iNOS promotes CD24 + CD133 + liver cancer stem cell phenotype through a TACE/ADAM17-dependent Notch signaling pathway

著者: Ronghua Wang, Yawen Li, Allan Tsung, Hai Huang, Qiang Du, Muqing Yang, Meihong Deng, Si Xiong, Xiju Wang, Liyong Zhang, David A. Geller, Bin Cheng, Timothy R. Billiar - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS 2018 被引用: 156

Significance CD24 + CD133 + liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) express higher levels of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and possess self-renewal and tumor growth properties. iNOS is associated with more aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leading to the upregulation of Notch1 signaling. The activation of Notch1 by iNOS/NO is dependent on cGMP/PKG-mediated activation of TACE and upregulation of iRhom-2. The expression of iNOS, CD24, and CD133 correlates with the expression of activated TACE and Notch signaling in more aggressive human HCC. These findings have implications for understanding how LCSCs are regulated in the setting of chronic inflammation, where signals to upregulate iNOS are often present. Targeting iNOS could have therapeutic benefit in HCC.