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Semin Liver Dis 2019; 39(01): 053-069
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1676121
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

TGF-β as Multifaceted Orchestrator in HCC Progression: Signaling, EMT, Immune Microenvironment, and Novel Therapeutic Perspectives

Francesco Dituri
1   National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Italy
,
Serena Mancarella
1   National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Italy
,
Antonio Cigliano
1   National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Italy
,
Annarita Chieti
1   National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Italy
,
Gianluigi Giannelli
1   National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. de Bellis,” Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Italy
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History

Publication Date:
26 December 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Therapeutic attempts to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently result in a poor response or treatment failure. The efficacy of approved drugs and survival expectancies is affected by an ample degree of variability that can be explained at least in part by the enormous between-patient cellular and molecular heterogeneity of this neoplasm. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is hyperactivated in a large fraction of HCCs, where it influences complex interactive networks covering multiple cell types and a plethora of other local soluble ligands, ultimately establishing several malignancy traits. This cytokine boosts the invasiveness of cancerous epithelial cells through promoting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition program, but also skews the phenotype of immune cells toward a tumor-supporting status. Here, we discuss recent strategies pursued to offset TGF-β-dependent processes that promote metastatic progression and immune surveillance escape in solid cancers, including HCC. Moreover, we report findings indicating that TGF-β reduces the expression of the proinflammatory factors CCL4 and interleukin-1β (IL-1β in human ex vivo treated HCC tissues. While this is consistent with the anti-inflammatory properties of TGF-β, whether it is an outright tumor promoter or suppressor is still a matter of some debate. Indeed, IL-1β has also been shown to support angiogenesis and cell invasiveness in some cancers. In addition, we describe an inhibitory effect of TGF-β on the secretion of CCL2 and CXCL1 by HCC-derived fibroblasts, which suggests the existence of an indirect stroma-mediated functional link between TGF-β and downstream immunity.

Keywords

transforming growth factor-β - HCC - galunisertib - cytokine - immunity