title: TP53/MicroRNA Interplay in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
abstract: The role of microRNAs as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes has emerged in several cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The pivotal tumor suppressive role of p53-axis is indicated by the presence of inactivating mutations inTP53gene in nearly all cancers. A close interaction between these two players, as well as the establishment of complex p53/miRNAs loops demonstrated the strong contribution of p53-effector miRNAs in enhancing the p53-mediated tumor suppression program. On the other hand, the direct and indirect targeting of p53, as well as the regulation of its stability and activity by specific microRNAs, underlie the importance of the fine-tuning of p53 pathway, affecting the cell fate of damaged/transformed cells. The promising results of miRNAs-based therapeutic approaches in preclinical studies and their entrance in clinical trials demonstrate the feasibility of this strategy in several diseases, including cancer. Molecularly targeted drugs approved so far for HCC treatment show intrinsic or acquired resistances with disease progression in many cases, therefore the identification of effective and non-toxic agents for the treatment of HCC is actually an unmet clinical need. The knowledge of p53/miRNA inter-relations in HCC may provide useful elements for the identification of novel combined approaches in the context of the "personalized-medicine" era.
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy. danielapollutri@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pollutri
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy. laura.gramantieri@aosp.bo.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gramantieri
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy. luigi.bolondi@unibo.it.|Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Bologna University, 40138 Bologna, Italy. luigi.bolondi@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bolondi
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Biomedical Research, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy. francesca.fornari2@unibo.it.|Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Bologna University, 40138 Bologna, Italy. francesca.fornari2@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fornari
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); microRNA; p53