Is Notch Signaling a Specific Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma?

Author(s):

Lichun Sun, Guangchun Sun, Yan Yu and David H. Coy   Pages 809 - 815 ( 7 )

Abstract:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers, with the second highest cancer death rate world-wide, next to lung cancer. The signaling mechanisms in HCC are currently not clear. Notch signaling, which is highly conserved and plays a critical role in many cancers, was found to be aberrantly upregulated in HCC tissues compared to normal liver tissues. Accumulating evidence supports that Notch signaling plays a significantly important role in HCC carcinogenesis. This review discusses the functions of Notch signaling in HCC and its potential therapeutic applications against this cancer.

Keywords:

Hepatocellular carcinoma, Notch signaling, oncogene, therapeutics, tumor suppressor.

Affiliation:

Department of Pharmacy, The Fifth People’s Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University; 801 He-Qing Rd., Shanghai 200240, China.

Graphical Abstract:

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