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Updated: Feb 18, 2026

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines
08:50

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines

Published on: April 18, 2025

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Melatonin suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression via lncRNA-CPS1-IT-mediated HIF-1α inactivation

Tong-Hong Wang1,2,3, Chi-Hao Wu4, Chau-Ting Yeh3

  • 1Tissue Bank, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.

Oncotarget
|November 16, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Melatonin, a key hormone, shows promise in treating liver cancer (HCC). It inhibits cancer cell growth and spread by regulating specific gene pathways, offering a potential new therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Melatonin, a pineal hormone, regulates circadian rhythms and exhibits antitumor properties.
  • The precise mechanisms of melatonin's anticancer effects are not fully understood.
  • Limited research exists on melatonin's role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a significant malignancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the antitumor effects of melatonin in HCC.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind melatonin's action in HCC.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro studies on HCC cell lines assessing proliferation, migration, and invasion.
  • Analysis of gene expression, including transcription factor FOXA2 and lncRNA-CPS1-IT1.
  • In vivo experiments to evaluate tumor growth suppression.

Main Results:

  • Melatonin significantly inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
  • Melatonin upregulated FOXA2 expression, leading to increased CPS1-IT1.
  • CPS1-IT1 upregulation reduced HIF-1α activity, suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis.
  • In vivo studies confirmed melatonin's tumor-suppressive effects.

Conclusions:

  • Melatonin inhibits HCC progression through the FOXA2/CPS1-IT1 pathway, suppressing EMT.
  • Melatonin demonstrates potential as a therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Keywords:
HIF-1αepithelial-mesenchymal transitionhepatocellular carcinomalncRNA-CPS1-IT1melatonin

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