Integrated network findings reveal ubiquitin-specific protease 44 overexpression suppresses tumorigenicity of liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC is a multistep disease marked by various signaling alterations. A better understanding of the new molecular drivers of HCC could therefore provide an opportunity to develop effective diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Ubiquitin-specific protease 44 (USP44), a member of the cysteine protease family, has been reported to play a role in many cancer types. However, its contribution to HCC development remains unknown. In the present study, we observed suppression of USP44 expression in HCC tissue. Clinicopathologic analysis further showed that low USP44 expression correlated with poorer survival and a later tumor stage in HCC, suggesting that USP44 could be a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Gain-of-function analysis in vitro demonstrated the importance of USP44 in HCC cell growth and G₀/G₁ cell cycle arrest. To investigate the downstream targets of USP44 and the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulation of cell proliferation in HCC, we conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis and identified a cluster of proliferation-related genes, including CCND2, CCNG2, and SMC3. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis further delineated the gene networks controlled by USP44 through the regulation of membrane proteins and receptors, enzymes, transcriptional factors, and cyclins involved in the control of cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis in HCC. To summarize, our results highlight, for the first time, the tumor-suppression role of USP44 in HCC and suggest a new prognostic biomarker in this disease.