HAMP downregulation contributes to aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma via mechanism mediated by cyclin4-dependent kinase-1/STAT3 pathway

Background: Hepcidin encoded by HAMP is vital to regulating proliferation, metastasis, and migration. Hepcidin is secreted specifically by the liver. This study sought to examine the functional role of hepcidin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Data in the Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to analyze HAMP expression as it relates to HCC prognosis. We then used the 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometric analysis, respectively, to assess proliferation, migration, and the cell cycle. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to find pathways affected by HAMP. Results: HAMP expression was lower in hepatocellular carcinoma samples compared with adjacent normal tissue controls. Low HAMP expression was linked with a higher rate of metastasis and poor disease-free status. Downregulation of HAMP induced SMMC-7721 and HepG-2 cell proliferation and promoted their migration. HAMP could affect the cell cycle pathway and Western blotting, confirming that reduced HAMP levels activated cyclin-dependent kinase-1/stat 3 pathway. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that HAMP functions as a tumor suppressor gene. The role of HAMP in cellular proliferation and metastasis is related to cell cycle checkpoints. HAMP could be considered as a diagnostic biomarker and targeted therapy in HCC.