Advances in Liver Oncology: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Innovations

Dear Colleagues,

Liver cancer is among the highest hurdles in oncology. It includes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma, and metastasis in the liver. Even though enormous progress has been made in their diagnosis and treatment, these cancers remain great challenges since their biology is complex, they are often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and they do not respond to the standard therapies. The TME is a critical component in the evolution of liver cancers and metastases, dictating the fate of cancer cells by regulating survival, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance.

This special issue aspires to encompass the general outlook on recent updates of research in liver oncology, whether primary liver cancers or liver metastases. We would like to bring out the molecular mechanisms behind such diseases and present novel therapeutic strategies that may be devised to interfere with these processes.

We welcome the submission of peer-reviewed original research, reviews, and communications dedicated to the following topics of basic science and translational research in liver oncology, but not limited to:

• Molecular signaling involved in hepatocarcinogenesis and its potential therapeutic implications;
• The role of the tumor microenvironment in progression to liver cancer and treatment response;
• Molecular cross-talk between liver stromal cells and metastatic cancer cells;
• The contribution of immune-microenvironment to liver metastatic progression and therapy resistance;
• Genetic and epigenetic alterations in liver cancer and their implications for targeted therapy;
• Effects of extracellular matrix remodeling on the initiation and progression of liver metastasis;
• Recent advances in immunotherapy and their applicability for both primary liver cancers and liver metastases;
• The rationales and experimental strategies for biomarker discovery in liver cancers and metastases in early detection, prognostics, and therapeutic response;
• Recent advances in molecular liver oncology with respect to new drug delivery systems and combination therapies.
• Innovative treatment centered on the heterogeneous cells of the TME in liver metastases: immunotherapy strategies and approaches to stroma derivatives and the TME matrix.

Prof. Dr. Rui Caetano Oliveira
Dr. Rui Miguel Martins
Prof. Dr. José Guilherme Tralhão
Guest Editors

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