Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39097533›Full record

ArticleJournal of gastroenterology2024

Nrf2/ASPM axis regulated vasculogenic mimicry formation in hepatocellular carcinoma under hypoxia.

Yueyao Zhang, Na Che, Song Wang, Jie Meng, Nan Zhao, Jiyuan Han, Xueyi Dong, Yanlei Li, Jing Mo, Xiulan Zhao and 1 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of gastroenterology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Understanding how hypoxia contributes to liver cancer stem cells maintenance.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Yueyao Zhang *Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Na Che *Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Song WangDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Jie MengDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Nan ZhaoDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Jiyuan HanDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Xueyi DongDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Yanlei LiDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Jing MoDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Xiulan ZhaoDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China. zhaoxiulan@tmu.edu.cn.
Tieju LiuDepartment of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China. liutieju@tmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-1203-9801

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHypoxic microenvironment is a common feature of most solid tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) formation by tumor cells could provide blood supply to tumor cells under hypoxia. NFE2 like basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor 2 (Nrf2), a regulator of cellular homeostasis, may promote tumor progression in the hypoxic conditions. However, the role and regulatory mechanisms of Nrf2 in HCC are not fully elucidated.

methodsNrf2 and assembly factor for spindle microtubules (ASPM) expression modulations were conducted by lentiviral transfections. Western blot, immunofluorescence, ChIP-qPCR, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, flow cytometry, RNA sequencing, multiple bioinformatics databases analysis, cell function assays in vitro, mouse model in vivo and human HCC tissues were employed to assess the effect of Nrf2/ASPM axis on HCC progression under hypoxia.

resultsNrf2 and ASPM expression facilitated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer stem cells (CSCs) feature, and VM formation of HCC cells under hypoxia. Furthermore, Nrf2-regulated ASPM expression, via binding directly to the promoter region of ASPM and transcriptionally promoting ASPM expression. ASPM re-expression in Nrf2 knockdown cells or ASPM knockdown in Nrf2 overexpression cells reversed the cellular function caused by Nrf2. Meantime, retinol metabolism pathway was disrupted following abnormal ASPM expression. Nrf2/ASPM axis in murine models accelerated tumor growth and VM, corroborating in vitro findings. All-trans retinoic acid treatment reversed stemness and VM of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, Nrf2 and ASPM expressions were related to poor prognosis of HCC patients.

conclusionsNrf2 drives EMT, CSCs characteristics and VM in HCC under hypoxia through the modulation of ASPM. Retinol metabolism pathway was dysregulated in HCC cells with ASPM overexpression. Nrf2/ASPM axis and related pathway provided potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionLiver NeoplasmsNF-E2-Related Factor 2AnimalsCell Line, TumorGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMiceNeoplastic Stem CellsNeovascularization, PathologicTumor MicroenvironmentNFE2L2 protein, humanNF-E2-Related Factor 2ASPMHepatocellular carcinomaHypoxiaNrf2Vasculogenic mimicry

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.