Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fengjiao He, Puhua Zeng, Sijing Ma, Ximing Yang, Huan Liu, Qiong Liu, Yangying Zhou, Hong Zhu
Summary: This study analyzed the transcriptome data of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and constructed a Cuproptosis-Related Genes (CRGs)-based risk signature. The CRGs signature was found to be associated with prognosis, clinical characteristics, immune cell infiltration, and drug sensitivity of HCC.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Devashree Jahagirdar, Ratnesh Jain, Prajakta Dandekar
Summary: This study developed a triple co-culture model consisting of retinoblastoma, retinal epithelium, and choroid endothelial cells, using a protein coating cocktail, to replicate this ocular cancer under in vitro conditions. The model was used to screen drug toxicity based on the growth profile of retinoblastoma cells, using carboplatin as the model drug. Furthermore, a combination of bevacizumab and carboplatin was evaluated using the developed model to reduce the concentration of carboplatin and its physiological side-effects.
BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Shujia Chen, Peiyan Liu, Lili Zhao, Ping Han, Jie Liu, Hang Yang, Jia Li
Summary: This study provides insights into the tumor microenvironment status in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and lays the foundation for immunotherapy and the selection of sensitive drugs.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Hiroyuki Abe, Kenya Kamimura, Shujiro Okuda, Yu Watanabe, Jun Inoue, Yutaka Aoyagi, Toshifumi Wakai, Ryo Kominami, Shuji Terai
Summary: This study found that overexpression of BCL11B in hepatocellular carcinoma leads to increased expression of GATA6, activation of anti-apoptotic signaling, and resistance to chemotherapy, which in turn affects postoperative prognosis.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mahsa Sedighi, Zahra Mahmoudi, Samin Abbaszadeh, Mohammad Reza Eskandari, Morvarid Saeinasab, Farshid Sefat
Summary: Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cause of mortality globally. Extensive research has been conducted to understand the mechanisms involved in the disease's pathogenesis and develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Nanotechnology has great potential in HCC diagnosis and treatment through targeted delivery, ensuring sufficient doses in tumor areas without harming normal cells.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Elisa Herraez, Ruba Al-Abdulla, Meraris Soto, Oscar Briz, Dominik Bettinger, Heike Bantel, Sofia del Carmen, Maria A. Serrano, Andreas Geier, Jose J. G. Marin, Rocio I. R. Macias
Summary: Impaired function of organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been associated with unsatisfactory response to sorafenib. However, some patients lacking OCT1 at the plasma membrane (PM) of HCC cells still respond to sorafenib, suggesting that another transporter may contribute to take up this drug. The aim of this study was to investigate whether OCT3 could contribute to the uptake of sorafenib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and whether OCT3 determination can predict HCC response to sorafenib. Functional in vitro studies revealed that OCT3 is also able to mediate sorafenib uptake. Other TKIs, such as regorafenib, lenvatinib, and cabozantinib can also interact with this transporter. In HCC samples, OCT3 was expressed at the PM of cancer cells, and its presence, detected in 26% of tumors, was associated with better outcomes in patients treated with sorafenib. Analysis by immunohistochemistry of OCT3 in the PM of tumor cells may help to predict the response of HCC patients to sorafenib and potentially to other TKIs.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Dino Bekric, Matthias Ocker, Christian Mayr, Sebastian Stintzing, Markus Ritter, Tobias Kiesslich, Daniel Neureiter
Summary: In recent years, scientific discoveries have brought new breakthroughs in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ferroptosis, as a novel form of cell death, may negatively impact HCC and serve as a potential anti-cancer strategy. Understanding the role of ferroptosis in HCC and its application in clinical practice is of great importance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhao Chuanbing, Zhang Zhengle, Ding Ruili, Zhu Kongfan, Tao Jing
Summary: This study aimed to determine the roles of genes that modulate butyrate metabolism (BM) in predicting the clinical prognosis and responses to systemic therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Candidate genes were identified and a BM-related gene signature (BMGs) was constructed using the LASSO Cox algorithm. BMGs showed strong performance in evaluating the prognoses of HCC patients and may serve as novel promising biomarkers for early identification of high-risk groups and assessing drug sensitivity and responses to immunotherapy, TACE, and ablation therapy in HCC patients.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yaoting Li, Xuezhen Zeng
Summary: This study investigated the role of dysregulated CRGs in HCC and found that the expression of CRGs was correlated with patient prognosis, with 5 CRGs being associated with patient survival. A prognostic model was constructed to stratify HCC patients into high and low CRGs-score subgroups, with high CRGs-score being associated with worse prognosis. The study also demonstrated that high CRGs-score group had enhanced expression of immune checkpoint genes. Therefore, CRGs-score may serve as a novel prognostic factor for HCC.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Fei Song, Cheng-Gui Wang, Jia-Zhen Mao, Tian-Lun Wang, Xiao-Liang Liang, Chen-Wei Hu, Yu Zhang, Lu Han, Zhong Chen
Summary: This study analyzed PANoptosis-associated genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and identified 69 differentially expressed genes (HPAN_DEGs) in HCC. Three HCC subtypes were discovered, and the role of these genes in tumor growth, immune infiltration, and drug resistance was investigated. The findings provide valuable insights for personalized therapeutic strategy development in HCC.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Qi Wang, Juan Liu, Wenzhen Yin, Dawei Sun, Zhongsong Man, Shangwei Jiang, Xiufeng Ran, Yuxin Su, Yunfang Wang, Jiahong Dong
Summary: This study revealed a strong correlation between FGFR4 and HCC clinicopathological characteristics, and predicted several potential drug candidates using drug-gene related databases. Additionally, the research team developed an efficient agarose hydrogel microwells method for evaluating the anti-tumor effects of these drugs. The results demonstrated that Parthenolide could enhance the clinical efficacy of FGFR4 receptor inhibitors.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Sihang Yu, Lei Zhou, Jiaying Fu, Long Xu, Buhan Liu, Yuanxin Zhao, Jian Wang, Xiaoyu Yan, Jing Su
Summary: There is increasing evidence showing the crucial role of the immune microenvironment, particularly the polarization state and function of macrophages, in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumor-derived exosomes in hepatocellular carcinoma act as information carriers and regulate the physiological state of cells in the microenvironment, thus controlling cancer progression. This review focuses on the role of exosome content in disease outcomes at different stages of hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma, and explores the mechanism by which macrophages contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma formation and the regulation of macrophage functions by the heterogeneity of exosome loading. The application prospects of exosome-based targeted drug delivery in immunotherapy research on hepatocellular carcinoma are also summarized.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Alican Ozkan, Danielle L. Stolley, Erik N. K. Cressman, Matthew McMillin, Sharon DeMorrow, Thomas E. Yankeelov, Marissa Nichole Rylander
Summary: Variations in tumor biology from patient to patient, the low overall survival rate of hepatocellular carcinoma, and changes in microenvironmental properties during the progression of chronic liver diseases present significant clinical challenges. The study found that CYP3A4 enzyme expression levels were linked to chemoresistance in HCC cells, with higher expression associated with cirrhosis-dependent resistance to doxorubicin, and lower expression associated with decreased resistance in response to increased microenvironmental stiffness. This suggests that considering patient-specific tumor microenvironmental factors may be necessary for more effective use of chemotherapeutics in HCC patients.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Mingzhen Chen, Chunli Kong, Enqi Qiao, Yaning Chen, Weiyue Chen, Xiaole Jiang, Shiji Fang, Dengke Zhang, Minjiang Chen, Weiqian Chen, Jiansong Ji
Summary: This study compared the accuracy of predicting TACE outcomes for HCC patients using four different classifiers. The DNN model performed better than others and integrated with clinically significant factors to create the CD model, which may be valuable in pre-treatment counseling for HCC patients who may benefit from TACE intervention.
INSIGHTS INTO IMAGING
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lin He, Chuxia Deng
Summary: Organotypic tissue slice culture has numerous advantages in anticancer drug development, including the preservation of cell repertoire, quick assessment of therapeutic efficacy, and the ability to select personalized treatment regimens. It is expected to become a potent platform for individualized drug screening.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)