Liver cancer multiomics reveals diverse protein kinase A disruptions convergently produce fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer characterized by a fusion oncokinase of the genes DNAJB1 and PRKACA, the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA). A few FLC-like tumors have been reported showing other alterations involving PKA. To better understand FL...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: David Requena, Jack A. Medico, Luis F. Soto-Ugaldi, Mahsa Shirani, James A. Saltsman, Michael S. Torbenson, Philip Coffino, Sanford M. Simon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55238-2
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer characterized by a fusion oncokinase of the genes DNAJB1 and PRKACA, the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA). A few FLC-like tumors have been reported showing other alterations involving PKA. To better understand FLC pathogenesis and the relationships among FLC, FLC-like, and other liver tumors, we performed a massive multi-omics analysis. RNA-seq data of 1412 liver tumors from FLC, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoblastoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma are analyzed, obtaining transcriptomic signatures unrestricted by experimental processing methods. These signatures reveal which dysregulations are unique to specific tumors and which are common to all liver cancers. Moreover, the transcriptomic FLC signature identifies a unifying phenotype for all FLC tumors regardless of how PKA was activated. We study this signature at multi-omics and single-cell levels in the first spatial transcriptomic characterization of FLC, identifying the contribution of tumor, normal, stromal, and infiltrating immune cells. Additionally, we study FLC metastases, finding small differences from the primary tumors.
ISSN:2041-1723