NEK2 regulates stem-like properties and predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Shuang Lin; Senjun Zhou; Shaojie Jiang; Xiaolong Liu; Yifan Wang; Xueyong Zheng; Haimeng Zhou; Xuhui Li; Xiujun Cai

doi:10.3892/or.2016.4896

NEK2 regulates stem-like properties and predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Oncol Rep. 2016 Aug;36(2):853-62. doi: 10.3892/or.2016.4896. Epub 2016 Jun 22.

Authors

Shuang Lin¹, Senjun Zhou¹, Shaojie Jiang², Xiaolong Liu¹, Yifan Wang¹, Xueyong Zheng¹, Haimeng Zhou³, Xuhui Li³, Xiujun Cai¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
² Department of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China.
³ Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Enzymology, Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, P.R. China.

PMID: 27349376
DOI: 10.3892/or.2016.4896

Abstract

NEK2 has been estimated to play an important role in cancer progression. However, its relevance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been explored. Immunohistochemistry revealed NEK2 expression was upregulated in HCC. NEK2-positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients were associated with poor prognosis after surgery compared with NEK2-negative patients based on Kaplan-Meier curves. Deletion of NEK2 reduced self-renewal properties and chemotherapeutic resistance, and decreased the stemness associated genes in cell lines. NEK2 was associated with unfavorable outcomes in HCC patients, and was revealed to regulate self-renewal property by means of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and chemotherapeutic resistance by preferential regulation of the expression of ABCG2 and ALDH1A1 in HCC cells.

MeSH terms

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2 / genetics
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / genetics
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics*
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology*
Cell Line, Tumor
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
Hep G2 Cells
Humans
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Liver Neoplasms / genetics*
Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
NIMA-Related Kinases / genetics*
Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology*
Prognosis
Retinal Dehydrogenase
Wnt Signaling Pathway / genetics
beta Catenin / genetics

Substances

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2
beta Catenin
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
ALDH1A1 protein, human
Retinal Dehydrogenase
NEK2 protein, human
NIMA-Related Kinases