MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathway

Introduction and Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer fatalities, challenges clinicians with high recurrence and metastasis rates, urging the need for novel prognostic markers and therapeutic avenues. Minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 (MCM3) has been imp...

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Main Authors: Wei-Guo Tang, Jin-Feng Feng, Xian Li, Qi-Man Sun, Jin-Wu Hu, Xiao-Lu Ma, Yan-Yan Nie, Yang Xu, Jian Sun, Qi-Meng Chang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Annals of Hepatology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268125000092
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author Wei-Guo Tang
Jin-Feng Feng
Xian Li
Qi-Man Sun
Jin-Wu Hu
Xiao-Lu Ma
Yan-Yan Nie
Yang Xu
Jian Sun
Qi-Meng Chang
author_facet Wei-Guo Tang
Jin-Feng Feng
Xian Li
Qi-Man Sun
Jin-Wu Hu
Xiao-Lu Ma
Yan-Yan Nie
Yang Xu
Jian Sun
Qi-Meng Chang
author_sort Wei-Guo Tang
collection DOAJ
description Introduction and Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer fatalities, challenges clinicians with high recurrence and metastasis rates, urging the need for novel prognostic markers and therapeutic avenues. Minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 (MCM3) has been implicated in various cancers, but its role in HCC is not well-characterized. Materials and Methods: We investigated MCM3 expression in HCC through cell line and patient sample analyses, functional assays to determine its effect on cellular behaviors, and signal pathway exploration. Results: Elevated MCM3 expression was identified in both HCC cell lines and patient tissues, correlating with microvascular invasion, advanced cancer stage, and reduced survival. Functionally, MCM3 fueled HCC cellular proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and expedited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, MCM3 was found to potentiate EMT by upregulating Twist via the AKT signaling pathway. Conclusions: MCM3 emerges as an oncogenic influencer in HCC, driving disease progression through the AKT/Twist axis. Its expression patterns hold prognostic value, and targeting MCM3 may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC.
format Article
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institution DOAJ
issn 1665-2681
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Annals of Hepatology
spelling doaj-art-3e12b60bb4c0429086781035cde809612025-08-20T03:20:21ZengElsevierAnnals of Hepatology1665-26812025-01-0130110178510.1016/j.aohep.2025.101785MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathwayWei-Guo Tang0Jin-Feng Feng1Xian Li2Qi-Man Sun3Jin-Wu Hu4Xiao-Lu Ma5Yan-Yan Nie6Yang Xu7Jian Sun8Qi-Meng Chang9Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China; Key laboratory of whole-period monitoring and precise intervention of digestive cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, ChinaDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China; Key laboratory of whole-period monitoring and precise intervention of digestive cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, ChinaDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR ChinaDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR ChinaDepartment of Liver Cancer, Shanghai Geriatrics Medical Center, 2560 Chunshen Road, Shanghai 201104, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR ChinaShanghai Laboratory Animal Research Center, Shanghai 201203, ChinaDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR ChinaDepartment of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, PR China; Corresponding authors.Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China; Key laboratory of whole-period monitoring and precise intervention of digestive cancer (SMHC), Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201199, China; Corresponding authors.Introduction and Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer fatalities, challenges clinicians with high recurrence and metastasis rates, urging the need for novel prognostic markers and therapeutic avenues. Minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 (MCM3) has been implicated in various cancers, but its role in HCC is not well-characterized. Materials and Methods: We investigated MCM3 expression in HCC through cell line and patient sample analyses, functional assays to determine its effect on cellular behaviors, and signal pathway exploration. Results: Elevated MCM3 expression was identified in both HCC cell lines and patient tissues, correlating with microvascular invasion, advanced cancer stage, and reduced survival. Functionally, MCM3 fueled HCC cellular proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and expedited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, MCM3 was found to potentiate EMT by upregulating Twist via the AKT signaling pathway. Conclusions: MCM3 emerges as an oncogenic influencer in HCC, driving disease progression through the AKT/Twist axis. Its expression patterns hold prognostic value, and targeting MCM3 may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268125000092Hepatocellular carcinomaEpithelial–mesenchymal transitionPrognostic biomarkerMCM3AKT/Twist pathway
spellingShingle Wei-Guo Tang
Jin-Feng Feng
Xian Li
Qi-Man Sun
Jin-Wu Hu
Xiao-Lu Ma
Yan-Yan Nie
Yang Xu
Jian Sun
Qi-Meng Chang
MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathway
Annals of Hepatology
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Prognostic biomarker
MCM3
AKT/Twist pathway
title MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathway
title_full MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathway
title_fullStr MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathway
title_full_unstemmed MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathway
title_short MCM3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition through AKT/Twist signaling pathway
title_sort mcm3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via epithelial mesenchymal transition through akt twist signaling pathway
topic Hepatocellular carcinoma
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Prognostic biomarker
MCM3
AKT/Twist pathway
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1665268125000092
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