The EZH2/MCM Complex/hTERT axis facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting cellular senescence

The complex pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) limits the effectiveness of current therapies. Through RNA sequencing of cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissues from six HCC patients, we identified a significant upregulation of MCM2-7 genes, which encode proteins that form the MCM complex, a DNA helicase involved in DNA replication and cell cycle progression. We focused on MCM2, MCM3, and MCM7, and observed that knockdown of these proteins inhibited HCC cell proliferation. Further analysis revealed a critical regulatory axis involving EZH2, the MCM complex, and hTERT. EZH2 was found to be highly correlated with MCM complex gene expression and directly bound to the MCM gene promoters, regulating their expression. This EZH2/MCM complex/hTERT axis may play a key role in suppressing cellular senescence, thereby promoting HCC progression. Knocking down MCM complex genes reduced hTERT expression, inducing HCC cell senescence and enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib. These findings suggest that the EZH2/MCM complex/hTERT axis could serve as a novel therapeutic target for HCC.