Monday, April 8, 2013

PUTATIVE TARGETS IN HEPATOMA
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It is evident that Hepatocarcinoma which develops most of the time within a cirrhotic liver, result from stress
putting the NF-kB, c-JUN and c-Fos front and center into the pathogenesis of this disease.  The result is an overexpression of Cyclins and Growth factors (TGF).  In fact researchers have reported as a critical step into Hepatogenesis Mutations in the the receptor of TGF.  Making Interferon alpha a potential Target therapy.  It is often time reported that for the above pathway to perform fully a balance in Polyamines should existence (measured by spermidine and Putresssine in one study).  Making Polyamine levels a target for therapy.  Recently, Interferon Regulator factor 4 (IRF4 or MUM1) had become a center of research in Melanoma.  One may wonder if it has the same importance in Hepatoma.   This IRF4 is regulated MITF which we commented on earlier.
The disease will eventually grow and metastasize using standard VEGF/EGFR pathways and Multikinases  are now standard of care.  The Anti-MEK are waiting in a wing for testing.  c-JUN belong to the MAPK family, therefore the MTOR inhibitor are waiting for further testing (May be in combination to interferon).
The genes of hepatic differentiation, the IGF, NF1, hSRC, Axin1, P53,SMAD2-4, TIMP2,Rb1,Bcl-10 and others all appears legitimate target.  We have our work cut out, let's go to work!

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