Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers and is a leading cause of global mortality with approximately over 800,000 new diagnosed cases and over 700,000 deaths on an annual basis. The most common primary subtype of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounting for more than 70% of cases. HCC has a poor survival rate and prognosis. HCC is typically caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus infections as well as other factors including alcohol abuse, autoimmune hepatitis and metabolic disorders. The main form of treatment for early HCC is surgical resection but early diagnosis can be difficult to detect and most patients reach the advanced stages of the disease by the time of diagnosis. Alternative therapeutic interventions include radiofrequency ablation, hepatic transplantation and stereotactic body radiation. However, the prognosis of HCC remains unfavorable due to recurrence and distant metastasis. Therefore, further studies are required to understand the molecular mechanisms and pathogenesis of how HCC progresses to identify potential novel diagnostic biomarkers and effective treatments for HCC.
Studies have shown various molecular factors which influence the progression of HCC. Androgen receptors (AR) have been highlighted to significantly influence the progression of HCC but the role of AR has not yet been defined. Studies have shown that AR influences the progression of tumorigenesis in the early stages of HCC but inhibits its progression and metastasis in the advanced stages of the disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are also known to play a big role in the initiation, progression and metastasis of various cancers. Research has shown that RABL6, a RAS oncogene, found to be highly expressed in various cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer. There are studies that have demonstrated a relationship between AR and miR-122-5p/RABL6 signaling, and miR-122-5p that can influence HCC progression.
Other molecular factors include long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) which influence gene regulation, cell proliferation, survival and migration. LncRNAs have been demonstrated to influence the occurrence and progression of various cancers as well as their metastatic tumor microenvironment. There have been many lncRNAs differentially expressed in HCC which allows to them to be identified as a potential biomarker and diagnostic tool for HCC. Studies have highlighted the role of lncRNA SOX2-OT in various cancers including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and prostate cancer. However, further studies are required to identify the role of lncRNA SOX2-OT in HCC and how it impacts the progression of the disease.
The goal of this Research Topic is to identify molecular factors that influence hepatocellular carcinoma progression to provide an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the disease. We welcome Original Research Articles, Reviews and Systematic Reviews.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers and is a leading cause of global mortality with approximately over 800,000 new diagnosed cases and over 700,000 deaths on an annual basis. The most common primary subtype of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounting for more than 70% of cases. HCC has a poor survival rate and prognosis. HCC is typically caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus infections as well as other factors including alcohol abuse, autoimmune hepatitis and metabolic disorders. The main form of treatment for early HCC is surgical resection but early diagnosis can be difficult to detect and most patients reach the advanced stages of the disease by the time of diagnosis. Alternative therapeutic interventions include radiofrequency ablation, hepatic transplantation and stereotactic body radiation. However, the prognosis of HCC remains unfavorable due to recurrence and distant metastasis. Therefore, further studies are required to understand the molecular mechanisms and pathogenesis of how HCC progresses to identify potential novel diagnostic biomarkers and effective treatments for HCC.
Studies have shown various molecular factors which influence the progression of HCC. Androgen receptors (AR) have been highlighted to significantly influence the progression of HCC but the role of AR has not yet been defined. Studies have shown that AR influences the progression of tumorigenesis in the early stages of HCC but inhibits its progression and metastasis in the advanced stages of the disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are also known to play a big role in the initiation, progression and metastasis of various cancers. Research has shown that RABL6, a RAS oncogene, found to be highly expressed in various cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer. There are studies that have demonstrated a relationship between AR and miR-122-5p/RABL6 signaling, and miR-122-5p that can influence HCC progression.
Other molecular factors include long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) which influence gene regulation, cell proliferation, survival and migration. LncRNAs have been demonstrated to influence the occurrence and progression of various cancers as well as their metastatic tumor microenvironment. There have been many lncRNAs differentially expressed in HCC which allows to them to be identified as a potential biomarker and diagnostic tool for HCC. Studies have highlighted the role of lncRNA SOX2-OT in various cancers including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and prostate cancer. However, further studies are required to identify the role of lncRNA SOX2-OT in HCC and how it impacts the progression of the disease.
The goal of this Research Topic is to identify molecular factors that influence hepatocellular carcinoma progression to provide an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the disease. We welcome Original Research Articles, Reviews and Systematic Reviews.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.