title: Gene signatures in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
abstract: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant human cancer globally, with poor prognosis. New and efficacious therapy strategies are needed as well as new biomarkers for early detection of at-risk patients. In this review, we discuss select microarray studies of human HCCs, and propose a gene signature that has promise for clinical/translational application. This gene signature combines the proliferation cluster of genes and the hepatic cancer initiating/stem cell gene cluster for identification of HCCs with poor prognosis. Evidence from cell-based assays identifies the existence of a mechanistic link between these two gene clusters, involving the proliferation cluster gene polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1). We propose that PLK1 is a promising therapy target for HCC.
authors.affiliation: Basic Medical Sciences Department and Purdue Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States. andrisao@purdue.edu
authors.forename: Ourania M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Andrisani
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Studach
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000097869:Polo-Like Kinase 1
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D000097869:Polo-Like Kinase 1