Project description:A quantitative label-free proteome analysis was performed using plasma samples from 22 hepatitis-C virus (HCV)-induced liver cirrhosis patients, 16 HCV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients with underlying cirrhosis and 18 healthy controls. Plasma microparticles (PMPS) were isolated using ultracentrifugation and analyzed via label-free LC-MS/MS. A quantitative label-free proteome analysis was performed using plasma samples from 22 hepatitis-C virus (HCV)-induced liver cirrhosis patients, 16 HCV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients with underlying cirrhosis and 18 healthy controls. Plasma microparticles (PMPS) were isolated using ultracentrifugation and analyzed via label-free LC-MS/MS.
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Liver cirrhosis is well-established risk factor of HCC development, although prevention of HCC in cirrhosis patients is challenging. By utilizing bioinformatic compound screening based on a clinical HCC-risk-predicitve gene signature, we identified captopril as a potential HCC chemoprevention agent. We tested the drug in rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced cirrhosis and HCC, and confirmed its HCC-preventive effect.
Project description:A quantitative label-free proteome analysis was performed using plasma samples from 22 hepatitis-C virus (HCV)-induced liver cirrhosis patients, 16 HCV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients with underlying cirrhosis and 18 healthy controls. Plasma microparticles (PMPS) were isolated using ultracentrifugation and analyzed via label-free LC-MS/MS. A quantitative label-free proteome analysis was performed using plasma samples from 22 hepatitis-C virus (HCV)-induced liver cirrhosis patients, 16 HCV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients with underlying cirrhosis and 18 healthy controls. Plasma microparticles (PMPS) were isolated using ultracentrifugation and analyzed via label-free LC-MS/MS.
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.
Project description:There are significant differences in the expression of genes that regulate metabolic pathways in HCC as compared to Cirrhosis or non-tumor liver tissues. These charcteristic pathways can be exploited for metabolic imaging biomarkers of HCC. We used microarrays to perform genome-wide association study expression in human Grade III hepatocellular carcinoma and surrounding tissues.
Project description:Comprehensive LC-PRM-MS approach where a targeted parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) strategy was coupled to a powerful LC system to study the microheterogeneity of serum haptoglobin (Hp) extracted from 15 patients with cirrhosis and 15 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Project description:Characterizing the metabolic changes pertaining to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis is believed to contribute towards early detection, treatment, and understanding of the molecular mechanisms of HCC. In this study, we compare metabolite levels in sera of 78 HCC cases with 184 cirrhotic controls by using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF MS). Following data preprocessing, the most relevant ions in distinguishing HCC cases from patients with cirrhosis are selected by parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. Putative metabolite identifications for these ions are obtained through mass-based database search. Verification of the identities of selected metabolites is conducted by comparing their MS/MS fragmentation patterns and retention time with those from authentic compounds. Quantitation of these metabolites is performed in a subset of the serum samples (10 HCC and 10 cirrhosis) using isotope dilution by selected reaction monitoring (SRM) on triple quadrupole linear ion trap (QqQLIT) and triple quadrupole (QqQ) mass spectrometers. The results of this analysis confirm that metabolites involved in sphingolipid metabolism and phospholipid catabolism such as sphingosine-1-phosphate (S-1-P) and lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC 17:0) are up-regulated in sera of HCC vs. those with liver cirrhosis. Down-regulated metabolites include those involved in bile acid biosynthesis (specifically cholesterol metabolism) such as glycochenodeoxycholic acid 3-sulfate (3-sulfo-GCDCA), glycocholic acid (GCA), glycodeoxycholic acid (GDCA), taurocholic acid (TCA), and taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDCA). These results provide useful insights into HCC biomarker discovery utilizing metabolomics as an efficient and cost-effective platform. Our work shows that metabolomic profiling is a promising tool to identify candidate metabolic biomarkers for early detection of HCC cases in high risk population of cirrhotic patients.
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.