4-(5-benzo(1-3)dioxol-5-yl-4-pyridin-2-yl-1h-imidazol-2-yl)benzamide and Liver-Neoplasms

Oncolytic reovirus, which is a non-enveloped virus possessing a 10-segmented double-stranded RNA genome, has been anticipated as a novel class of antitumor agent. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered to be a target suitable for reovirus-mediated virotherapy. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC. TGF-β-signaling inhibitors have proceeded to clinical trials as potential antitumor agents for HCC. On the other hand, TGF-β is involved in induction of expression of cathepsins B and L, which are important for reovirus infection. It remains to be examined whether TGF-β signaling inhibitors affect reovirus-mediated lysis of HCC cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of TGF-β-signaling inhibitors on tumor cell lysis efficiency of reovirus in human HCC cells.. Reovirus was added to four types of human HCC cell lines pretreated with one of three TGF-β type I receptor inhibitors: SB431542, A-83-01, or galunisertib (LY2157299). Cell viability, virus genome copy numbers, and virus protein expression were evaluated following reovirus infection.. SB431542 significantly inhibited reovirus-mediated killing of human HCC cell lines, while A-83-01 and galunisertib did not inhibit.. These data indicate that SB431542 inhibited reovirus-mediated lysis of human HCC cells in a TGF-β signaling-independent manner.

Topics: Benzamides; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Survival; Dioxoles; Epoxy Compounds; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Orthoreovirus, Mammalian; Pyrazoles; Quinolines; RNA, Double-Stranded; Signal Transduction; Transforming Growth Factor beta1; Tyrosine

Platelets in the primary tumor microenvironment play crucial roles in the regulation of tumor progression, but the mechanisms underlying are poorly understood. Here, we report that platelet releasates exerted a proliferative effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells both in vitro and in vivo. This effect depended on a reduction of KLF6 expression in HCC cells. After incubation with either platelets or platelet granule contents, SMMC.7721 and HepG2 cells exhibited significant increases in proliferation and decreases in apoptosis. However, no effect was observed when incubating cancer cells with resuspended activated platelet pellet which exhausted of releasates. Platelet releasates also increased the population of HCC cells in the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle and reduced the cell population in the G0/G1 phase. Moreover, knocking down KLF6 expression significantly diminished the platelet-mediated enhancement of HCC growth. In addition, blocking TGF-β signaling with the TGF-β receptor inhibitor SB431542 counteracted the effect of platelets on KLF6 expression and proliferation of HCC cells. Based on these findings, we conclude that platelet releasates, especially TGF-β, promote the proliferation of SMMC.7721 and HepG2 cells by decreasing expression of KLF6. This discovery identifies a potential new therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Benzamides; Blood Platelets; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Cycle; Cell Proliferation; Dioxoles; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Gene Knockdown Techniques; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Kruppel-Like Factor 6; Liver Neoplasms; Mice; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Accumulating evidences have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) could be recruited to the tumor microenvironment. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC) were attractive vehicles for delivering therapeutic agents against cancer. Nevertheless, the safety of UCMSC in the treatment of tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was still undetermined.. In this study, an in vitro co-culture system was established to evaluate the effect of UCMSC on the cell growth, cancer stem cell (CSC) characteristics, drug resistance, metastasis of 3D-cultured HCC cells, and the underlying mechanism was also investigated.. It was found that after co-cultured with UCMSC, the metastatic ability of 3D-cultured HCC cells was significantly enhanced as indicated by up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, and migration ability. However, cell growth, drug resistance and CSC-related gene expression of HCC cells were not affected by UCMSC. Moreover, EMT was reversed, MMP-2 expression was down-regulated, and migration ability of HCC cell was significantly inhibited when TGF-β receptor inhibitor SB431542 was added into the co-culture system.. Therefore, these data indicated that UCMSC could significantly enhance the tumor cell metastasis, which was due to the EMT of HCC cells induced by TGF-β.

Topics: Benzamides; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Cell Line, Tumor; Cells, Cultured; Cisplatin; Coculture Techniques; Dioxoles; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Matrix Metalloproteinases; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Neoplasm Metastasis; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Tumor Microenvironment

Immunosuppressed individuals undergoing organ transplantation are at increased risk of recurrences of initial cancers, although how immunosuppressive therapy increases early cancer metastasis remains unclear.. The metastatic fate of luciferase-expressing rat metastatic colon cancer cells (luc-RCN-H4) injected intravenously into the liver of syngeneic and allogeneic rats was examined in the presence of the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA) by in vivo luminescent technique. With respect to potential tumor-progressing factors, contribution of chemokine receptors and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 to early metastasis was evaluated using their specific signaling inhibitors.. F344 rats injected in the liver with luc-RCN-H4 cells did not always exhibit the formation of tumors and showed a dormant state as long as 60 days after inoculation without CsA. However, CsA released early luc-RCN-H4 cells from dormancy within 2 weeks at nearly 100% in liver and preferentially promoted metastasis to the lymph nodes (approximately 40%). A similar dissemination occurred even in minor histocompatibility complex-disparate hosts. As a tumor-progressing factor, RCN-H4 cells aberrantly expressed chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CCR7. The chemokine receptor (CXC) R4-specific antagonist AMD3100 decreased early metastasis of luc-RCN-H4 cells in rats with ischemic liver conditions (P<0.05), but CsA treatment did not enhance early adhesion. Use of CsA was able to facilitate TGF-beta1 expression and the subsequent TGF-beta-mediated random migration was blocked by the use of the specific signaling inhibitor SB431542 in vitro.. Whereas the chemokine receptor expression by cancer cells is implicated with early organotropic dissemination even under CsA-mediated immune suppression, rather, CsA enhances the late-phase progression after tumor adhesion through TGF-beta1 expression.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Benzamides; Blotting, Western; Cell Adhesion; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Colonic Neoplasms; Cyclosporine; Dioxoles; Disease Progression; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Killer Cells, Natural; Liver Neoplasms; Luminescence; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Neoplasm Metastasis; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Receptors, Chemokine; Reperfusion Injury; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Transforming Growth Factor beta1