1.陆军军医大学(第三军医大学)大坪医院泌尿外科,重庆
2.联勤保障部队第988医院泌尿外科,河南郑州
3.重庆医药高等专科学校,重庆
4.浙江大学医学院附属第二医院泌尿外科,浙江杭州
Lan Weihua,E-mail: doclan@yeah.net
Liu Qiuli,E-mail: liuqiuli900827@163.com
Received:18 June 2026,
Revised:2026-08-28,
Accepted:31 August 2026,
Published:15 October 2026
移动端阅览
王子乾,解晓都,汪泽,等.氟伐他汀通过抑制PHF8增强肾透明细胞癌对舒尼替尼敏感性[J].陆军军医大学学报,2026,48(19):2719-2732.DOI:10.16016/j.2097-0927.202606076.
Wang Z Q,Xie X D,Wang Z,et al.Fluvastatin enhances the sensitivity of clear cell renal cell carcinoma to sunitinib by inhibiting PHF8[J].J Army Med Univ,2026,48(19):2719-2732.DOI:10.16016/j.2097-0927.202606076.
王子乾,解晓都,汪泽,等.氟伐他汀通过抑制PHF8增强肾透明细胞癌对舒尼替尼敏感性[J].陆军军医大学学报,2026,48(19):2719-2732.DOI:10.16016/j.2097-0927.202606076. DOI:
Wang Z Q,Xie X D,Wang Z,et al.Fluvastatin enhances the sensitivity of clear cell renal cell carcinoma to sunitinib by inhibiting PHF8[J].J Army Med Univ,2026,48(19):2719-2732.DOI:10.16016/j.2097-0927.202606076. DOI:
目的
2
舒尼替尼耐药是影响肾透明细胞癌(clear cell renal cell carcinoma,ccRCC)靶向治疗疗效的重要因素,其分子机制及有效干预策略尚未完全明确。本研究旨在探讨组蛋白去甲基化酶PHF8在ccRCC舒尼替尼耐药中的作用,并评价氟伐他汀靶向PHF8、增强耐药ccRCC对舒尼替尼敏感性的效果。
方法
2
构建舒尼替尼耐药细胞株(786-O-R)及患者来源异种移植瘤(patient-derived xenograft, PDX)耐药模型,采用Western blotting、免疫组织化学染色检测模型中PHF8的表达水平。构建PHF8稳定过表达的786-O和A498细胞株及细胞源性异种移植瘤(cell line-derived xenograft, CDX)模型,通过体外增殖测定、体内肿瘤体积、Ki-67及CD31免疫组织化学染色,探究PHF8对舒尼替尼治疗反应性的影响。转录组测序及Western blotting、免疫组织化学染色分析PHF8调控舒尼替尼耐药的具体分子机制。分析陆军军医大学大坪医院泌尿外科46例接受舒尼替尼治疗的ccRCC患者肿瘤病理标本,评估PHF8表达与病理分级及无进展生存期(progression-free survival, PFS)的相关性。基于FDA批准的小分子药物库进行虚拟筛选,并结合RT-qPCR、放线菌酮追踪、MG132和氯喹补救、细胞热迁移实验(cellular thermal shift assay,CETSA)、表面等离子共振(surface plasmon resonance,SPR)及分子对接,分析氟伐他汀调控PHF8蛋白稳定性的作用。采用CCK-8及体内实验评价氟伐他汀联合舒尼替尼对耐药细胞的增敏作用。
结果
2
构建舒尼替尼耐药细胞及PDX模型。与敏感对照组相比,PHF8蛋白在786-O-R细胞及耐药PDX模型(Su-P8)中表达均显著上调,提示PHF8可能参与ccRCC舒尼替尼耐药。进一步功能实验显示,
PHF8
过表达显著降低786-O(IC
50
:5.406
vs
15.920 μmol/L)和A498(IC
50
:5.186
vs
16.300 μmol/L)细胞对舒尼替尼的敏感性;敲除
PHF8
后,耐药细胞对舒尼替尼的敏感性明显恢复(IC
50
:13.470
vs
6.355 μmol/L)。体内实验进一步证实,舒尼替尼治疗后,
PHF8
过表达组的肿瘤体积(
P
<
0.000 1)、肿瘤质量(
P
=0.001 3)、Ki-67表达(
P
<
0.000 1)及CD31表达(
P
<
0.000 1)均显著高于对照组,表明PHF8可促进ccRCC对舒尼替尼的治疗抵抗。临床样本分析显示,PHF8高表达与ccRCC患者较高的病理分级显著相关(
P
=0.000 3),并与较短的靶向治疗PFS相关(
P
=0.04)。基于PHF8蛋白结构的虚拟筛选获得潜在小分子抑制剂氟伐他汀可抑制
PHF8蛋白表达并升高H3K9me1/2水平,同时显著缩短PHF8蛋白半衰期(
P
=0.000 7),且该作用可被蛋白酶体抑制剂MG132明显逆转,提示氟伐他汀促进PHF8蛋白酶体降解。CETSA显示,氟伐他汀可提高PHF8蛋白的热稳定性;SPR进一步证实氟伐他汀可直接与PHF8结合(K
D
=23.8 μmol/L),分子对接揭示了二者潜在的分子结合模式。氟伐他汀与舒尼替尼联合处理使786-O-R细胞的舒尼替尼IC
50
显著下降(IC
50
:17.460
vs
4.601 μmol/L),细胞抑制作用显著强于舒尼替尼单药组(
P
<
0.000 1);而敲除
PHF8
后,联合用药与单药处理之间差异无统计学意义,表明氟伐他汀对舒尼替尼的增敏作用具有PHF8依赖性。体内实验进一步显示,联合氟伐他汀可显著提高耐药PDX模型对舒尼替尼的治疗敏感性。
结论
2
PHF8是促进ccRCC舒尼替尼耐药的重要因子,其高表达与较高病理分级及较差预后相关。氟伐他汀可通过靶向PHF8并促进其蛋白降解,提高耐药ccRCC细胞对舒尼替尼的敏感性。
Objective
2
Sunitinib resistance is an important factor affecting the efficacy of targeted therapy for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)
and its underlying molecular mechanisms and effective intervention strategies have not been fully elucidated. This study aims to investigate the role of histone demethylase PHF8 in sunitinib resistance and to evaluate the effect of fluvastatin in targeting PHF8 and enhancing the sensitivity to sunitinib in ccRCC.
Methods
2
A sunitinib-resistant ccRCC cell line (786-O-R) and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) resistant model were established. The expression of PHF8 in these resistant models was validated with Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Then 786-O and A498 cell lines with stable
PHF8
overexpression and their corresponding cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) models were constructed. The regulatory effect of PHF8 on sunitinib responsiveness was evaluated through
in vitro
cell proliferation assay
in vivo
tumor volume monitoring
and immunohistochemical detection of Ki-67 and CD31 expression. Transcriptome sequencing
Western blotting
and immunohistochemical staining were performed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which PHF8 mediates sunitinib resistance. Tumor specimens from 46 ccRCC patient
s who received sunitinib treatment in Department of Urology of Daping Hospital were analyzed to evaluate the correlations of PHF8 expression with pathological grade and progression-free survival (PFS). An FDA-approved small-molecule drug library was used for virtual screening. RT-qPCR
cycloheximide chase assay
MG132/chloroquine rescue experiments
cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA)
surface plasmon resonance (SPR)
and molecular docking were conducted to verify the regulatory effect of fluvastatin on PHF8 protein stability. CCK-8 assay and
in vivo
animal experiments were performed to evaluate the synergistic sensitizing effect of fluvastatin combined with sunitinib on sunitinib-resistant ccRCC cells.
Results
2
Stable sunitinib-resistant cell lines and PDX models were successfully constructed. Compared with sunitinib-sensitive control counterparts
the protein expression of PHF8 was markedly upregulated in 786-O-R cells and resistant PDX tumors (Su-P8)
indicating that PHF8 may be involved in sunitinib resistance in ccRCC. Further functional experiments demonstrated that
PHF8
overexpression significantly reduced the sensitivity of 786-O (IC
50
: 5.406
vs
15.920 μmol/L) and A498 cells (5.186
vs
16.300 μmol/L) to sunitinib. Conversely
PHF8
knockout substantially restored the sensitivity of resistant cells to sunitinib (IC
50
: 13.470
vs
6.355 μmol/L). Consistent with
in vitro
findings
in vivo
experiments showed that after sunitinib treatment
the
PHF8
-overexpression group exhibited significantly larger tumor volume (
P
<
0.000 1)
higher tumor weight (
P
=0.001 3)
and elevated Ki-67 and CD31 expression levels (both
P
<
0.000 1) compared with the control group
confirming that PHF8 drives sunitinib resistance in ccRCC. Clinical sample analysis revealed that high PH
F8 expression was significantly correlated with advanced pathological grade (
P
=0.000 3) and shorter PFS after targeted therapy (
P
=0.04). Virtual screening targeting PHF8 identified fluvastatin as a potential candidate inhibitor. Fluvastatin downregulated PHF8 expression
increased H3K9me1/2 level
and significantly shortened the half-life of PHF8 (
P
=0.000 7)
this effect could be significantly reversed by the proteasome inhibitor MG132
indicating that fluvastatin facilitates proteasome-dependent degradation of PHF8. CETSA results verified that fluvastatin enhanced the thermal stability of PHF8
and SPR analysis further confirmed the direct binding between fluvastatin and PHF8 (K
D
=23.8 μmol/L)
with molecular docking predicting their potential binding pattern. Combination treatment with fluvastatin and sunitinib reduced the IC
50
value of sunitinib in 786-O-R cells (from 17.460 to 4.601 μmol/L) and exerted a significantly stronger inhibitory effect on cell viability than sunitinib monotherapy (
P
<
0.000 1). Notably
no significant difference was observed between combination therapy and sunitinib monotherapy after
PHF8
knockout
demonstrating that the sunitinib-sensitizing effect of fluvastatin is PHF8-dependent. Moreover
in vivo
PDX model experiments further validated that fluvastatin supplementation effectively restored the sensitivity of resistant PDX models to sunitinib.
Conclusion
2
PHF8 is a critical driver of sunitinib resistance in ccRCC
and its high expression is correlated with advanced pathological grade and poorer prognosis in ccRCC patients receiving sunitinib treatment. Fluvastatin enhance the sensitivity of sunitinib-resistant ccRCC cells to sunitinib by directly targeting PHF8 and promoting its proteasomal degradation.
Han B F , Zheng R S , Zeng H M , et al . Cancer incidence and mortality in China, 2022 [J]. J Natl Cancer Cent , 2024 , 4 ( 1 ): 47 - 53 . DOI: 10.1016/j.jncc.2024.01.006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jncc.2024.01.006 .
Bex A , Abu Ghanem Y , Albiges L , et al . European Association of Urology guidelines on renal cell carcinoma: the 2025 update [J]. Eur Urol , 2025 , 87 ( 6 ): 683 - 696 . DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2025.02.020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2025.02.020 .
Richard A G , W. Marston Linehan , Margaret M , et al . Comprehensive molecular characterization of clear cell renal cell carcinoma [J]. Nature , 2013 , 499 ( 7456 ): 43 - 49 . DOI: 10.1038/nature12222 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12222 .
Motzer R J , Hutson T E , Tomczak P , et al . Sunitinib versus interferon Alfa in metastatic renal-cell carcinoma [J]. N Engl J Med , 2007 , 356 ( 2 ): 115 - 124 . DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa 065044 http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa065044 .
Makhov P , Joshi S , Ghatalia P , et al . Resistance to systemic therapies in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: mechanisms and management strategies [J]. Mol Cancer Ther , 2018 , 17 ( 7 ): 1355 - 1364 . DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-17-1299 http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-17-1299 .
Jin J , Xie Y H , Zhang J S , et al . Sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma: From molecular mechanisms to predictive biomarkers [J]. Drug Resist Updat , 2023 , 67 : 100929 . DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2023.100929 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drup.2023.100929 .
Qi H H , Sarkissian M , Hu G Q , et al . Histone H4K20/H3K9 demethylase PHF8 regulates zebrafish brain and craniofacial development [J]. Nature , 2010 , 466 ( 7305 ): 503 - 507 . DOI: 10.1038/nature09261 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature09261 .
Liu Q L , Pang J , Wang L A , et al . Histone demethylase PHF8 drives neuroendocrine prostate cancer progression by epigenetically upregulating FOXA2 [J]. J Pathol , 2021 , 253 ( 1 ): 106 - 118 . DOI: 10.1002/path.5557 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/path.5557 .
Liu Q , Borcherding N C , Shao P , et al . Contribution of synergism between PHF8 and HER2 signalling to breast cancer development and drug resistance [J]. EBioMedicine , 2020 , 51 : 102612 . DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.102612 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.102612 .
Hu Y , Mu H S , Yang Y . Histone demethylase PHF8 promotes cell growth and metastasis of non-small-cell lung cancer through activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway [J]. Histol Histopathol , 2021 , 36 ( 8 ): 869 - 877 . DOI: 10.14670/HH-18-349 http://dx.doi.org/10.14670/HH-18-349 .
Wang Z , Tang P , Xiao H Y , et al . Histone demethylase PHF8 promotes prostate cancer metastasis via the E2F1-SNAI1 axis [J]. J Pathol , 2024 , 264 ( 1 ): 68 - 79 . DOI: 10.1002/path.6325 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/path.6325 .
Moubarak R S , de Pablos-Aragoneses A , Ortiz-Barahona V , et al . The histone demethylase PHF8 regulates TGFβ signaling and promotes melanoma metastasis [J]. Sci Adv , 2022 , 8 ( 7 ): eabi7127 . DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi7127 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi7127 .
Feng R , Li Z X , Ge G C , et al . NEDD4L represses prostate cancer cell proliferation via modulating PHF8 through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway [J]. Clin Transl Oncol , 2023 , 25 ( 1 ): 243 - 255 . DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02933-5 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12094-022-02933-5 .
Cai M Z , Wen S Y , Wang X J , et al . MYC regulates PHF8, which promotes the progression of gastric cancer by suppressing miR-22-3p [J]. Technol Cancer Res Treat , 2020 , 19 : 1533033820967472 . DOI: 10.1177/1533033820967472 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1533033820967472 .
Lv Y , Shi Y , Han Q L , et al . Histone demethylase PHF8 accelerates the progression of colorectal cancer and can be regulated by miR-488 in vitro [J]. Mol Med Rep , 2017 , 16 ( 4 ): 4437 - 4444 . DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7130 http://dx.doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2017.7130 .
Tao H S , Zhang Y X , Li J , et al . Oncogenic lncRNA BBOX1-AS1 promotes PHF8-mediated autophagy and elicits sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma [J]. Mol Ther Oncolytics , 2023 , 28 : 88 - 103 . DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2022.12.005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.omto.2022.12.005 .
Peng S , Wang Z , Tang P , et al . PHF8-GLUL axis in lipid deposition and tumor growth of clear cell renal cell carcinoma [J]. Sci Adv , 2023 , 9 ( 31 ): eadf3566 . DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf3566 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adf3566 .
Lin A , Giuliano C J , Palladino A , et al . Off-target toxicity is a common mechanism of action of cancer drugs undergoing clinical trials [J]. Sci Transl Med , 2019 , 11 ( 509 ): eaaw8412 . DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaw8412 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aaw8412 .
Wang Q , Ma S , Song N , et al . Stabilization of histone demethylase PHF8 by USP7 promotes breast carcinogenesis [J]. J Clin Invest , 2016 , 126 ( 6 ): 2205 - 2220 . DOI: 10.1172/JCI85747 http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI85747 .
Wang Y X , Liu X L , Gong L Y , et al . Mechanisms of sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma and associated opportunities for therapeutics [J]. Bri J Pharmacol , 2023 , 180 ( 23 ): 2937 - 2955 . DOI: 10.1111/bph.16252 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.16252 .
Wang Y Z , Liu B , Zhuang Y X , et al . USP20 governs tyrosine kinase inhibitors resistance through ferroptosis evasion by targeting GPX4 in cancers [J]. Redox Biol , 2026 , 92 : 104086 . DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2026.104086 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2026.104086 .
Liu S W , Li J H , Zhang J Y , et al . IKBKE regulates renal cell carcinoma progression and sunitinib resistance through the RRM2-AKT pathway [J]. Int J Biol Sci , 2024 , 20 ( 15 ): 6146 - 6161 . DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.102666 http://dx.doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.102666 .
Lu D H , Li Y X , Niu X Y , et al . STAT2/SLC27A3/PINK1-mediated mitophagy remodeling lipid metabolism contributes to pazopanib resistance in clear cell renal cell carcinoma [J]. Research (Wash D C) , 2024 , 7 : 0539 . DOI: 10.34133/research.0539 http://dx.doi.org/10.34133/research.0539 .
Liu W T , Yan B , Yu H X , et al . OTUD1 stabilizes PTEN to inhibit the PI3K/AKT and TNF-alpha/NF-kappaB signaling pathways and sensitize ccRCC to TKIs [J]. Int J Biol Sci , 2022 , 18 ( 4 ): 1401 - 1414 . DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.68980 http://dx.doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.68980 .
Chen K L , Zhang Y P , Ruan H L , et al . PRKAB2 as a tumor suppressor in renal cell carcinoma: inhibiting mitophagy via the LRPPRC-PRKN/parkin interaction and cardiolipin biosynthesis [J]. Autophagy , 2026 , 22 ( 5 ): 982 - 1002 . DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2026.2623985 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2026.2623985 .
Khanna P , Soh H J , Chen C H , et al . ACE2 abrogates tumor resistance to VEGFR inhibitors suggesting angiotensin-(1-7) as a therapy for clear cell renal cell carcinoma [J]. Sci Transl Med , 2021 , 13 ( 577 ): eabc0170 . DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abc0170 http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abc0170 .
Maina P K , Shao P , Jia X F , et al . Histone demethylase PHF8 regulates hypoxia signaling through HIF1α and H3K4me3 [J]. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech , 2017 , 1860 ( 9 ): 1002 - 1012 . DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2017. 07.005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagrm.2017.07.005 .
Tong D , Liu Q , Liu G , et al . The HIF/PHF8/AR axis promotes prostate cancer progression [J]. Oncogenesis , 2016 , 5 ( 12 ): e283 . DOI: 10.1038/oncsis.2016.74 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/oncsis.2016.74 .
Wu X N , Li J Y , He Q , et al . Targeting the PHF8/YY1 axis suppresses cancer cell growth through modulation of ROS [J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A , 2024 , 121 ( 2 ): e2219352120 . DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219352120 http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2219352120 .
Feng H M , Fu Y , Cui Z L , et al . Histone demethylase PHF8 facilitates the development of chronic myeloid leukaemia by directly targeting BCR: : ABL1 [J]. Br J Haematol , 2023 , 202 ( 6 ): 1178 - 1191 . DOI: 10.1111/bjh.18983 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjh.18983 .
Makhov P B , Golovine K , Kutikov A , et al . Modulation of Akt/mTOR signaling overcomes sunitinib resistance in renal and prostate cancer cells [J]. Mol Cancer Ther . 2012 Jul ; 11 ( 7 ): 1510 - 7 . pii: 1535-7163.MCT-11- 0907 . DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-11-0907 http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-11-0907 .
Xiong W , Zhang B , Yu H , et al . RRM2 Regulates sensitivity to sunitinib and PD-1 blockade in renal cancer by stabilizing ANXA1 and activating the AKT pathway [J]. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2021 Sep ; 8 ( 18 ): e2100881 . DOI: 10.1002/advs.202100881 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/advs.202100881 .
Sun Y , Zhu L , Liu P , et al . ZDHHC2-mediated AGK palmitoylation activates AKT-mTOR signaling to reduce sunitinib sensitivity in renal cell carcinoma [J]. Cancer Res , 2023 , 83 ( 12 ): 2034 - 2051 . DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-22-3105 http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-22-3105 .
Hayashidani S , Tsutsui H , Shiomi T , et al . Fluvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase inhibitor, attenuates left ventricular remodeling and failure after experimental myocardial infarction [J]. Circulation , 2002 , 105 ( 7 ): 868 - 873 . DOI: 10.1161/hc0702.104164 http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/hc0702.104164 .
Di Bello E , Zwergel C , Mai A , et al . The innovative potential of statins in cancer: new targets for new therapies [J]. Front Chem , 2020 , 8 : 516 . DOI: 10.3389/fchem. 2020.00516 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2020.00516 .
Budman D R , Tai J L , Calabro A . Fluvastatin enhancement of trastuzumab and classical cytotoxic agents in defined breast cancer cell lines in vitro [J]. Breast Cancer Res Treat , 2007 , 104 ( 1 ): 93 - 101 . DOI: 10.1007/s10549-006-9395-5 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10549-006-9395-5 .
McKay R R , Lin X , Albiges L , et al . Statins and survival outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma [J]. Eur J Cancer , 2016 , 52 : 155 - 162 . DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2015.10.008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2015.10.008 .
Nayan M , Finelli A , Jewett M A S , et al . Statin use and kidney cancer outcomes: a propensity score analysis [J]. Urologic Oncol Semin Orig Investig , 2016 , 34 ( 11 ): 487.e1 - 487.e6 . DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2016.06.007 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.urolonc.2016.06.007 .
0
Views
29
下载量
0
CSCD
Publicity Resources
Related Articles
Related Author
Related Institution
京公网安备11010802024621
