In the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the long-term benefits of second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as sorafenib are often limited by resistance mechanisms and adverse effects. The deubiquitinase ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) is upregulated in advanced HCC disease and has been linked to poor prognosis and treatment resistance.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major cause of cancer death worldwide and, although early-stage disease can sometimes be cured by surgical resection and liver transplantation, advanced cases still respond poorly to current systemic treatments and immunotherapy.
Previously, Chinese researchers used long-read RNA sequencing to identify a unique alternative splicing variant of CD44 transmembrane protein, named CD44E, which is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors compared to adjacent nontumoral liver tissues. In a new study, the team analyzed the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database and confirmed that CD44E expression is limited in essential normal organs, while CD44S standard isoform is broadly expressed on most cell types.
Though immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved the outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the response rates remain limited. At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, researchers highlighted N-lysine methyltransferase SMYD2 as an oncogenic protein overexpressed in several tumor types.
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.
Sunshine Biopharma Inc. has completed mouse model studies providing proof of concept for the company’s K1.1 mRNA product as a novel therapeutic agent for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
The maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis plays a crucial role in tumor cell survival and growth. Mitochondrial integrity is regulated by proteins in the mitochondrial inner membrane, such as prohibitin (PHB). PHB has been found overexpressed in several cancer types and contributes to tumorigenesis.
Researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University and MD Anderson Cancer Center have compared the proteins secreted by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in responders and nonresponders to the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab.
