# Porcine Recombinant NK-Lysin Inhibits the Growth and Metastasis of Murine Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Vivo

## TL;DR

A protein from pigs called prNK-lysin can stop liver cancer growth and spread in mice by causing cell death and blocking cancer-related proteins.

## Contribution

This study is the first to show prNK-lysin's anti-cancer effects in a mouse model of liver cancer.

## Key findings

- prNK-lysin inhibited HCC cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro by inducing oncosis and suppressing Fascin-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9.
- In vivo, prNK-lysin reduced liver tumor growth and lung metastasis in mice at 13 mg/kg.
- The anticancer effects of prNK-lysin are potentially mediated through oncosis and inhibition of specific proteins.

## Abstract

Porcine recombinant NK-lysin (prNK-lysin) has been shown to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vitro. However, its effects on the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells in vivo remain unclear. In this study, an allograft murine model using the murine HCC cell line Hepa1-6 was employed to investigate the anticancer effects of prNK-lysin. Initially, the in vitro anticancer efficacy of prNK-lysin was evaluated in Hepa1-6 cells, demonstrating that prNK-lysin effectively inhibited both proliferation and metastasis. These effects were mediated through the induction of oncosis and suppression of Fascin-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 protein expressions. Subsequently, the in vivo anticancer efficacy of prNK-lysin was assessed using a mouse liver orthotopic implantation model and a lung metastasis model of Hepa1-6 cells in BALB/cA-nu mice. The administration of 13 mg/kg of prNK-lysin could inhibit tumor growth in the liver and metastasis to the lungs. Our results demonstrate that prNK-lysin possesses strong anti-HCC effects both in vitro and in vivo, with the induction of oncosis and the inhibition of Fascin-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 protein expressions as potential molecular mechanisms for its anticancer activity.