Hepatocellular carcinoma: Therapeutic advances in signaling, epigenetic and immune targets

Area of Science:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) research
• Oncology drug development
• Translational medicine

Background:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence is rising globally, driven by viral hepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Current treatments for advanced HCC remain unsatisfactory.
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors are now a cornerstone of HCC therapy, alongside tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current treatment options for advanced HCC.
• To discuss emerging novel therapeutic approaches for HCC.
• To explore preclinical models essential for HCC drug discovery and development.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of advanced HCC treatments.
• Analysis of emerging therapies including epigenetic therapy (HDACi) and CAR-T cell therapy.
• Evaluation of preclinical and animal models for drug development.

Main Results:

• Established therapies for advanced HCC are limited.
• Novel treatments like histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) show promise in clinical trials.
• Improved preclinical models and predictive biomarkers are vital for advancing HCC therapies.

Conclusions:

• The development of novel HCC therapies requires robust preclinical models and biomarker identification.
• Epigenetic therapies and cell-based therapies represent promising future directions for advanced HCC treatment.
• Continued research into innovative treatment modalities and models is essential to address the growing burden of hepatocellular carcinoma.