title: Advances in the study of molecularly targeted agents to treat hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a severe form of liver cancer that is found worldwide. Treatments such as liver transplantation and surgical resection and local-regional therapies such as transarterial chemoembolization have progressed considerably and play a prominent role in HCC management. After those treatments, though, systematic drug intervention is required to deal with tumor metastasis in its early stages and the high frequency of tumor recurrence and/or metastasis. The approval of sorafenib, an agent that targets receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), as the first effective drug for systemic treatment of HCC represents a milestone in the treatment of this disease. In addition to sorafenib, a number of agents that target various RTKs or intracellular signal transduction molecules, such as mTOR, are currently being investigated as monotherapy or combination therapy for HCC. This article reviews advances in the study of molecularly targeted agents to treat HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Fudan University.
authors.forename: Jialu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases