Transcriptome profiles associated with selenium deficiency dependent oxidative stress identify potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in liver cancer cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells show increased resistance to various stress conditions such as oxidative stress. Conventional therapies have low efficacies due to resistance and off-target effects in HCC. Here we aimed to analyze oxidative stress-related gene expression profiles of two HCC cell lines. To identify important genes that cause resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS), a model of oxidative stress upon selenium (Se) deficiency was utilized in which an affymetrix microarray data was generated for two isogenic HCC cell lines - HepG2 and HepG2-2.2.15 (Head-to-Tail HBV genome integration) that are either sensitive or resistant to Se deficiency dependent oxidative stress, respectively. HepG2-2.2.15 and HepG2 cell lines were grown in either Se positive or Se negative mediums for 3 days in duplicates. They were harvested on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of the treatment, and RNA isolation was performed. For each day, gene expression analysis data by Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array Affymetrix Array was acquired.