Li Chang-Lei, Yao Zhi-Yuan, Sun Ao, Cao Jing-Yu, Wang Zu-Sen
Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Jun 18;16:1589455. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1589455. eCollection 2025.
Liver cancer, especially primary liver cancer (PLC), stands as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, posing a significant threat to human health. Super-enhancers (SEs), clusters of enhancer elements with high histone modifications and transcriptional activity levels, play crucial roles in diverse biological processes and are closely associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases, including liver cancer. This review first delves into the pathogenic mechanisms of super - enhancers in liver cancer. SEs can drive the aberrant expression of oncogenes in liver cancer. Through interactions with transcription factors and chromatin-modifying enzymes, SEs can reshape the chromatin architecture, facilitating the access of transcriptional machinery to oncogene promoters and resulting in their overexpression. Additionally, abnormal activation of signaling pathways in liver cancer can also regulate the formation and activity of SEs, creating a positive - feedback loop that fuels tumor development. We further explore how targeting SEs may translate into clinical applications for liver cancer. Therapeutic strategies, such as using small inhibitors that disrupt the function of key components in SE-mediated transcriptional complexes, have shown promise in pre-clinical studies. These inhibitors can specifically block the activity of SEs, leading to the downregulation of oncogene expression and subsequent suppression of tumor cell growth. In addition, gene-editing technologies provide new tools for precisely modulating super-enhancer activity in liver cancer cells. By deleting or modifying specific enhancer elements within SEs, the expression of oncogenes can be effectively controlled. In conclusion, understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of SEs in liver cancer and their clinical applications offers a new perspective on the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of liver cancer. However, more in-depth research is required to fully realize the potential of super-enhancer-targeted therapy in clinical settings in order to provide more effective treatment options for liver cancer patients.
肝癌,尤其是原发性肝癌(PLC),是全球癌症相关死亡的第三大主要原因,对人类健康构成重大威胁。超级增强子(SEs)是具有高组蛋白修饰和转录活性水平的增强子元件簇,在多种生物学过程中发挥关键作用,并且与包括肝癌在内的各种疾病的发病机制密切相关。本综述首先深入探讨超级增强子在肝癌中的致病机制。超级增强子可驱动肝癌中癌基因的异常表达。通过与转录因子和染色质修饰酶相互作用,超级增强子可重塑染色质结构,促进转录机器与癌基因启动子的结合,从而导致其过度表达。此外,肝癌中信号通路的异常激活也可调节超级增强子的形成和活性,形成促进肿瘤发展的正反馈回路。我们进一步探讨靶向超级增强子如何转化为肝癌的临床应用。治疗策略,如使用破坏超级增强子介导的转录复合物中关键成分功能的小分子抑制剂,在临床前研究中已显示出前景。这些抑制剂可特异性阻断超级增强子的活性,导致癌基因表达下调,进而抑制肿瘤细胞生长。此外,基因编辑技术为精确调节肝癌细胞中超级增强子的活性提供了新工具。通过删除或修饰超级增强子内的特定增强子元件,可有效控制癌基因的表达。总之,了解超级增强子在肝癌中的致病机制及其临床应用为肝癌的诊断、治疗和预后提供了新的视角。然而,需要更深入的研究来充分实现靶向超级增强子治疗在临床环境中的潜力,以便为肝癌患者提供更有效的治疗选择。