Cited by 97Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancerLiver physiology and pathologyHepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Prognosis

Activating CAR and β-catenin induces uncontrolled liver growth and tumorigenesis

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Dong, Bingning, Lee, Ju-Seog, Park, Yun-Yong, Yang, Feng, Xu, Ganyu, Huang, Wendong, Finegold, Milton J., Moore, David D.·2015·Nature Communications

Abstract

Aberrant β-catenin activation contributes to a third or more of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but β-catenin activation alone is not sufficient to induce liver cancer in mice. Differentiated hepatocytes proliferate upon acute activation of either β-catenin or the nuclear xenobiotic receptor CAR. These responses are strictly limited and are tightly linked, since β-catenin is activated in nearly all of the CAR-dependent tumours generated by the tumour promoter phenobarbital. Here, we show that full activation of β-catenin in the liver induces senescence and growth arrest, which is overcome by combined CAR activation, resulting in uncontrolled hepatocyte proliferation, hepatomegaly and rapid lethality despite maintenance of normal liver function. Combining CAR activation with limited β-catenin activation induces tumorigenesis, and the tumours share a conserved gene expression signature with β-catenin-positive human HCC. These results reveal an unexpected route for hepatocyte proliferation and define a murine model of hepatocarcinogenesis with direct relevance to human HCC. Activation of the liver receptor CAR and β-catenin are both involved in hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, the authors show that combined activation of both CAR and β-catenin in mice can drive uncontrolled liver growth and is sufficient for hepatocarcinogenesis.

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  • Activating CTNNB1 mutations on their own may not be sufficient to drive cancer.

    “Given that activating CTNNB1 mutations on their own may not be sufficient to drive cancer (26), we sought to co-mutate another gene that would accelerate cancer development.”

    From The origin of hepatocellular carcinoma depends on metabolic zonation (2026) · cites this paper as [26]

    The Introduction and Discussion state that β-catenin activation alone does not induce spontaneous liver tumors in mouse models, indicating that additional hits are needed. The Results likewise report that β-catenin activation alone did not induce liver tumors in the tested mice. This supports the cautious claim for mouse liver cancer, but the paper does not establish it for cancer generally. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Combined pharmacologic activation of CAR and genetic activation of β-catenin in mice is sufficient to induce liver tumors sharing an extensive gene expression signature with a subset of human HCC displaying β-catenin activation.

    “We have recently shown that combined pharmacologic activation of CAR and genetic activation of β-catenin in mice is sufficient to induce liver tumors that share an extensive gene expression signature with a subset of human HCC displaying β-catenin activation (Dong et al., 2015).”

    From Circadian Homeostasis of Liver Metabolism Suppresses Hepatocarcinogenesis (2016) · cites this paper as Dong et al., 2015

  • The tumor-promoting function of CAR is tightly associated with β-catenin activation or mutation.

    “The tumor promoting function of CAR is tightly associated with β-catenin activation or mutation (Dong et al., 2015; Loeppen et al., 2002).”

    From Circadian Homeostasis of Liver Metabolism Suppresses Hepatocarcinogenesis (2016) · cites this paper as Dong et al., 2015

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Authors
Dong, B., Lee, J.-S., Park, Y.-Y., Yang, F., Xu, G., Huang, W., Finegold, M. J., & Moore, D. D.
Affiliations
  • Baylor College of Medicine (US)
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
  • Asan Medical Center (KR)
  • City Of Hope National Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Moore, David D.
Venue
Nature Communications
Published
2015-02-09
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
5944-5944
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2056869677
Cited by
97
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 5
FWCI
6.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Diana Helis Henry Medical Research Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH-R01)
  • University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA139158)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK056388, R01DK046546, DK46546, R01 DK46546, DK56388, NIH R01)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancer
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Prognosis
Keywords
hepatocellular carcinoma, β-catenin, hepatocyte proliferation, hepatomegaly, hepatocarcinogenesis, phenobarbital, cellular senescence, growth arrest, gene expression signatures
MeSH terms
Constitutive Androstane Receptor, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Carcinoma, Hepatocellular, Humans, Liver, Liver Neoplasms, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mutation, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Tumor Suppressor Protein p53, Cellular Senescence, Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear, Gene Expression Profiling, beta Catenin, Carcinogenesis

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