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Updated: Jun 16, 2025

Human Liver Spheroids from Peripheral Blood for Liver Disease Studies
Published on: January 27, 2023
Correlations of Long Noncoding RNA HNF4A-AS1 Alternative Transcripts with Liver Diseases and Drug Metabolism
Jing Jin1, Le Tra Giang Nguyen1, Andrew Wassef1
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut (J.J., L.T.G.N., T.P.R., X.-B.Z.); Departments of Pharmaceutics (A.W.) and Pharmacology and Toxicology (G.L.G.), Ernst Mario School of Pharmacy, and Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Translational Research and Education (A.W., R.S.), Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey; Center of Excellence for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey (A.W.); and Department of General Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas (T.M.S.).
Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha antisense 1 (HNF4A-AS1) long noncoding RNA has multiple transcripts. This study identifies six HNF4A-AS1 transcripts and analyzes their roles in liver diseases and drug metabolism, aiding targeted therapies.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Hepatology
Background:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and drug-induced liver injury are linked to HNF4A-AS1 lncRNA.
- HNF4A-AS1 regulates cytochrome P450 (CYP) expression, impacting drug metabolism.
- The specific roles of HNF4A-AS1 alternative transcripts in liver conditions remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize alternative transcripts of HNF4A-AS1.
- To investigate the expression patterns of HNF4A-AS1 transcripts in various liver diseases and during hepatocyte differentiation.
- To explore the correlation between HNF4A-AS1 transcripts and CYP3A4 expression in response to drug treatment.
Main Methods:
- Confirmation of six HNF4A-AS1 transcripts (four annotated, two novel).
- Analysis of transcript expression in liver disease models (steatosis, alcohol-related, obesity).
- Investigation of transcript expression during hepatocyte differentiation (HepaRG cells) and rifampicin exposure.
Main Results:
- Six HNF4A-AS1 transcripts were confirmed, exhibiting differential expression in liver diseases.
- Transcript expression varied during hepatocyte growth, differentiation, and in response to rifampicin.
- Specific HNF4A-AS1 transcripts correlated with CYP3A4 during HepaRG maturation and drug exposure.
Conclusions:
- This study elucidates the distinct roles of HNF4A-AS1 alternative transcripts in liver pathophysiology.
- Understanding these transcript-specific functions is crucial for developing targeted therapies for liver diseases.
- The findings provide a foundation for precise modulation of drug metabolism via HNF4A-AS1 targeting.
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