Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41168417›Full record

ArticleJournal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany)2025

Peptide-based inhibition of CD44v6 renders liver carcinomas more susceptible to therapeutic intervention.

Akshaya Srikanth, Ranjitha Vishnu Anand Rao, Rui Dong, Umesh Tharehalli, Thomas F E Barth, Klaus Dembowsky, Thomas Seufferlein, Reinhold Schirmbeck, André Lechel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Akshaya SrikanthDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Ranjitha Vishnu Anand RaoDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Rui DongDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Umesh TharehalliDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Thomas F E BarthDepartment of Pathology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Klaus DembowskyAmcure GmbH, Stutensee-Büchig, Germany.
Thomas SeufferleinDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Reinhold SchirmbeckDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
André LechelDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany. andre.lechel@uni-ulm.de.ORCID 0000-0003-0221-6959

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft GRK 2254 (HEIST)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cluster of differentiation 44 variant 6 (CD44v6) has been described in various types of cancer, including liver cancer. Despite significant advancements in cancer therapy, there is still an urgent medical need for new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of liver tumours that are efficacious but well tolerated. One promising approach involves the use of small molecules, such as peptides, which intervene in central signalling pathways to prevent the migration of cancer cells and their invasion into other organs without affecting other cell types. We analysed the expression of CD44v6 in human cirrhotic livers, liver tumour tissues and organoids as well as in preclinical models of chronic liver disease and subsequent liver tumour formation. We overexpressed CD44v6 in CD44v6-negative cell lines to assess its impact on the functionality of cancer cells. Furthermore, we used AMC303, a peptide inhibitor that specifically binds to CD44v6, to investigate the consequences of CD44v6 inhibition in liver cancer and its impact on combination therapies. We demonstrated that CD44v6 is expressed in chronic liver conditions, and is overexpressed in liver cancer, where it serves as a cancer stem cell marker. We also established that CD44v6 influences migration and stemness in liver cancer, and its overexpression triggers an altered gene expression pattern including increased EMT and stemness signatures. Notably, we were able to increase the efficacy of TKI/chemotherapeutics by inhibiting CD44v6. In summary, inhibition of CD44v6 renders liver carcinomas more susceptible to therapeutic intervention, thereby representing a promising target for cotreatment strategies. KEY MESSAGES: CD44v6 is expressed in chronic liver disease and is overexpressed in liver cancer. CD44v6 has been demonstrated to exert a significant influence on the processes of migration and stemness in liver cancer. Overexpression of CD44v6 triggers an altered gene expression pattern, characterized by an increase in EMT and stemness signatures. Inhibition of CD44v6 increases the efficacy of TKI/chemotherapeutics in cell lines and organoids generated from liver carcinoma. CD44v6 inhibition renders liver carcinomas more susceptible to therapeutic intervention, thereby representing a promising target for cotreatment strategies.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularHyaluronan ReceptorsLiver NeoplasmsPeptidesAnimalsCell Line, TumorCell MovementEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMiceNeoplastic Stem CellsCD44v6 antigenHyaluronan ReceptorsPeptidesAMC303CD44v6Liver carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID41168417
PMCPMC12675676

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Registered trials

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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.