Editorial
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 28, 2007; 13(16): 2271-2282
Published online Apr 28, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i16.2271
Genetics of hepatocellular carcinoma
Andreas Teufel, Frank Staib, Stephan Kanzler, Arndt Weinmann, Henning Schulze-Bergkamen, Peter R Galle
Andreas Teufel, Frank Staib, Stephan Kanzler, Arndt Weinmann, Henning Schulze-Bergkamen, Peter R Galle, Department of Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Andreas Teufel, MD, PhD, Department of Internal MedicineI, Johannes Gutenberg University, Building 301, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55101 Mainz, Germany.
Telephone: +49-6131-172380 Fax: +49-6131-17472669
Received: December 11, 2006
Revised: January 3, 2007
Accepted: February 8, 2007
Published online: April 28, 2007
Abstract

The completely assembled human genome has made it possible for modern medicine to step into an era rich in genetic information and high-throughput genomic analysis. These novel and readily available genetic resources and analytical tools may be the key to unravel the molecular basis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, since an efficient treatment for this disease is lacking, further understanding of the genetic background of HCC will be crucial in order to develop new therapies aimed at selected targets. We report on the current status and recent developments in HCC genetics. Special emphasis is given to the genetics and regulation of major signalling pathways involved in HCC such as p53, Wnt-signalling, TGFβ, Ras, and Rb pathways. Furthermore, we describe the influence of chromosomal aberrations as well as of DNA methylation. Finally, we report on the rapidly developing field of genomic expression profiling in HCC, mainly by microarray analysis.

Keywords: Hepatocellular scarcinoma, Liver cancer, Genetics, Genomics, Chromosome, Mutation, Pathway