HRAS Induces Ferroptosis through Upregulating HSPB1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the mechanism of HRAS and HSPB1 in ferroptosis. Primary liver cancer is the third leading cause of tumor death worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes 75%-85% of cases of primary liver cancer. HRAS and HSPB1 co-express in multiple cells and participate in tumor progression regulation. However, their expression regulation and role in HCC have not been reported.

Methods: We investigated the effects of HRAS and HSPB1 on ferroptosis in in vitro experiments. Here, the role and mechanism of HRAS and HSPB1 on ferroptosis were investigated by transfecting the specific siRNA or overexpressing plasmids in HCC cells.

Results: Bioinformatics analysis proved that HRAS and HSPB1 were highly expressed in HCC tissues and associated with poor prognosis of patients with HCC. In vitro, HRAS overexpression reduced the level of intracellular iron, ROS, and MDA production in HCC cells. Mechanistically, HRAS increased GPX4 expression and decreased the levels of ACSL4 and P53. HRAS also increased HSPB1 expression, and HRAS knockdown downregulated HSPB1 levels in HCC cells. Importantly, overexpression of HSPB1 reversed HRAS-increased concentration of iron, MDA, and ROS and eliminated HRAS-induced ferroptosis. Moreover, HRAS enhanced the proliferation and invasion by targeting HSPB1.

Conclusion: The regulation of HSPB1 by HRAS enhanced the resistance of HCC cells to ferroptosis. HRAS promoted proliferation and invasion by upregulating HSPB1. This research provides a new potential strategy for HCC treatment.