journal contribution
posted on 2025-07-09, 17:40 authored by Sung Won Chung, Jin Sun Kim, Won-Mook Choi, Jonggi Choi, Danbi Lee, Ju Hyun Shim, Young-Suk Lim, Han Chu Lee, Kang Mo Kim <p>Figure S4. Lenvatinib-induced HIF-1α degradation in hypoxic condition in other cell lines with different HIF-1α expression. Western blot analysis of HIF-1α, c-myc, pAKT, AKT, pERK, ERK, and β-actin after treating (A) Hep3B cells, (B) HepG2 cells, and (C) SNU449 cells with indicated concentrations of lenvatinib for 24 hours in normoxic or hypoxic condition.</p>
Funding
National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS)
History
ARTICLE ABSTRACT
A recent trial has shown that adding transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) to lenvatinib therapy results in enhanced therapeutic efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to assess the effectiveness of the lenvatinib and TACE combination in a real-world clinical context for managing HCC and to elucidate the molecular pathways involved.
This retrospective analysis included 199 patients diagnosed with HCC and having intrahepatic lesions between 2018 and 2021. The cohort was divided into those who received lenvatinib plus TACE (n = 62, combination group) and those who received lenvatinib monotherapy (n = 137, monotherapy group). To further explore the underlying mechanisms, Huh-7 cells were exposed to lenvatinib or a vehicle for 48 hours under normoxic or hypoxic conditions.
Propensity score–matched analysis revealed a significant improvement in both overall survival (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.24–0.59; P < 0.001) and progression-free survival (adjusted HR, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.26–0.64; P < 0.001) in the combination group compared with the monotherapy group. In laboratory experiments, under hypoxic conditions, lenvatinib notably attenuated hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) protein levels in Huh-7 cells without altering its mRNA levels. Intriguingly, lenvatinib facilitated the mouse double minute 2 homolog–mediated ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of HIF-1α. Additionally, cell viability assays confirmed a significant decrease in Huh-7 cell survival following lenvatinib treatment under hypoxic conditions.
The combination of lenvatinib and TACE significantly improved survival in patients with HCC. The mechanistic foundation seems to be the lenvatinib-triggered degradation of HIF-1α via the mouse double minute 2 homolog–dependent ubiquitination pathway, highlighting a potential therapeutic target in HCC treatment.
