Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy
The pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multifactorial process that has not yet been fully investigated. Autophagy and apoptosis are two important cellular pathways that are critical for cell survival or death. The balance between apoptosis and autophagy regulates liver cell turnover...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Biomedicines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/11/4/1166 |
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| author | Elias Kouroumalis Ioannis Tsomidis Argyro Voumvouraki |
| author_facet | Elias Kouroumalis Ioannis Tsomidis Argyro Voumvouraki |
| author_sort | Elias Kouroumalis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multifactorial process that has not yet been fully investigated. Autophagy and apoptosis are two important cellular pathways that are critical for cell survival or death. The balance between apoptosis and autophagy regulates liver cell turnover and maintains intracellular homeostasis. However, the balance is often dysregulated in many cancers, including HCC. Autophagy and apoptosis pathways may be either independent or parallel or one may influence the other. Autophagy may either inhibit or promote apoptosis, thus regulating the fate of the liver cancer cells. In this review, a concise overview of the pathogenesis of HCC is presented, with emphasis on new developments, including the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress, the implication of microRNAs and the role of gut microbiota. The characteristics of HCC associated with a specific liver disease are also described and a brief description of autophagy and apoptosis is provided. The role of autophagy and apoptosis in the initiation, progress and metastatic potential is reviewed and the experimental evidence indicating an interplay between the two is extensively analyzed. The role of ferroptosis, a recently described specific pathway of regulated cell death, is presented. Finally, the potential therapeutic implications of autophagy and apoptosis in drug resistance are examined. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:13:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c0d7d0ef049946a09dca800b1d078233 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:13:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomedicines |
| spelling | doaj.art-c0d7d0ef049946a09dca800b1d0782332023-11-17T18:27:29ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592023-04-01114116610.3390/biomedicines11041166Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and AutophagyElias Kouroumalis0Ioannis Tsomidis1Argyro Voumvouraki2Department of Gastroenterology, PAGNI University Hospital, University of Crete School of Medicine, 71500 Heraklion, Crete, GreeceLaboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Crete Medical School, 71500 Heraklion, Crete, Greece1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, 54621 Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, GreeceThe pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multifactorial process that has not yet been fully investigated. Autophagy and apoptosis are two important cellular pathways that are critical for cell survival or death. The balance between apoptosis and autophagy regulates liver cell turnover and maintains intracellular homeostasis. However, the balance is often dysregulated in many cancers, including HCC. Autophagy and apoptosis pathways may be either independent or parallel or one may influence the other. Autophagy may either inhibit or promote apoptosis, thus regulating the fate of the liver cancer cells. In this review, a concise overview of the pathogenesis of HCC is presented, with emphasis on new developments, including the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress, the implication of microRNAs and the role of gut microbiota. The characteristics of HCC associated with a specific liver disease are also described and a brief description of autophagy and apoptosis is provided. The role of autophagy and apoptosis in the initiation, progress and metastatic potential is reviewed and the experimental evidence indicating an interplay between the two is extensively analyzed. The role of ferroptosis, a recently described specific pathway of regulated cell death, is presented. Finally, the potential therapeutic implications of autophagy and apoptosis in drug resistance are examined.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/11/4/1166hepatocellular carcinomadisease associationsautophagyapoptosisferroptosis |
| spellingShingle | Elias Kouroumalis Ioannis Tsomidis Argyro Voumvouraki Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy Biomedicines hepatocellular carcinoma disease associations autophagy apoptosis ferroptosis |
| title | Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy |
| title_full | Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy |
| title_fullStr | Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy |
| title_short | Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy |
| title_sort | pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma the interplay of apoptosis and autophagy |
| topic | hepatocellular carcinoma disease associations autophagy apoptosis ferroptosis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/11/4/1166 |
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