The objective of this new R01 application is to advance our understanding of the role of miR-122 in hepatocarcinogenesis. HCC is the fifth most common cancer and the third common cause of cancer related death. The incidence of HCC is on the rise in USA, with little hope for cure or treatment through chemotherapy, radiation or other traditional cancer treatments. Its major risk factors are infection with hepatitis B and C viruses, and exposure to toxic chemicals, including alcohol, all of which cause chronic liver injury and inflammation. Using an animal model for hepatocarcinogenesis we were the first to demonstrate down regulation of miR-122, the most abundant liver-specific microRNA (~70% of the total miRNA) in the liver, during the initiation and progression of HCC and also in human primary HCCs. Suppression of miR-122 is a signature of HCCs with poor prognosis and metastasis. Studies with HCC cells in culture have shown that miR-122 functions as a tumor suppressor in vitro and in nude mice. To understand the biological functions of miR-122, especially in hepatocarcinogenesis, we have generated conditional knockout mice (supported by an R21 grant to the PI). These mice express 100 fold less miR-122 when crossed to AlbCre mice and spontaneously develop hepatitis in the liver with age, which is facilitated after feeding choline-deficient diet that promotes hepatocarcinogenesis. More importantly, miR-122 deleted (KO) mice are more susceptible to HCCs when exposed to diethylnitrosamine, a potent liver carcinogen. Based on these observations we hypothesize that miR-122 plays a critical role in maintaining liver function, and loss of miR-122 predisposes to liver disease including cancer.
The specific aims of the proposal are:
Aim 1. Investigate the role of miR-122 in a mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) related HCC induced by feeding choline-deficient diet. 1a) The susceptibility of miR-122 / (KO) and miR-122fl/fl (control) mice to CDAA diet will be examined by comparing liver damage (apoptosis, steatosis or fatty liver, inflammation, fibrosis) and liver tumors (formation of adenomas and carcinomas) between these mice, and 1b) the involvement of miR-122 targets will be assessed.
Aim 2. Investigate the role of miR-122 in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Pathological/molecular changes of mice injected with DEN will be monitored as described in Aim 1.
Aim 3. Examine the therapeutic potential of miR-122 alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents to inhibit tumor growth in vivo in the DEN model. Mice will be injected weekly for 4 weeks with miR-122 mimetics loaded in galactosylated nanoparticles (to specifically target it to HCC cells) at early stages of tumor development (visualized by MRI) and the regression in the tumor growth will be compared to those in mice treated with the scrambled RNA nanoparticles. This study will elucidate the function of the most abundant liver-specific microRNA in maintaining normal liver physiology and also its therapeutic efficacy against hepatocellular carcinomas in an animal model.

Public Health Relevance

Layman's Abstract The urgent need for new treatments for hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is warranted because incidence of HCC is increasing considerably in the United States, their dismal prognosis and the poor response of this cancer to treatment regimen currently available. This project focuses on the role of the loss of function of miR-122 in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common human malignancies. Our previous studies have shown downregulation of miR-122 in HCCs of both human and rodent origin. Now we intend to show that the loss of function of this liver specific miR plays a causal role in the initiation and progression of HCC. If this is the case, these studies will open the way to the development of novel miR-122 therapy for this incurable disease. Thus, establishing role of miR-122 mimetic in an animal model (in preclinical trial) would be a major milestone in the treatment of this deadly disease in the near future.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01DK088076-02S1
Application #
8333922
Study Section
Cancer Etiology Study Section (CE)
Program Officer
Sherker, Averell H
Project Start
2010-05-17
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2011-09-26
Budget End
2012-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$15,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Ohio State University
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
832127323
City
Columbus
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
43210
Chowdhary, Vivek; Teng, Kun-Yu; Thakral, Sharda et al. (2017) miRNA-122 Protects Mice and Human Hepatocytes from Acetaminophen Toxicity by Regulating Cytochrome P450 Family 1 Subfamily A Member 2 and Family 2 Subfamily E Member 1 Expression. Am J Pathol 187:2758-2774
Wang, Xinmei; He, Hongyan; Lu, Yuanzhi et al. (2015) Indole-3-carbinol inhibits tumorigenicity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via suppression of microRNA-21 and upregulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog. Biochim Biophys Acta 1853:244-53
Wang, Bo; Hsu, Shu-hao; Wang, Xinmei et al. (2014) Reciprocal regulation of microRNA-122 and c-Myc in hepatocellular cancer: role of E2F1 and transcription factor dimerization partner 2. Hepatology 59:555-66
Wang, Xinmei; Yu, Bo; Ren, Wei et al. (2013) Enhanced hepatic delivery of siRNA and microRNA using oleic acid based lipid nanoparticle formulations. J Control Release 172:690-8
Hsu, Shu-hao; Motiwala, Tasneem; Roy, Satavisha et al. (2013) Methylation of the PTPRO gene in human hepatocellular carcinoma and identification of VCP as its substrate. J Cell Biochem 114:1810-8
Zhang, Mengzi; Zhou, Xiaoju; Wang, Bo et al. (2013) Lactosylated gramicidin-based lipid nanoparticles (Lac-GLN) for targeted delivery of anti-miR-155 to hepatocellular carcinoma. J Control Release 168:251-61
Hsu, Shu-Hao; Wang, Bo; Kutay, Huban et al. (2013) Hepatic loss of miR-122 predisposes mice to hepatobiliary cyst and hepatocellular carcinoma upon diethylnitrosamine exposure. Am J Pathol 183:1719-1730
Hsu, Shu-Hao; Yu, Bo; Wang, Xinmei et al. (2013) Cationic lipid nanoparticles for therapeutic delivery of siRNA and miRNA to murine liver tumor. Nanomedicine 9:1169-80
Hsu, Shu-Hao; Ghoshal, Kalpana (2013) MicroRNAs in Liver Health and Disease. Curr Pathobiol Rep 1:53-62
Yu, Bo; Hsu, Shu-Hao; Zhou, Chenguang et al. (2012) Lipid nanoparticles for hepatic delivery of small interfering RNA. Biomaterials 33:5924-34

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