Target Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Beyond Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health concern worldwide, and its incidence is increasing steadily. To date, receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are the most favored molecular targets for the treatment of HCC, followed by immune checkpoint regulators such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. With less...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hyunjung Park, Hyerin Park, Jiyeon Baek, Hyuk Moon, Simon Weonsang Ro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-04-01
Series:Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/4/585
Description
Summary:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health concern worldwide, and its incidence is increasing steadily. To date, receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are the most favored molecular targets for the treatment of HCC, followed by immune checkpoint regulators such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. With less than desirable clinical outcomes from RTK inhibitors as well as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) so far, novel molecular target therapies have been proposed for HCC. In this review, we will introduce diverse molecular signaling pathways that are aberrantly activated in HCC, focusing on YAP/TAZ, Hedgehog, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, and discuss potential therapeutic strategies targeting the signaling pathways in HCC.
ISSN:2079-7737