Mikhail Sameh, He Aiwu Ruth
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Hospital, 3800 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
Int J Hepatol. 2011;2011:486954. doi: 10.4061/2011/486954. Epub 2011 Jun 30.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary malignancy of the liver in adults. It is also the fifth most common solid cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Recent research supports that liver cancer is a disease of adult stem cells. From the models of experimental hepatocarcinogenesis, there may be at least three distinct cell lineages with progenitor properties susceptible to neoplastic transformation. Identification of specific cell surface markers for each of the liver cell types, production of corresponding monoclonal antibodies and cell sorting techniques have together revolutionized the characteristics of normal stem cells. In hepatocarcinogenesis, multiple signaling transduction pathways, important for stem cell proliferation and differentiations, are deregulated. Strategies are being developed to identify and characterize the liver cancer stem cells. Targeting liver cancer stem cells may bring hope to curing hepatocellular carcinoma.
肝细胞癌是成人肝脏最常见的原发性恶性肿瘤。它也是全球第五大常见实体癌,是癌症相关死亡的第三大主要原因。最近的研究支持肝癌是一种成人干细胞疾病。从实验性肝癌发生模型来看,可能至少有三种具有祖细胞特性的不同细胞谱系易发生肿瘤转化。针对每种肝细胞类型的特异性细胞表面标志物的鉴定、相应单克隆抗体的产生以及细胞分选技术共同彻底改变了正常干细胞的特性。在肝癌发生过程中,对干细胞增殖和分化至关重要的多个信号转导通路失调。正在制定策略来识别和表征肝癌干细胞。靶向肝癌干细胞可能为治愈肝细胞癌带来希望。