Cited by 85Renal cell carcinoma treatmentCancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismCancer Cells and Metastasis

Tumor heterogeneity in VHL drives metastasis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

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Hu, Junhui, Tan, Ping, Ishihara, Moe, Bayley, Nicholas A., Schokrpur, Shiruyeh, Reynoso, Jeremy G., Zhang, Yangjun, Lim, Raymond J. +11 more·2023·Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy

Abstract

Loss of function of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene is a hallmark of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The importance of heterogeneity in the loss of this tumor suppressor has been under reported. To study the impact of intratumoral VHL heterogeneity observed in human ccRCC, we engineered VHL gene deletion in four RCC models, including a new primary tumor cell line derived from an aggressive metastatic case. The VHL gene-deleted (VHL-KO) cells underwent epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and exhibited increased motility but diminished proliferation and tumorigenicity compared to the parental VHL-expressing (VHL + ) cells. Renal tumors with either VHL + or VHL-KO cells alone exhibit minimal metastatic potential. Combined tumors displayed rampant lung metastases, highlighting a novel cooperative metastatic mechanism. The poorly proliferative VHL-KO cells stimulated the proliferation, EMT, and motility of neighboring VHL + cells. Periostin (POSTN), a soluble protein overexpressed and secreted by VHL non-expressing (VHL − ) cells, promoted metastasis by enhancing the motility of VHL-WT cells and facilitating tumor cell vascular escape. Genetic deletion or antibody blockade of POSTN dramatically suppressed lung metastases in our preclinical models. This work supports a new strategy to halt the progression of ccRCC by disrupting the critical metastatic crosstalk between heterogeneous cell populations within a tumor.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41392-023-01362-2

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  • Loss-of-function mutations in VHL impair proteasomal degradation of hydroxylated HIF α subunits and result in constitutive HIF activation despite normoxia.

    “A clear causal link between HIF dysregulation and tumorigenesis is illustrated by loss of function mutations in von Hippel–Lindau (VHL), which impair proteasomal degradation of hydroxylated HIF α subunits and result in constitutive HIF activation despite normoxia [[222], [223], [224], [225]].”

    From HIF inhibition: Current strategies and clinical challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [224]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says VHL targets HIF-α for oxygen-dependent degradation and links VHL inactivation to constitutive HIF-pathway activation. It does not explicitly describe proteasomal degradation or state that activation persists under normoxia; proline hydroxylation appears in the titles of works it cites, rather than in its own explanation. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [73]Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network Comprehensive molecular characterization of clear cell renal cell carcinoma Nature 2013 499 43 49 10.1038/nature12222 23792563 PMC3771322 · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
Hu, J., Tan, P., Ishihara, M., Bayley, N. A., Schokrpur, S., Reynoso, J. G., Zhang, Y., Lim, R. J., Dumitras, C., Yang, L., Dubinett, S. M., Jat, P. S., Van Snick, J., Huang, J., Chin, A. I., Prins, R. M., Graeber, T. G., Xu, H., & Wu, L.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • West China Hospital of Sichuan University (CN)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (CN)
  • MRC Prion Unit (GB)
  • Duke University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Xu, Hua
  • Wu, Lily
Venue
Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
Published
2023-04-17
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
155-155
ISSN
2059-3635 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4366171201
Cited by
85
References
86
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 6
FWCI
15.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (27IR-0016)
  • Cancer Research Coordinating Committee (CRC15-380768)
  • National Institutes of Health (W81XWH, UL1TR001881)
  • National Cancer Institute (R21CA216770, P50CA211015, T32CA067754, P30CA016042)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
  • Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (P30 CA016042, UL1TR001881, 27IR-0016, W81XWH-20-1-0918)
  • Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UL1 TR001881)
  • Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (W81XWH-20-1-0918, P30CA016042)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Renal cell carcinoma treatment
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Cells and Metastasis
Keywords
von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, intratumoral heterogeneity, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, periostin, lung metastasis, tumor cell motility, tumor cell proliferation
MeSH terms
Carcinoma, Renal Cell, Humans, Kidney Neoplasms, Lung Neoplasms, Genes, Tumor Suppressor, Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein

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