Open AccessMetabolic alterations and vulnerabilities in hepatocellular carcinoma
Author(s) -
Daniel G. Tenen,
Li Chai,
Justin L. Tan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
gastroenterology report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2052-0034
pISSN - 2304-1412
DOI - 10.1093/gastro/goaa066
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , medicine , liver cancer , cancer , disease , cancer research , bioinformatics , pathology , oncology , biology
Liver cancer is a serious disease. It is ranked as the cancer with the second highest number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which arises from transformed hepatocytes, is the major subtype of liver cancer. It accounts for 85% of total liver-cancer cases. An important aspect of HCC that has been actively studied is its metabolism. With the liver as the primary site of numerous metabolic processes in the body, it has been shown that the metabolism of HCC cells is highly dysregulated compared to that of normal hepatocytes. It is therefore crucial to understand the metabolic alterations caused by HCC and the underlying mechanisms for these alterations. This deeper understanding will allow diagnostic and therapeutic advancements in the treatment of HCC. In this review, we will summarize the current literature in HCC metabolic alterations, induced vulnerabilities, and potential therapeutic interventions.