Bispecific antibodies have gotten plenty of press in recent years, but less prominent in headlines are bifunctional ones – i.e., those that boast one binding site for an antigen and another site for a non-antibody molecule such as a toxin or drug, taking aim at a single target and bringing a secondary function for extra oomph.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents about 90% of all cases of liver cancer and has a poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of about 18%. Previous findings had shown that RNA 5-methylcytosine (m5C) plays an important role in HCC progression, where the impairment of ferroptosis plays a crucial role in HCC progression.
Metabolic reprogramming in cancer involves glycolytic enzymes acquiring noncanonical functions and acting as protein kinases, which contribute to tumor progression and present new therapeutic opportunities. While hexokinase domain-containing protein 1 (HKDC1), a hexokinase family member, has been implicated in tumor growth and immune evasion, its nonmetabolic roles remain poorly understood.
Human antigen R (HuR) controls the stability and translation of several transcripts that are key for metabolism, inflammation and cancer, including TNF-α or MYC. Previous findings have shown the pro-tumorigenic role of HuR in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its inhibition to be involved in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
Researchers from Universitatsklinikum Heidelberg presented data from a study that investigated the role of strawberry notch homolog 1 (SBNO1) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).
Researchers from Medizinische Hochschule Hannover and affiliated organizations reported data from studies aimed to identify non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) with therapeutic potential against liver fibrosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Functional screening of patient-derived primary human hepatic myofibroblasts, followed by in vivo validation in mouse models of fibrosis, were performed in search of antifibrotic miRNAs.
Researchers from Captor Therapeutics Inc. presented the preclinical characterization of CT-01, a first-in-class GSPT-1 targeted degrader under investigation for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Enhanced quantity and functionality of natural killer (NK) cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been associated with improved prognosis and survival. Therefore, NK cell-based immunotherapy has been proposed for treating HCC, relying on the activation of NK cell receptors like natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs), which recognize specific ligands on HCC cells. However, the effectiveness of this approach remains low due to tumor immune evasion.
The treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has made progress due to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), but still many patients present innate or acquired resistance to ICIs, thus there is a need for the discovery of new therapeutic approaches for HCC treatment. Epigenetic alterations play a key role in liver cancer, so that they can suppress the expression of proteins involved in triggering the immune response against tumors. Spanish researchers have now identified a promising target for liver HCC treatment, named histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EHMT2, also known as protein G9a.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive disease that accounts for 80%-90% of all primary liver cancers. Previous findings have shown fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF-19) to be overexpressed in up to 30% of HCC cases, exerting its oncogenic effect through its receptors fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) and FGFR4.
