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Hepatocellular Carcinoma in 2023: What Is New on Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2025 | Viewed by 7404

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology—Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
Interests: gut microbiota; liver disease; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver cirrhosis; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Liver cancer, more specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the second leading cause of cancer-related death, and its incidence is increasing globally. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection are major risk factors for the development of HCC. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is heterogeneous in patients with HCC and is characterized by complex interactions between immune system cells, tumor cells, and other stromal and resident liver cells. The etiology of liver disease plays a role in controlling the TME and modulating the immune response. Markers of immune suppression in the TME are associated with a poor prognosis in several solid tumors. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has become the main option for treating cancers, including HCC.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for molecular mechanistic research on hepatocellular carcinoma with a special focus on potential treatments and novel pathogenic pathways involved in this disease. We warmly welcome your submissions of original papers and reviews based on results from molecular viewpoints.

Dr. Francesca Romana Ponziani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • liver cancer
  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • hepatitis B virus
  • hepatitis C virus
  • nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
  • HBV
  • HCV
  • HCC
  • NAFLD
  • tumor microenvironment
  • gut liver axis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

14 pages, 760 KiB  
Review
Interventional Oncology and Immuno-Oncology: Current Challenges and Future Trends
by Alessandro Posa, Andrea Contegiacomo, Francesca Romana Ponziani, Ernesto Punzi, Giulia Mazza, Annarita Scrofani, Maurizio Pompili, Shraga Nahum Goldberg, Luigi Natale, Antonio Gasbarrini, Evis Sala and Roberto Iezzi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7344; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087344 - 16 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2089
Abstract
Personalized cancer treatments help to deliver tailored and biologically driven therapies for cancer patients. Interventional oncology techniques are able to treat malignancies in a locoregional fashion, with a variety of mechanisms of action leading to tumor necrosis. Tumor destruction determines a great availability [...] Read more.
Personalized cancer treatments help to deliver tailored and biologically driven therapies for cancer patients. Interventional oncology techniques are able to treat malignancies in a locoregional fashion, with a variety of mechanisms of action leading to tumor necrosis. Tumor destruction determines a great availability of tumor antigens that can be recognized by the immune system, potentially triggering an immune response. The advent of immunotherapy in cancer care, with the introduction of specific immune checkpoint inhibitors, has led to the investigation of the synergy of these drugs when used in combination with interventional oncology treatments. The aim of this paper is to review the most recent advances in the field of interventional oncology locoregional treatments and their interactions with immunotherapy. Full article
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25 pages, 451 KiB  
Review
COVID-19: Has the Liver Been Spared?
by Nicolò Brandi, Daniele Spinelli, Alessandro Granito, Francesco Tovoli, Fabio Piscaglia, Rita Golfieri and Matteo Renzulli
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021091 - 6 Jan 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3427
Abstract
The liver is a secondary and often collateral target of COVID-19 disease but can lead to important consequences. COVID-19 might directly cause a high number of complications in patients with pre-existing chronic liver disease, increasing their risk of hepatic decompensation. Moreover, it also [...] Read more.
The liver is a secondary and often collateral target of COVID-19 disease but can lead to important consequences. COVID-19 might directly cause a high number of complications in patients with pre-existing chronic liver disease, increasing their risk of hepatic decompensation. Moreover, it also determines indirect consequences in the management of patients with liver disease, especially in those suffering from decompensated cirrhosis and HCC, as well as in the execution of their follow-up and the availability of all therapeutic possibilities. Liver imaging in COVID-19 patients proved to be highly nonspecific, but it can still be useful for identifying the complications that derive from the infection. Moreover, the recent implementation of telemedicine constitutes a possible solution to both the physical distancing and the re-organizational difficulties arising from the pandemic. The present review aims to encompass the currently hypothesized pathophysiological mechanisms of liver injury in patients with COVID-19 mediated by both the direct invasion of the virus and its indirect effects and analyze the consequence of the pandemic in patients with chronic liver disease and liver tumors, with particular regard to the management strategies that have been implemented to face this worldwide emergency and that can be further improved. Full article
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