The epigenetic modificator EZH2 can suppress the expression of immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-L1 by directly upregulating the promoter H3K27me3 levels of CD274 and IRF1 in hepatoma cells, and might serve as a potential therapeutic target for combination of immunotherapy for immune-activated HCC.
This study evaluated whether loss of miR-345 could promote the tumor metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) of HCC by targeting interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1)-mediated mTOR/STAT3/AKT signaling.
The results showed that IRF-1 mRNA expression was downregulated in the human HCC tumor tissues compared to that in the adjacent background liver tissues.
High expression of IRF-1 was associated with good outcome (p<.001 for OS/TTR), while high expression of IRF-2 was relevant to increased recurrence probability (p=.049) in HCC patients.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of IFN regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) for cytokine gene therapy of HCC using an IRF-1/human estrogen receptor fusion protein (IRF-1hER), which is reversibly activatable by beta-estradiol (E2).