Activation of the oncogene AEG-1 (MTDH, LYRIC) has been implicated recently in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In mice, HCC can be initiated by exposure to the carcinogen DEN, which has been shown to rely upon activation of NF-κB in liver macrophages. Since AEG-1 is an essential component of NF-κB activation, we interrogated the susceptibility of mice lacking the AEG-1 gene to DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. AEG-1-deficient mice displayed resistance to DEN-induced HCC and lung metastasis. No difference was observed in the response to growth factor signaling or activation of Akt, ERK and β-catenin, compared to wild-type control animals. However, AEG-1-deficient hepatocytes and macrophages exhibited a relative defect in NF-κB activation. Mechanistic investigations showed that IL-6 production and STAT-3 activation, two key mediators of HCC development, were also deficient along with other biological and epigenetics findings in the tumor microenvironment confirming that AEG-1 supports an NF-κB-mediated inflammatory state that drives HCC development. Overall, our findings offer in vivo proofs that AEG-1 is essential for NF-κB activation and hepatocarcinogenesis, and they reveal new roles for AEG-1 in shaping the tumor microenvironment for HCC development.

SND1, a subunit of the miRNA regulatory complex RISC, has been implicated as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we show that hepatocyte-specific SND1 transgenic mice (Alb/SND1 mice) develop spontaneous HCC with partial penetrance and exhibit more highly aggressive HCC induced by chemical carcinogenesis. Livers from Alb/SND1 mice exhibited a relative increase in inflammatory markers and spheroid-generating tumor initiating cells (TIC). Mechanistic investigations defined roles for Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways in promoting TIC formation in Alb/SND1 mice. In human xenograft models of subcutaneous or orthotopic HCC, administration of the selective SND1 inhibitor 3′, 5′-deoxythymidine bisphosphate (pdTp) inhibited tumor formation without effects on body weight or liver function. Our work establishes an oncogenic role for SND1 in promoting TIC formation, and highlights pdTp as a highly selective SND1 inhibitor as a candidate therapeutic lead to treat advanced HCC.

The staphylococcal nuclease and tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) is a multifunctional protein overexpressed in breast, prostate, colorectal and hepatocellular carcinomas and malignant glioma. Molecular studies have revealed the multifaceted activities of SND1 involved in regulating gene expression at transcriptional as well as post-transcriptional levels. Early studies identified SND1 as a transcriptional co-activator. SND1 is also a component of RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) thus mediating RNAi function, a regulator of mRNA splicing, editing and stability, and plays a role in maintenance of cell viability. Such diverse actions allow the SND1 to modulate a complex array of molecular networks, thereby promoting carcinogenesis. Here, we describe the crucial role of SND1 in cancer development and progression, and highlight SND1 as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

HighlightsSND1 augments AT1R receptor level by posttranscriptional regulation.SND1 activates TGFβ signaling which promotes the epithelial–mesenchymal transition.Migration and invasion by human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are augmented by SND1.A correlation is observed between SND1 and AT1R expression in HCC patients.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most prevalent cause of chronic liver disease in the Western world. However, an optimum therapy for NASH is yet to be established mandating more in-depth investigation into the molecular pathogenesis of NASH to identify novel regulatory molecules and develop targeted therapies. Here, we unravel a unique function of Astrocyte elevated gene-1/Metadherin (AEG-1/MTDH) in NASH using a transgenic mouse with hepatocyte-specific overexpression of AEG-1 (Alb/AEG-1) and a conditional hepatocyte-specific AEG-1 knockout mouse (AEG-1ΔHEP). Alb/AEG-1 mice developed spontaneous NASH while AEG-1ΔHEP mice were protected from high fat diet (HFD)-induced NASH. Intriguingly, AEG-1 overexpression was observed in livers of NASH patients and WT mice that developed steatosis upon feeding high fat diet. In-depth molecular analysis unraveled that inhibition of PPARα activity resulting in decreased fatty acid β-oxidation, augmentation of translation of fatty acid synthase resulting in de novo lipogenesis, and increased NF-κB-mediated inflammation act in concert to mediate AEG-1-induced NASH. Therapeutically, hepatocyte-specific nanoparticle-delivered AEG-1 siRNA provided marked protection from HFD-induced NASH in wild-type mice. Conclusion AEG-1 might be a key molecule regulating initiation and progression of NASH. AEG-1 inhibitory strategies might be developed as a potential therapeutic intervention in NASH patients.