High NDRG3 expression facilitates HCC metastasis by promoting nuclear translocation of β-catenin

NDRG1 has been reported to exert pivotal roles in tumor progression and metastasis via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. However, little is known about the role of NDRG3 in hepatocarcinogenesis despite its classification in the same subfamily of NDRG1. The present study was aimed to characterize the expression pattern and understand the biological roles of NDRG3 in hepatocarcinogenesis, as a means to exploit its therapeutic potential. It was observed that NDRG3 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and higher NDRG3 expression was associated with significantly shorter overall survival. Furthermore, a lower level of NDRG3 exhibited marked positive correlation with metastasis-free survival. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that knock-down of NDRG3 inhibits HCC metastasis and angiogenesis. We further demonstrated that activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling and enhanced CSC-like properties were responsible for NDRG3- mediated promoting effect on HCC. In conclusion, the principal findings demonstrated that high NDRG3 expression facilitates HCC metastasis via regulating the turnover of β-catenin, as well as provides a potential therapeutic target for future therapeutic interventions.