Article
Immunology
Qianwei Jiang, Jing Kuai, Zhongyi Jiang, Weitao Que, Pusen Wang, Wenxin Huang, Wei Ding, Lin Zhong
Summary: CD93 expression is significantly increased in LIHC and is closely related to patient prognosis. It affects LIHC prognosis partially through immune infiltration.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Weikang Xu, Xinyu Lu, Jing Liu, Qianhui Chen, Xuan Huang, Kuiyuan Huang, Hongyan Liu, Wei Zhu, Xiaoyong Zhang
Summary: PAFAH1B3 expression is significantly increased in HCC patients, and high expression is associated with poorer overall survival and disease-free survival. PAFAH1B3 may be involved in HCC through cell cycle, cell metabolism, spliceosome, and RNA transport. Inhibiting PAFAH1B3 impairs HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, while downregulating glycolysis and lipid synthesis pathways.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Monika Lewinska, Alvaro Santos-Laso, Enara Arretxe, Cristina Alonso, Ekaterina Zhuravleva, Raul Jimenez-Aguero, Emma Eizaguirre, Maria Jesus Pareja, Manuel Romero-Gomez, Marco Arrese, Malte P. Suppli, Filip K. Knop, Stine Karlsen Oversoe, Gerda Elisabeth Villadsen, Thomas Decaens, Flair Jose Carrilho, Claudia P. M. S. de Oliveira, Bruno Sangro, Rocio I. R. Macias, Jesus M. Banales, Jesper B. Andersen
Summary: The study revealed a complete rearrangement of the serum lipidome in NAFLD-HCC patients, allowing for efficient differentiation from healthy individuals and other HCC patients. A diagnostic model for NAFLD-HCC was developed with superior diagnostic potential compared to traditional AFP. These findings contribute to early detection of NAFLD-HCC.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yongyu Yang, Lei Gao, Junzhang Chen, Wang Xiao, Ruoqi Liu, Heping Kan
Summary: LMNB1 is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is associated with poor prognosis. It promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in HCC through the regulation of the PI3K and MAPK pathways. Incorporating LMNB1 into a predictive nomogram improves accuracy, suggesting that it might serve as a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for HCC.
Article
Oncology
Zhenjie Yang, Shanshan Gao, Chi Chun Wong, Weixin Liu, Huarong Chen, Haiyun Shang, Zoe Yuet Wu, Lixia Xu, Xiang Zhang, Nathalie Wong, Ming Kuang, Jun Yu
Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (NAFLD-HCC) is a growing malignancy with no available targeted therapy. This study identified TUBB4B as an essential gene for NAFLD-HCC cell growth and demonstrated that its inhibition with mebendazole (MBZ) in combination with navitoclax synergistically inhibited NAFLD-HCC growth by inducing apoptosis and cellular senescence. These findings suggest TUBB4B as a novel therapeutic target for NAFLD-HCC.
JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Subhashini Brahadeeswaran, Tiasha Dasgupta, Venkatraman Manickam, Viswanathan Saraswathi, Ramasamy Tamizhselvi
Summary: The liver is responsible for important physiological processes and its role in activating the innate immune system and causing inflammation is crucial. Chronic ethanol exposure disrupts the liver's inflammatory mechanism and releases proinflammatory mediators. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in liver fibrosis/cirrhosis, leading to hepatocyte destruction and metabolic dysregulation. Alcohol intake also affects liver epigenetics, promoting the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Understanding the role of NLRP3 inflammasome and epigenetic modifications could lead to potential therapeutic targets for ALD.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Shanshan Lu, Shenglan Cai, Xiaozhen Peng, Ruochan Cheng, Yiya Zhang
Summary: This study revealed that the upregulation of ATP1B3 in HCC is associated with tumorigenesis and overall survival, as well as immune cell infiltration and immune-related cytokine expression. Additionally, silencing ATP1B3 was shown to inhibit HCC cell proliferation and migration, while promoting apoptosis.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Feng Gao, Hui Zhou, Xiaosong Huang, Haiyang Xie, Lin Zhou, Junru Chen, Shusen Zheng
Summary: The study found that WDR74 is significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and its overexpression is associated with poor prognosis. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that WDR74 is potentially involved in multiple pathways, such as MYC targets, ribosome, translation, and cell cycle. Inhibiting WDR74 reduces HCC cell proliferation, inhibits G1/S cell cycle transition, and induces apoptosis.
PATHOLOGY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chunxiao Liu, Zhengyu Zha, Chenhao Zhou, Yeh Chen, Weiya Xia, Ying-Nai Wang, Heng-Huan Lee, Yirui Yin, Meisi Yan, Chiung-Wen Chang, Li-Chuan Chan, Yufan Qiu, Hui Li, Chia-Wei Li, Jung-Mao Hsu, Jennifer L. Hsu, Shao-Chun Wang, Ning Ren, Mien-Chie Hung
Summary: This study demonstrates that RNase7 acts as a high-affinity ligand for ROS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma, with important pathological and therapeutic implications. High levels of ROS1 and RNase7 expression are strongly associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients, suggesting potential benefits of anti-ROS1 treatment for these individuals.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Yinshuang Chen, Weipeng Wang, Maria P. Morgan, Tracy Robson, Stephanie Annett
Summary: Obesity is a global epidemic and is strongly associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The development of obesity-associated HCC starts from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and eventually to HCC. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms and cellular signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated HCC, as well as the available experimental models and diagnostic methods. The discussion also includes novel therapeutic targets and ongoing clinical trials for obesity-associated HCC.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yue Wang, Tao Shi, Xuan Wang, Jinwei Hu, Lixia Yu, Qin Liu, Nandie Wu, Baorui Liu, Jia Wei
Summary: Poorly cohesive (PC) gastric cancer (GC) is a unique histologic subtype with distinct molecular characteristics, including frequent FGFR2 mutations. FGFR2 inhibitors might represent a new therapeutic target for PC GC. Gene rearrangements could serve as adverse prognostic factors for PC GC patients.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Zhenshan Zhang, Leilei Wu, Juan Li, Jiayan Chen, Qi Yu, Hui Yao, Yaping Xu, Liang Liu
Summary: The study found that ZBTB9 is overexpressed in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (LIHC) and is associated with tumor progression and prognosis. ZBTB9 promotes tumor development by activating multiple signaling pathways and causing immune dysregulation. Silencing ZBTB9 inhibits tumor cell proliferation and migration. Therefore, ZBTB9 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LIHC.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Bidong Fu, Minqin Zhou, Gelin Song, Hong Zeng, Yiyang Gong, Yike Jiang, Yun Ke, Da Huang, Hong Peng, Qing Li
Summary: This study found that TSEN54 is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is correlated with multiple clinicopathological features. Hypomethylation of TSEN54 is closely associated with its high expression. HCC patients with high TSEN54 expression typically have shorter survival expectations. TSEN54 is involved in the cell cycle and metabolic processes and is associated with the infiltration of immune cells and expression of chemokines.
Article
Cell Biology
Zhongyi Jiang, Changchang Xing, Pusen Wang, Xueni Liu, Lin Zhong
Summary: This study revealed that transcriptional levels of multiple chemokines CCL were elevated in LIHC tissues and closely associated with disease progression and patient prognosis. Key transcription factors and immune cell infiltration were also correlated with CCL expression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Kai Tan, Kunlei Wang, Anbang Zhao, Zhicheng Liu, Wenjing Song, Qian Cheng, Xinyin Li, Zhinan Chen, Yufeng Yuan, Zhiyong Yang
Summary: In this study, we selected MND1 as the object of study for hepatocellular carcinoma by combining data from the TCGA database with prognostic survival analysis. We validated the value of MND1 in evaluating the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma through a diagnostic and prognostic model. Cellular experiments showed that knocking down MND1 reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yuan Fang, Weiren Liu, Zheng Tang, Xiang Ji, Yufu Zhou, Shushu Song, Mengxin Tian, Chenyang Tao, Run Huang, Guiqi Zhu, Xifei Jiang, Jun Gao, Weifeng Qu, Han Wang, Peiyun Zhou, Xiaoling Wu, Lei Jin, Haixiang Sun, Zhenbin Ding, Yuanfei Peng, Shimin Zhao, Jian Zhou, Jia Fan, Wei Xu, Yinghong Shi
Summary: This study showed that overexpression of MCT4 in HCC is associated with poor prognosis. Inhibition of MCT4 can suppress tumor growth, enhance immune cell infiltration and cytotoxicity. Furthermore, MCT4 inhibition can improve the therapeutic effect of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy and prolong survival in mice.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
A-Na Liu, Cui-Fang Xu, Ya-Ru Liu, Dan-Qin Sun, Ling Jiang, Liang-Jie Tang, Pei-Wu Zhu, Sui-Dan Chen, Wen-Yue Liu, Xiao-Dong Wang, Giovanni Targher, Christopher D. D. Byrne, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Junfen Fu, Ming-Ming Su, Rohit Loomba, Ming-Hua Zheng, Yan Ni
Summary: This study found that in patients with NAFLD, dysregulated bile acid metabolism was associated with liver fibrosis. Serum levels of secondary bile acids were increased in patients with mild fibrosis, along with other clinical and biochemical abnormalities. Combining serum bile acids with clinical/biochemical biomarkers showed good accuracy in identifying mild fibrosis, but performed less well in identifying significant fibrosis.
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danfeng Lin, Qiyan Sun, Zhaoyang Liu, Jiaxuan Pan, Jing Zhu, Shangwen Wang, Sining Jia, Minghua Zheng, Xiaokun Li, Fanghua Gong
Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and gut dysbiosis. The study found that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has a positive effect on treating NAFLD by modulating gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism. Fecal microbiota composition and bile acid profiles were analyzed in NAFLD patients and healthy participants. In NAFLD mice, FGF21 reduced liver damage and restored intestinal structure, accompanied by changes in gut microbiota composition and regulation of dysbiosis in bile acid metabolism. Antibiotic treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation further confirmed the benefits of FGF21. The findings suggest that targeting gut microbiota-regulated bile acid metabolism may be a potential therapeutic approach for improving NAFLD.
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Feng Gao, De-Chan Lu, Tian-Lei Zheng, Shi Geng, Jun-Cheng Sha, Ou-Yang Huang, Liang-Jie Tang, Pei-Wu Zhu, Yang-Yang Li, Li-Li Chen, Giovanni Targher, Christopher D. Byrne, Zu-Fang Huang, Ming-Hua Zheng
Summary: This study developed a rapid and practical tool for non-invasive identification of NASH by using SERS spectra and neural network approaches, which outperformed existing serum markers in distinguishing NASH.
HEPATOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Wei-Feng Qu, Meng-Xin Tian, Hong-Wei Lu, Yu-Fu Zhou, Wei-Ren Liu, Zheng Tang, Zhao Yao, Run Huang, Gui-Qi Zhu, Xi-Fei Jiang, Chen-Yang Tao, Yuan Fang, Jun Gao, Xiao-Ling Wu, Jia-Feng Chen, Qian-Fu Zhao, Rui Yang, Tian-Hao Chu, Jian Zhou, Jia Fan, Jin-Hua Yu, Ying-Hong Shi
Summary: This study developed a deep pathomics score (DPS) using deep learning to predict tumor recurrence after liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Immune cells were found to be the most significant histological structure related to post-LT recurrence. DPS performed well in recurrence prediction and identification of clinicopathological features.
HEPATOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Xiao-Dong Zhou, Giovanni Targher, Christopher D. Byrne, Virend Somers, Seung Up Kim, C. Anwar A. Chahal, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Jingjing Cai, Michael D. Shapiro, Mohammed Eslam, Philippe Gabriel Steg, Ki-Chul Sung, Anoop Misra, Jian-Jun Li, Carlos Brotons, Yuli Huang, George V. Papatheodoridis, Aijun Sun, Yusuf Yilmaz, Wah Kheong Chan, Hui Huang, Nahum Mendez-Sanchez, Saleh A. Alqahtani, Helena Cortez-Pinto, Gregory Y. H. Lip, Robert J. de Knegt, Ponsiano Ocama, Manuel Romero-Gomez, Marat Fudim, Giada Sebastiani, Jang Won Son, John D. Ryan, Ignatios Ikonomidis, Sombat Treeprasertsuk, Daniele Pastori, Monica Lupsor-Platon, Herbert Tilg, Hasmik Ghazinyan, Jerome Boursier, Masahide Hamaguchi, Mindie H. Nguyen, Jian-Gao Fan, George Boon-Bee Goh, Mamun Al Mahtab, Saeed Hamid, Nilanka Perera, Jacob George, Ming-Hua Zheng
Summary: Metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is closely linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the CVD risk is often underestimated. An international panel of experts conducted a Delphi survey to establish the association between MAFLD and CVD risk, and identified potential areas for future research.
HEPATOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yang-Yang Li, Tian-Lei Zheng, Shu-Yuan Xiao, Peng Wang, Wen-Jun Yang, Li-Lin Jiang, Li-Li Chen, Jun-Cheng Sha, Yi Jin, Sui-Dan Chen, Christopher D. Byrne, Giovanni Targher, Jian-Min Li, Ming-Hua Zheng
Summary: Hepatocytic ballooning is a crucial histological feature in the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and poses diagnostic challenges, as it can be mistaken for cellular edema and microvesicular steatosis. Inter-observer variability exists in assessing the presence and severity of hepatocytic ballooning. This review discusses the underlying mechanisms, such as endoplasmic reticulum stress, unfolded protein response, intermediate filament cytoskeleton rearrangement, appearance of Mallory-Denk bodies, and activation of the sonic Hedgehog pathway, and explores the use of artificial intelligence for detection and interpretation of hepatocytic ballooning.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gong Feng, Xiaoxun Zhang, Liangjun Zhang, Wen-Yue Liu, Shi Geng, Hai-Yang Yuan, Jun-Cheng Sha, Xiao-Dong Wang, Dan-Qin Sun, Giovanni D. Targher, Christopher Byrne, Tian-Lei Zheng, Feng Ye, Ming-Hua Zheng, Jin Chai
Summary: Protein panels in urine can be used to diagnose non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and determine fibrosis stages. Diagnostic models constructed from urine samples showed good accuracy in identifying NAFLD and its fibrosis stages, which were validated in an independent cohort.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Luca Valenti, Elena Corradini, Leon A. Adams, Elmar Aigner, Saleh Alqahtani, Marco Arrese, Edouard Bardou-Jacquet, Elisabetta Bugianesi, Jose-Manuel Fernandez-Real, Domenico Girelli, Hannes Hagstrom, Benjamin Henninger, Kris Kowdley, Guido Ligabue, Donald McClain, Fabrice Laine, Koji Miyanishi, Martina U. Muckenthaler, Alessia Pagani, Patrizia Pedrotti, Antonello Pietrangelo, Daniele Prati, John D. Ryan, Laura Silvestri, C. Wendy Spearman, Per Stal, Emmanuel A. Tsochatzis, Francesca Vinchi, Ming-Hua Zheng, Heinz Zoller
Summary: Hyperferritinaemia is often associated with metabolic dysfunction and fatty liver and is linked to an increased risk of cardiometabolic and liver diseases. The main determinants of ferritin levels in individuals with metabolic dysfunction are genetic variants that affect iron metabolism. However, there is currently a lack of validated criteria for the diagnosis and staging of metabolic hyperferritinaemia, and the benefits of iron depletion therapy remain unclear. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the relationship between hyperferritinaemia and iron accumulation in individuals with metabolic dysfunction and propose updated definitions and staging systems, highlighting research gaps and suggesting future study designs and outcome measures.
NATURE REVIEWS ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xi Li, Yan Li, Jintao Xiao, Huiwen Wang, Yan Guo, Xiuru Mao, Pan Shi, Yanliang Hou, Xiaoxun Zhang, Nan Zhao, Minghua Zheng, Yonghong He, Jingjing Ding, Ya Tan, Min Liao, Ling Li, Ying Peng, Xuan Li, Qiong Pan, Qiaoling Xie, Qiao Li, Jianwei Li, Ying Li, Zhe Chen, Yongxiu Huang, David N. Assis, Shi-Ying Cai, James L. Boyer, Xuequan Huang, Can-E Tang, Xiaowei Liu, Shifang Peng, Jin Chai
Summary: The numbers of DUOX2(+)ACE2(+) small cholangiocytes are inversely associated with disease severity in PBC. They may be the target of pIgR-mediated humoral responses. Protecting these cells and targeting anti-pIgR autoantibodies could be valuable strategies for therapeutic interventions in PBC.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Pingwei Xu, Xiaojie Zhang, Kai Chen, Meng Zhu, Ru Jia, Qingwei Zhou, Jintao Yang, Juqin Dai, Yuepeng Jin, Keqing Shi
Summary: Neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment can play either a supportive or suppressive role in tumor progression. Methotrexate-induced tumor cell-derived microparticles can activate neutrophils, enhancing their tumor-killing ability and augmenting T-cell antitumor responses.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Feng Gao, Christopher D. Byrne, Giovanni Targher, Shuangmu Zhuo, Ming-Hua Zheng, CHESS MAFLD Consortium
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gong Feng, Luca Valenti, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Yasser Mahrous Fouad, Yusuf Yilmaz, Won Kim, Giada Sebastiani, Zobair M. Younossi, Virginia Hernandez-Gea, Ming-Hua Zheng
Summary: This article discusses the importance of recompensation in the field of cirrhosis, particularly in NAFLD-related cirrhosis. It provides an up-to-date perspective on the natural history of NAFLD, emphasizing its reversible nature, and discusses the mechanisms and challenges of recompensation, as well as outlining future research directions.
NATURE REVIEWS GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Guoqiang Li, Lijun Zhu, Mingwei Guo, Dongmei Wang, Meiyao Meng, Yinzhao Zhong, Zhijian Zhang, Yi Lin, Caizhi Liu, Jiawen Wang, Yahui Zhang, Yining Gao, Yuxiang Cao, Zhirui Xia, Jin Qiu, Yu Li, Shuang Liu, Haibing Chen, Wenyue Liu, Yu Han, Minghua Zheng, Lingyan Xu, Xinran Ma
Summary: This study demonstrates that Foxa3 is an important regulator of liver regeneration, maintaining normal liver cell proliferation and repair by governing Cebpb transcription. It was found that pharmacological activation of Foxa3 can accelerate hepatocyte proliferation without interfering with the termination of liver regeneration. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of liver regeneration and provide a potential therapeutic target for treating liver injury.
Review
Surgery
Jia-Yong Su, Zhu-Jian Deng, Yu-Xian Teng, Ye Xin Koh, Wan-Guang Zhang, Ming-Hua Zheng, Si Xie, Rong-Rui Huo, Chao-Jing Chen, Liang Ma, Jian-Hong Zhong
Summary: Patients with NAFLD-related HCC have similar perioperative complications and mortality compared to those with HCC of other aetiologies. They may also have higher overall and recurrence-free survival.
