Genipin Suppresses Growth and Metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Blocking Activation of STAT-3

Background Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) can facilitate cancer progression and metastasis by being constitutively active via various signalling. Abundant evidence has indicated that STAT-3 may be a promising molecular target for cancer treatment. Methods In this study, a dual-luciferase assay-based screening of 537 compounds for STAT-3 inhibitors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells was conducted, leading to the identification of genipin. Effects of genipin on HCC were assessed in patient-derived xenograft mice model. Western blotting assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, molecular docking study, tube formation assay, three-dimensional top culture assay, histological examination and immunofluorescence were utilized to evaluate the regulatory signalling pathway. Results Our research have demonstrated that genipin suppresses STAT-3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, which may attribute to the binding capacity of this compound to the Src homology-2 (SH2) domain of STAT-3. In addition, we also demonstrated the therapeutic effects of genipin in patient-derived HCC xenograft mice model.Conclusion In conclusion, genipin showed therapeutic potential for HCC treatment by interacting with SH2-STAT-3 domain and suppressing the activity of STAT-3. In future study, further research are expected for exploring the potential role of genipin in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for HCC.