MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely linked to liver cancer prognosis, invasiveness, and aggressiveness. One promising treatment for liver cancer is cell therapy, where stem cells are stimulated to develop into functional liver cells. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-...

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Main Authors: Qianzhe Xing, Yanjie Xu, Ying Luo, Chenglong Li, Peng Wang, Bin Kang, Chengjun Lu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PAGEPress Publications 2025-05-01
Series:European Journal of Histochemistry
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Online Access:https://www.ejh.it/ejh/article/view/4190
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author Qianzhe Xing
Yanjie Xu
Ying Luo
Chenglong Li
Peng Wang
Bin Kang
Chengjun Lu
author_facet Qianzhe Xing
Yanjie Xu
Ying Luo
Chenglong Li
Peng Wang
Bin Kang
Chengjun Lu
author_sort Qianzhe Xing
collection DOAJ
description Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely linked to liver cancer prognosis, invasiveness, and aggressiveness. One promising treatment for liver cancer is cell therapy, where stem cells are stimulated to develop into functional liver cells. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-122-5p on the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into hepatocyte-like cells and its impact on the EMT process in liver cancer cells. MiR-122-5p was overexpressed or silenced in hiPSCs to analyze the expression of liver-specific markers, including AFP, ALB and ASGPR, to confirm hepatocyte-like differentiation. A co-culture system with HepG2 liver cancer cells was also used to evaluate the effect of miR-122-5p-overexpressing hiPSCs or miR-122-5p-silencing hiPSCs on the expression of EMT markers. Results revealed that overexpression of miR-122-5p in hiPSCs induced hepatocyte-like characteristics, as evidenced by increased levels of AFP, ALB, and ASGPR. However, knockdown of miR-122-5p had the opposite effect. In the co-culture system, hiPSCs overexpressing miR-122-5p inhibited the EMT process of HepG2 cells, resulting in increased levels of mesenchymal markers and decreased levels of epithelial markers. Taken together, miR-122-5p promotes the differentiation of hiPSCs into hepatocyte-like cells and inhibits EMT process of liver cancer cells. Targeting miR-122-5p may be a novel approach to prevent liver cancer progression through cell therapy.
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series European Journal of Histochemistry
spelling doaj-art-5591d44c3d2e4a198071bc5baa58ca162025-08-20T03:49:21ZengPAGEPress PublicationsEuropean Journal of Histochemistry1121-760X2038-83062025-05-0169210.4081/ejh.2025.4190MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cellsQianzhe Xing0Yanjie Xu1Ying Luo2Chenglong Li3Peng Wang4Bin Kang5Chengjun Lu6Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Third Central Hospital of TianjinDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Third Central Hospital of Tianjin3Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center of Public Health Ministry, Third Central Hospital of Tianjin3Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center of Public Health Ministry, Third Central Hospital of Tianjin3Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center of Public Health Ministry, Third Central Hospital of TianjinDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Third Central Hospital of TianjinDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Third Central Hospital of Tianjin Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely linked to liver cancer prognosis, invasiveness, and aggressiveness. One promising treatment for liver cancer is cell therapy, where stem cells are stimulated to develop into functional liver cells. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-122-5p on the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into hepatocyte-like cells and its impact on the EMT process in liver cancer cells. MiR-122-5p was overexpressed or silenced in hiPSCs to analyze the expression of liver-specific markers, including AFP, ALB and ASGPR, to confirm hepatocyte-like differentiation. A co-culture system with HepG2 liver cancer cells was also used to evaluate the effect of miR-122-5p-overexpressing hiPSCs or miR-122-5p-silencing hiPSCs on the expression of EMT markers. Results revealed that overexpression of miR-122-5p in hiPSCs induced hepatocyte-like characteristics, as evidenced by increased levels of AFP, ALB, and ASGPR. However, knockdown of miR-122-5p had the opposite effect. In the co-culture system, hiPSCs overexpressing miR-122-5p inhibited the EMT process of HepG2 cells, resulting in increased levels of mesenchymal markers and decreased levels of epithelial markers. Taken together, miR-122-5p promotes the differentiation of hiPSCs into hepatocyte-like cells and inhibits EMT process of liver cancer cells. Targeting miR-122-5p may be a novel approach to prevent liver cancer progression through cell therapy. https://www.ejh.it/ejh/article/view/4190Liver cancerinduced pluripotent stem cellsepithelial-mesenchymal transitionmiRNA
spellingShingle Qianzhe Xing
Yanjie Xu
Ying Luo
Chenglong Li
Peng Wang
Bin Kang
Chengjun Lu
MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells
European Journal of Histochemistry
Liver cancer
induced pluripotent stem cells
epithelial-mesenchymal transition
miRNA
title MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells
title_full MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells
title_fullStr MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells
title_full_unstemmed MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells
title_short MiR-122-5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hiPSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells
title_sort mir 122 5p inhibits the epithelial mesenchymal transition of liver cancer cells by inducing hipscs to differentiate into hepatocyte like cells
topic Liver cancer
induced pluripotent stem cells
epithelial-mesenchymal transition
miRNA
url https://www.ejh.it/ejh/article/view/4190
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