knockdown of miR-214 in vivo enhanced suppressor-of-fused homolog (Sufu) expression and reduced fibrosis marker expression, which ameliorated liver fibrosis in mice. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

HMGB1-Induced Autophagy Facilitates Hepatic Stellate Cells Activation: A New Pathway in Liver Fibrosis

Researchers demonstrated the autophagy-inducing effects by serum-sourced high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) in both primary murine hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and human HSCs cell line, reflected by increased number of autophagic vacuoles under the transmission electron microscope and up-regulated protein expression of lipidated microtubule-associated light chain 3 in western blot analysis. [Clin Sci (Lond)] Abstract

In Vitro Inhibition of Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation by the Autophagy-Related Lipid Droplet Protein ATG2A

This study compared the dynamics of lipid droplet-associated protein expression between activated and reverted stellate cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article

18β-Glycyrrhetinic-Acid-Mediated Unfolded Protein Response Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is the active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine, Glycyrrhrzae Radix et Rhizoma. Investigators explored the effects of GA on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo and the underlying molecular mechanisms. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0016788 Regulates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumorigenesis through miR-486/CDK4 Pathway

Scientists screened the circular RNA expression profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and investigated the molecular roles on HCC tumorigenesis. Loss-of-functional experiments in vivo and vitro revealed that hsa_circ_0016788 silencing inhibited the proliferation, invasion and promoted the apoptosis in vitro, and inhibited the tumor growth in vivo. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

Golgi Phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Activating mTOR Signaling Pathway

Knockdown GOLPH3 expression inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. The phosphorylated mTOR, AKT and S6 K1 were much lower when GOLPH3 expression was diminished in HCC cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. [BMC Cancer] Full Article

Quercetin Attenuates Toosendanin-Induced Hepatotoxicity through Inducing the Nrf2/GCL/GSH Antioxidant Signaling Pathway

Pre-administration of quercetin effectively inhibited toosendanin-induced liver oxidative injury and reversed the decreased expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the catalytic/modify subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL) in vivo and in vitro. [Acta Pharmacol Sin] Abstract

Microphysiological Systems Meet hiPSC Technology – New Tools for Disease Modeling of Liver Infections in Basic Research and Drug Development

This review summarizes current protocols of hepatocyte-like cell generation and highlights recently established microphysiological models (MPS) suitable to resemble physiological hepatocyte function in vitro. Authors discuss potential applications of liver MPS for disease modeling related to systemic or direct liver infections and the use of MPS in testing of new drug candidates. [Adv Drug Deliv Rev] Full Article

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the hepatic cell research field.

Taiho Oncology Presents Data on Key Investigational Compound TAS-120

Taiho Oncology, Inc. announced a Phase I study to examine the efficacy of TAS-120, an investigational irreversible pan-fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor as a potential treatment for patients with advanced solid tumors, including cholangiocarcinoma, who were previously treated with chemotherapy or other therapies including other FGFR inhibitors. [Press release from Taiho Oncology, Inc. discussing research presented at the ESMO 20^th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer 2018 (ESMO-GI), Barcelona] Press Release

Prometic Presents New Data on NASH Drug Candidate PBI-4547

Prometic Life Sciences Inc. announced the presentation of four posters. The posters and data suggest that PBI-4547 offers the potential to successfully address significant unmet medical needs in liver fibrosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity and diabetes. [Press release from Prometic Life Sciences Inc. discussing research to be presented at the 2018 American Diabetes Association Conference, Orlando] Press Release

Can-Fite Updates on Status of Phase II Advanced Liver Cancer Trial

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. provided an update on its Phase II clinical trial with drug candidate Namodenoson in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in patients whose disease has progressed on sorafenib therapy. [Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd.] Press Release

FDA Approval of an Investigator Initiated IND Application to Conduct Phase II Study of Lanifibranor in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Inventiva S.A. announced that the FDA has accepted the investigator initiated Investigational New Drug (IND) application providing clearance to proceed with the Phase II study of lanifibranor in type 2 diabetic patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. [Inventiva Pharma] Press Release

Arrowhead Completes Enrollment in Phase I Study of ARO-AAT for Treatment of Alpha-1 Liver Disease

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has completed enrollment of a Phase I clinical study of ARO-AAT, the company’s second generation subcutaneously administered RNA interference therapeutic being developed as a treatment for a rare genetic liver disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. [Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc.] Press Release

Trump’s Plan to Reshuffle Government Strikes Familiar Notes

President Donald Trump proposed reorganizing parts of the federal government in ways that should sound very familiar to those who follow U.S. science policy. The plan, labeled “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21^st Century,” would affect federal research agencies in ways great and small. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Two University of Rochester Professors Resign in Protest

Celeste Kidd, an associate professor in the University of Rochester’s brain and cognitive sciences department, announced her move to the University of California, Berkeley, earlier this month. Kidd and her husband, Steven Piantadosi—another professor at the university—are leaving in response to the university’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations against brain sciences professor Florian Jaeger. [The Scientist] Editorial

NEW 2018 Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM2018)
November 12-14, 2018
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Postdoctoral Fellows – Translational Oncology (Baylor College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Liver Cancer (Loyola University Chicago)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Gene Regulatory Mechanisms (University of California, Berkeley)

Group Leader – Systems Biology (Center for Systems Biology Dresden)

Postdoctoral/Project Leader – Hepatitis B and D Virus Research (University of Strasbourg)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Cancer Biology (Penn State College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Liver Injury, Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Metabolic Liver Diseases (University of Rhode Island)

Postdoctoral Position – Necroptosis in Liver Diseases (Inserm)

EBPOD Fellowship – NAFLD/NASH (European Molecular Biology Laboratory)

Academic Position – Cancer Research (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Liver Disease and Injury (University of Pittsburgh)

Postdoctoral Position – Inflammation and Metabolism (Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute)

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