Liver tumor-initiating cells as a therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: Cancer letters Vol. 338; no. 1; pp. 101 - 109
• Main Authors: Lee, Terence Kin Wah, Cheung, Vincent Chi Ho, Ng, Irene Oi Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 10.09.2013; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biomarkers, Tumor - antagonists & inhibitors; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - genetics; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Cell growth; Chemoresistance; chemotherapy; HCC; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; hepatoma; Humans; liver; Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - genetics; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Models, Genetic; Molecular Targeted Therapy - methods; Neoplastic Stem Cells - drug effects; Neoplastic Stem Cells - metabolism; Neoplastic Stem Cells - pathology; Population; prognosis; Self-renewal; signal transduction; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - genetics; Stem cells; surgery; Tumor-initiating cells; Tumorigenicity; Tumors; EpCAM; transforming growth factor beta; Chemoresistance; PTEN; HIF-1α; phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10; Tumor-initiating cells; Self-renewal; T-IC; reactive oxygen species; TGF-β; cancer stem cells; SP; hepatocellular carcinoma; CSCs; HNF-4α; hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α; aldehyde dehydrogenase; granulin–epithelin precursor; OSM; HCC; Tumorigenicity; side population; ALDH; oncostatin; GEP; hypoxia-inducible factor-1α; ROS; epithelial cell adhesion molecule
• ISSN: 0304-3835; 1872-7980
• DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2012.05.001

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy worldwide and has poor prognosis. Existing treatment modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiofrequency ablation, which target tumor bulk, have demonstrated limited therapeutic efficacy. In the past 10years, accumulating evidence has supported the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor initiating cells (T-ICs) within tumors including HCC. Identification of liver T-ICs and the signaling pathways that they are involved in may shed light on novel therapeutic strategies against this deadly disease. In this review, we will discuss recent progresses made in the research of liver T-ICs with regard to identification, functional characterization, regulation and therapeutic implications.