Wnt/β-catenin信号通路在肝癌转移侵袭中的调控机制

Molecular Mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Metastasis and Invasion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

摘要:

Wnt信号传导途径与肿瘤有着密切的关系,其通路的异常活化参与人类多种癌症的发病过程。转移和侵袭是肝癌的基本特征,也是影响肝癌治疗效果的重要因素。肝细胞癌的转移侵袭与Wnt/β-catenin信号通路密切相关。β-catenin是 Wnt/β-catenin信号传导途径中的关键调控因子,其表达程度与患者淋巴结转移及肝内转移呈正相关。此外,Wnt/β-catenin信号通路下游转录因子T细胞因子4(Tcf-4)基因表达与肝癌的转移密切相关。因此,Wnt/β-catenin信号通路成员基因突变和(或)异常表达奠定了肝癌细胞转移和侵袭的分子学基础。以Wnt/β-catenin信号通路为切入点,深入探讨肝细胞癌转移的作用机理和分子机制,对筛选肝细胞癌的预后指标和寻找新的治疗靶点、深化和完善肝细胞癌转移侵袭的基础理论研究具有十分重要的意义。

Abstract:

Wnt signal transduction pathway has a close relationship with cancer, as its abnormal activation plays an important role in many human cancers. Metastasis and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma, the basic characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma as well as important factors which influence the therapeutic effect of hepatocellular carcinoma, are closely related with Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway. β-catenin is an essential regulatory factor in Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway. The expression of β-catenin is positively correlated with lymph node and liver metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. There is also a close relationship between the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma and the expression of Tcf-4, which is a downstream transcription factor in Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway. Therefore, the mutation and (or) aberrant expression of genes in Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction pathway set up the biomolecular basis for metastasis and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.