Project description:Gene-expression profiles of rat hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and the effect of erlotinib Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common solid tumor worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Given the lack of successful treatment options, chemoprevention in high-risk patients has been proposed as an alternative strategy. Mounting evidence supports a role for epidermal growth factor (EGF) during chronic liver disease and hepatocellular transformation. We address the hypothesis that blocking the EGF-EGF receptor (EGFR) pathway may be an effective strategy for inhibiting fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis. A rat model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced cirrhosis was used to examine the effects of erlotinib on underlying chronic liver disease and HCC formation. The DEN-induced rat model closely resembles disease progression in humans both pathologically and molecularly. Erlotinib significantly prevented the development of HCC tumor nodules in a dose-dependent fashion. Further, erlotinib inhibited the activation of hepatic stellate cells and prevented fibrogenesis. Erlotinib also reduced hepatotoxicity and improved liver function. Finally, a gene expression signature predictive of poor survival in human cirrhosis patients was reversed in response to erlotinib. Our data demonstrate for the first time that EGFR inhibition prevents liver fibrogenesis. Further, our results suggest that erlotinib is a potentially effective HCC chemoprevention strategy through inhibition of cirrhosis progression which can be monitored at the molecular level. Animals received humane care according to the criteria outlined in the M-bM-^@M-^\Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory AnimalsM-bM-^@M-^] of the National Academy of Sciences. All animals were maintained in accordance with the institutional guidelines of the Massachusetts General Hospital Subcommittee on Research Animal Care. Male Wistar rats received weekly IP injections of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at 50 mg/kg, 100mg/kg, or vehicle control (PBS) for 18 weeks. A subset of rats received either daily (5X a week) IP injections of 2 mg/kg erlotinib or vehicle control during weeks 13 - 18. In a separate study, the erlotinib dose was lowered to 0.5 mg/kg. The vehicle groups from the two studies were not significantly different so they were combined together for analysis. Rats were weighed at the end of each week. Animals were sacrificed at 9, 13 and 19 weeks after a one-week washout period to eliminate acute effects of DEN. At the time of sacrifice, the non-tumor liver tissues were collected in RNase-free tubes and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Frozen tissues were stored at -80M-BM-0C until RNA extraction.

Project description:Gene-expression profiles of rat liver cirrhosis induced by diethylnitrosamine and the effect of erlotinib on liver fibrogenesis and liver cancer development Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common solid tumor worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Given the lack of successful treatment options, chemoprevention in high-risk patients has been proposed as an alternative strategy. Mounting evidence supports a role for epidermal growth factor (EGF) during chronic liver disease and hepatocellular transformation. We address the hypothesis that blocking the EGF-EGF receptor (EGFR) pathway may be an effective strategy for inhibiting fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis. A rat model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced cirrhosis was used to examine the effects of erlotinib on underlying chronic liver disease and HCC formation. The DEN-induced rat model closely resembles disease progression in humans both pathologically and molecularly. Erlotinib significantly prevented the development of HCC tumor nodules in a dose-dependent fashion. Further, erlotinib inhibited the activation of hepatic stellate cells and prevented fibrogenesis. Erlotinib also reduced hepatotoxicity and improved liver function. Finally, a gene expression signature predictive of poor survival in human cirrhosis patients was reversed in response to erlotinib. Our data demonstrate for the first time that EGFR inhibition prevents liver fibrogenesis. Further, our results suggest that erlotinib is a potentially effective HCC chemoprevention strategy through inhibition of cirrhosis progression which can be monitored at the molecular level. Keywords: Cirrhotic liver, Expression array, Illumina, Signatures, Outcome prediction Animals received humane care according to the criteria outlined in the M-bM-^@M-^\Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory AnimalsM-bM-^@M-^] of the National Academy of Sciences. All animals were maintained in accordance with the institutional guidelines of the Massachusetts General Hospital Subcommittee on Research Animal Care. Male Wistar rats received weekly IP injections of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at 50 mg/kg, 100mg/kg, or vehicle control (PBS) for 18 weeks. A subset of rats received either daily (5X a week) IP injections of 2 mg/kg erlotinib or vehicle control during weeks 13 - 18. In a separate study, the erlotinib dose was lowered to 0.5 mg/kg. The vehicle groups from the two studies were not significantly different so they were combined together for analysis. Rats were weighed at the end of each week. Animals were sacrificed at 9, 13 and 19 weeks after a one-week washout period to eliminate acute effects of DEN. At the time of sacrifice, the non-tumor liver tissues were collected in RNase-free tubes and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Frozen tissues were stored at -80M-BM-0C until RNA extraction.

Project description:Gene-expression profiles of liver tissue of cabon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated mouse and the effect of erlotinib Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common solid tumor worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Given the lack of successful treatment options, chemoprevention in high-risk patients has been proposed as an alternative strategy. Mounting evidence supports a role for epidermal growth factor (EGF) during chronic liver disease and hepatocellular transformation. We address the hypothesis that blocking the EGF-EGF receptor (EGFR) pathway may be an effective strategy for inhibiting fibrogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis. A rat model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced cirrhosis was used to examine the effects of erlotinib on underlying chronic liver disease and HCC formation. The DEN-induced rat model closely resembles disease progression in humans both pathologically and molecularly. Erlotinib significantly prevented the development of HCC tumor nodules in a dose-dependent fashion. Further, erlotinib inhibited the activation of hepatic stellate cells and prevented fibrogenesis. Erlotinib also reduced hepatotoxicity and improved liver function. Finally, a gene expression signature predictive of poor survival in human cirrhosis patients was reversed in response to erlotinib. Our data demonstrate for the first time that EGFR inhibition prevents liver fibrogenesis. Further, our results suggest that erlotinib is a potentially effective HCC chemoprevention strategy through inhibition of cirrhosis progression which can be monitored at the molecular level. Animals received humane care according to the criteria outlined in the M-bM-^@M-^\Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory AnimalsM-bM-^@M-^] of the National Academy of Sciences. All animals were maintained in accordance with the institutional guidelines of the Massachusetts General Hospital Subcommittee on Research Animal Care. Strain A/J male mice (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME) were treated three times a week for 18 weeks with either 0.1cc of a 40 percent solution of CCl4 (Sigma) in olive oil or with vehicle control by oral gavage. Mice were sacrificed at 19 weeks after a one-week washout to eliminate acute effects of CCl4. The liver was sectioned and fixed in phosphate-buffered 10% formaldehyde for histological analysis. The remaining portions of the liver were collected in RNase-free tubes and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Frozen tissues were stored at -80M-BM-0C until use.

Project description:Glaucoma is not only the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, but patient numbers will also increase significantly in the coming years due to aging societies. Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy with changes at the optic nerve head, gradual retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death, and visual field loss [1]. Unfortunately, glaucoma can remain asymptomatic until it is rather far progressed, hence about 10-50 % of patients are unaware they suffer from this disease. High intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main risk factor; however, normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) occurs in patients with physiological IOP [2]. This form account for about 30 % of glaucoma patients [3]. Furthermore, sustained IOP lowering can slow down, but does not completely stop disease progression in patients. [4, 5]. Additionally, the administration of topical glaucoma medications can lead to side effects, such as ocular irritation, decreasing the compliance of patients. These facts emphasize the importance of discovering new treatment strategies. The exact pathogenesis for glaucoma is still unknown, but several factors are considered to be involved (fig.1). The most prominent factor is an elevated IOP, which can cause blockade of axonal protein transport at the lamina cribrosa, causing an initial axonal damage and RGC death by trophic insufficiency. In addition, ischemic/hypoxic damage [6], astrocyte and glia cell alterations, and excessive stimulation of the glutamatergic system [7] are discussed as possible pathomechanisms. Moreover, an involvement of the immune system is considered [8-10]. In glaucoma patients, up- and downregulations in the systemic and ocular antibody profile were detected [11-13]. Also, antibody deposits were observed in glaucomatous retinae [14]. It is likely that a combination of several pathogenic factors/mechanisms increases the possibility of developing glaucoma. For the investigation of pathomechanisms and novel therapies, it is necessary to have suitable models that allow such screening. To investigate whether antibodies detected in glaucoma patients are part of glaucoma pathogenesis or a result of disease progression, the experimental autoimmune glaucoma (EAG) animal model was established. This animal model is based on the fact that autoantibodies against S100B, a small calcium binding protein expressed in glia cells, were found to be increased in glaucoma patients [15]. In this model, an immunization with S100B led to a significant loss of RGCs after 28 days and a fast degeneration of optic nerves [20]. The IOP in this model was not altered. Therefore, we were able to mimic the effects seen in NTG patients, an IOP-independent glaucomatous degeneration, by immunizing rats with S100B. S100B is a calcium-binding protein. In the central nervous system (CNS), it is mainly expressed by glial cells such as oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, ependymal cells, retinal Müller cells and astrocytes [16]. S100B regulates and maintains the homeostasis of the important second messenger calcium and is therefore involved in many cell activities, such as signal transduction, cell differentiation, regulation of cell motility, transcription and cell cycle processes [17, 18]. Extracellularly, S100B can act as a signal molecule and bind receptors such as the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). In high concentrations, S100B can have negative effects and lead to cell death. For example, the binding of RAGE can induce the activation of microglia cells leading to a release of proinflammatory cytokines to an excessive extent [19]. Furthermore, there seems to be a link between S100B and neuronal diseases. In glaucoma patients, high antibody titers against S100B were found [20]. To investigate the effect of S100B in glaucoma more precisely, the immunization with S100B leads to a loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) without an elevation of the IOP after 28 days in the EAG model [21, 22]. The goal of the present study was to detect the retinal biomarkers in EAG animals 7 and 14 days after immunization with S100B. To detect these new markers in disease development, a label free quantitative mass spectrometry-based approach will be used.

Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS: In approximately 70% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by resection or ablation, disease recurs within 5 years. Although gene expression signatures have been associated with outcome, there is no method to predict recurrence based on combined clinical, pathology, and genomic data (from tumor and cirrhotic tissue). We evaluated gene expression signatures associated with outcome in a large cohort of patients with early stage (Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer 0/A), single-nodule HCC and heterogeneity of signatures within tumor tissues. METHODS: We assessed 287 HCC patients undergoing resection and tested genome-wide expression platforms using tumor (n = 287) and adjacent nontumor, cirrhotic tissue (n = 226). We evaluated gene expression signatures with reported prognostic ability generated from tumor or cirrhotic tissue in 18 and 4 reports, respectively. In 15 additional patients, we profiled samples from the center and periphery of the tumor, to determine stability of signatures. Data analysis included Cox modeling and random survival forests to identify independent predictors of tumor recurrence. RESULTS: Gene expression signatures that were associated with aggressive HCC were clustered, as well as those associated with tumors of progenitor cell origin and those from nontumor, adjacent, cirrhotic tissues. On multivariate analysis, the tumor-associated signature G3-proliferation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.75; P = .003) and an adjacent poor-survival signature (HR, 1.74; P = .004) were independent predictors of HCC recurrence, along with satellites (HR, 1.66; P = .04). Samples from different sites in the same tumor nodule were reproducibly classified. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a composite prognostic model for HCC recurrence, based on gene expression patterns in tumor and adjacent tissues. These signatures predict early and overall recurrence in patients with HCC, and complement findings from clinical and pathology analyses. Center and peripheral portions of hepatocellular carcinoma tumors as well as surrounding non-tumor cirrhotic liver tissues were obtained from fresh frozen surgically resected tissues, and isolated total RNA samples were analyzed for genome-wide expression profiles.

Project description:Gene-expression profiles of liver and hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in KLF6 +/- and wild type KLF6 mice. Inactivation of the KLF6 tumor suppressor is common in HCC due to hepatitis C virus (HCV), consistent with its anti-proliferative activity in HCC-derived cell lines and in hepatocytes of transgenic mice. We have evaluated the impact of KLF6 depletion on human HCC and experimental hepatocarcinogenesis. In patients with surgically resected HCC, those with significantly reduced tumor expression of KLF6 had a significantly decreased survival. We modeled this event in KLF6 +/- mice, which displayed significantly more tumorigenicity than KLF6 +/+ animals in response to the hepatic carcinogen DEN, associated with recapitulation of gene signatures in both surrounding tissue and tumors that are associated with aggressive human HCCs. In DNA microarrays, mdm2 mRNA expression was increased in tumors from KLF6 +/- compared to KLF6 +/+ mice, which was validated by realtime qPCR and Western blot in both human HCC and DEN-induced murine tumors. Moreover, chromosomal immunoprecipitation and co-transfection assays established the P2 intronic promoter of mdm2 as a bona fide transcriptional target repressed by KLF6. Whereas KLF6 over-expression in HCC cell lines led to reduced MDM2 levels and increased p53 protein and transcriptional activity, reduction in KLF6 by siRNA led to increased MDM2 and reduced p53. Our findings indicate that KLF6 deficiency contributes significantly to the carcinogenic milieu in human and murine HCC, and uncover a novel tumor suppressor activity of KLF6 in HCC, by linking its transcriptional repression of MDM2 to stabilization of p53. Keywords: Liver, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Expression array, Exon array, Affymetrix KLF6 +/- mice were previously generated by homologous recombination in which exon 2 was targeted using an 11-kb targeting construct, and replaced with neomycin/lacZ cassette. After selection with neomycin, the ES clones were injected into C57BL/6 mouse blastocysts and implanted into pseudo pregnant females; two lines of KLF6 +/- mice were generated from the resulting chimeric animals (Blood 107;1357, Oncogene 26;4428). Whereas KLF6 -/- mice are embryonic lethal, KLF6 +/- animals had no demonstrable abnormalities in the absence of any stressor. Male KLF6 +/- mice were bred with wild type C57BL/6 to generate mixed litters of KLF6 +/- and KLF6 +/+ animals. Progeny were genotyped using PCR-amplified tail DNA, using primers as previously described (Oncogene 26;4428). Amplified fragments were separated on a 2.5% agarose gel, revealing bands of ~200 bp (wild type KLF6) and ~100 bp (Neo), as expected. At 2 weeks of age, KLF6 +/+ and KLF6 +/- mice were injected intraperitoneally with either a single dose of diethyl nitrosamine (DEN), 5 µg/g body weight in 100 µl of saline, or vehicle alone. Vehicle and DEN-treated mice were maintained on standard chow, and then sacrificed 3, 6 or 9 months later. At the time of sacrifice the animals were weighed, and blood and liver samples were harvested for analysis and tumor quantification.

Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cholangiocarcinoma, the second most common liver cancer, can be classified as intrahepatic (ICC) or extrahepatic. We performed an integrative genomic analysis of ICC samples from a large series of patients. METHODS: We performed gene expression profile, high-density single nucleotide polymorphism array, and mutation analyses using formalin-fixed ICC samples from 149 patients. Associations with clinico-pathological traits and patient outcomes were examined for 119 cases. Class discovery was based on a non-negative matrix factorization algorithm and significant copy number variations (CNV) were identified by GISTIC analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to identify signaling pathways activated in specific molecular classes of tumors, and to analyze their genomic overlap with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RESULTS: We identified 2 main biological classes of ICC. The inflammation class (38% of ICCs) is characterized by activation of inflammatory signaling pathways, overexpression of cytokines, and STAT3 activation. The proliferation class (62%) is characterized by activation of oncogenic signaling pathways (including RAS, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and MET), DNA amplifications at 11q13.2, deletions at 14q22.1, mutations in KRAS and BRAF, and gene expression signatures previously associated with poor outcomes for patients with HCC. CNV-based clustering was able to further refine these molecular groups. We identified high-level amplifications in 5 regions, including 1p13 (9%) and 11q13.2 (4%), and several focal deletions, such as 9p21.3 (18%) and 14q22.1 (12% in coding regions for the SAV1 tumor suppressor). In a complementary approach, we identified a gene expression signature that was associated with reduced survival times of patients with ICC; this signature was enriched in the proliferation class (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We used an integrative genomic analysis to identify 2 classes of ICC. The proliferation class has specific copy number alterations, many features of the poor-prognosis signatures for HCC, and is associated with worse outcome. Different classes of ICC, based on molecular features, might therefore require different treatment approaches. Gene-expression profiling was performed using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tissues obtained at the time of surgical resection.

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EGFR inhibition prevents liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

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