title: PDGFRalpha: a new therapeutic target in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) develops most often in a background of chronic inflammatory liver injury from viral infection or alcohol use. Most HCCs are diagnosed at a stage at which surgical resection is not feasible. Even in patients receiving surgery rates of recurrence and metastasis remain high. There are few effective HCC therapies and hence a need for novel, rational approaches to treatment. Platelet derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFR-alpha) is involved in tumor angiogenesis and maintenance of the tumor microenvironment and has been implicated in development and metastasis of HCC.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine PDGFR-alpha as a target for therapy of HCC and explore opportunities and strategies for PDGFR-alpha inhibition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of relevant literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeted inhibition of PDGFR-alpha is a rational strategy for prevention and therapy of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Miles and Shirley Fiterman Center for Digestive Diseases College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. roberts.lewis@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Abdul M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Oseini
authors.forename: Lewis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Roberts